Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball

Coach Tubby Smith’s Minnesota Gophers are 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. Minnesota fans are expecting that this year’s squad will be making its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament and a serious run at a Big Ten title.

The start of this decade for the Minnesota program has gone very well for the Gophers. The last decade was a more difficult period.

During the past decade, Minnesota finished in the top half of the division only once and made just two appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Gophers were 163-135 overall and 60-88 in the Big Ten during the past ten years.

While the past decade did not provide Gopher fans with many opportunities to relish victories, fans did see many outstanding players turn in great performances.

Minnesota players this past decade received All-American consideration, several were selected to All Big Ten teams, and one turned in the best single statistical season by a freshman player in the history of the Big Ten. 

The five Gopher players, in alphabetical order, that stood above the rest for me during the past decade were:

Vincent Grier

Grier transferred to Minnesota from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2003 and provided instant offense leading the Gophers in scoring for two consecutive seasons. Grier did not have a beautiful jump shot but what he did have was an uncanny ability to score in traffic, a determination not to be denied and a willingness to take the last shot. 

In the 2005 season, Grier averaged 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game. In his first season in the Big Ten, he was named to the 2005 All-Big Ten First Team.

The 2005 squad led by Grier went 21-10 overall and 10-6 in the Big Ten. The Gophers were invited to the NCAA tournament but lost to the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round.

In the 2006 season, Grier battled small but nagging injuries. Despite the setbacks, he still managed to play in 25 games. Grier averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals a game and was named to the 2006 All-Big Ten Third Team. The 2006 squad finished the year playing in the NIT tournament with a 16-15 record.

Grier was initially drafted by the Miami Heat in 2006 but was not able to earn anything more than a short stay in the league. He came to camp with the Washington Wizards before the start of the present NBA season. 

Grier is currently playing in Europe.

Kris Humphries

Expectations were high for Humphries coming out of local Hopkins high school as he was one of ten finalists for the 2003 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. Humphries originally committed to Duke but later opted to enroll at Minnesota. 

Humphries had arguably the best freshman season of any player in Big Ten history. If he had stayed a couple of more seasons in maroon and gold, Dan Monson might still be coaching the Golden Gophers instead of Long Beach State.

Humphries is the only freshman in the history of the Big Ten to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 points per game and set the Minnesota single season record for points for a freshman with 629.

He was consistent in that he scored double figures in every game he played and hauled ten or more rebounds in sixteen games.

Humphries, however, did not learn how to pass out of double teams as he averaged less than one assist per game and more than four turnovers per game. The assist to turnover ratio of 1:4 is the worst for any Gopher during the decade.

Minnesota finished 12-18 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. The Gophers failed to make any post season tournament.

Coaches in the Big Ten and around the country, however, weren’t dismayed by Humphries' lack of assists as he was named 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 2004 First Team All-Big Ten, and 2004 Honorable Mention All American.

Humphries left for the NBA after playing only one year. He is currently playing for the Utah Jazz.

Lawrence McKenzie

One of the most decorated prep players in Minnesota history, McKenzie won four straight state high school basketball championships at Minneapolis Henry. McKenzie transferred to Minnesota after spending his first two years of college ball at Oklahoma with Kelvin Sampson.

McKenzie averaged 15 points in 2007 and 12 in 2008. He was a solid playmaker, controlling the tempo, dishing out assists, and stretching defenses, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc for his career. McKenzie connected on a school record 79 three pointers in 2008. His single game record of seven three-pointers in a game was broken last month by Blake Hoffarber against Northern Illinois.

McKenzie made the most of his limited time in the Minnesota program, receiving Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2007, and was subsequently named All-Big Ten Third Team in 2008.

McKenzie comes from a basketball rich family. His dad, Larry Sr., coached him in high school and his uncle Stan played in the NBA for Phoenix and Portland. Larry is currently playing professional basketball in Europe.

Rick Rickert

The 6’11, 215-pound shooting star from Duluth made an immediate impact as he was the first Gopher to ever be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year when he won the award in 2002. In his first year, Rickert averaged 15 points and five rebounds per game. He was named to the 2002 All-Big Ten Second Team.

Rickert’s was more of a finesse game as he did most of his damage on jumpers from the corner. Power forwards were thus exposed on the wing trying to guard him. 

Rickert, however, could also put the ball on the floor as he had better than average dribbling skills. When teams went small on him, Rickert was comfortable backing down his smaller opponent.

In 2003, Rickert followed up his freshman year with a solid sophomore campaign, averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game.

Coaches in the Big Ten liked how Rickert had improved his game as they named him to the 2003 All-Big Ten First Team.

Rickert left school early believing he would be drafted in the first round; however he lasted until late into the second round when he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rickert’s career with the Timberwolves was brief as he reportedly got into a heated argument with Kevin “Big Ticket” Garnett.

Rickert is currently playing professional basketball in Australia.

Dusty Rychart

Every successful team needs a scrappy player who is willing to do the dirty work, hustle on every play and push the star players out of their comfort zone during practice. Rychart’s game was not flashy, but he was effective and consistent.

Dusty Rychart: the Gophers' poster boy for hard work and determination in the last decade.

Rychart was a walk-on from Grand Rapids, Minnesota who made the most of his opportunity to play in the Big Ten. He was a model of hard work and consistency. In 2000 he averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In 2001 he averaged 14.6, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In 2002 Rychart averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and two assists. 

When you add in the effort that Rychart showed on the defensive end of the court, you understand why coaches in the Big Ten appreciated his game so much that they named him to the All-Big Ten Third Team in 2003.

Rychart current plays basketball professionally in Australia.

Who was the best Minnesota player this decade?

All Gopher fans enjoyed watching Rychart play because of the effort he gave the team every time he stepped on the court. He is the type of player that every coach wants to have on his or her team. However, on a level of physical talent, Rychart is not in the same class as the other candidates and is number five on the list for me.

