2008-2009 Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball Preview:
With Tubby Smith at the reins, the Minnesota Golden Gophers look poised to make some big wins, considering Smith basically overhauled the program last season and brought the team a fantastic winning season. Smith has been the coach this teem needed for so long, and his impact was immediately felt. Look for a strong roster in returning players Al Nolen, Damian Johnson, Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber. The Gophers will face a tough schedule at home, but Smith has plans for an upset. If anyone can bring their team an NCAA Tournament, you can count on Tubby Smith.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS TEAM 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