INDIANAPOLIS — It will take some time before the Gophers men’s basketball team realizes what it has accomplished. Players said that this realization will come in a few weeks after all the madness has ended, after the hysteria has died down and their lives have returned to normal.
That might take longer than expected. The Gophers had their best season in school history. They built a 31-4 record, won the Big Ten championship for the first time since 1982 and made the Final Four for the first time ever.
Before the Gophers departed for the Final Four last week, several were bombarded with autograph requests at a Minnesota Timberwolves game.
The bandwagon was so full that people were falling off.
At the NCAA tournament’s first two games in Kansas City, Mo., Gophers fans dominated Kemper Arena. In San Antonio, maroon and gold T-shirts and hats filled the downtown Riverwalk. One fan even bought the chair Gophers coach Clem Haskins sat on for a pre-game meal before the team beat Clemson in double overtime to advance to the Elite Eight.
This was no ordinary year.
“We’re feeling great about the season,” Gophers forward Sam Jacobson said. “We know we had an outstanding season and the best season that has been ever had in Minnesota.
“It’s great just making it to the Final Four. Everybody is proud of each other and how we came together. We worked so hard to get here. We’re also looking forward to next year.”
For now, people just want to soak up the entire 1996-97 experience; a season that included several down-to-the-wire games, an 80-point blowout and an undefeated season at Williams Arena.
“I think we earned a lot of respect throughout the whole year,” Gophers guard Charles Thomas said. “We believed in each other. We’re going to come back and work even harder.”
For now, a look back at the season is in order:
ù Minnesota opened the 1996-97 season Nov. 23 with a 101-55 win against Stephen F. Austin at Williams Arena. Gophers guard Bobby Jackson showed a sign of things to come with 23 points. Eric Harris quelled any worries about a weakness at point guard by shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and finishing with 16 points.
ù Harris made a last second game-winning jump shot Nov. 30 to beat Creighton and send Minnesota to the San Juan Shootout title game against Clemson. The Gophers beat the Tigers the next day 75-65. Harris was named tournament MVP.
ù The Gophers lost their first game of the season Dec. 5 at Alabama, 70-67.
ù Those who braved a vicious blizzard and showed up at Williams Arena on Dec. 23 witnessed the greatest shellacking in Minnesota history. The Gophers blew out a weak Alabama State team, 114-34. No Minnesota player scored more than 13 points. Six scored in double figures and all 13 players scored.
ù Minnesota opened the Big Ten season Jan. 2 with a 65-48 win over Wisconsin at Williams. The Gophers record improved to 12-1. Jackson had 20 points.
ù In Assembly Hall on Jan. 8, the Gophers upset Indiana 96-91 in overtime. The Gophers trailed by seven points with 58 seconds left, but came back and tied the game when Jackson made a 3-pointer. In overtime Jacobson scored the first six points to secure the win. Jackson finished with 26 points. Gophers forward Quincy Lewis had 20.
ù Three days later Minnesota beat Michigan 70-64 at Williams Arena. Jackson led all scorers with 20 points. Minnesota improved to 15-1 on the season and 4-0 in the Big Ten.
ù The Gophers lost their first conference game of the season Jan. 14, 96-90 at Illinois. Charles Thomas did not make the trip because of a bad back. Harris played most of the game in foul trouble. By the end, Harris, Jacobson, Lewis and Russ Archambault had all fouled out.
ù Jacobson scored a career-high 29 points against Iowa at Williams Arena.
ù Haskins won his first ever game at Mackey Arena Feb. 12, 70-67 against Purdue. It was also the first time Minnesota won at Mackey since 1982 — the last time the Gophers won the Big Ten title.
ù Iowa guard Andre Woolridge missed a last second jump shot that would have sent the Feb. 15 game against Minnesota to overtime. The miss secured the Gophers’ 68-66 win. Minnesota’s record improved to 22-2 overall and 11-1 in the Big Ten.
ù John Thomas sank a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds left to help Minnesota win 67-66 win against Illinois on Feb. 22 at Williams Arena. The win clinched at least a tie for the Big Ten championship.
ù The Gophers won the Big Ten title outright Feb. 26 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., against Michigan 55-54. Harris knocked the ball away from Wolverines guard Louis Bullock in the game’s closing seconds and pushed the ball up the court to Jackson. Jackson was fouled trying to make a layup and went to the free throw line. With 2.9 seconds left on the clock, Jackson made his first free throw to give Minnesota the one-point win.
ù The Gophers lost their third game of the season 66-65 to Wisconsin on Mar. 8 to end the Big Ten and regular season.
ù Minnesota opened the NCAA tournament with a 76-48 victory over Southwest Texas State.
ù The Gophers beat Temple and its matchup zone defense to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1990.
ù In perhaps the most exciting game of the NCAA tournament, Minnesota beat Clemson 80-74 in double overtime. The Tigers jumped out with a six-point lead in the first overtime, but Minnesota didn’t give up and tied the game. The Gophers advanced to the Elite Eight against UCLA. Jackson had 36 points and Jacobson finished with 29.
ù Minnesota trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half against UCLA, but the Gophers’ deep bench wore down the Bruins, and Minnesota advanced to its first Final Four ever.
ù The Gophers turned the ball over 26 times against Kentucky and ended its season with a 78-69 loss.
The team stayed in Indianapolis until Tuesday and watched Monday night’s championship game between Kentucky and Arizona. The Gophers saw the game from the stands but said they want to be on the court next year.
“We have to start getting into that frame of mind again this summer,” Lewis said. “It’s time to play. It’s time to get back to San Antonio. I’m deeply disappointed we couldn’t further our season, but we had a great season.
“Coach Haskins always says, ‘It might be dark outside, but the sun will rise tomorrow.'”
A week from now, Lewis and the others might realize the sun never set.