Number four on my list is McKenzie. McKenzie was a solid defender, especially when playing in an up tempo trapping defensive scheme and his defense keeps him in the conversation. However, while he was a solid offensive player, McKenzie was not quite in the same category as the three other players on the offensive end; he was not able to consistently create his own shot. 

A compelling case for the three remaining players, as each was once voted an All Big Ten First Team player. 

Rick Rickert is third on my list. Rickert was a solid scorer in the Big Ten, shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc and 44 percent from the field. However, he rarely took over a game with his scoring and his assist to turnover ratio of .55 was not as good as Grier’s .88 ratio.

Rickert’s defense was nothing very special as he was not able to consistently use his height to intimidate opposing players or dominate the glass. The 6’11" Rickert averaged less than one block per game and only 6.2 rebounds in the year he was voted the First Team in the Big Ten. In comparison, the 6’8" Humphries had more block shots than Rickert and averaged almost four more rebounds per game.

The choice between Humphries and Grier is difficult.

Statistically, Humphries had one of the best years (if not the best) any freshman player ever had in the Big Ten as he led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. 

Grier led the Gophers in scoring two consecutive seasons and led Minnesota to their only NCAA tournament appearance under Coach Dan Monson. 

Humphries shot better from beyond arc, shooting 34 percent to Grier’s 25 percent in the year that each was voted All Big Ten First Team. Grier, however, was a better shooter from the floor as he shot 47 percent to Humphries' 44 percent in the year that each was voted All Big Ten First Team.

Free throw shooting is awash as both players shot 74 percent from the free throw line.

The one statistic that separates the two players is the assists each was able to generate...or in the case of Humphries, to not generate.

Humphries averaged less than one assist per game and had four times as many turnovers as he did assists. Some fans referred to him occasionally as the “black hole” as passes would go in to him from his teammates but none would go out.

While there are probably several reasons why the 2004 Gophers struggled and went 12-18, one was because their star player could not figure out how to get more assists to his teammates.

In 2005, Minnesota went 21-11 and made its only NCAA tournament appearance.

In 2005, Grier averaged nearly 2.5 assists per game. While there are more reasons for Minnesota making the NCAA tournament beyond Grier’s ability to find his teammates, his assists were a factor in the Gophers winning more games.

While Grier was not as blessed with the physical gifts of Humphries, his ability to elevate the game of his teammates can’t be overlooked.  

My vote for Gopher player of the decade is Vincent Grier.

The Minnesota Gophers face the two most difficult weeks of their Big Ten season.  If they can win two of their next three games they will be in a very good position to claim a share of the Big Ten title. 

If they can win their next three games, the Gophers may be on their way to winning their first Big Ten Championship since 1982.

The season has been somewhat of a roller-coaster ride for the Gophers. 

Minnesota stormed out to a 4-0 record.  The fourth victory was an impressive 82-73 win, over the then 10th ranked Butler Bulldogs.  The Gophers were ranked as high as the 16th ranked team in the nation and life was very good in Minneapolis.

Then the Gophers went on a three game losing streak dropping games against Portland, Texas A &M, and Miami in the ACC/Big Ten challenge.  While the Pilots, Aggies and Hurricanes have spent time among the Top 25 teams in the country the losses were humbling because the Gophers showed a lack of consistent hustle and toughness on defense.

Minnesota then came back home for five non-conference games to get themselves back on the right track.  The home cooking agreed with the team.

The Gophers did not just win all five non-conference games, they destroyed their opponents.

The only non-conference game which Minnesota did not win by more than 30 points was their 20 point victory over St. Josephs which they won 94-74.  The only non-conference game that Minnesota did not score more than 90 points was when Minnesota only scored 89 against Northern Illinois. 

Blake Hoffarber had found his stroke from downtown leading the Gophers in scoring in four out of the five games.  Against Northern Illinois, Hoffarber set a new school from beyond the arc when he went 8-for-10 against the Huskies.

The defense which failed to find the best scorer on the opposing team in the team’s three losses all of sudden was playing suffocating defense and not allowing any open shots.

Some wondered if Minnesota would become over confident once the Big Ten season started and have a relapse similar to what occurred when the Gophers played Portland.

Portland’s deep three threat, T.J. Campbell torched the Gophers for 23 points hitting four from beyond the arc.  What would happen when All Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Talor Battle and the Penn State Nittany Lions came to the Barn to open the season? 

The box score would suggest that Minnesota had a tough game as the final score was 75-70.  The 23 points tallied by Battle on five of eight shooting from beyond the arc would suggest that the Gophers failed to identify their opponent’s best scorer. 

Neither proposition is true.

The Gophers were in control of the Penn State for most of the second half.  The Nittany Lions were able to make the game closer than the score would indicate by hitting several three point shots coupled with the Gophers hitting only one of two shots within the last minute of the game.

Battle had a terrific game but several of his three point shots were well beyond the arc.  Not the college arc, but several feet from beyond the pro basketball three point line.   

No player in the Big Ten has the shooting range of Battle.  Talor hit two of his three pointers from at least twenty-eight feet from the basket. 

Minnesota harassed Battle; he just simply did a good job shooting the ball.  The Gophers will know next time that once Battle crosses the half court line, he is willing to launch.

The road trip to Iowa was a beat down of the Hawkeyes by the Gophers.  The final score of 86-74 does not reflect how well Minnesota stifled Iowa from the opening tip.

The young Hawkeye was trapped everywhere on the court and as result turned over the ball 18 times in the first half.  Minnesota led by 17 points at half-time but easily could have led by more than 30 points had they not turned the ball over themselves.  

Of course, the Gophers turnovers were mostly unforced errors.  For example on one trip, Al Nolen dished to a wide open Damian Johnson who travelled coming down the lane on his way to a thunderous dunk. 

Johnson could be excused for believing that he was in a dunk contest given how the Hawkeyes surrendered the lane to him.

