Florida's Donovan joins elite Final Four as player coach
Florida coach Billy Donovan became the sixth person to appear in the Final Four as both player and coach, linking his 1987 Providence squad to the Gators' 71-59 semifinal win over North Carolina. The piece notes other dual-role figures, key game moments, and crowd figures including Magic Johnson and John Wooden.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis
Florida
Billy Donovan
Providence
Syracuse
Vic Bubas
Dick Harp
Bob Knight
Bones McKinney
Dean Smith
Knight
Smith
Donovan
North Carolina
Carolina
Spartans Top Wisconsin to Reach Final Four Tilt with Florida
Michigan State, led by Mateen Cleaves, rebounded from a slow start to outscore Wisconsin 13-2 in a key second-half stretch. Peterson scored 20 after attending his grandmother’s funeral as the Spartans, the top seed, limited Wisconsin to 35 percent shooting and forced a single Wisconsin basket in the first 7:24 of the half. Cleaves praised the team’s defense and emphasized one more shining moment as MSU advanced to the championship against Florida.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Georgetown
Kentucky
Spartans
Badgers
Tornizzo
Pittsburgh
Oregon State
Oklahoma State
Ohio State
Villanova
Pete
Izzo
Morris Peterson
Mateen
Cleaves
Rca Dome
Magic Johnson
Indiana State
John Wooden
UCLA
Johnson
Duke
Jody Silvester
Pennsylvania
Florida
North Carolina
Silvester
Nashville
Tenn
Lzzo
Mateen Cleaves
Washington State
Peterson
Larry Bird
Roy Boone
Dick Bennett
Jon Bryant
Bennett
Indy
Arizona
Purdue
Forte
Haywood
Parker
UNC
Florida Gators hold off North Carolina 71 59 in semifinal
Florida outlasted North Carolina 71 to 59 as Ed Cota fouled out and the Tar Heels faltered after taking a 50 46 lead. Major Parker hit a key 3 as Florida seized control, while Brendan Haywood paced UNC with 12 points. Florida improved to a Final Four appearance with a strong defensive effort.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
North Carolina
Bill Guthridge
Tar Heels
Ed Cota
Florida
Gators
Major Parker
Cota
Donovan
Ed Jr
Duke
Joseph Forte
Jason Capel
Brendan Haywood
Guthridge
Billy Donovan
Tom Scott
NCAA Final Four Box Scores Feature Wisconsin, Michigan State Contests
Michigan State defeats Wisconsin 53 to 41 in a Final Four game with Hutson and Peterson leading MSU and Kelley and Linton pacing Wisconsin. Florida defeats North Carolina 71 to 59 as Forte and Capel foul trouble and strong shows from Parker and Harvey shape the late stage of the event.
North Carolina Falls to Florida in NCAA Semifinal
Florida's depth overwhelms North Carolina 71-59 as the Tar Heels suffer turnovers and foul trouble down the stretch. Forte and Capel foul out, Cota and Haywood finish with four fouls each, and UNC misses late free throws while weathering a relentless press.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis
North Carolina
Tar Heels
Florida
Bill Guthridge
Forte
Cota
Parker
Haywood
Also Mentioned on This Page
Gene Keady
Boilermakers
Keady
Koufax
Utah
Weber State
Bll Gurthridge
Alpho
Funk
Nelson
Brent Wright
Donnell Harvey
Miller
Kris Lang
Kowske
Kelley
Vershaw
Bryant
Boone
Wills
Duany
Linton
Davis
Penney
Michigan ST
Hutson
Michigan
Bell
Capel
Lang
Cola
Peppers
Owens
Brooker
Holmes
Totals
Wright
Haslem
Dupay
Hamilton
Harvey
Bonner
Weaks
M.parker
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