It wasn’t just the teams and games, of course, that were so captivating, it was the players, too.  How cool it was to watch 6-7 New Prague center Ron Johnson set the tournament scoring record and then go on to become a Big Ten hero for the Gophers.  There was Duluth Central’s 6-3 guard Terry Kunze who dazzled tourney crowds with his behind the back dribbling and long distance shooting, then did the same playing for the Gophers.  Edina center Bob Zender was the man for the great Hornets title teams, scoring inside and blocking shots.  He later shocked this town with his college choice, Kansas State.

There may never have been a better player in the tournament than man-child Mark Olberding who even before high school graduation was a physical load at about 6-8 with imposing muscles.  He helped Melrose to the 1974 Class A title and overall tournament championship by defeating Class AA Bemidji in a playoff game.

It was in 1971 that the tournament first had two classes and Class AA Duluth Central defeated Class A Melrose.  There would be four more such big school versus small playoffs after that.

The 1970s began a period of declining interest by the general public and media, developing toward the apathy of today.  Participation made possible by four classes is a nice educational experience but no one should believe it’s not possible for small schools to offer feisty competition against the big boys.

Minnesota Transitions is this year’s Class 1A No. 1 seed, and prep basketball authority Ken Lien watched coach John Sherman’s team almost beat 4A Minnetonka earlier this season.  “Minnesota Transitions could win an overall state tournament,” said Lien who chairs the Mr. Basketball program.

Lien looks favorably on the idea of combining 4A and 3A into one tournament, and 2A and 1A into another, then have the winners meet for an overall state championship.  Neither of us believes that will happen, but boy would that put some juice back into the state tournament.

At least we have our memories.

Comments Welcome

Why do rumors keep occurring about Tubby Smith leaving the University of Minnesota?

Smith has been the Gophers coach for three seasons and linking his name to possible head coaching basketball jobs at other schools is commonplace.  Awhile back Smith was rumored to be a possibility for the Virginia and Maryland jobs.  In December of last year it was North Carolina State.  Last week it was Oregon and Auburn.

Why?  Former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher offered an explanation.  The college basketball landscape has a handful of high profile coaches including Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Florida’s Billy Donovan and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim.  Smith is in the conversation when power coaches are mentioned but unlike most he’s shown a willingness to change jobs.  “He’s the only one who has shown a propensity to move,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

Smith left Kentucky to come here after 10 seasons.  Before that he was at Tulsa for four years and Georgia for two.

There’s something else, too, and it’s a mindset nationally that Minnesota isn’t a job deserving enough to retain a power coach.  The stepping stone attitude says the best coaches earn the right to be at the programs with the most resources, whether defined by player talent, facilities or compensation.

Does Dutcher believe Smith will stay at Minnesota?  “Short term he’s staying here,” Dutcher said. “I wouldn’t want to guess whether he’s here five years from now.”

Dutcher hesitates on the five years for reasons that might not be so obvious.  Dutcher, whose winning Gopher teams included a Big Ten champion in 1982, grew up in Michigan and was an assistant coach for the University of Michigan before coming here.  He never wanted to leave Minnesota.  This was home, a place he and his wife liked.  Their four children graduated from the University of Minnesota.

Home for Smith growing up was Maryland and his career stops have included Kentucky and Georgia.  Those places are a different culture than the Midwest.  Weather is different, too.  Dutcher remembers power coaches who left the Big Ten even though they had success in the Midwest.  Gary Williams dumped Ohio State for Maryland, Bill Self went from Illinois to Kansas and years ago Midwesterner Lute Olson and his wife decided the weather and other factors in Arizona were more attractive than Iowa.

“You see it all the time where sometimes Big Ten jobs aren’t, in their view, the ultimate jobs,” said Dutcher who believes that decisions to relocate are often based on family as well as coaching considerations.

Comments Welcome

Dutcher and others recognize, though, that Smith, 58, has an very good job here and probably could stay until he retires.  His annual compensation of nearly $2 million is exceptional among college coaches.  In a pro sports town, Smith finds himself under way less pressure from the public than at basketball crazy places like Kentucky and Indiana.  His comfort level is enhanced, too, by working for athletic director Joel Maturi, a person anyone would choose for a next door neighbor and a man of integrity.

Dutcher believes Smith has found something else here to his liking.  “Another thing Tubby has mentioned is he’s been really surprised at the level of play in the Minnesota high schools,” Dutcher said. “I think he came in thinking he was going to have to recruit 100 percent out of state, and all at once he’s saying, ‘Hey, at least 50 percent of my roster can be right here.’ ”

Smith’s Big Ten records at Minnesota are 8-10, 9-9 and 9-9.  The first season the Gophers made the NIT; the last two teams earned NCAA invitations.  Dutcher said Smith’s total work here is “solid” and clearly an upgrade over predecessor Dan Monson.  Then Dutcher said something surprising about Smith whose teams regularly sellout Williams Arena (capacity 14,625) for Big Ten home games.

“I base a coach’s program on attendance,” Dutcher said. “If the people believe in the program, are filling the arena, they believe that the program is solid and probably on an upswing.  When you start losing fans like happened during the Monson years…the attendance dropped, and dropped and dropped, then the AD’s and college presidents are forced to make a change.  I don’t think this year (2010) built on the reputation, but I don’t think it lost any ground either.  After all, they were an NCAA team.”

Dutcher said there are different ways to consider common criticisms of Smith’s teams including lack of offensive plan, confusing substitutions and poor clock management.  Dutcher didn’t offer validity to any of them and said there are always people unhappy about something.

Although not uncommon in the Big Ten, the Gophers did have their struggles on the road.  They were 3-6 in conference road games, 3-7 overall.  “The Gophers are kind of two teams,” Dutcher said. “They’re one team in Williams Arena, with the… (defensive) pressure and the running up and down the floor, and on the road they’re a much more cautious offensive team and much more cautious defensive team.   Maybe you have to do that.  It’s not a criticism.  It’s an observation.”

Comments Welcome