The next two weeks will be much more difficult and will likely tell the story for the Gophers and their aspirations for a Big Ten Championship.  Minnesota plays the three teams that most analysts, including myself, picked to win the Big Ten Title

The Gophers play No. 4 ranked Purdue tomorrow in West Lafayette.  On Saturday, they come play Ohio State at home. On Wednesday they will be in East Lansing to take on the defending Big Ten champion No. 11 ranked Michigan State Spartans.

Purdue is unbeaten and has the look of a Final Four team.  Purdue’s January 1 victory over the No. 6 ranked and previously unbeaten West Virginia 77-62 was impressive.

In order to beat Purdue, Minnesota will need to limit their turnovers as the Boilermakers can apply as much or more defensive pressure than the Gophers.  Purdue’s Chris Kramer was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and JaJuan Johnson was a member of the All Big Ten Defensive Team. 

Minnesota will also need to have Guards Blake Hoffarber, Lawrence Westbrook and Devoe Joseph knock down three point shots to keep Purdue honest on the perimeter.  A big game from Joseph would be especially timely as he has recently struggled finding his range.

On the defensive end, Minnesota must not allow the Boilermakers any second chance opportunities.  If Ralph Sampson, III ankle injury is not better, Colton Iverson will need to avoid picking up earlier cheap fouls battling Purdue’s Center E’Twaun Moore.

The injury to Ohio State’s star player Evan Turner has clearly hurt the Buckeyes as they dropped their first two Big Ten games to Wisconsin and Michigan.  Ohio State will undoubtedly come to Williams Arena hungry to get back on track and the Gophers must not let up their guard against the Buckeyes.

Ohio State has a solid dynamic duo in David Lighty and Jon Diebler who are both averaging 15 points a game. Either player could carry the Buckeyes in Turner’s absence.

If Minnesota applies the same level of defensive pressure as they exerted against Iowa and they win the battle of the boards with the Buckeyes, Minnesota should be in a good position to send the Buckeyes back to Columbus with a loss. 

There will be no rest for the weary as Minnesota’s next opponent is the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. The Spartans destroyed the Northwestern Wildcats 91-70 in Evanston to begin Big Ten play.

The recipe for beating the Spartans is similar to the Purdue recipe with a dash of stopping the dribble penetration of point guard Kalin Lucas and limiting transition baskets.

Michigan State Coach Izzo has been quoted as saying that the way to win the Big Ten title is to beat your opponents on the road and to hold your own at home.  Hard to disagree with Coach Izzo.

If the Gophers can beat either the Boilermakers or Spartans on the road while holding court against the Buckeyes they will take a nice step forward in the conference race. A sweep against the preseason favorites in the conference with road victories over Purdue and Michigan State would put Minnesota in the driver’s seat.

The Big Ten race won’t be over in the next two weeks no matter what happens as there will still be 13 more games left to play.

However, Coach Tubby Smith and his Gophers would appreciate running from the front of the pack as opposed to running with the pack.  Hopefully, the Gophers will be able to see the possibility of a Big Ten Championship in their sights in two weeks.

After struggling to get off to good starts for the majority of the first half of the season, the Minnesota Gophers decided to use a full-court press to change all of that Saturday afternoon in Iowa.

Typically, the Gophers have struggled at Carver Hawkeye arena losing in four of their previous five trips. Tubby Smith's strategy was to press the young Hawkeye's and force them into as many uncomfortable situations with the lack of agility and dribbling ability in the Iowa backcourt.

The first half was a landslide which created a huge lead for the Golden Gophers. The Gophers forced 18 first-half turnovers, converting them into 31 points. At one point, the Gophers led 43-18 with about five minutes remaining in the half.

A dominating and suffocating performance by the short-handed Gophers was surprising considering they were without their leading rebounder and shot-blocker, Ralph Sampson III. Seven Gophers had two or more steals, Damian Johnson had four blocks, and the entire roster contributed rebounding the basketball.

Offensively, Blake Hoffarber continued to shoot extremely well from the field and particularly from behind the three-point line. After a 5 of 7 performance from downtown on Saturday, he has improved his three-point field goal percentage to nearly 51 percent. With Hoffarber shooting this well, the Gophers have looked like a completely different team offensively.

It seems to spark others on the team as well, there is saying that good shooting is contagious. In the Gophers latest seven game winning streak, Hoffarber has shot 46 of 70 from the field. The Gophers as a team have averaged over 89 points per game.

Also, when the Gophers have scored 70 points this season, they are 11-0. All together it is pretty obvious that with Blake Hoffarber shooting the ball so well, the Gophers have a chance to beat anyone in the Big Ten.

They will get their toughest test of the season next Tuesday when they travel to Indiana to play the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (13-0). Purdue absolutely dominated the undefeated No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers (11-1) from start to finish in their game on New Years Day. Purdue led by as many as 25 in the second half against a team that had defeated Marquette on a miracle last second shot earlier in the week.

It was a prime spot for a let down game on the part of the Mountaineers and they are not as bad as they played against Purdue. The question left unanswered is, how good are the Purdue Boilermakers? Predicted to finish second in the Big Ten behind Michigan State by many bracketologists, the Boilermakers have won all of their games comfortably thus far.

Decent wins against Alabama and Wake Forest coinciding with domination over West Virginia has built quite a resume for Purdue. If they continue to play to the level that they have, Purdue will be at the top of the Big Ten when all is played out.

Tuesday will be a very tough road test for Minnesota considering how well Purdue has played. Minnesota lacks that significant win on their tournament resume. They struggled in their holiday tournament this year after winning in the first-round against No. 10 Butler. Three straight losses knocked them out of the top 25.

They followed that losing streak up by winning the next seven leading into the upcoming Purdue game. The key for the Gophers will be to limit the open shots they give to Robbie Hummel. If the Gophers can control the tempo of the game and make shots, the full court press that they have used to force mistakes will likely take its toll on the Boilermakers also.

