Category: All-Time Player Bios

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Matt Bonner (1999–2003)

Matt Bonner was a guy who knew his role and played it well on some great teams — both at Florida and in the NBA.

Matt Bonner (1999–2003) – Center/Power Forward

Matt Bonner was a guy who knew his role and played it well on some great teams — both at Florida and in the NBA. Playing alongside Udonis Haslem, he was part of a formidable Florida team that catapulted the Gators into the national spotlight at the end of the 1990s.

Bonner was born in Concord, N.H., where he led the Concord High School basketball team to three state championships while also graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1999. He accepted an athletic scholarship under Billy Donovan at UF, where he played all four years of his collegiate eligibility.

Bonner served strictly in a reserve role his freshman year, appearing in 36 games but only playing an average of 13.5 minutes on a team that made it to the NCAA Championship Game. His production jumped his sophomore season, as he started just more than half of the games he played averaging 13.3 points along with 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He shot 38.1 percent mark from beyond the arc — the second-best during his time in Gainesville.

The “Red Rocket’s” production peaked his junior campaign, averaging a collegiate career-high 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game; he also averaged 1.5 assists per game in each of his last three years at Florida. Though his stat line slightly slipped in his senior season, he shot a blistering 47.4 percent from three-point range on just under two attempts per game.

Over the course of his UF tenure, Bonner scored 1,570 points — including 165 three-pointers — while grabbing 778 rebounds. He was a first-team All-SEC selection and an AP honorable mention All-American as a senior in 2003, and also excelled in the classroom, winning Academic All-American of the Year for basketball in both 2002 and 2003.

The Chicago Bulls selected Bonner in the second round with the 45th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft but quickly traded him to the Toronto Raptors, who asked the former Gator to play overseas in lieu of an open roster spot. After playing a season with Sicilia Messina of the Italian league, Bonner returned to Toronto and signed a one-year contract in accordance with the agreement that sent him to Europe.

Bonner started all 82 games of his rookie season in 2004-05— the only Raptors rookie to ever achieve the feat — while averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds; he then resigned with the team on a two-year deal. However, after the first season of the contract, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs where he would finish his career and experience NBA immortality alongside Tim Duncan and company.

“Red Mamba’s” best year in the Alamo City came in 2008-09 when he averaged 8.2 points per game while starting 67 out of 81 games played — both career-highs. Bonner also had a second peak in 2010-11 when he averaged 7.1 points a game and led the league in three-point percentage with a 45.7 mark, making 105 of 230 attempts.

Over his 12 seasons in the NBA, Bonner averaged 5.8 points and three rebounds a game while shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. He won two NBA championships with the Spurs in 2007 and 2014 while also contributing to several deep playoff runs in San Antonio.

Since his retirement from professional basketball in 2017, Bonner and his brother Luke have run a nonprofit organization called the Rock On Foundation that “serves to increase community artistic and athletic opportunities.”

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All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Chris Chiozza (2014-18)

Chiozza is best-known for his game-winning shot to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Chris Chiozza (2014-2018) – Point Guard

Chris Chiozza is best-known for his game-winning running three-point shot to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Following a trend seen in previous parts of this best-player bracket, Chiozza is originally from Tennessee — Memphis, specifically — where he attended White Station High School while also playing on the Team Thad AAU squad. Averaging 15 points and eight assists per game as a senior, Chiozza was ranked No. 45 in his class by Rivals.com and received scholarship offers from numerous Division I programs before committing to Florida in 2014.

Billy Donovan was still at the helm when Chiozza chose UF, though the diminutive guard only played one season under the storied head coach. He had just missed the 2013-14 season in which the Gators went 36-3 en route to a Final Four loss to UConn, though he would taste similar glory before his Gator days were over.

Chiozza played primarily as a reserve his freshman campaign, starting 11 of 33 games while scoring 3.9 points along with 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 22.8 minutes per game. His game bumped up with the arrival of head coach Mike White, seeing an overall increase in production by averaging 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals while starting 22 of 36 games his sophomore season.

