When the 2000-01 college basketball season ended, people looking ahead considered Florida as a major candidate for the preseason No. 1 spot.

The Gators were expected to have Kwame Brown and Teddy Dupay on the roster. Brown took the big-time dollars, the multi-millions, for a shot to play in the NBA with the Washington Wizards.

Now Billy Donovan will have to do without his veteran guard as Dupay has been declared ineligible and dismissed from the team. A fighter and scrapper on the court, Dupay was part of an investigation regarding a gambling-related allegation.

Florida would have had one of the best backcourts in America with Dupay and Brett Nelson, the latter named co-MVP of the SEC with Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince. Donovan will certainly miss Dupay's outside shooting ability.

The Dupay story is a sad one. Here's a kid who worked hard to become a prolific scorer in high school and excelled on the college level. The problem is he made some poor decisions, and his errors in judgment will cost him this season.

Dupay comes from a good family and has shown good work ethic. Hopefully, he will be able to bounce back from this setback.

What will Dupay's departure do to Florida's chances? Obviously, the Gators will still have a dynamite team. Inside, there is Udonis Haslem, one of the nation's premier power players. Nelson is a factor on the perimeter. Justin Hamilton returns from a knee injury, while sophomore Orrien Greene showed improvement late last season. Matt Bonner will be a factor as well, both inside and outside.

Then throw into the equation a couple of Diaper Dandies in James White and David Lee, and Florida still has the talent to cause problems in the SEC.

Wow, what could have been! Imagine if Brown and Dupay were in the mix. This is still a dangerous team.

I still see Florida as a member of my Super Seven. Here is my updated list following Dupay's departure:

1-Duke
2-Maryland
3-Illinois
4-Kentucky
5-UCLA
6-Kansas
7-Florida