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March 19, 2000 By Mike Lurie SportsLine.com Staff Writer |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Florida had such an easy time with Illinois on Sunday, its first-round troubles seemed like a mirage.
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In the end, it came down to pacing. Whereas Butler slowed down the pace unmercifully in the opening round of the East Regional, Illinois gave the Gators exactly what they wanted.
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Florida advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year with a 93-76 win because the up-tempo pace is exactly what coach Billy Donovan likes.
"I knew coming into the game it was going to be a track meet," said sophomore Mike Miller, who scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half. "That's what coach wanted. And that's our style."
For all the opinion out there that Donovan can't coach as well as he recruits, he has an NCAA Tournament record to be proud of so far -- four wins in five games.
Florida reaches two consecutive Sweet 16s for the first time in school history.
"We got easy baskets against them because the game was played in transition," Donovan said. "Certainly I just loved -- in the first seven or eight minutes -- the pace of the second half. We were going up and down, up and down."
Said Illinois forward Sergio McClain, "You can't really control that (tempo). That's just the way the game was going."
The future for the Illini really is next year. They started two freshmen, two sophomores and junior Sergio McClain.
"In the offseason, we've got a lot to work on," Illinois coach Lon Kruger said. "Guys have to get bigger and stronger, and individually we need to work on our ball-handling and shooting. As painful as it may be right now, we'll learn from it and it will make us a better team."
It certainly looked nasty
The image was there for all to see. Mike Krzyzewski's eyes bulging. Roy Williams' veins popping.
But what appeared to be a heated exchange between the Duke and Kansas coaches was nothing of the sort, both said after Duke's 69-64 defeat of the Jayhawks.
The two were embroiled in a first-half discussion with the officials after an overrule switched possession from Duke to Kansas. Krzyzewski asked for an explanation during a TV timeout. Williams saw what was happening and wanted in on the discussion.
"That was about officiating," Krzyzewski said. "I love Roy. That wasn't about me and Roy Williams. He was trying to protect his turf and I was trying to protect mine.
"Believe me, it was not heated against Roy Williams. I have too much respect for him. No way would I do that. Now, was I angry at the official? Absolutely."
Quick reunion
Florida senior Kenyan Weaks is the lone remaining Kruger recruit on the Gators roster from Kruger's tenure as coach.
Weaks said there were no hard feelings about Kruger's decision to take the Illinois job shortly after Weaks signed to play at Florida.
"It was my decision to still go to the University of Florida. I stuck with it. No hard feelings about it," Weaks said. "Coaches leave. Players leave."
Admittedly, the amount of time players and coaches can greet each other immediately after a game is short in the commotion of the moment, but Weaks and Kruger had no more than a brief shake of hands.
Daughter's torn loyalties
Angie Kruger, the Illinois coach's daughter, is a sophomore at Florida. Although she was home on a break from school last week to attend the Big 10 Conference Tournament, she was unable to leave Gainesville to watch Illinois this weekend.
Naturally, Angie Kruger had to be feeling mixed emotions watching her father's team play her school.
Her father is a master of offering mostly bland answers to questions on any subject with even the slightest edge to it.
Even an issue as tame as this one prompted Kruger to say, "I'm sure it's a little interesting for her. I haven't asked her too many questions about it."