Don’t call Gators Duck blind

ST. LOUIS – All season long, late at night a wide-eyed Corey Brewer would go into his bedroom and flip on the television not even mildly interested in sleeping.

He’s grown to cherish those late-night cable stations that provide the East Coast insomniac something to solve their sports fix. For Brewer, it was Pac-10 basketball. Many a night, he sat and watched Oregon. Little did he realize, he was doing a little advance scouting for the defending national champions’ opponent in the Elite Eight.

Today, the top-seed Gators (32-5) face the No. 3 seed Ducks (29-7) for the Midwest Regional title and a trip to the Final Four next weekend in Atlanta.

Brewer’s evaluation?

“I’m not the sleepy type,” he said. “I’ve seen them a lot. Bryce Taylor and Tajuan Porter are really good players. They’ve got five players who can really put the ball on the floor and really shoot. They are one of the best teams we will face all year.”

Anyone who doubts that might give UCLA, Southern California or Georgetown a call. All three made it to the Sweet 16 after losing to the Ducks during the season.

Florida coach Billy Donovan seemed a little irritated on Saturday when a reporter suggested UF didn’t know much about Oregon, saying the Ducks played in “relative anonymity.”

“I think you guys create the anonymity, if that’s the right word, not us,” Donovan said.