...if it's worth that much. Going into the tournament I had said that, no matter what happened this tourney, win or lose whenever, this was my favorite Gator team ever. I do not go back into the Neal Walk days, only dating myself back to the M&M 2 days (Montgomery, not Moten with VMax), but in that small sample of seasons on the Gator hardwood, I can say that watching this team all season long has been a terrific joy every time. The unselfishness to which this team plays is unprecedented among the Gator teams in my era. Forced shots are born of time and situation, not greed or impetuousness. At times the ball movement and passing is sublime, other times simply effective. Big man to big man, little man to little man, and all combinations in between have been utilized this season; not done for stat padding or insecurity, rather, to do whatever it takes to get the job at hand done. That the team has such poise and consistency within itself, at their collective ages, is remarkable. Their half court game, on both ends, is of championship caliber. The rhythm established by the team throughout the course of the game I attribute to that poise and unselfishness. Their game is a constant pounding of the battle drum, getting faster when momentum has swung in their favor, then pulled back responsibly when there is a slight untrack. It is in this heretofore unseen calmness that makes this team special to me and therefore, my favorite. I have enjoyed watching every single game because of the way they play. Even the losses have been valiant, working hard even if mistakes or misfortunes cost them the victory on that night. They continually beat the drum until the horn sounds, win or lose. Maybe it's due to the careless way the previous group treated possessions and the game in whole. Their talent was great, as was their passion, but somewhere in their desire to win, they seemed to lose their identity as a team. This team appears in stark contrast to that team, not just in personality but in personnel as well. With Green, Noah, and Horford, this team has what the teams since 2000 has not: steady play from the point and not one, but two post players to control the tempo of the game. Mix in a multi-talented player like Brewer and a shooter/defender like Humphrey and it has made for very entertaining basketball. They can play any style of basketball to win, fast or slow, physical or finesse. Donovan has to be perpetually grinning when getting together with his coaches to draw up the game plan for the next team because whatever angle he needs to lean on, he can. I share his internal and external smile about this team, and thus I made that pledge that, no matter what happened with this team in the tourney, I was with them as my favorites. I shared with the ESPNation on some chat before the tourney that the one thing I looked forward to was watching these guys play; that with Noah beginning to receive high praise after his game with Georgia he could leave for the NBA, breaking up this special team. I was determined to enjoy the Gators however long they went, be it a first round boot from South Alabama, or if they went all the way. I still hold to my word. These guys have done nothing to disprove or shake their standing in my memory. Whether win or lose to George Mason or whoever, their efforts, their play as a team, makes them the best ever to wear the Orange and Blue. Special. Thank you boys.