Juniors JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore will likely take about 40 percent of the Boilermakers shots on offense. If the Gophers can hold those to less than 25 points they should have a very good chance on the road Tuesday. Minnesota will continue to count on Blake Hoffarber to shoot well from the outside and will need contributions from a number of others on their bench.

With impressive depth and teamwork the Gophers have all of the tools necessary to cause havoc for Purdue. The tempo early in the game will be the tell-tale sign of which team will have the advantage.

Tubby Smith and his Minnesota Golden Gophers opened the Big Ten Conference season with a victory over the visiting Nittany Lions of Penn State, 75-70.

They started out the game by opening up to an 11-point lead midway through the first half and inched away late in the game.

The Gophers were led by senior guard, Lawrence Westbrook, who scored 29 points and made an impressive four shots from beyond the arc. His ability to breakdown defenses, and open up the lane for sophomores Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III, will be key for Minnesota to be near the top of the Big Ten.

Many college basketball analysts consider the best NBA-ready player of the Big Ten to be Penn State guard, Talor Battle. He scored 23 points to lead Penn State.  His amazing ability to shoot the three-pointer from any distance and location on the floor will keep Penn State in all of their games this season.

The problem that the Nittany Lions have is their lack of depth and inability to rebound when not they are not shooting well.

Blake Hoffarber continued his hot shooting from three-point range with another three shots made from downtown. His shooting percentage from three-point range has increased to 49 percent through 14 games; in contrast to the 2008-09 season in which he only shot a retched 34 percent on 145 attempts.

When the NCAA decided to move the line back an additional foot prior to his sophomore season, Hoffarber made the comment that he didn't expect it to change anything. Obviously he was wrong as his percentage dropped eight points from freshmen year to sophomore year, and he made 25 less three-pointers.

This off-season he worked with the Gophers' trainer and added a lot of muscle mass to his upper-body which has translated into his highest shooting percentage of his career. He is making just about every open three-pointer and is also making a majority of the contested shots.

It is going to be a crucial part of the Gophers success that he continues to make those shots.

The coaching staff seems to have things heading in the right direction after a three-game skid earlier in the season. Their three loses came to teams that could all make the NCAA tournament.

The Gophers have the ability in the front and back courts to contend for a Big Ten title. The majority of that success is going to depend upon the play of Westbrook and senior forward, Damian Johnson.

If the two seniors can spark the offense, than the Gophers will have a chance, whomever they play.

The Big Ten Conference season begins in roughly a week for a majority of the teams. A few years back the Big Ten was considered one of the worst major conferences in the country. In 2006-07 only two Big Ten teams finished the season without a double-digit loss total. All of the young players from those losing teams are now upperclassmen. The

Big Ten entered the season with six teams ranked in a majority of the national polls. Currently there are only three, but seven of the 11 teams have received Top 25 votes. The obvious favorites to win a championship are No. 12 Michigan State and No. 4 Purdue.

Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan of Michigan State are prime time players and have the ability to take over a basketball game. And if Robbie Hummel can stay healthy for Purdue, the Boilermakers will possess the best starting five in the conference. They return every starter from a team that finished 11-7 in the conference last year.

Are there any other teams that could challenge at the top of the conference? Maybe, it all depends on the health of each team. The fact that there are also some rebuilding programs going through a bit of losing will likely get at least five teams to 10 wins. Indiana, Iowa, and Penn State will all struggle to win games. Northwestern lost their best player, Kevin Coble, for the season, and that puts them in that group as well.

To be toward the top of the Big Ten, your team will need to play through those soft teams by losing no more than one game. The next section profiles each sleeper team that is currently ranked third through sixth in my Big Ten rankings leading into the  conference season.

Which team could jump above the Spartans or Boilermakers? Can any of them?

Minnesota Golden Gophers:

Current Record: 8-3

Notable Wins: No. 10 Butler

Key Losses: Portland, Texas A&M, Miami (Fla.)

With head coach Tubby Smith steering this ship the Golden Gophers are a team to be reckoned with at home and on the road. Their suffocating pressure defense causes chaos for opposing backcourts.

Junior guard, Al Nolen is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the conference and belongs in the conversation with Kalin Lucas as the conference's top perimeter defender. Senior guard, Lawrence Westbrook has the ability to take over a game with his three-point shooting and slashing ability in the lane.

The key to Minnesota's success will be the shooting of junior guard, Blake Hoffarber. When he is hitting from downtown the Gophers are good enough to beat any team in the country.  It allows Minnesota to set-up their pressure defense and opens things up on the inside for the sophomore duo of Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson. Both big men have double-double ability and are good shooters from the free throw line.

Tubby Smith will get this team to double-digit wins within the conference. They definitely have the ability to get to 13 or 14, but it depends on the offensive play. The team tends to fall into lulls where they look like they are standing around and not sure what to do.

Michigan Wolverines:

Current Record: 6-5

Notable Wins: None

Key Losses: Marquette, Alabama, Boston College, Detroit, No. 1 Kansas

Senior Manny Harris may be the best player in the Conference by the end of the season. If he is, the Michigan Wolverines will be playing in the NCAA tournament. His ability to open things up for the shooters on the team will be the key to victory.

Defensively the Wolverines have been pretty good through non-conference play, and played the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks very well. The biggest factor in their losses has been that they can't shoot from beyond the three-point line.

Last year, the Wolverines had nine players who shot better than 30 percent beyond arc. This season has been a different story, as they have only three players who play significant minutes shooting at that level. Four of their players, including Manny Harris, are shooting below 27 percent. That will not cut it, and if it does not change they will struggle to remain .500 within the conference.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Current Record: 10-2

Notable Wins: @ No. 12 California

Key Losses: No. 4 North Carolina, @ No. 20 Butler

The Buckeyes could easily be seen as the most likely candidate to jump into the top two of the Big Ten. With Evan Turner and David Lighty on the team, they can beat anybody.

