The Wake

As the calendar rolled from February to March a year ago, things looked awfully glum for the Gopher men’s basketball team. Holding a 9-21 record, the Gophers were still adjusting from a mid-season coaching change, and looking towards a very uncertain future.

What a difference a year makes. With new head coach Tubby Smith at the helm, the Gophers have returned to respectability. His Gophers entered this March with a 17-10 record (7-8 in the Big Ten) and as outside contenders for a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament.

The effect that Smith has had on the fan base has been remarkable. Students are once again filing enthusiastically into Williams Arena for each home game. Judging by the promotions at the games and the t-shirts worn by fans, one might conclude that there are more Tubby Smith fans around campus than Gopher basketball fans.

This is interesting, because Smith really seems like the polar opposite of the University’s other relatively recent high-profile coaching hire, football coach Tim Brewster. Unlike the boisterous and emphatic Brewster, Smith maintains a relatively low profile and keeps to himself for the most part. In post-game interviews, Smith speaks calmly and evenly, and he doesn’t go out of his way to sell fans on his team.

Amanda Mrotek is the Marketing and Promotions chair with the Barnyard Board, a group of students who oversee the student section at Williams Arena (a.k.a. “The Barn”) and plan events and promotions to increase attendance and excitement among the student fan base. Mrotek says that she has noticed a dramatic rise in attendance and enthusiasm among fans compared to last year. She adds that these trends are largely attributable to Smith’s arrival, because the team’s roster is roughly the same as it was last year.

So what is it that has caused people to embrace Smith so fervently?

“His success and his track record in college basketball, I think, got people excited about what he could do for Gopher basketball, and I think he’s proven himself,” Mrotek says of Smith. “The improvement that fans have seen in the same team that they were watching last year is huge, and it’s a lot of fun to watch.”

Indeed, Smith has breathed new life into a group of players that seemed unmotivated at times last season. The 2006-07 team did not have any seniors, so nearly every member of that team (which finished 9-22, 3-13 in the Big Ten) returned this year. A few freshman additions, such as Blake Hoffarber and Al Nolen, have delivered helpful contributions, but it is clear that a fundamental change in coaching philosophy has fueled this program’s dramatic turnaround.

Smith’s immediate results speak for themselves, and he has a recruiting class in place that is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation by the Web site Rivals.com. Smith hasn’t needed fancy words or gimmicks to infuse the fan base with hope. He’s simply carried over the style and skill that brought him success at the University of Kentucky and at the University of Georgia before that.

Judging by the reaction Smith is getting at The Barn, I doubt many fans will be squawking their disapproval.