Even if you have been to dozens of Gopher games and explored the various nooks and crannies of venerable Williams Arena, there is a good chance you have not ventured into this week's "Barnstorming" destination. The locker room is usually reserved for the team, and sometimes special guests like former players. Radio play-by-play man Mike Grimm got special access to show us this special place in the Barn. Watch the video to see what he saw!
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Watch the videos below and pick your favorite! The top two vote-getters will square off this weekend right here on the official Gopher Basketball Blog beginning tomorrow night and running through Sunday.
Don't forget -- Rodney's Gophers host Nebraska this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the final regular season home game of the year! Click here to get your tickets!
Joe and Dan Coleman used to play pick-up games with their cousin and their uncle Ben. Joe was the youngest and smallest, and his team usually lost. He has come a long way since then. Joe used to have a hard time holding his own on the driveway with Ben and Dan, but now he is competing in the same Williams Arena where his uncle and brother played before him.
The Golden Gophers' freshman guard enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 2011, but his family's history with the team stretches back much farther than that. Before Joe Coleman was born, his uncle Ben earned two varsity letters (1980 and '81) for the Gophers before transferring to Maryland and later playing in the NBA. More recently, Dan ended his college career with 1,317 total points and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors as a fifth-year senior in 2008.
Joe, Dan's junior by about eight and a half years, spent a lot of time around Gopher basketball during his teen and pre-teen years. Dan sat out his true freshman year after transferring from Boston College following summer classes. He could not travel with the team that season, so Joe sometimes came over to watch the games and spend the night at his brother's place. Joe often tagged along with Dan to practices. He was a little brother not just to Dan, but to all the Gophers.
"Everybody on the team knew me," he said. "I was just that little rascal who was always in the gym."
Because of their age and size differences--at 6-9, Dan has about five inches on Joe--Dan served as more of a role model than a serious one-on-one opponent for Joe in his younger years. It was not until Joe's junior year at Hopkins High School that he was able to compete with his older brother. That season, Joe earned All-State and All-Tournament honors after averaging 24.7 points per game and helping the Royals to a state title.
It was now clear that he had the potential to follow in Ben and Dan's footsteps and play Division I basketball. Despite all the family's Gopher connections, Dan did not pressure Joe to accept head coach Tubby Smith's scholarship offer.
"He didn't try to convince me to go anywhere, actually," Joe said. "He just told me, 'Make the decision on what you want in life, not necessarily what others want. Try to stay focused on what your goals are, but also what you want to do after basketball. Just pick a school off of that.'"
Coleman, of course, did end up picking the Gophers. He signed his National Letter of Intent during fall of his senior year. He capped off his high school career with another state championship and Minnesota's Mr. Basketball award, an award for which Ben and Dan were once finalists.
When Joe finally donned the maroon and gold, he and his brother swapped roles. This time it was Dan playing the part of spectator. The older Coleman plays professionally in Europe, but he was home in Minnesota during the Gophers' early season.
"It was nice to see him in the stands watching my games," Joe said. "It's unfortunate that I didn't really play that much, so he wasn't able to really see a 'real' game for me."
Unlike Dan, Joe saw limited minutes to begin his freshman season. Dan started 27 games and made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2005. But Ben could relate more to Joe's transition from high school to college. Ben barely played as a Gopher freshman under Jim Dutcher before getting more opportunities as a sophomore. Joe said that while Ben does offer some pointers, he and his uncle had not spoken much about his playing time situation. But Joe did recall the advice Ben gave him in high school.
"He just told me, 'Just keep fighting through. Just be as efficient as you can. Eventually, they're just going to have to put you on the court,'" Joe said.
Joe has earned more playing time over the season. He scored 14 points against Purdue in his first career start, drained some crucial free throws in the win at Indiana, and piled up a career-high 23 points at Penn State. His ability to find seams in the defense was paying off. By that time, Dan was back overseas. He still made sure to check in with his little brother.
"He just said, 'Good game. That's what you're supposed to do,'" Joe said. "He's just happy for me that I was able to get the opportunity to show that I am able to do those things."
Joe recently went through a four-game scoreless streak. Still, he led the team in rebounds in two of those games, and he snapped out of the scoring slump with a 12-point performance at Northwestern. It is all part of the ups and downs of being a freshman in the Big Ten.
Joe may not catch up to Dan's freshman year numbers, but Dan played under different circumstances--he had the advantage of a redshirt season, and the team needed him to have an immediate impact after the graduation/departure of several starting forwards. Joe is also a different style of player than Dan.
Joe believes he can write his own unique chapter in the Coleman history book if he eventually helps his team to be more successful than Ben and Dan's Gopher teams were. Even while he distinguishes his own game from his relatives' games, Joe Coleman knows that he can count on Ben and Dan for support, and he knows that the three will always be linked in Minnesota basketball history.
"It's a good experience," he said. "Not too many families can say they've had three different generations play at the same school. It's nice to know that. Hopefully it's looked on for years to come."
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 Joe is the third Coleman to play for the Gophers.