The young point guard’s production remained steady through his junior year despite playing off the bench exclusively in a reserve role. However, he entered the annals of Gators lore with his aforementioned game-winning shot in the NCAA Tournament in 2017, cementing his legacy in the Orange and Blue.

Chiozza took his game to the next level his senior season, further adding to his collegiate accolades by breaking Erving Walker’s Florida career assists record while also leading the SEC with a 3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio. He put up a stat line of 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals during his final year in Gainesville while starting 32 of 34 games, earning him First Team All-SEC honors and an invitation to the 2018 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Despite his accomplishments, Chiozza went undrafted in 2018 but joined the Washington Wizards for the NBA Summer League and the team’s training camp before being released before the season began; he then joined the Wizards’ G League team for the remainder of the year.

The 2018-19 season saw a turn of events for the better, with Chiozza starting the season on a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets. Though he did not play any games for Houston that time around, he joined its G League affiliate before signing an NBA contract and finishing the year with the Rockets, appearing in seven games.

After finishing off his contract in Texas, Chiozza signed with the Wizards again, this time on a two-way contract between the G League and the NBA. He played 10 games in D.C. before Washington waived him in December of 2019. The Brooklyn Nets signed him just after the New Year on a two-way contract, where he appeared in 11 games and still remains on the active NBA roster.

So far in his brief professional career, Chiozza has averaged 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.6 steals in 28 games played with three different teams. In his last appearance before the coronavirus shutdown, he scored 11 points, dished out five assists and grabbed one rebound in 17 minutes of playing time against the Los Angeles Lakers. It appears that things continue to trend upwards for the former Gators point guard.

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All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Eugene McDowell (1981-85)

McDowell was a formidable force on the early-80s squads that brought UF to national prominence, enjoying moderate success overseas afterward

Eugene McDowell (1981-85) – Center

Eugene McDowell was a formidable force on head coach Norm Sloan’s early-80s squad that helped bring the program to national prominence, while also enjoying a moderately successful career overseas after college.

Originally from Cross City, Fla., McDowell was born with a bone disorder that required the use of leg braces; by the time he was 15, he was able to play basketball competitively without them. Attending Dixie County High School, where he was a first-team all-state selection in both his junior and senior year, he averaged 26 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks per game his senior campaign, earning him a selection on the Parade All-America Third Team as well as a McDonald’s All-American honor.

Recruited by Auburn, Florida State, Minnesota, Oregon and South Alabama, McDowell ultimately picked his in-state institution, playing under Sloan with the confidence of the accomplished coach. He had a solid freshman year, averaging 9.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game patroling the Gators’ paint.

His sophomore season in 1982-83, however, was a true tour de force, putting up his college career-best numbers with 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on a Florida team that went only 13-18 against a remarkably tough strength of schedule. That year proved to be his high-water mark, though he still averaged double-digit points and increased his rebound and assists average over his final two seasons.

Over the course of McDowell’s four years in Gainesville, he averaged 14.4 points with 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, earning All-SEC Third Team honors for his sophomore and junior seasons and All-SEC First-Team his senior year. His 43 career double-doubles are a program record and he was the second player in the program history to reach 1,000 career rebounds.

The accomplished center’s collegiate performance was good enough to be automatically eligible for the infamous 1985 NBA Draft, in which he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 21st pick of the 3rd round (68th overall). However, he never played a single minute in the NBA but instead opted to head to Europe to find greener pastures.

McDowell’s first stop was in Italy, where he played for Napoli Basket of the Italian top league, averaging 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while still under contract with the Bucks. After Milwaukee officially released him, he hopped over to Spain where he spent two-plus seasons playing between three different Iberian clubs while putting up similar statistics. After being cut by CB Cajabilbao, McDowell played two seasons at the other end of the Mediterranean in Turkey from 1989 and 1991 with Çukurova Sanayi and Paşabahçe, respectively.

