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
We try to take teams out of what they practice every single day, whether through pressing, trapping, three-quarter-court pressing, through trapping pick-and-rolls, trapping the low post. We're trying to do things to disrupt the flow of the game.
At the time, it did bother me but as I've gotten older in this business I realize there can be a lot of negativity and things said. I take a lot of pride in trying to build a program.
We are trying to build tradition. Kentucky's the one that has the tradition and we are trying to get there.
We had won 17 games, but going into tonight we were 0-0. I knew Duke had lost, but these are different guys. They are more wrapped up in trying to become a good team, to become better individually and really sacrifice for one another.
We're blocking more shots than we have in the last several years, but I don't think as a coaching staff we're saying this is a point of emphasis for our defense. We don't want to be a team that's just jumping up in the air trying to block shots because there are a lot of things that happen that are not good if you don't block it. So we just have to be selective.
What happened is significant in basketball in the state of Florida, is significant to the University of Florida. To be a part of it, as I am, I'll remember this for the rest of my life. I'll remember these 10 years, in terms of trying to build things and create a level of consistency.
Whether or not we're deserving of all this, I don't know, ... I'm just trying to look at the bigger picture of my team.
We were trying to experiment with some different combinations on the perimeter. In a league game, I probably wouldn't risk that, unless we went to a zone a little bit.
They made it very difficult for us to get prepared. Just trying to space the floor. And you have to extra pass against them.
That's what we're trying to build here at Florida. That's what we're trying to create. It has to start somewhere.
They are a real big rotation team, a real big help team, and we talked about coming into the game offensively and spacing them, and trying to create some middle pick and roll and help situations.
I was concerned about trying to double him. I wanted him to score and to take those other guys out of the game the best we could. It worked out for us.
Our guys have done a pretty good job so far of keeping a level of humility and trying to get better each day.
He created and made some things happen. He made some very timely 3point shots when they were trying to make a run.