Donovan took his Gators on a memorable run during his fourth season in Gainesville . The Gators finished the season 29 – 8 , including winning a share of the SEC championship . In the 2000 SEC Tournament , however , the Gators were upset in the second round by Auburn . Florida received the No. 5 seed in the East Regional of the 2000 NCAA Tournament , and swept through the region by beating Butler , Illinois , Duke , and Oklahoma State to reach the Final Four . In the national semifinals , Florida knocked off North Carolina to advance to their first NCAA national championship game , before losing to heavily favored and top seeded Michigan State
2000 SEC Tournament
2000 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
Florida Gators men's basketball