GAINESVILLE – Tim Tebow may have captivated the imagination of Gator Nation last weekend, but UF’s most popular athlete begins preseason practice later this week.

Tebow, Florida’s backup quarterback, may have shown off his hoops background – he also may have traveled – with his jump-hook touchdown pass to tight end Tate Casey this past weekend against LSU, but it’s time to leave the basketball and the hero-worship to the expert: Joakim Noah.

You might remember Noah. Tall, big hair, Final Four most outstanding player. Ring a bell? With all the frothing over the gridiron Gators’ 6-0 record, the start of Florida’s preseason basketball practice Friday has been lost in the hoopla. That’s fine with Noah and company, who would prefer to fly under the radar for as long as possible.

“The Gator boys are not hot right now,” Noah said in August.

But Noah won’t be able to escape the hype. He turned down NBA millions, as did teammates Al Horford and Corey Brewer. The Gators return all but one regular from a team that blew through the NCAA Tournament, and Noah is the face of the program.

Whether he’s entertaining reporters at a press conference or trash-talking UCLA cheerleaders, Noah has proven he can handle the attention. Now, he’ll have to prove he can handle the pressure to repeat his feats from last season.