Playing against a more impish than impressive calendar of opponents so far, the Gopher basketball team has been adding admirers under new coach Tubby Smith. The Gophers, 6-1 after Saturday night’s 94-71 win over Colorado State, have played team basketball and done so with an intensity perhaps not seen in Williams Arena since the last century.
Last season the Gophers were 9-22 and lost their last nine games. Under Smith the Gophers have won three games by more than 30 points, including two of their last three. Statement making was the Gophers 68-58 win over Iowa State in Ames. The one loss was against another major college basketball school, Florida State, 75-61 in Tallahassee.
Former Gopher coach Jim Dutcher, now a TV color commentator, told Sports Headliners last week that the next step of progression is for Minnesota to learn to “play against good competition.” The non-conference schedule, though, doesn’t set up effectively to meet that task. In the rear view mirror are teams like UC-Riverside and North Dakota State, and the remaining non-conference games include South Dakota State, Santa Clara, Nicholls State and Kennesaw State.
The “reality” game, Dutcher said, will be on December 30 in Las Vegas against UNLV. The Rebels, 7-2, are considered a contending team in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV will also be the Gophers last game before opening the Big Ten Conference schedule on January 5 in East Lansing against Michigan State, a national power and favorite to win the league title.
Dutcher said he’s watched all the conference teams and categorizes them in three groups. Michigan State and Indiana are at the top. Then a group comprised of Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue. The bottom teams are Michigan, Penn State, Iowa and Northwestern.
The improved prospects for the Gophers, who with the same players last year finished ninth in the Big Ten, is a tribute to Smith and his coaching staff. Smith came to Minnesota with a reputation for being an outstanding teacher and game coach. He has the players believing in his ways and executing them.
“I think he is as advertised,” Dutcher said. “He’s got the players believing it. He’s getting the maximum output from everyone on the roster.”
Dutcher said it doesn’t matter who the player is, someone who makes a defensive mistake will soon be on the bench. There is “no favored treatment” Dutcher said and that kind of mentality encourages players to dive for loose balls, scramble for rebounds and pass unselfishly.
Smith has from the beginning shown faith in a group of players who previously didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Testimony to that is what Dutcher said was an “immediate” commitment to using 10 players for major minutes in games. That can include having two freshmen guards “when the game is on the line.”
The contributions of freshmen guards Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber have surprised Dutcher and others. Nolen has shown leadership and much needed quickness at point guard. He leads the team in assists with 28 and steals, 18. Hoffarber has played with poise, too, while offering some needed and consistent long range shooting. He had a coming of age party Saturday night in the team’s win over Colorado State, scoring 21 points, making six of 11 three point shots. The former Hopkins star is the Gophers’ fourth leading scorer at 10.4 points per game.
Shooting guard Lawrence Westbrook and wing Damian Johnson, both sophomores, have been resurrected under Smith. Dutcher said he wasn’t even sure either, or both, would last in the program but instead they, too, have been inspired contributors. Westbrook has improved his shooting and driving to the basket while Johnson has been an exceptional defender, including on the Gophers full court press, and a valuable rebounder. Both players are tied for fifth in team scoring at 7.4 points per game. Johnson leads the Gophers in blocks with 11.