It’s been 17 years since Al Horford’s Florida Gators became the last team to win back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. A connection from those teams could help them continue their success.
UConn, the top seed in this season’s NCAA Tournament, poses the biggest challenge to become the first back-to-back champion since Horford and Florida achieved the rare feat. When the Huskies start their journey on Friday afternoon against Stetson, a familiar face for Horford will be standing in their way. Stetson head coach Donnie Jones was an assistant coach on Billy Donovan’s Florida staff during those championships.
Horford, a veteran player for the Celtics in his 17th season in the NBA, still keeps track of Jones and his teams. He was thrilled for him when he saw Stetson win the Atlantic Sun tournament to make the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. But then the bracket was revealed.
“I was excited when Stetson got in,” Horford said at his Celtics locker this week. “I messaged Donnie right away, but then when I saw they were playing UConn, it’s tough. I hope that they have a good game, but that UConn team is as good as any college team I’ve seen in many years.”
Horford takes great pride in being on a back-to-back championship team, which has only been achieved twice in the last 50 years – 1991-92 Duke and 2006-07 Florida. He and his teammates Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer could have left after the first championship and become NBA top draft picks, but they chose to return and run it back to make history.
And while Horford certainly values those titles, he’s not exactly looking to root against UConn’s attempt. He’s not trying to prevent other programs from joining his place in history.
“You do think about it,” Horford said. “It’s a difficult thing to do, but the reality is, I feel like it’s been long enough, you know what I mean? I’ve paid attention to it in the past, but looking at UConn, they have as good of a chance as any team I’ve seen through this journey.”
UConn’s attempt looks a little different from Florida’s. While the Gators brought back the same starting five from their first title, the Huskies brought back three key players – All-American Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and Donovan Clingan – and had to incorporate some new players. After losing leading scorer Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson – the latter two to the NBA – last season, coach Dan Hurley added Cam Spencer and projected lottery pick Stephon Castle to the team.
The Huskies did not miss a beat and are actually undeniably better. They cruised to a Big East regular-season title after winning a conference-record 18 games, then won the league tournament. They enter the NCAA Tournament with a 31-3 record and have won 21 of their last 22 games. They have the nation’s best offense, no clear weaknesses, and are easily the best candidate to repeat since Florida.
UConn is a 26.5-point favorite over Stetson on Friday, and Horford understands the huge challenge his former coach faces.
Al Horford said that the UConn team is strong and he hopes that Stetson can compete well. He acknowledged that it's a tough match for Stetson, but he believes they should celebrate being in the NCAA Tournament as it's a great achievement.
After winning the championship in 2007, Jones became the head coach at Marshall, then moved to Central Florida as head coach, and later worked as an assistant at Wichita State and Dayton before becoming the head coach at Stetson in 2019. Horford has been following Jones’ journey over the years.
Horford and Jones have a good relationship. Horford is impressed by what Jones has achieved with Stetson and how they have reached this point. He mentioned that Jones was a great help to him at Florida, and they still keep in touch. Horford is pleased to see his success.
Horford mentioned that he plans to watch the UConn-Stetson game before the Celtics face the Pistons. He's also keeping an eye on other friends in the NCAA Tournament, such as Anthony Grant, the head coach at Dayton, and Taurean Green, who is now an assistant with the Gators.
Horford expressed his excitement for this time of the year, as he enjoys watching all the games and seeing underdog teams make a mark in the tournament. He looks forward to it every year.