He returned to Florida for a last stab at the NBA in 1990, trying out for the Orlando Magic but failing to make the final roster cut. McDowell headed back to Turkey for one more campaign before coming home to North America, playing in the CBA with the Pensacola Tornadoes and the Birmingham Bandits, respectively, for two final seasons. After a strong showing in Pensacola and a much more mediocre stat line in Birmingham, the veteran center hung up his shoes in 1992.

McDowell passed away in 1995 due to natural causes, though his legacy still lives on with the Eugene McDowell Memorial Basketball Endowment. He was inducted in the SEC Hall of Fame in 2009.

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Udonis Haslem (1998-02)

His superlative play in college along with his lengthy and successful NBA career puts him in the upper echelon of Gators men’s basketball.

Udonis Haslem (1998-02) – Center/Power Forward

Admittedly, I never thought that much of Udonis Haslem when he played for the Gators at the turn of the millennium, but his superlative play in college along with his lengthy and successful NBA career puts him in the upper echelon of Gators men’s basketball history.

Haslem was born in Miami, Fla., where he would play almost his entire professional basketball career. He attended both Wolfson High School in Jacksonville and later Miami High School, where he — alongside another future NBA center, Steve Blake — led the team to state titles in 1997 and 1998. The latter crown was vacated after it was discovered that Halsem and other players had circumvented residency requirements.

The young center accepted an athletic scholarship to play under Billy Donovan at UF in 1998, where he started for four years on a squad that saw quite a bit of success. The Gators made the NCAA Tournament every year of Haslem’s tenure, including a heartbreaking appearance in the 2000 NCAA Finals which they lost to Michigan State.

Haslem averaged double-digit points every season he played in Gainesville, with his peak coming his junior year when he averaged 16.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, one assist and one block per game. At the slight expense of his scoring output, he diversified his game a bit more his senior season, averaging 16 points along with 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 blocks.

Over the course of his collegiate career, Haslem averaged 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, along with 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He accrued several awards, including NCAA All-Region, NCAA-All Tournament and three All-SEC honors and finished third in team history in points scored (1,782) and tenth in rebounds (831).

Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft and subsequently traveled to France to play professional ball. He arrived in Europe weighing nearly 300 pounds, 50 of which he shed over the course of eight months. After his short stint overseas, he signed with the Miami Heat in August of 2003.

There was a great deal of success awaiting Haslem in his home town, beginning with the Second Team All-Rookie honors he earned his first season, which featured him in the Rookie Challenge during All-Star weekend while helping the Heat reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Four of the next five seasons — barely missing a fifth with a 9.9 scoring average in 2009-10 — Haslem averaged double-digit points in what would be the peak of his career. He reached his career-high for rebounds in a season with 9.1 per game his second year, though he also averaged one tick less at nine boards even in 2007-08. Over that stretch, he played in at least 75 games, save for that nine-rebound season, in which he only played 49 games due to an ankle injury — though he finished with a career-high 12 points per game average.

In his 17 seasons with the Heat — the only NBA team he has played for — Haslem has averaged 7.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 857 games and is still on the active roster. He has been on a series of one-year contracts since 2016 anticipating his retirement, vacillating on whether or not to call it quits. As of February of 2020, he remains uncommitted to hanging up his shoes and could return for season No. 18 next season in 2020-21.

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All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Jason Williams (1997-98)

Jason Williams was one of the most electric point guards in Florida — and NBA — history, despite spending only one season in Gainesville.

Jason Williams (1997-98) – Point Guard

Jason Williams was one of the most electric point guards in Florida — and NBA — history, despite spending only one season in Gainesville. Known for his high-tempo approach and crisp passing skills, “White Chocolate” was a spectacle to behold during his playing days.

