2011-2012 Minnesota Golden Gophers College Basketball Preview:
The forecast for the 2011-2012 Golden Gophers season calls for good conditions including a higher three point shooting percentage and a good crop of incoming freshman. These kids are hungry and will be looking to expand upon last year's winning record. Coach Tubby Smith has said that his young guys are showing maturity and the older members of the squad have improved considerably over the summer, according to GoldenSports.net.
One that has really stepped up his game during the off-season is sophomore Maverick Ahanmisi. Coach Smith told the media source that the 6' 2" guard from Santa Clarita has worked on improving his shooting percentage from the field and fans will get to see the results of his hard work in November.
On the defensive side of the court, the duo of returning seniors Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III will be a great one-two punch combination. Sampson may stand out as one of the top shot blockers in the league this year and Mbakwe is fresh off a summer stint at the LeBron James camp. Both of these players, along with the rest of the team, will provide some exciting games for the Golden Gophers.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS BAKSETBALL FACTS:
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stadium: Williams Arena
Conference: Big Ten Conference
Rivals: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Michigan Wolverines
Mascot: Goldy Gopher
The Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team have been playing since 1905, ever since the Big Ten Conference began sponsoring basketball. In their early years, the Gophers enjoyed plenty of college hoops success, capturing five Big Ten Championships prior to 1920. Because there was no official national championship game in the early years of college basketball, Minnesota was retroactively awarded the national championship title in 1902, 1903 and 1919 by college basketball research organizations. The team suffered several NCAA sanctions in the 1970's and 1990's, which caused the team to forfeit their rights to participate in the playoffs. Under Head Coach Tubby Smith in 2007, the team made a strong resurgence and enjoyed a solid winning season the same year.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers play their home basketball games at the Williams Arena, located on the University of Minnesota campus. Williams Arena can hold as many as 14,625 fans, and the adjacent Sports Pavilion can hold an additional 5,700. The building is also known as The Barn, and the student section is referred to as the Barnyard. The arena itself looks similar to an aircraft hangar, with its arched steel roof. Make sure to come out and see a Golden Gophers Basketball game as the Williams Arena is sure to be brimming with spirited fans!
See Also:
Minnesota Golden Gophers Big 10 Tournament tickets
Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Tournament tickets
Minnesota Golden Gophers Final Four tickets
Minnesota Golden Gophers Football tickets
Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball Ticket Information:
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