Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John Donovan, Jr.is an American professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He previously spent 19 seasons at the University of Florida, where his Florida Gators men's basketball teams won two NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships in 2006 and 2007. Donovan has more wins than any other coach in the history of the Florida basketball program, and he coached the Gators to more NCAA tournament appearances,...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth30 May 1965
CityRockville Centre, NY
It's a hard play. He had two people with him and he was able to get in the lane and see the basket. He probably thought he had a good shot at it.
I told you you'd finally get to one.
I told them before the game, this game was going to come down to everything we talk about being. Team work, unselfishness, sharing the ball, and being able to defend and rebound.
I told them this would be a 40-minute battle from start to finish, and if you let frustration creep in at all, you guys are going to lose the game. This is going to be an ugly game where we may not shoot well, but we have to defend and rebound.
For a while there, everybody talked about if you really want to win at the college level, you have to have two or three pros on your team. I'm not so sure that's the case any more.
For 50 or 60 years, Kentucky has dominated this league. You can't expect every year for them to do what they have done.
It's OK. He just didn't know who I was.
It's one of those things I can hope will get better and he can get back to playing because it's very obvious watching him play that he's not as reckless and daring and playing like he's capable of. I don't know if there's a level of uncertainty if he plants or runs or jumps or if the pain is so severe he just can't do what he's supposed to do.
It's teams like George Mason that give so many people hope in their lives, just seeing what great things can be accomplished.
It just goes to show you that you're not as good as you think you are, and you're not as bad as you think you are.
It just goes to show you how many good coaches there are out there, how many good players there are out there. On any given night anybody can beat anybody. George Mason certainly has proven that in this NCAA Tournament over the last two weeks.
It just goes to show you how good our league is and how balanced it is.
There might be some truth to (more pressure playing close to home). Kids say, 'There's so many people there I want to do so well,' so that can happen. If you're out in San Diego you're just kind of playing. (But) I don't think these guys will feel that way -- I hope they don't.
This is a very, very special place. Being part of this institution means something. We have the greatest student body in the United States of America.