Gainesville Blog

Jay Nault asked:


Anyone who loves college basketball should act now to get their hands on Florida Gators basketball tickets, as this team that’s being led by a core of talented players may be setting itself up for one of the greatest single-class runs in the history of the sport.

Whether the Gators’ recent dominance on the national landscape continues for years to come is immaterial at this juncture, as with each passing week, fans everywhere are reminded why this team is unquestionably the best in the land. Below we’ll look at several reasons for the Gators’ ascent to the top of the mountain in their sport, and we’ll also look at their prospects for a repeat NCAA title this spring.

A Superstar Coach

It’s hard to believe that Gators’ coach Billy Donovan has already been stalking the sidelines in Gainesville for more than 10 years. Donovan came to Florida as one of the proverbial coaching “prodigies” in the industry, but the fact is that some of these future stars work out while others do not. Donovan had only two years of head-coaching experience prior to his stint at Florida, and he was only 32 years old when he came aboard.

All he’s done is taken everything he learned from the likes of Rick Pittino and established the Gators as a national force, and that began long before last season’s championship run. Donovan led the Gators to the Final Four and into the title game in 2000, and his in-game coaching is as renowned as his recruiting. Basically, Donovan rarely gets out-coached, and in the turbulent world of college hoops, Donovan’s ability will assure that Florida Gators basketball tickets will always be hard to find.

The “’04’s”

The current group of Gators is led by what is shaping up to be one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time, and they have even dubbed themselves the “04’s,” as that’s the year each of them came to Gainesville. The class of Cory Brewer, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green present a dynamic nucleus of players with unbelievable skills and loyalty. Any of these players could’ve moved on to the NBA after last season’s title, but they all decided to return, and that’s good news for the fans in Florida and bad news for anyone who faces the mighty Gators from this point forward.

Overall, this team is loaded, mature, motivated and ready to stake their claim on basketball history. They are tournament-tested and can beat you in any of several ways. Therefore, you need to get your Florida Gators basketball tickets now, as you could be witnessing one of the greatest runs in college basketball in the past 20 years.



BROUSE

Jay Nault asked:


Alabama basketball tickets have been in demand recently, even though the overall sports scene in Tuscaloosa has been dominated by a certain football coach being hired amidst much fanfare. Even though the national spotlight has been on the gridiron, the Crimson Tide have been making an intense push to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Although Alabama is currently ranked in the polls, their spot in the “Big Dance” is not guaranteed at this point. Below we’ll take a look at Alabama’s qualifications to determine whether or not they’ll be dancing next month.

Schedule

Alabama has the advantage of playing in one of the power conferences on the college basketball landscape, and they currently sit atop the standings in the SEC West. However, that can be somewhat deceiving, as Arkansas and LSU, two perennial contenders in the conference, are having somewhat disappointing seasons. Not to mention, a 6-6 conference record is not going to impress the selection committee.

However, the Crimson Tide have played a strong schedule overall, with quality wins over the likes of Iowa, Xavier, North Carolina State and Oklahoma, and they recently took Florida to the wire before losing a tough game in Gainesville. Even if the Crimson Tide aren’t selected for the tournament, it’s been a good year to have Alabama basketball tickets.

Recent Trends

One of the overlooked aspects of the selection process for the NCAA Tournament is how a team has played in recent games. This is a factor that as of now does not appear to work in Alabama’s favor. They are only 5-5 in their last 10 games, and that includes losses to a struggling Auburn team and Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt loss doesn’t look too bad now, however, given that the Commodores recently dominated Florida on their home floor, and Vanderbilt is always a tough place to play.

Outlook

Overall, Alabama has every opportunity to get themselves into the tournament. They have games remaining against Tennessee, Auburn and the two schools in Mississippi, and there’s also the SEC Tournament. If Alabama can get themselves into a mode where they finish strong, their final resume could look quite good, especially if that resume includes 20 wins, a national ranking, an SEC West title and a deep run in the SEC Tournament.

If all these things happen, and it’s somewhat likely that they will, Alabama’s streak of five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament will be extended, and fans with Alabama basketball tickets will have a potential championship team to watch.



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