Jot down March 14, 2008 as the date Hoffarber Hysteria spread from Hopkins to Dinkytown. That’s the date crisis-shooting 19-year-old Blake Hoffarber lofted a left handed semi-hook shot from about 15 feet into the basket as time expired to lift the Gophers to a stunning quarterfinal win over Indiana in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The dramatic finish came about three years after Hoffarber had somehow hit a clutch shot in the state tournament for Hopkins High School while sitting on the court, a miracle toss that sent the game into a second overtime and later won him an ESPY when he was barely old enough to drive
The latest sensational shot may mean more to the Gopher basketball program than almost anyone realizes. The program that has spent much of the new millennium sliding into the low rent district of college basketball because a few individuals in leadership messed up badly, received a heart transplant last year with the hiring of Tubby Smith. His coaching, motivation and recruiting have Minnesota positioned for a move to the high rent district and Hoffarber’s shot could be a key stimulus to the recovery.
For one thing, Hoffarber Hysteria just might put the Gophers over the top in selling out Williams Arena next season. The Gophers, within about 2,000 tickets of selling out this season, will be a hotter ticket next fall, fueled by Smith’s success in taking a 9-22 program, moving it to 20-13, and adding a top 25 recruiting class. Hoffarber, a hometown kid, was already a crowd favorite but now he’s a bigger hero and another reason to buy tickets and perhaps, just maybe, see another miracle shot during his sophomore, junior or senior seasons.
For another thing, having a player like Hoffarber adds to a team’s confidence. Everyone knows that late in a game when there’s a big shot opportunity Hoffarber is a solid bet (prayer?). He won’t make every clutch shot and he could even fumble a play with a poor decision or bad luck. But you know this: Hoffarber has a special confidence and ability to perform when others aren’t as capable. That should add some swagger to the Gophers for the next three seasons.
Give Smith and his coaching staff credit, too, for drawing up the play that led to the winning basket. Although Hoffarber reportedly wasn’t the first option, he went and got the ball. Made the shot that lifted a program, put a little more gleam in the collective eyes of the Gopher Nation. And give Smith credit, too, for having the confidence to put a walk-on, seldom used Travis Busch, in the game to heave the ball three-quarters of the way down court to Hoffarber. (See YouTube, Blake Hoffarber).
The Gophers’ run in the Big Ten Conference tournament ended with Saturday’s 54-50 loss to Illinois. Now they are headed into tomorrow night’s (Tuesday) home game in the NIT against Maryland and feeling better about themselves than anyone could have predicted after winning two games in the tournament.