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What's future for Donovan, Gator juniors?

'I haven’t given any thought to anything,' coach says of Kentucky talk

Image: Billy DonovanReuters
Gators head coach Billy Donovan reacts during the national championship game Monday.

Brewer, Horford and Noah are not likely to do it again, especially after talking all postseason about how difficult the journey was the second time.

“Honestly, I’m not worried about that,” Noah said following the game. “I don’t know. Right now I just can’t wait to go out with my boys and talk about it and chill and just relax.”

Some believe Noah could use another year in college to hone his post skills. The 6-foot-11 forward probably would have been the No. 1 pick in last summer’s NBA draft, but his stock has dropped some this season.

Horford and Brewer, though, probably improved their status significantly. Horford had 26 points and 29 rebounds in two Final Four games, showing range and post moves. Brewer had 31 points and 10 boards, was 7-of-13 from 3-point range and earned the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.

Even Green is getting mentioned as a possible NBA draft candidate — creating the possibility that Donovan could lose his top six players off the title team.

“We’re not even thinking about that at all,” Green said. “We’re enjoying this championship. It’s our second time doing this again. You really can’t explain how you feel but it’s a great, great, great feeling.”

Donovan’s assistants could benefit from Florida’s run, too.

Larry Shyatt, a former head coach at Wyoming and Clemson, has been mentioned as a candidate for several open jobs.

And Donnie Jones appears to be the leading candidate to replace fired coach Ron Jirsa at Marshall. Jones and his wife grew up in West Virginia. Jones got his masters degree from Marshall in 1992, then spent six years coaching there under Dwight Freeman and then Donovan.

Jones also runs a basketball camp there every summer.

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“I think Donnie would be a great candidate,” Donovan said. “He’s a West Virginia guy. He went to Marshall and got a graduate degree from there. He coached there before I got there and then he coached with me for two years. I think he would be terrific.”

Still, the biggest questions surround Donovan.

“It’s amazing to me how we fast forward into the future all the time,” Donovan said. “Everybody wants to talk about repeating, repeating, repeating. All of a sudden we repeated less than 24 hours ago and we’re on to the next thing again. At what point do we sit there and say, ’OK, let’s live in the moment of what’s going on?’

“Everybody’s so far down the road it becomes difficult sometimes to enjoy. All those things we’re talking about are going to happen in due time.”

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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