{"product_id":"pond-birds-bill-koss-9780813081564","title":"Pond Birds: Gator Basketball--The Whole Story from the Inside","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe history of the University of Florida basketball program from its beginnings to the arrival of Billy Donovan, told by a former player and longtime Gator sports analyst\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the 1960s, the University of Florida football players began calling the long-legged Gator basketball players \"pond birds.\" Bill Koss was one of them. In \u003ci\u003ePond Birds\u003c\/i\u003e, Koss tells the definitive story of Florida Gators men's basketball from the program's modest beginnings in 1916, through decades of highs and lows that included 55 years without an SEC conference title, and into the pivotal years leading up to the onset of Billy Donovan's transformative tenure in 1996.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKoss takes a deep dive into the moments and personalities that shaped the program, such as the fiery leadership of coach Norm Sloan and the steady, strategic approach of Lon Kruger. Stories of recruitment efforts, both failed and successful, and the arrival of Gatorade make this book both a sports history and a cultural snapshot of college athletics in a bygone era. For diehard Gator fans and college basketball enthusiasts of all allegiances, \u003ci\u003ePond Birds\u003c\/i\u003e is a reminder that greatness is built over time with perseverance. Now that Florida basketball has three national championships, \u003ci\u003ePond Birds\u003c\/i\u003e invites readers to appreciate the journey from Point A to Point B--and leaves them eager for the next chapter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Bill Koss\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0813081564\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780813081564\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Florida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/10\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 274\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.83lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.97h x 6.06w x 0.66d","brand":"Bill Koss","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48154204078335,"sku":"9780813081564","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_0b9a1d40-cc12-41d8-a7bd-413db9ea87f6.jpg?v=1770788593","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/pond-birds-bill-koss-9780813081564","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}