That was my first time seeing him too and one of my favorite games ever. Shaq, Stanley Roberts and Chris Jackson (who became Abdul Rauf). I remember thinking this kid is 17? As tall and big as he was his hands and feet looked too big for him, like a teenager who’s still growing. I think he blocked Livingston Chapman’s first 5 shots. We were something like 6-20 entering the game and we took them down. I was sitting in the 2nd row behind Dick Vitale, who famously said “he blew the layup! The freshmen blew the layup! He could have told his grandkids he scored against Chris Jackson and Company but he blew the layup!” Think it was Scott Stewart. We won by about 18. A few of us rubbed Vitale’s bald head after, nobody thought we were winning that game. The Davids took down the Goliaths
I was there also. Please tell me I'm not the only one that remembers them introducing Steve Spurrier as our next football coach at halftime of that game. We were all giving him the Wayne and Garth "we're not worthy" bow.
As yes thats true! Out with Galen Hall and in with Spurrier. That game was a pivitol moment in Gators lore for a lot of reasons. It was actually the year before Craig Brown’s first year, the first Gators team to go to the Final Four.
Chatman was a great player for UF that toughed out constant knee troubles. I don't know who's quote it was, but either the coach or one of the team Doctor's said by the time he was a Sr. at UF he had the knees of a 68 yo man.