Born and raised in Belle, W. Va., Williams attended now-defunct DuPont High School where, playing alongside NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, he became the only athlete in DuPont team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 assists during his prep career. He was named West Virginia Player of the Year by USA Today in 1994.

Williams initially committed to Providence but later changed his mind and attended Marshall, where Billy Donovan had just taken over for Rick Barnes who had left for Clemson. After redshirting his first year, he put up 13.4 points and 6.4 assists per game during the 1995–96 season and when Donovan accepted the head coach job at UF, Williams followed along with him, sitting out the 1996-97 season due to the NCAA transfer rule.

“J-Will” hit the ground running for Florida as the starting point guard during his redshirt sophomore campaign, averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.7 steals in 20 games played while also setting the program record for assists in a game with 17 against Duquesne on December 3, 1997. However, his season came to an abrupt end after receiving his third suspension for cannabis use, resulting in a disqualification for the remainder of the year.

Subsequently, Williams declared for the 1998 NBA Draft in which he was selected No. 7 overall by the Sacramento Kings. He joined Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Peja Stojaković to form a formidable core that instantly became a playoff contender. In his three seasons in northern California, he averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game at the point guard position.

In 2001, the Kings traded Williams to the Vancouver Grizzlies — which moved to Memphis before “J-Dub” ever suited up for the team — after some disciplinary issues in Sacramento. He enjoyed the best years of his career with the Grizzlies, averaging 11.5 points along with 2.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals over a five-year span. However, like many of his other stops during his basketball playing days, personality conflicts marred his Tennessee tenure.

Williams was traded in August of 2005 in a 13-player blockbuster deal that sent him to sunny South Florida, where he won his only NBA title alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat. After putting up reduced — albeit still effective — numbers on South Beach, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 offseason. He retired shortly after that without playing a single game, citing nagging injuries that had accumulated over the course of his career.

However, “White Chocolate” couldn’t stay away from basketball for long, signing with the Orlando Magic in 2009 where he backed up Jameer Nelson on a juggernaut Magic squad that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. He resigned for the next season, but after dealing with knee problems — including arthroscopic surgery — Williams was released from the team and signed by the Grizzlies on a two-year contract. After just playing 11 games in 2010-11, he announced his retirement for the second and final time.

Over the course of his 12-year career, Williams averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game for four different teams. He is no longer involved in professional basketball.

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Corey Brewer (2004-07)

Corey Brewer was a baller on the best Gators basketball team ever-plain and simple-winning 3-straight SEC titles and 2-straight NCAA titles.

Corey Brewer (2004-07) – Small Forward/Shooting Guard

Corey Brewer was a baller on the best Gators basketball team ever. Plain and simple.

Born in Portland, Tenn., Brewer played prep ball at Portland High School where he averaged 29.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game as a senior in 2003–04. His efforts earned him Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class 2A “Mr.Basketball”, McDonald’s All American and fourth-team Parade All-American honors, while Rivals.com pegged him as a four-star recruit, listing him at No. 7 among small forwards and the No. 31 player in the nation overall.

Brewer came to Gainesville on an athletic scholarship under head coach Billy Donovan in 2004, playing three years in Gainesville and providing a cornerstone for the program’s most accomplished basketball team. He posted the first triple-double in team history during his sophomore season, with his 13 assists setting the highest mark since Jason Williams dished out 17 for a school record back in 1997.

During Brewer’s collegiate career at Florida, he and his fellow starters won three-straight SEC titles from 2005-07 and two-straight NCAA titles from 2006-07. While prognosticators predicted him to be a mid-first round pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, he and his fellow teammates all returned for the second national championship to cement their legacy in UF immortality.

He averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game during his junior campaign, proving his versatility both with and without the ball. Brewer was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 Final Four after averaging 16 points and five rebounds per game, including 13 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block in the national championship game against Ohio State.

