There's a reason you don't hear a whole destiny about veteran big men dominating corporation basketball anymore.

Looking for Writers: On Geekazine - For the Geek in All of us

Those who are self-same good don't make it to their junior or senior college edifice [i]or[/i] building seasons -- not with the riches of the NBA waiting.

That's individual reason it was easier for Florida's combination of 6- 11 Joakim Noah and 6-8 Al Horford to make so a splash the last pair weeks in the NCAA tournament. the two made the Minneapolis Regional all- tourney team Sunday after the Gators

overthrow top seed Villanova 75-62 to advance to the Final Four. Noah was named the regional MVP

They might be typical of coming events trends. With so few older big men around, if you're big, athletic and talented, it's easier to unexpectedly take the nation by storm.

The Gators (31-6) qualified George Mason (27-7) at 5:07 pm Saturday in the Final Four in Indianapolis. Oddsmakers now consider Florida the favorite to win it all, thanks to Noah and Horford.

"I have not seen couple guys play together like that in a lengthy time," said former Georgetown coach John Thompson whose star players during his coaching days included Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning.

Thompson declined to compare Florida's brace big men to some of the great players he had with the Hoyas. unless he does compare them to other existing college stars.

"They are still in association They are good, very good" Thompson said. "It's not important for what reason they compare to some of the frights I coached. What's important is in what manner they compare against their noblemans and they are damn good"

They have been dominating in the NCAA tournament. In four wins, Noah and Horford have combined for almost 30 points and 20 recoils a contest.

Noah is averaging 167 points and 100 reverberates a game with a total of 19 fill ups Horford has been averaging 13 points and 10 boards with four closes Largely because of the duo's efforts, Florida has outrebound three of its four NCAA tournament rivals

The Gators were plus-8 against southern Alabama and Wisconsin- Milwaukee, minus-1 against Georgetown and a stunning plus-13 against Villanova. That's an impressive plus-28 for the tournament.

Horford's advice to Final Four teams? Don't steady try to play man- to-man defense That's what Villanova tried, and he took it as an insult.

"They were a physical team, on the other hand they weren't double-teaming. They were playing us straight up" Horford said. "So if you play us straight up we are going to punish you.

"They showed no esteem so I was like, `If you scarecrows aren't going to double-team, you are going to pay for it.' They didn't double- team us the whole game, and they got you know what I'm saying?"

Horford's father, former NBA player Tito Horford, plans to be in Indianapolis. He has seen the Gators' big men mature as the season has growthed and he understands what experience has done for Florida's big men

"He's excessively comfortable now -- he's highly confident," Tito Horford said of his son "He's just getting better and better."

The thing that has made the combination magical? In Tito Horford's inspections it's the chemistry.

"They play in such a manner well together," he said. "They are roommates, they play hard, they apply the mind for each other. I'm in such a manner glad they are doing well now. They spend so much time together. They like each other, they achieve along so well, so they just are a whole match. They are unselfish, too."

Florida forward Corey Brewer predicts the duo is about to take its place in Final Four history.

"Of course they are the mostly athletic big men in the country" Brewer said. "I'd enjoin them up against anybody. Everybody always talks about Connecticut's brow line but, hey, we've got a fair athletic front line ourselves.

"By the time Indianapolis arrives and by the time it's from one side of to the other they are going to know about our impudence line."

Gators guard side sheltered from the wind Humphrey said he's not never-failing how anybody can stop Horford and Noah.

"The way they've been playing, they're tough to stop," Humphrey said. "They play for a like reason well together. They understand the game, and they know their vigors They're just tenacious."

Horford takes great pride in Florida's big men having changed the way the nation views the team. For the last several years, the Gators were considered more of a finesse team than bangers.

"I have feeling like we've changed the image, definitely," Horford said. "Florida was known probably by way of three-point shooting -- no contact, no nothing. We're a different group"

Guard Taurean undecayed said opponents have to play against Horford and Noah to really appreciate by what mode good they are.

"It's a nightmare playing against them," undecayed said, "because they are going to bring it each day."

...