Pond Birds, livre ebook

The history of the University of Florida basketball program from its beginnings to the arrival of Billy Donovan, told by a former player and longtime Gator sports analyst

In the 1960s, the University of Florida football players began calling the long-legged Gator basketball players “pond birds.” Bill Koss was one of them. In Pond Birds, Koss tells the definitive story of Florida Gators men’s basketball from the program’s modest beginnings in 1916, through decades of highs and lows that included 55 years without an SEC conference title, and into the pivotal years leading up to the onset of Billy Donovan’s transformative tenure in 1996.

Koss takes a deep dive into the moments and personalities that shaped the program, such as the fiery leadership of coach Norm Sloan and the steady, strategic approach of Lon Kruger. Stories of recruitment efforts, both failed and successful, and the arrival of Gatorade make this book both a sports history and a cultural snapshot of college athletics in a bygone era. For diehard Gator fans and college basketball enthusiasts of all allegiances, Pond Birds is a reminder that greatness is built over time with perseverance. Now that Florida basketball has three national championships, Pond Birds invites readers to appreciate the journey from Point A to Point B—and leaves them eager for the next chapter.

Preface

Acknowledgments

In the Beginning . . . 1916–1960

1. A Man for All Seasons

2. The Early Years

3. Setting the Stage

Norm Sloan—A Basketball Man at Last: 1961–1966

4. The Turning Point

5. Battle Scars

6. Developing a Foundation

7. A Complicated Coach

8. Life and Death Experiences

9. Achieving a Milestone

10. Never Say Never

Tommy Bartlett—An All-American Experience: 1967–1973

11. A Breath of Fresh Air

12. The Best Season Ever

13. WALKing to the Big Apple

14. The Science of Success

15. Taking a Final Shot

John Lotz—Basketball Blue Bloodlines: 1974–1980

16. The Carolina Connection

17. Having Fun Again

18. LOTZ to Overcome

19. Breaking Through Barriers

20. A Fatal Blow

21. Blindsided by Faith

Norm Sloan—A Painful Taste of Glory: 1981–1989

22. Norman Stormin' Again

23. Building a Base

24. Trying Times

25. A Five-Year Assessment

26. Fighting for Respect

27. The Art of Survival

28. Winning is Everything

29. Maxwell Lights Up Broadway

30. Costly Mistakes

31. Talent Personified

32. Little Yellow Balls

33. A Red LETTer Run

34. Championship Rings

35. From Penthouse to Outhouse

36. Agony and Ecstasy

Lon Kruger—Family Time: 1991–1996

37. The Healing Touch

38. Everyone Contributes

39. Finding a Way

40. Final Four Fever

41. Sailing Uncharted Seas

42. A Family at Last

Epilogue

A Collection of Memories