Brewer declared for the NBA Draft with teammates Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green three days after claiming their second NCAA crown. He was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played 79 games with 35 starts his rookie year. However, he lost the 2008-09 season to an ACL tear after playing only 15 games, though he bounced back the next year posting a career-high 13 points along with 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in a full 82 appearances.

In 2011, Brewer was a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks. He was waived by the Knicks without ever playing a game with the team and picked up by the Dallas Mavericks, where he made 13 underwhelming appearances before being traded to Denver in December of 2011.

Brewer’s game rebounded and even flourished in the Mile High City, finishing off the 2011-12 season much stronger than in Dallas, and playing a full 82 games the following season while recording the first of three-straight seasons averaging double-figure points.

The “Greyhound’s” career since has been mostly mediocre, failing to reach double-digit points average in a season since 2014-2015 in a campaign split between a return to Minneapolis and the Houston Rockets. Over the course of 12 seasons, Brewer has played for eight different teams — most recently with the Sacramento Kings in the 2018-19 season, which began with a couple of 10-day contracts and resulted in a veteran minimum contract to finish the season.

Brewer did not play in the NBA this past season, though he has been quoted in saying that there is still fuel left in the tank and he plans on continuing his preparation routines. So far in his professional career, he has averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 814 games played. Hopefully, the NBA has not seen the last of “The Drunken Dribbler” just yet.

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All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Dwayne Schintzius (1986-90)

Known for both his brash behavior and his signature mullet Schintzius had a colorful, but ultimately underachieving basketball career.

Dwayne Schintzius (1986-90) – Center

Let me preface this profile with a declaration of full disclosure: Dwayne Schintzius was my favorite Gators basketball player growing up. While there was also Stacey Poole and Livingston Chatman on that late-80s team — both players I also was very endeared to — Schintzius was larger-than-life during his career both on and off the court.

The 7-foot-tall Schintzius was born in Brandon, Fla., and attended Brandon High School where he made deep runs in the Class 4A state tournament his sophomore and junior years alongside prep legend Toney Mack. He averaged 21.1 points and 17 rebounds per game his senior season en route to honors from Parade magazine and a McDonald’s All-American nod, while also being listed as a finalist for Florida’s Mr. Basketball award.

With offers from various top college programs, Schintzius stayed in-state and attend the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship in 1987, where he played for four years. Under head coach Norm Sloan, he began strong in Gainesville, seizing the starting center job early on his freshman year averaging 10.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.8 blocked shots in 34 games played.

That same season the Gators earned its first-ever invite to the NCAA Tournament after winning its also first-ever regular-season SEC championship with a 12-6 record in conference play. Though the achievements were later vacated due to NCAA sanctions, Florida made it to the Sweet 16 that year behind the efforts of Schintzius, Andrew Moten and Vernon Maxwell — all names also seeded high in this bracket.

Florida made it back to the tournament the following two seasons as Schintzius continued to improve his game. During his sophomore campaign, he raised his production to the tune of 14.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 blocks over 35 games. However, it was this year that his disciplinary problems began to percolate to the surface, including clashes with Sloan as well as other minor incidents on and off the floor.

Schintzius took his game to the next level his final two seasons at Florida, over 30 games averaging 18 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks — the lowest number for swats during his collegiate career, but elevated numbers in the other categories. However, his behavioral issues reared its ugly head once more, with the big man receiving a four-game suspension from the university for an altercation outside of a Gainesville nightclub.

The center from Brandon was included on multiple All-American lists while also earning first-team All-SEC player honors his junior year when he led the Gators in scoring, rebounding, and free-throw percentage. He set the program record for career blocked shots (272), with all three of his season totals up to this point still holding the top-three spots in school history.

Unfortunately, that would be the last full season he would play in college.

While Schintzius’ senior season was marred by coach Sloan’s forced resignation from the program due to NCAA violations, he still put up big numbers in only 11 games played, averaging 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.5 blocks, along with a steal per game. After Sloan left the team, between his dislike for interim head coach Don DeVoe and further disciplinary issues, Schintzius officially quit the team.