Defensively they have struggled defending the perimeter in their two losses. If that's the case the better shooting teams in the Big Ten with the ability tor rebound will present problems. Even so, Evan Turner is game-changer. If he is crashing the boards and getting to the free-throw line than your squad is in trouble. Ohio State will be in the top five in the conference as long as Lighty and Turner are healthy all season.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Current Record: 8-3

Notable Wins: @ No. 19 Clemson (Trailed by 23), No. 24 Vanderbilt

Key Losses: Utah, Bradley, @ Georgia

The Illini have become a trendy choice to take that next step in the Big Ten in 2010. Their three losses came against bottom-level competition. The teams that beat them will be lucky to finish in the top halves of their own conferences when all is said and done.

Illinois does boast two victories over ranked opponents though. They were getting trounced by the Clemson Tigers and came back from a 20-point halftime deficit to pull the upset. The question is, which team are they? The team that was losing by 20 at halftime? Or, the team that outscored the Tigers by 22 in the second half?

I tend to think the former, because I do not trust junior guard, Demetri McCamey or upstart freshmen guard, Brandon Paul. The two Mike's in the middle can battle any two big men in the country. The ability to rebound when the guards are not shooting well will be the key to success for this team.

Mike Tisdale is a great baseline jump shooter, he can block shots, and most importantly out-rebound anyone. Mike Davis has fine-tuned his inside post game and his footwork has developed over the past couple seasons. Even so, it will be tough for Illinois because of the talented backcourts on many of the better conference teams this year. If somehow the Illinois backcourt starts shooting the ball very well, this team could have a chance to do some special things this season.

All four of these sleepers in this year's Big Ten Conference are legitimate NCAA tournament teams if they stay healthy. There should be no issues with at least six teams from the conference making the Big Dance.

There are flaws with each and everyone and it will fall on the coaches' shoulders when it comes to masking thewholes that they have or completely fixing them.

I feel the Minnesota Gophers have the best chance to challenge for the Big Ten title this season. Their depth cannot be matched by any other Big Ten team. It almost looks like hockey line changes when you're watching Tubby Smith make his substitutions. He will sub out all five players on the court if they are not playing well. In certain situations, he will sub all five out when they are playing well. 

Of the sleepers, I feel he is the best coach in the bunch and that will give them the advantage in most of their games. Minnesota is undefeated at Williams Arena and has their home-court advantage back for the first time in a long time. The building is old, the court is unique, and it shakes when the team is playing well.

Watch out Spartans and Boilermakers, because there are four other teams with a legitimate shot to win the Big Ten this season.

Something amazing happened once the Golden Gophers came back home in December.  The team known for defense became a juggernaut on offense.

In their last four games, Minnesota has scored more than 90 points against Brown, Morgan State, and Saint Joseph’s and 89 points against Northern Illinois.

If the Gophers were coached by Paul Westhead, the offensive numbers wouldn’t be surprising.  However, they are coached by the defensive-minded Tubby Smith.

One 90 point game in a season for a Smith-coached team in a season is noteworthy.  Twice almost never happens.

In the last 10 years, the only Tubby Smith team to score 90 points more than once in a season was his 2003-2004 Kentucky Wildcats squad that went 27-4.

What explains the offensive explosion?  While the competition the Gophers faced is part of the explanation, the lack of top flight competition does not completely explain what has happened with the Gophers.

The reason the Gophers are putting up big numbers on the offensive end is that they are being more active and aggressive moving the ball.   When the Gophers struggled to score this year, the problem was attributable to lack of movement away from the ball and poor rotation to the open man.

After getting some home cooking, the Gophers are now moving without the ball and are now quickly finding the open man with the ball.

The biggest beneficiary of the improved ball rotation has been Blake Hoffarber.

Most college fans know Hoffarber as the junior in high school who won the 2005 ESPY award for best play of the year. 

Hoffarber won his ESPY award for making a three point shot while laying on his backside as time expired to send the 4A High School Basketball Championship in Minnesota into double overtime, which his team went on to subsequently win.

Hoffarber came to the Gopher program with a reputation of being a long range sharpshooter.  Many fans expected that Hoffarber would easily average double figures shooting from the perimeter reminiscent of former Gopher Sam Jacobson.

As a freshman, Hoffarber shot very well shooting .436 from the field, .427 on three-pointers and .758 from the free throw line on his way to averaging 8.4 points a game.  

Gopher fans expected Hoffarber to improve upon his first year numbers in his second season at Minnesota.  Unfortunately, Blake often struggled to find his shot.

As a sophomore, Hoffarber saw each of his shooting percentages drop—.413 from the field, .341 on three pointers and .724 from the free throw line resulting in him averaging 6.4 points a game.  

This season started slowly for Hoffarber.  At the end of November, Blake was averaging less than five points a game.  Against Portland and Texas A & M in the Anaheim Classic, Hoffarber was held scoreless despite seeing 17 and 24 minutes respectively.

The month of December has been a different story.  Against Miami in the Big Ten/ACC challenge, Hoffarber had a solid outing scoring nine.

In the last four games, Hoffarber has elevated his game.  Blake may have played his best four consecutive games as a Gopher.

Hoffarber has lead the Gophers in scoring in the last four games, and on December 5 against Brown, Blake even led the team in rebounding with 10 boards.

Hoffarber has done his damage primarily from downtown.  In the last game for the Gophers, Hoffarber hit a school record eight three-pointers on 10 attempts against Northern Illinois.

The game against the Huskies was not a fluke.  Against St. Joseph earlier in the week, Hoffarber poured in 20 points shooting 5-for-9from three-point land.   Hoffarber is shooting 21-35 from behind the arc in December for a shooting percentage of 60 percent.

Blake, for his efforts against Northern Illinois and Saint Josephs, was named Big Ten Player of the Week.  The last Gopher to be so honored was Dan Coleman on December 24, 2007.

The Gophers are being more aggressive on the offensive end; they are moving without the ball and their ball rotation has improved.  Hoffarber has seen more open looks, and he has been taking advantage of the opportunities.

