Billy Donovan regrets not offering Victor Oladipo a scholarship at Florida
Perhaps this would've been the difference in Donovan winning a third national title
By
Brad Botkin
•
1 min read
From 2010-2013, Billy Donovan led the Florida Gators to three consecutive Elite Eight appearances, but they were never able to get over the hump and into the Final Four to compete for what would've been Donovan's third national championship in Gainesville.
Perhaps Victor Oladipo would've made the difference.
Donovan and Oladipo are of course paired together in Oklahoma City this year, but back in 2010 Donovan chose not to offer a scholarship to Oladipo, who instead went on to Indiana where he would eventually become a consensus All-American and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
As Florida's coach, Billy Donovan spent time recruiting Victor Oladipo but did not offer him a scholarship. Oladipo's athleticism was there. His shooting stood out. But it wasn't enough. "It probably was a huge mistake," Donovan said.
It's interesting to think about the impact Oladipo could've had on those Florida teams -- particularly the 2012-13 team that lost to eventual national finalist Michigan in the Elite Eight. That was the year after Bradley Beal left for the NBA, and certainly Oladipo -- who really burst onto the scene that season as the national defensive player of the year and a Naismith and Wooden Award finalist -- would've slid in perfectly next to Kenny Boynton and Scottie Wilbekin in a three-guard look that, perhaps, could've better combatted Michigan's three-pronged perimeter attack of Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Burke and Stauskas, in particular, dominated Florida in that matchup, putting up a combined 37 points to Wilbekin's four points and Boynton's 13. Stauskas hit six 3 threes that night, and though Stauskas was certainly capable of scoring on anyone, things probably would've been a bit different if the best defensive player in the country was chasing him around.
For what it's worth, Oladipo's Hoosiers knocked off the then-No. 1 Wolverines 81-73 earlier that year in Bloomington.