Over the course of his career in Gainesville, Schintzius is the only player in SEC history to amass more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 blocks — a record that still stands. His 1,624 total points scored sits at No. 6 among Florida’s all-time scoring leaders.

The big man from Florida was taken by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft at No. 24 overall. He suited up for 42 games in San Antonio backing up future Hall of Fame center David Robinson before a back injury derailed his rookie campaign. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings before the 1990-91 season began; it was later revealed that part of the reason for the trade was a disagreement between the rookie center and general manager Bob Bass over his haircut.

Sadly, Schintzius’ career would be continually hampered by injuries, mainly problems with his back. His first two seasons were his best, though a resurgent year in 1995-96 with the Indiana Pacers saw one last hurrah from the storied former Gator. After his last gasp with the Boston Celtics in 1998-99, he retired from professional basketball. He averaged 2.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.5 blocks over eight seasons with six different teams over the course of his NBA career.

However, he ended up coming out of retirement in 2001-2002 to play with the Mobile Revelers of the NBA’s Development League. After one season in Alabama, Schintzius took a final stab at pro ball before calling it quits for good, suiting up for Brevard Blue Ducks of the United States Basketball League in 2003.

Known for both his brash behavior and his signature mullet — which he named “The Lobster” — Schintzius had a colorful, but ultimately underachieving basketball career overall due to a mix of attitude and injury issues. Nonetheless, he left an indelible mark on Florida’s basketball program as well as the Southeastern Conference.

Schintzius passed away in 2012 after a lengthy battle with a rare form of leukemia at the age of 43. He was quoted in saying the following at a Gators basketball game a year prior to his death.

“I’m very proud to be a Gator. I feel like I helped start something. It makes me feel good to see where the program has come.”

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Joakim Noah (2004-07)

At the University of Florida, Joakim Noah will be remembered as the face of one of the most dominant teams in college basketball history.

When one thinks about the greatest players to ever don the orange and blue, Joakim Noah is likely one of the first that comes to mind. A larger-than-life character who led the Gators to back-to-back national championships, Noah is a Florida legend in every sense of the word.

The son of former No. 3 tennis player in the world and 1983 French Open winner Yannick Noah and former Miss Sweden Cécilia Rodhe, Noah spent much of his childhood in Paris, where he played youth basketball for local clubs before returning to New York City, where he was born, at age 13.

He played high school basketball for three different schools in the New York City Metropolitan Area, where he gained attention from college recruiters. Rated a four-star recruit on the 247Sports Composite, Noah was the No. 73 player in the nation and the No. 17-ranked power forward.

He committed to then-Florida coach Billy Donovan in October of 2003, a few months before he signed his National Letter of Intent and enrolled at Florida in 2004. He joined a star-studded 2004 recruiting class for the Gators that featured Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Taureen Green, all players who would eventually help Noah lead the Gators to two titles.

In 2004-05, he appeared in 29 games without making a start. He averaged just 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds as Florida, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, was eventually upset by No. 5-seeded Villanova in the Second Round.

Heading into his sophomore season in 2005-06, he swapped roles with Horford, moving from power forward to center, and he dominated in that role. He averaged 14.2 points (the most on the team) and 7.1 rebounds (second behind Horford), landing the Gators in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. He was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as Florida beat UCLA to win its first national championship in school history.

Projected as a lottery pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Noah unsurprisingly declared following the season. But at the national championship celebration, Noah, alongside Horford and Brewer, announced that he would return for his junior season.

UF entered the 2006-07 season loaded with expectations, and Noah once again played like one of the top players in the country. Though his points average decreased to 12, he averaged a career-high 8.4 rebounds as Florida once again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, this time as a No. 1 seed.