Could Hoffarber be emerging as the reliable deep threat for Minnesota?  Hoffarber is now averaging more than 10 points a game and Minnesota fans are hoping that this upward trend is just the beginning of good things to come for Blake.

If Hoffarber can continue to provide consistent shooting from behind the arc, the Gophers may become as well known for their offensive prowess as they are known for their defensive intensity.

The current suspension of Royce White by the University of Minnesota raises interesting questions on what constitutes sufficient information to indefinitely suspend a college athlete.

White was initially suspended from the team when he was arrested on October 13 for shoplifting at the Mall of America and fifth-degree misdemeanor assault at stemming from a subsequent altercation with a security guard.   White reached a plea agreement on December 2 to pay $600 in fines and stay away from the mall for a year.

In most instances, a student-athlete that has been arrested is generally suspended from his or her team until the legal process has run its course. If the Mall of America incident concerning White was the only issue, White likely would have been back on the team to face Brown on December 5.

Unfortunately for White he was identified on November 7 as a person of interest involving the disappearance of a laptop computer from a dorm room on campus.  Initially, the University of Minnesota police indicated that they anticipated that the investigation would be completed within two weeks.

If the investigation concerning the laptop had been completed within two weeks and there was not sufficient probable cause to arrest White, he would likely have been back on the team by December 5.  

However, the investigation conducted by the University of Minnesota Police however was not completed until December 16.  No arrests were made upon completion of the investigation.

University of Minnesota should therefore reinstate White now that the police department decided not to bring forth charges?  Not so fast.

The investigation file has now been forwarded to the Minneapolis city attorney's office to review in order to determine whether there are sufficient facts to support whether a criminal prosecution should be initiated. 

Minnesota’s Athletic Department is taking the position that White should remain suspended pending a final determination being made by the Minneapolis city attorney’s office.

Why is White continuing to be subject to indefinite suspension by the University of Minnesota if the police have investigated the matter and do not believe that there is probable cause to arrest him?

If the Minneapolis City Attorney’s office waits until the end of basketball season and decides not to charge him, White will have been suspended for the entire season without any entity ever making a finding that there was probable cause to believe he took the laptop.

An allegation of criminal conduct shouldn’t be enough by itself to prevent a student-athlete from competing.

Critics of White believe that where there is smoke there is fire and given his past problems in high school, his arrest in October and subsequent plea in November, the University is being prudent in maintaining White’s indefinite suspension. 

Supporters of White would point out that punishing someone without having at least probable cause to believe that the person is responsible offends our country’s notion of justice and due process.

Further complicating the position of the University toward White is the decision of the University of Minnesota not to suspend two football players, Michael Carter and Gary Tinsley, this season despite both players being arrested.

The facts surrounding Tinsley’s arrest and the University failing to suspend him can’t be justified in light of White’s suspension. 

In responding to a call, police saw Tinsley “swinging a wooden board amid a crowd of people.”  Police subsequently issued a citation from Tinsley for underage drinking and fleeing the police.

The decision not to suspend Tinsley despite his arrest and observations by the police of dangerous conduct is inconsistent with its actions toward White concerning the disappearance of the laptop.  The differential treatment by the University can’t be reconciled.

Attempting to rationalize the differential treatment on the basis of the players being members of two different athletic teams is not justifiable.

If White and Tinsley were faculty members from different schools within the University of Minnesota instead of student-athletes from different athletic teams. . . . one can only imagine the uproar and subsequent protest by the aggrieved faculty members.

The University needs to reexamine its rationale for continuing the indefinite suspension of White. 

The investigation by the police has been completed and no arrests were made in response to the investigation.  Further, the University should seek to develop a consistent policy that can be applied for all student-athletes.

If a player is arrested, the player at a minimum should miss a game and potentially all games while the criminal investigation is being conducted. 

In the absence of an arrest, a player should be suspended only if there is probable cause by University officials to believe that a law or team rule has been violated.

Some Gopher fans have no sympathy for White because he started the downward spiral for his season when acted inappropriately in October at the Mall of America.  No one should disagree with the decision to suspend White following his arrest and subsequent plea agreement. 

However, what now justifies White current indefinite suspension?

Has prized recruit Royce White left the University of Minnesota basketball program?

When most people say they are quitting it is the end, however, with White it appears that this is just the beginning of the next chapter.

While no one knows for sure how this story will end, it is premature to conclude that White will never wear maroon and gold for the Gophers.

White was initially suspended from the team when he was arrested on October 13 for shoplifting and fifth-degree misdemeanor assault at the Mall of America for an altercation with a security guard. White reached a plea agreement to pay $600 in fines and stay away from the mall for a year.

Prior to White reaching a plea agreement in the incident, White was identified as a person of interest involving the disappearance of a laptop computer from a dorm room on campus on Nov. 7.

The publicly stated facts by the police surrounding the incident are limited.  The victim was using her computer shortly before it disappeared and immediately reported it missing.   White and several other students were in the dormitory at the time the laptop was reported missing.

The Associated Press on Nov. 11 quoted University of Minnesota Deputy Police Chief Chuck Miner stating that the dorm room was not locked, there was no forced entry, a videotape was being reviewed, that several people were going to being interviewed, and that the police hoped to complete their investigation within two weeks.

Five weeks later, the University of Minnesota Police completed their investigation on Dec. 16 and referred the matter to the Minneapolis city attorney’s office. 

According to Miner, it typically takes the Minneapolis city attorney's office about a month to review cases before making a decision on how to proceed.

Early Thursday morning, White posted a video on YouYube indicating that he was leaving the program. The video on YouTube is entitled “Royce White—Last Interview.”

In the video, White says he is leaving the program because the legal process is taking too long and as a result it is causing too much stress on his family, the program, and Coach Tubby Smith. 

However, what White adds after stating that he is quitting the program is what makes the video interesting.

White expresses lavish praise for coach Smith, calling him a great teacher, the best coach he has ever had, and saying that no one has taught him more about the game. White adds that he still wants to be a part of Gopher Nation and to bring wins to the University. 

