INDIANAPOLIS -- Sidney Green wasn't around all the time when his son Taurean was growing up. Such is life as an NBA player.

But the former UNLV star, who played 10 years in the NBA, was around enough to teach his son an important lesson -- that basketball is about having fun.

And Taurean Green, a 6-foot sophomore point guard for Florida, always has played with that in mind. He will again today when the Gators meet George Mason at 3:07 p.m. in the first semifinal of the Final Four at the RCA Dome. Louisiana State and UCLA will play at 5:47.

"He always tells me to go out and have fun and play the game," Taurean said of his father, who played at UNLV from 1979 to 1983. "That's what I'm going to do here, have fun and enjoy myself."

After sitting most of last year, Green has had an outstanding second season. He leads the team in assists (4.8) and is second in scoring (13.6).

Green is part of a sensational class that includes leading scorer Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Al Horford, the son of former NBA player Tito Horford.

"He (Green) is so quick and so fast, he can get out and pressure the ball on defense, and he gets the ball and just goes, which makes everyone play at a different speed," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

Teammate Adrian Moss said, "He runs the offense like a champion. He always gets us into the offense. Everything that needs to be done, he gets done."

Green said his dad deserves some of the credit, having worked with him on fundamentals.

"We'd go to the park and work on things, ball handling, footwork, things like that," Taurean Green said. "We'd work on shooting and protecting the ball, and I enjoyed those moments because he was on the road so much. It was fun being with him."

He knew that his dad had obligations as a professional athlete that often kept him away.

"It wasn't that hard for me," the younger Green said. "It was his job. I understood that at a young age, so it wasn't that big a deal."

Sidney Green never played in a Final Four at UNLV, but he'll be here today rooting for his son. He hopes someday his son also will earn a living in the NBA.

"That would be wonderful," Sidney Green said. "He's got an awful lot of talent, and Coach Donovan has done a great job of bringing out the best he has, teaching him and nurturing him.

"I'm just so proud of him and everything he's accomplished. I know I sound like a dad, but that's the truth. The kid knows how to win."

Taurean Green said he never wanted to be coached by his dad, even though he cherished the time they spent at the park when he was a kid.

"I had my heart set on going to Florida since eighth grade," he said

That turned out to be a good decision, as today he'll play on the game's biggest stage.

"It's every kid's dream to go to the Final Four and try and win a national championship," Taurean Green said. "We still feel like we're the underdogs with all the hype surrounding George Mason, and we have something to prove to everybody."