Tag: Taurean Green

Gator great, two-time national champion selected as SEC Legend

This critical member of the Oh-Fours is getting his due from the Southeastern Conference.

One of of the greatest point guards to ever don the Orange and Blue inside the O’Connell Center added a much-welcomed accolade on Monday.

Taurean Green, who helped lead Florida to two straight national championships as a member of the Oh-Fours, has been selected as Florida’s 2024 SEC Legends honoree. He will be recognized at the 2024 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, the program announced.

The talented ball-handler from South Florida helped the Gators claim the 2005, 2006 and 2007 SEC Tournament titles during his three-year tenure. He earned All-SEC honors in 2006 and 2007, while also grabbing the 2006 SEC Tournament MVP award and a spot on the 2007 All-SEC Tournament Team.

He was the SEC’s free throw percentage leader in 2006-07, shooting 84.9% from the charity stripe.

For his career, Green amassed 1,174 points thanks in part to a 38.9% average from beyond the arc, while also dishing 397 assists to his talented teammates. He owns the two highest minutes-played seasons in school history, logging 1,328 in 2006-07 and 1,302 in 2005-06.

Additionally, Green holds one of the program’s top-10 single seasons in assists (184, 6th, 2005-06), free throws made (171, 4th, 2005-06), free throw percentage (88.6%, 6th, 2005-06) and 3-pointers made (88, 9th, 2005-06; 82, 10th, 2006-07), while his 37 consecutive free throws made in 2005-06 were a school record at the time and are still the second-longest streak by a Gator on record.

The former Gator was a 2007 NBA draft pick by the Portland Trail Blazers, playing with them and the Denver Nuggets before crossing the Atlantic to continue his professional career. He spent time in France, Greece and Israel before returning to the States, where he got his first gig under his former head coach Billy Donovan with the Chicago Bulls in 2021-22.

Since then, Green served as director of player development on Todd Golden’s staff last season before being promoted to to assistant coach, player development ahead of the 2023-24 season.

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Gator great promoted to Florida basketball’s on-court coaching staff

Taurean Green’s promotion puts him back on the O’Dome parquet where he belongs.

Former Florida men’s basketball guard [autotag]Taurean Green[/autotag], who helped the Gators earn a pair of national championship titles back in the middle aughts, was promoted to development assistant on Tuesday according to reports.

Green returned to his alma mater to serve as UF’s director of player development in 2022-23, in which he assisted with on-court coaching duties while other assistants were away. As a result of the NCAA expanding coaching staff sizes by two spots — both in men’s and women’s basketball — Golden had room for a full-time on-court role with the program this coming season.

The 36-year-old coach was a member of the memorable “Oh Fours” that made school history with their back-to-back titles. After his successful collegiate career, he was taken in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2007 NBA draft by the Portland Trailblazers but was traded six months later to the Denver Nuggets.

In all, he played 74 total minutes over 17 games between the two teams in one NBA season, scoring 27 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 11 assists and snagging a pair of steals. He spent the rest of his career playing overseas in Europe, with a stint in The Basketball Tournament in 2017.

Green returned to basketball states-side after retiring in 2021 with the Chicago Bulls, where he worked alongside former coach Billy Donovan and father Sidney Green with the franchise. Now that his globetrotting days are over, he is back in Gainesville where it all began and could not be happier.

“It feels great. Everything comes full circle,” Green told Gators Online last June. “I’m just appreciative Coach Golden giving me an opportunity to be part of the staff, to come back to the University of Florida. It’s a great opportunity with a young, energetic staff that really knows basketball.”

He is joined by former Washington State assistant John Andrzejek who is the second addition to Golden’s staff per the NCAA’s edict. Together, they will help Florida get ready for its season opener on Nov. 6 against Loyola Maryland in Gainesville.

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Danny Wuerffel beams about coach Billy Napier and QB Anthony Richardson

Gator Great Danny Wuerffel was in attendance for Florida’s practice on Saturday. He beamed about Napier and Richardson.

New football coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] have welcomed back Florida’s storied traditions in both sports with open arms. Golden recently hired Gator Great [autotag]Taurean Green[/autotag] to his staff as the director of player development, and Napier has chosen former Florida linebacker [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] as one of his on-the-field assistants.

Napier also wants more former players to visit the Swamp. Heisman Trophy winner [autotag]Danny Wuerffel[/autotag] stopped by practice Saturday. He beamed about Napier and quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] while speaking to reporters.

Wuerffel was impressed by the number of people involved with the program. He also spent several minutes talking with Napier after practice and had the opportunity to share advice with current student-athletes.

“I’ve had a chance to talk with the players at different times, really on the subject of leadership and trying to develop leaders,” he said. “I met with some of them as a group and others individually; it has been really encouraging. I’m really excited to be associated with GatorMade and help really highlight some of the great stuff that they’re doing.”

Wuerffel believes Richardson’s potential is through the roof like any other person thought who watched him last season. He complimented his passing skills and his athleticism.

“But I think what’s encouraging to me is to see the way he processes the game,” he said. “He’s a really smart guy, and I think he’s got so much potential. And as everybody’s been saying, you hope that you see that potential translate and there’s consistency. And you hope he stays healthy.”

Hopefully, Richardson can stay healthy after he had an offseason procedure on his knee that caused him to miss the Gasparilla Bowl.

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Former Gator great retires from basketball, reunites with Billy Donovan on Bulls

Billy Donovan is bringing one of his old Florida players to the Chicago Bulls’ staff.

Taurean Green is reuniting with the coach he won back-to-back NCAA championships with at Florida in Billy Donovan. Green announced his retirement from playing professional basketball and that he was joining the Chicago Bulls as a Player Development Coordinator on Tuesday.

Green led Florida with eight 20-point games in the 2005-06 season and had a memorable passing performance in the national championship win over UCLA. His NBA career was brief after being drafted 52nd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA draft. Green spent time in the developmental league before being recalled, traded twice (Denver and New York) and released.

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The 12 years following Green’s last NBA game were spent overseas in several European leagues. He collected a French League title in 2013 with Limoges CSP and was named Israeli League Round 12 MVP in 2018. Green played in The Basketball Tournament on ESPN in 2017, but his team was knocked out in the first round despite his 15 points.

In his announcement post, Green said that he’d write a book one day and divulge all the stories from his playing career. After 14 years, Green’s basketball career has satisfyingly come full circle, starting his post-playing days with the coach he won the most with.

The Bulls won their first preseason game 131-95 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Green’s first game with the team.

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