White cracks open the door to returning to the program ever so slightly by stating with teary eyes that he might return but that “it would take something big” for him to come back.

White then adds that he doesn’t know what he is going to do next. However, he knows that he doesn’t want to go to another school and that he doesn’t want to play for another coach.

In watching White’s video, one is left with the impression that he is not really interested in quitting the team.

Later in the day, Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi issued a public statement confirming what many suspected—White hasn't informed anyone in the Minnesota Gopher athletic department that he is leaving the program.

What White appears to want at this time is for someone to tell him to hang in there and that he hasn’t been forgotten by his teammates or by Gopher fans. 

White received such support later in the day from freshman teammate Justin Cobb who said on his Twitter account that everyone should tell White “not to quit.”  Also, several of the posts to White’s video suggest patience, offer words of encouragement and tell him not to quit.

Maybe what White wanted to do was raise the awareness of the media that the length of his suspension has been too long given that there has not been any official finding of wrongdoing on his part. 

The issue that White raises is a fair one to be considered. 

Why has the University of Minnesota indefinitely suspended White until there has been a legal determination as to whether criminal charges are going to be brought against him? 

Under this approach, the City of Minneapolis Attorney’s Office may not decide whether to charge White until the middle of January or quite possibly February. If the decision is not to prosecute White, he has in effect been suspended for the entire season for merely being a criminal suspect.

The decision of the university should be questioned.

While the issue raised by White is a good one, a video on YouTube was probably not the best way to make his point with the University of Minnesota administration. 

The best part of a good story is the cliffhanger. White has given us several good cliffhangers.  

Will the University of Minnesota reexamine the length of his suspension? Will teammates and fans rally in support of White? Is there something that could be said to White that could change his mind? 

Will the City of Minneapolis actually prosecute White?

I can’t wait for the next chapter.

I think it is more likely that we will see another video from White before we see an official announcement that he is leaving the program.

Hopefully, the video will be about his play on the court and not about what is going on in the courtroom.

This review originally posted on www.stadiumjourney.com

I love universities that are part of a major city.  It just adds an element of excitement. 

More traditional “college towns” are fun as well because of the community’s devotion to a particular school, but one of the things that makes the University of Minnesota special is its placement in Minneapolis.

When I visited Williams Arena (commonly known as “The Barn”), I had a great experience at the game, as well as getting to know the area. 

Built in 1928, and named for former football coach, Dr. Henry Williams, this has that historic feel without any of the discomfort that can come from a really old arena that hasn’t had the proper facelifts over the years.

FANFARE Score: 25 (out of 35)

F ood & Beverage: 3 (out of 5)

The food available at Williams Arena is better than most, but not anything that is going to blow you away.  Traditional favorites like soft pretzels, nachos, and hot dogs can be found.  Concession stands also includes offerings from familiar brands Subway and Papa John’s.

As always, a key for me is whether they offer souvenir cups for your drink, and they do, so there’s your chance for an inexpensive keepsake while you are getting your refreshments.

A tmosphere: 4

I visited Williams Arena on a cold day, and arrived before they opened the gates. However, I was happy to find that I was able to wait indoors before they opened the main entry.

The arena looks small both outside and inside, and the intimate feel was accentuated by the fact that I had very good seats- sixth row behind the opponent’s bench.

I became quick friends with Rod, a season ticket holder and Minnesota alum who was interested in my trip after I assured him that I was good luck for his beloved Gophers (I had just a week or so before witnessed them break a long losing streak in Madison, defeating Wisconsin).

Seeing as how Minnesota had not beaten Illinois in 12 years, he was willing to take on a little good luck from a stranger.

The most interesting feature of Williams Arena is the raised floor, and I mean, it’s really raised. It adds to the feeling of closeness and makes it a great place to see a game.

N eighborhood: 5

I arrived at my hotel at the Seven Corners of Minneapolis: about a mile and half of walking to get to Williams Arena.  I decided to make my way around the corners by stopping at several bars for food and drink.

I began at the Town Hall Brewery and ordered their beer sampler and an order of fried green beans. I figure anytime you can feel healthy and get fried foods, then that’s the way to go.

The beer was good (especially the Masala Mama IPA), the beans okay, and the service far less than spectacular in this slightly uppity brewpub.

Pretty good crowd for 2 p.m. so that must mean there’s something worthwhile there, so maybe I just missed it. In any case, it’s always worth trying local beers.

Moving counterclockwise around the corners I entered Bullwinkle’s, a dive bar that boasts having the best chili dog in town.

I didn’t try one, but I found this place to be friendly and inexpensive...seems like a fun cheap place to get your drink on. I would go back.

Next, I went to The Corner: a pretty typical sports bar. I did like the history of the area described on the menu, and the bartender was friendly (she put me “in charge” while she went out for a smoke). Again, I would recommend checking this place out.

Finally, I finished the Seven Corners tour at Sgt. Preston’s, where I had an excellent tomato and sausage bisque, followed by perfect fish and chips featuring Minnesota Walleye.

All in all, it was a great couple of hours, and although it’s a bit of a hike to Williams Arena from there, it may be a good area to consider staying if you’re going to The Barn or to the Metrodome.

I started my mile and a half walk to the arena stopping in “Dinkytown” near the main campus. I made unremarkable stops at the Library Bar and Blarney’s, typical sporty college bars.

My last stop was the Kitty Cat Klub . A comfortable bar which is supposed to have an interesting music scene (I was there too early to verify it personally).

I asked bartenders Tom and Ricky to invent a drink called the Golden Gopher in honor of the trip, and they delivered.

They placed a shot glass inside a tumbler, and filled the shot glass with jagermeister. Next came a moat of Goldschlager. It was good enough that I had another.

F ans: 4

The energy from the student section and pep band did not stack up to my previous trips to Wisconsin and Michigan State, but would still be above average compared to other Big Ten venues.

Hopefully, the arrival of Tubby Smith, and the fact that they have a good young, deep team will help to increase the energy.