He notched double-doubles in the First Round against Jackson State and in the Elite Eight against Oregon. The Gators returned to the championship game, where Noah had to face up against future No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden of Ohio State. He had an uncharacteristically quiet game, totaling eight points and three rebounds, but Florida took down the Buckeyes to secure its second title in two years.

Noah declared for the draft after the game, and this time, it stuck. He was selected ninth overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2007 NBA Draft, where his career got off to a bit of a slow start. He started just 31 games his rookie year and spent part of it suspended. When he was playing, he averaged 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. He started 55 games his second season but saw similar production.

Despite being limited to 64 games his third season due to injuries, he averaged a double-double (10.7 points, 11 rebounds) as he helped lead the Bulls to an appearance in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs.

Noah signed a five-year, $60 million extension heading into the 2010-11 season, and it featured similar production to his previous one. After signing the extension, Noah averaged a double-double for three of the next four seasons (in 2011-12, he averaged 9.8 points).

In 2014, he was named a First Team All-Pro and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

After being one of the most consistent big men in the NBA for nearly half a decade, Noah’s play began to decline a bit in 2014-15. That season, he averaged 7.2 points, the least since his second season. In 2015-16, he lost his starting job with Chicago, and between that and injuries, he averaged a career-low 4.3 points.

He became a free agent after the season and signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the New York Knicks, a contract that has been widely criticized in the years since.

He started all 46 games he played in for New York in 2016-17, but continued to be plagued by injuries and off-the-field issues, serving a 20-game suspension for violating NBA drug policy. He averaged five points and 8.8 rebounds when he wasn’t limited.

After ending the season with a torn rotator cuff injury, Noah wasn’t activated again until late November 2017. He spent a short assignment with the Westchester Knicks of the G-League before a confrontation with coach Jeff Hornacek led to Noah’s exile from the Knicks. He appeared in just seven games that season and was released by New York.

In December 2018, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He played in 42 games that season (starting one) and averaged 7.1 points, his best since 2014-15. He signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in March 2020 and is still on the active roster, though he is yet to appear in a game.

His post-Florida career has taken many turns, especially in recent years, but Noah is still a two-time All-Star who was, at least for a time, one of the top big men in the NBA. At UF, he will be remembered as the face of one of the most dominant teams in college basketball history.

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Scottie Wilbekin 2010-14

Wilbekin was a part of four-straight Elite 8 teams and went from being a defense-first role player to the premier player in the conference.

Scottie Wilbekin wasn’t supposed to be a dominant college basketball player. He wasn’t supposed to be an important cog in one of the most prolific four years of Florida basketball history. Just a two-star local prospect from The Rock School, he wasn’t highly sought after and wasn’t expected to make major contributions to the Gators.

But he steadily improved every year, and by the time his days in Gainesville were done, he was one of the most valuable players in the entire country and was a key component in leading UF to its first Final Four appearance since 2007.

Wilbekin started his career at Florida heading into the 2010-11 season. Early on, he struggled with his offensive game but shined as a passer and defender. His freshman season, he played in 37 games (starting one) and averaged 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists. His 61-28 assist-to-turnover ratio was the best on the team, and he nabbed 36 steals as the Gators made it to the first of four-straight Elite Eights during Wilbekin’s career, which they lost to Butler.

His sophomore season, his role was once again largely that of a backup. He played in all 37 games, again making just one start. Despite a decrease in minutes, he slightly improved his points average from 2.4 to 2.6. He began to develop his outside shot, leading the team in three-point percentage at 45.7 percent. Florida returned to the Elite Eight in 2011-12, but lost again at the hands of eventual-champion Louisville.

His junior year was when he really took off, though. He became a starter, starting 29 of 35 games that he appeared in. His points average increased markedly to 9.1 and dished 174 assists, the fifth-best single-season mark in program history. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive team with 53 steals and was an All-SEC honorable mention. He also had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league. Still, UF couldn’t get past the Elite Eight for the third-straight season, this time falling to Michigan.

