Billy Donovan offered a clean reminder of what made that Florida group different.
Donovan said Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer passed on the NBA for one more season even though they were viewed as virtual draft locks. The reason, in Donovan's telling, was Taurean Green. The group wanted Green to get his own shot at reaching the league.
The basketball history backs up the weight of that decision. Florida brought the core back, repeated as national champion in 2007 and then sent four juniors into the NBA Draft. The University of Florida announced that Noah, Horford, Brewer and Green all declared that April.
The draft order showed the different levels of certainty. Horford went No. 3 to Atlanta, Brewer went No. 7 to Minnesota and Noah went No. 9 to Chicago. Green had to wait much longer, but Portland selected him 52nd overall in the second round.
That makes Donovan's story land. The stars had obvious NBA paths already. Staying gave Florida another title run, and it helped Green turn a college role into a draft-night moment.
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