To be fair, it was also a fairly ugly game to watch as Illinois only managed to score 36 points in a game that never really felt close. In the end, Rod was happy, so I guess I was too.

A ccess: 3

Handicapped parking is available and there is wheelchair access on the east and south entrances.  Restrooms are plentiful enough to avoid major lines at halftime.

R eturn on Investment: 4

Tickets sell for $35, and for the historic feel and good sight lines, it is worth the price.  My sixth row seat was purchased second hand for a reasonable $45, a price I would gladly pay again.

E tc.: 2

Retired numbers include Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson, Jim Brewer, and Lou Hudson. There are banners commemorating each players’ time at Minnesota.

An extra point for the raised floor, a fairly unique feature that I really like.

Have you been to Williams Arena? Are there any recommendations you think we’re missing?

Paul Swaney is the Co-Founder of Stadium Journey

Minnesota beat No. 10 Butler 82-73 last week on its way to winning its first four games of the season.  The future looked bright for the Gophers as thoughts of contending for a Big Ten Title danced in their heads.

In less than a week, the Gophers dropped three straight and had their weaknesses exposed.  Clouds have now come into view and the Gophers now have to squint to see an NCAA tournament invitation bid in the distance.

Fortunately, Minnesota heads back home to the barn for its next five games to resolve some issues before the Big Ten season begins. 

In recognition of the seven games that the Gophers have played, below are the top seven issues for the Gophers to figure out:

1. Find a closer

In the last five minutes of close games, the Gophers struggle to find a shot because there is no one Golpher who can consistently create his own shot. Someone on the squad needs to step up to be the man in crunch time.  

The three leading candidates to assume that role are Lawrence Westbrook, Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph. 

Blake Hoffarber is a legitimate threat from three-point land but since he can't put the ball on the floor to get his own shot he is not in the conversation.

Westbrook is the favorite because his numbers for field goal shooting and shooting three point shots this year are better than his career numbers.  The downside for Westbrook is that he still has problems creating enough separation to get a good shot when he is guarded by a bigger player.

Nolen is the toughest of the three willing to sacrifice his body to get to the rim.  Unfortunately, he has never been enough of an outside threat.

Teams are more than willing to step in and take a charge when he drives to the basket.  If Nolen can add a tear drop shot ala Tony Parker he could emerge as the dark horse in the race.

Joseph is an enigma.  He has taken the most three-pointers but he is shooting only 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. 

He has hit some key late three point shots despite shooting some flat shots.  He clearly has the right mental make-up for a closer, no shame. 

Joseph at 6’3'' is tall enough to get his shot off over a tall defender but because he is slight of build he is often pushed out of his comfort zone. 

If Westbrook doesn’t take the reins by the first week of January, I look for Joseph to claim the prize.  

2. Lawrence Westbrook needs to limit his turnovers

Westbrook has historically had a very good assist to turnover ratio, as he has had more assists than turnovers in each of his first three years. 

This year, Westbrook has had his pocket picked too often as his assist to turnover ratio is 1:2.8.   As the leading scorer on the team, the Gophers can ill afford that ratio given how often the ball is in his hands.

3. Joseph needs to find his shot

Joseph is only shooting 37.5 percent from the floor.  As the third leading scorer on the team, the Gophers need better efficiency from Joseph. 

The release on his shot is a little slower than Westbrook, which is likely leading him to occasionally alter his shot to avoid the block when the defender closes out on him.

4. Shoot better from the free throw line

On the season, the Gophers are shooting only 64.3 percent from the line.  

The Gophers shot an anemic 46.7 percent in their loss to Miami. 

If the Gophers had shot just 75 percent in their last three games they would be undefeated, especially in light of how many front-end of bonus free throws they missed. 

Given the defensive style of basketball played by Gophers, this team needs to convert 80 percent of their free throws to play late into March.

5. Limit second chance opportunities  

The Gophers gave up too many offensive rebounds to Portland (9), Texas A&M (11) and Miami (12).  

In watching Minnesota battle under the boards the issue, unfortunately, is about desire.  The other teams have simply wanted the ball more than the Gophers and are willing to impose their physical presence upon Minnesota on the block. 

The only consistently “nasty” interior player for Minnesota is Colton Iverson.

Case in point, Iverson picked up a foul tossing Butler’s Gordon Hayward to the ground after they became entangled.  Iverson proceeded to put an exclamation point on his statement that night as he collected 11 rebounds in only 16 minutes of playing time. 

6. Defend the arc and identify perimeter threat

Minnesota’s perimeter defenders are not rotating fast enough back to the perimeter allowing uncontested shots at the arc. Texas A&M shot 42.9 percent from three-point land because Minnesota gave up too many open looks at the perimeter.

The Gophers have also failed to recognize the deep threat of their opponents. 

For example, Portland’s T.J. Campbell came into the game against Minnesota shooting over 50 percent from beyond the arc. Campbell torched the Gophers as he went 4-of-8 from downtown. 

Malcolm Grant has shot over 40 percent in his career on his three point attempts at Miami. Grant went 4-of-7 from three point land.  

Neither Campbell nor Grant should have been given the opportunity to shoot that many quality three-point shots.

7. Resolve issues with Trevor Mbakwe, Royce White, and Devron Bostick

The Gophers have three players who are in limbo with suspensions. 

While I can appreciate that Coach Tubby Smith is doing everything he can do to ensure that this is not a distraction, it is difficult to imagine that these suspensions aren’t a distraction on some level with the team.  

Coach Smith has hinted that Bostick could play on Saturday which would be good news.  Hopefully, more good news will come before the holidays and Mbakwe and White will be cleared to play.

If the Gophers can retool and run off five victories, they would enter Big Ten play at a respectable 9-3.

Given the depth of the Big Ten, if the Gophers finish with a winning record during conference play they will have enough quality wins over top-ranked teams to earn an NCAA bid.

Of course, the first thing the Gophers need to do is to get a tune-up.