Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Former Florida star Al Horford watched his former teammates extend a winning streak he helped build. In the locker room afterward, Horford pronounced the latest victory as "the best one ever. " Nick Calathes scored 24 points and made several clutch free throws, Walter Hodge hit a huge 3-pointer in overtime and the Gators extended their wining streak over rival Kentucky to seven games with an 81-70 victory Saturday night. Florida (16-3, 3-1 SEC)

LEXINGTON - Rather than look for reasons why his team didn't beat Florida, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks emphasized the obvious. "Florida obviously is very good. We competed well, but we did not execute as well as I would have liked," Brooks said. That lack of execution at key times combined with Florida's solid play was more than enough to enable the 14th-ranked Gators to beat No. 8 UK 45-37 here on Saturday. This time there was no dramatic second half rally for the Wildcats as there had been in earlier wins this season over Louisville and LSU. Not that Kentucky didn't try, but Florida simply had an answer for whatever the Cats did. "They just did more good things than we did," said UK freshman running back Derrick Locke.

This one hurt a lot. "I knew we were going to win the game," Kentucky center Eric Scott said. "We played good enough to win and we competed enough to win. When you believe that you're going to pull the win off and then we come up short, it's tough. " Not only was dropping a 45-37 setback to Florida difficult to swallow for Kentucky's starting center, but one glance at the stat sheet made things all that much difficult for Scott and the team's offensive line. The Cats had more total yardage than the Gators (512-427)

LEXINGTON - Kentucky knows it has to stop Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Of course, doing that is easier said than done. "If you look at Florida's games leading up to LSU, how many times did Tebow carry it? He looked like a quarterback, fullback and single wing tailback," said Kentucky coach Rich Brooks. "Auburn had success (stopping him) because he was being the guy too much. They diversified against LSU and did a great job moving the ball. "Tebow is better at throwing the ball than I thought.

What's the reward for beating the top-ranked team in the country? A date with the defending national champions. Fresh off perhaps the program's biggest upset of the modern era in football, Kentucky now shifts its attention to Florida, another hurdle the Cats will have to overcome in this dream season. "Obviously, this is going to be another major test," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said during his weekly press conference on Monday at Wildcat Den. A week ago, Kentucky pulled off a stunning 43-37 upset over LSU, which knocked the Tigers from the top spot to No. 5. The Cats moved up from No. 17 to No. 8, six spots ahead of the Gators.

Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks knows Florida will be another challenge when the Gators visit Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. What can be expected of the Gators? Brooks said the same thing that's expected every year during his press conference on Monday afternoon at Wildcat Den. "Obviously this is going to be another major test. Now Florida has done some things that have obviously given us problems defensively in the past and that is a major concern. With (Tim) Tebow running the option and the zone running game, as well as being an outstanding thrower to a very talented group of receivers, we obviously have our work cut out for us on that side of the ball.

Holding the most high-profile position on the defending national championship team - making him the biggest Big Man on Campus at a football-crazed school - could easily go to the head of any college sophomore, but Tim Tebow says that football is not even the third most important thing in his life. "I am fortunate to have family members, coaches and teammates around who can help me stay focused on the right things for us to be successful. For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics and football, in that order," Tebow told the Florida Baptist Witness.

Can Billy Donovan succeed in the NBA? All the signs indicate that Donovan has somewhat of a chance to be successful as coach of the Orlando Magic, but the odds are stacked against him because of past history involving successful college coaches jumping the rank and file to coach in a players league. Unlike most college coaches who have packed their bags and moved to higher ground in the professional ranks, Donovan won't have to move to another state and make a name for himself.

Billy Donovan needs a minute or two to enjoy what he pieced together at Florida. He deserves it. However, once reality sinks in, Donovan has a choice to make. Does he stay with the Gators or start over again at Kentucky? He may not get the time. According to a source, an announcement by UK could take place on Wednesday. For now, Donovan needs to catch his breath and relax. What he's accomplished at Florida - two straight NCAA championships - qualifies him as one of the best coaches in the business.

LEXINGTON - Derrick Jasper said he heard it's "crazy," and Jodie Meeks isn't sure what to expect. But the two Kentucky freshmen say they're ready to head to Florida for the first time to take on the Gators in Sunday's regular season finale. "I expect the atmosphere to be crazy. I expect to win the game, come out and play hard," Jasper said. "The players that have already played there said it's like a big party, they're playing music and stuff, and they're really into the game.