It has been a banner year down in Gainesville. The Rowdy Reptile fans have been celebrating big-time! First the football team won the national championship, followed by Billy Donovan's team capturing its second straight title.

My friends, that was a very special basketball team. In this day and age, a lot of players would have run for the cash instead of returning to college to compete for a second championship. Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer will be rewarded for their unselfishness when they hear their names called in the first round of the NBA draft on Thursday night.

It just shows how super that Gator team was. Winning in consecutive seasons, and doing it in impressive fashion at the Final Four, this was a TEAM effort.

I believe Horford, Noah and Brewer will all go in the top 10. That has never happened before and it is fitting that this Gator trio adds another piece of history to the resume.

Think about it. Back in 2005, North Carolina came close when Marvin Williams was picked No. 2, Raymond Felton was selected No. 5, and Sean May (No. 13) and Rashad McCants (No. 14) went just outside of the top 10. There have been numerous occasions where a school had two players in the top 10, including Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon of Connecticut going second and third, respectively, back in 2004.

Duke also had four players go in the top 14 in 1999, but Elton Brand (No. 1 overall) was the only one of that quartet to go in the top 10.

Florida's terrific trio will have an impact on this draft. It will be a historic impact indeed.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.