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The Golden Gophers' freshman guard enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 2011, but his family's history with the team stretches back much farther than that. Before Joe Coleman was born, his uncle Ben earned two varsity letters (1980 and '81) for the Gophers before transferring to Maryland and later playing in the NBA. More recently, Dan ended his college career with 1,317 total points and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors as a fifth-year senior in 2008.
Joe, Dan's junior by about eight and a half years, spent a lot of time around Gopher basketball during his teen and pre-teen years. Dan sat out his true freshman year after transferring from Boston College following summer classes. He could not travel with the team that season, so Joe sometimes came over to watch the games and spend the night at his brother's place. Joe often tagged along with Dan to practices. He was a little brother not just to Dan, but to all the Gophers.
"Everybody on the team knew me," he said. "I was just that little rascal who was always in the gym."
Because of their age and size differences--at 6-9, Dan has about five inches on Joe--Dan served as more of a role model than a serious one-on-one opponent for Joe in his younger years. It was not until Joe's junior year at Hopkins High School that he was able to compete with his older brother. That season, Joe earned All-State and All-Tournament honors after averaging 24.7 points per game and helping the Royals to a state title.
It was now clear that he had the potential to follow in Ben and Dan's footsteps and play Division I basketball. Despite all the family's Gopher connections, Dan did not pressure Joe to accept head coach Tubby Smith's scholarship offer.
"He didn't try to convince me to go anywhere, actually," Joe said. "He just told me, 'Make the decision on what you want in life, not necessarily what others want. Try to stay focused on what your goals are, but also what you want to do after basketball. Just pick a school off of that.'"
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 Dan Coleman graduated three years before his brother came to the U of M.
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Coleman, of course, did end up picking the Gophers. He signed his National Letter of Intent during fall of his senior year. He capped off his high school career with another state championship and Minnesota's Mr. Basketball award, an award for which Ben and Dan were once finalists.
When Joe finally donned the maroon and gold, he and his brother swapped roles. This time it was Dan playing the part of spectator. The older Coleman plays professionally in Europe, but he was home in Minnesota during the Gophers' early season.
"It was nice to see him in the stands watching my games," Joe said. "It's unfortunate that I didn't really play that much, so he wasn't able to really see a 'real' game for me."
Unlike Dan, Joe saw limited minutes to begin his freshman season. Dan started 27 games and made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2005. But Ben could relate more to Joe's transition from high school to college. Ben barely played as a Gopher freshman under Jim Dutcher before getting more opportunities as a sophomore. Joe said that while Ben does offer some pointers, he and his uncle had not spoken much about his playing time situation. But Joe did recall the advice Ben gave him in high school.
"He just told me, 'Just keep fighting through. Just be as efficient as you can. Eventually, they're just going to have to put you on the court,'" Joe said.
Joe has earned more playing time over the season. He scored 14 points against Purdue in his first career start, drained some crucial free throws in the win at Indiana, and piled up a career-high 23 points at Penn State. His ability to find seams in the defense was paying off. By that time, Dan was back overseas. He still made sure to check in with his little brother.
"He just said, 'Good game. That's what you're supposed to do,'" Joe said. "He's just happy for me that I was able to get the opportunity to show that I am able to do those things."
Joe recently went through a four-game scoreless streak. Still, he led the team in rebounds in two of those games, and he snapped out of the scoring slump with a 12-point performance at Northwestern. It is all part of the ups and downs of being a freshman in the Big Ten.
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 Ben Coleman played for the Gophers in 1980 and '81.
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Joe may not catch up to Dan's freshman year numbers, but Dan played under different circumstances--he had the advantage of a redshirt season, and the team needed him to have an immediate impact after the graduation/departure of several starting forwards. Joe is also a different style of player than Dan.
Joe believes he can write his own unique chapter in the Coleman history book if he eventually helps his team to be more successful than Ben and Dan's Gopher teams were. Even while he distinguishes his own game from his relatives' games, Joe Coleman knows that he can count on Ben and Dan for support, and he knows that the three will always be linked in Minnesota basketball history.
"It's a good experience," he said. "Not too many families can say they've had three different generations play at the same school. It's nice to know that. Hopefully it's looked on for years to come."
VOTE FOR PART TWO HERE
Gopher power forward Rodney Williams has enjoyed a stellar junior season in 2011-12, leading the Gophers in numerous categories, including points (10.7/game), rebounds (5.3), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.4).
But even in the midst of a good all-around year, anyone who has ever watched Williams play knows he "rises above" his peers in one area in particular: Raw dunking ability. Slam, jam, throw-down, high percentage bucket -- however you want to say it, Rodney does it better than almost anyone else in college basketball.
According to Gopher basketball communications director Matt Slieter's "Dunk-O-Meter," Rodney has amassed 91 dunks during his Gopher career, including a whopping 41 in 2011-12 alone (through Tuesday).
As we near the end of the basketball season, we're asking Gopher fans -- what was your favorite Rodney dunk of 2011-12? We've collected highlights from 10 of Rodney's best, and want YOU to decided the ultimate champion. We'll reveal five dunks today (Wednesday, Feb. 29), five more tomorrow (Thursday, March 1) and then pit the top two vote-getters against each other Friday and Saturday (March 2-3), and announce our winner on Sunday (March 4).