As a senior in 2013-14, Wilbekin was part of a quartet of seniors — along with Casey Prather, Will Yeguete and Patric Young — that led the Gators past the Elite Eight hump and on to the Final Four. Wilbekin had career-highs in points (13.1 per game) and steals (56 on the season). For his efforts, he was named the SEC Player of the Year, as well as cracking All-American, All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive lists. When the Gators won the SEC Tournament with just two losses on the entire season, Wilbekin was named its MVP.

UF returned to the Elite Eight, but this time got past it, beating No. 11 seed Dayton. In the Final Four matchup against Connecticut, Wilbekin was limited by injuries, and with its leader not at 100 percent, Florida struggled accordingly, eventually suffering a 63-53 loss to the Huskies, who went on to beat Kentucky in the National Championship.

Despite his prolific college career, Wilbekin went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, signing with the Cairns Taipans of the NBL in Australia after short stints on the summer league rosters for Memphis and Philadelphia. Wilbekin was one of the best players in the league that season, leading the Taipans to a runner-up finish and being named the club’s MVP.

After that season, he joined the Greek team AEK. In just nine games with the team, he averaged eight points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He first played with the Orlando Magic during the summer in 2015, and though he resigned with the Taipans, he opted out of that deal after another summer stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, getting signed to the team’s active roster on a four-year deal. However, he was cut after playing in five preseason games.

He signed with Turkish team Darüşşafaka of the EuroLeague, where he played three seasons, leading it to the playoffs in 2016-17. He also played for the Turkish National Team in 2018 after receiving a Turkish passport. During the EuroCup regular season in 2017-18, Wilbekin was named the league MVP. After Darüşşafaka won the championship, he was also named the EuroCup Finals MVP.

After that season, he signed a two-year deal with Israeli Euro League team Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he has played ever since. Now a veteran, he has become one of the most dominant players in the Euro League. This past January, he signed a three-year extension with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Wilbekin was a part of four-straight Elite Eight teams and went from being a defense-first role player as a freshman to the premier player in the conference as a senior. Though he never made it in the NBA, that alone is more than enough to make Wilbekin one of the top players from the late-Billy Donovan era.

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Andy Owens (1967-70)

Andy Owens was an All-SEC selection in 1968 and 1970, an Academic All-American in 1970, and also received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.

Andy Owens (1967-70) – Forward

Continuing in the tradition of other Gators greats from the late 60s and early 70s, Andy Owens had a brilliant collegiate career in Gainesville but found another profession other than basketball after leaving Florida’s campus.

Owens was born in Atlanta but moved to Tampa as a child, where he standout player for the Hillsborough Terriers high school basketball team. He scored 1,806 points and averaged 23.5 points per game over 77 career prep games and was named as a high school All-American along with Lew Alcindor and Pete Maravich after his senior season.

Making the short trip up Interstate 75, Owens accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida after turning down offers from Kentucky and North Carolina. Alongside Gators legend Neal Walk, he helped lead UF to its first postseason tournament appearance: the 1969 National Invitational Tournament.

Over the course of three seasons in Gainesville, Owens averaged 19 points — including 27 points his senior year, a still-standing single-season record at Florida — along with 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the free-throw line. He scored more than 30 points 11 times and was an All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1968 and 1970, an Academic All-American in 1970, and received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.

Owens was taken in both the NBA and ABA Drafts in 1970, going to the Seattle Supersonics in the 11th round and the New Orleans Buccaneers picked him in the 12th round, respectively. Much like Richard Glasper did after him, Owens opted to take a professional career route off the parquet after his collegiate playing days ended and attended law school in Gainesville.

After finishing school, Owens began his career as a lawyer in Punta Gorda, Fla. and was later appointed as a judge on the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. He had a decorated career on the bench before resigning from the court in 2017.

Owens was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 1978 and was honored as an “SEC Basketball Legend” in 2001.