So watch the videos and vote for your favorite, and be sure to check back tomorrow for the next round of voting!
Gopher power forward Rodney Williams has enjoyed a stellar junior season in 2011-12, leading the Gophers in numerous categories, including points (10.7/game), rebounds (5.3), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.4).
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But even in the midst of a good all-around year, anyone who has ever watched Williams play knows he "rises above" his peers in one area in particular: Raw dunking ability. Slam, jam, throw-down, high percentage bucket -- however you want to say it, Rodney does it better than almost anyone else in college basketball.
According to Gopher basketball communications director Matt Slieter's "Dunk-O-Meter," Rodney has amassed 91 dunks during his Gopher career, including a whopping 41 in 2011-12 alone (through Tuesday).
As we near the end of the basketball season, we're asking Gopher fans -- what was your favorite Rodney dunk of 2011-12? We've collected highlights from 10 of Rodney's best, and want YOU to decided the ultimate champion. We'll reveal five dunks today (Wednesday, Feb. 29), five more tomorrow (Thursday, March 1) and then pit the top two vote-getters against each other Friday and Saturday (March 2-3), and announce our winner on Sunday (March 4).
So watch the videos and vote for your favorite, and be sure to check back tomorrow for the next round of voting!
Hollins vs. Wisconsin
Andre Hollins scored 38 points in the Gophers' two games against Wisconsin this year. He set a career high with 20 against the Badgers at Williams Arena, and he again led the team in scoring at the Kohl Center with 18 tonight. Hollins scored eight of Minnesota's first 13 points, including two three-pointers. Later in the half, he was fouled by Jordan Taylor shooting a three, and made all three free throws. The freshman point guard outscored Wisconsin's senior point guard, 13-5, in the first half.
Join the Club
With eight points tonight, Ralph Sampson III added his name to a small list of Golden Gophers who have amassed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 150 blocks over their careers. Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale, Randy Breuer, and Michael Bauer are the others to reach those numbers.
Sampson's career totals now stand at 1,004 points, 625 rebounds, and 201 blocks heading into his final regular season game as a Gopher. His 1,000th point came on a free throw in the second half. Sampson is just the third Gopher to reach 200 blocks, which he eclipsed by swatting away five shot attempts today.
Minnesota Misers
Although Minnesota did not compile large point totals in either half, the Gopher defense was even stingier than the Badgers' in the first. Minnesota tied its lowest point total allowed in a half by limiting Wisconsin to 16 points in the first, tying the season mark they set against USC in December.
Hot and Cold
Neither team shot well tonight, and the Badgers did not make a single field goal for the last 12:32 of the half. They went on a six-plus minute scoring drought during that time, from the 8:27 mark to the 2:08 mark. When the scoring drought began, it was 13-13. During the scoring drought, the Gophers scored 10 points, including eight free throws.
Minnesota went on a drought of its own, stretching from the 3:08 mark of the first to the 16:55 mark of the second half. That drought helped the Badgers to tie the game at 25 early in the second. Each team held a 10-point lead at one point in the game.
Andre Hollins scored 38 points in the Gophers' two games against Wisconsin this year. He set a career high with 20 against the Badgers at Williams Arena, and he again led the team in scoring at the Kohl Center with 18 tonight. Hollins scored eight of Minnesota's first 13 points, including two three-pointers. Later in the half, he was fouled by Jordan Taylor shooting a three, and made all three free throws. The freshman point guard outscored Wisconsin's senior point guard, 13-5, in the first half.
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 Sampson is the 37th Gopher to reach 1,000 career points.
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Join the Club
With eight points tonight, Ralph Sampson III added his name to a small list of Golden Gophers who have amassed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 150 blocks over their careers. Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale, Randy Breuer, and Michael Bauer are the others to reach those numbers.
Sampson's career totals now stand at 1,004 points, 625 rebounds, and 201 blocks heading into his final regular season game as a Gopher. His 1,000th point came on a free throw in the second half. Sampson is just the third Gopher to reach 200 blocks, which he eclipsed by swatting away five shot attempts today.
Minnesota Misers
Although Minnesota did not compile large point totals in either half, the Gopher defense was even stingier than the Badgers' in the first. Minnesota tied its lowest point total allowed in a half by limiting Wisconsin to 16 points in the first, tying the season mark they set against USC in December.
Hot and Cold
Neither team shot well tonight, and the Badgers did not make a single field goal for the last 12:32 of the half. They went on a six-plus minute scoring drought during that time, from the 8:27 mark to the 2:08 mark. When the scoring drought began, it was 13-13. During the scoring drought, the Gophers scored 10 points, including eight free throws.
Minnesota went on a drought of its own, stretching from the 3:08 mark of the first to the 16:55 mark of the second half. That drought helped the Badgers to tie the game at 25 early in the second. Each team held a 10-point lead at one point in the game.
The final buzzer sounds, the score of the game goes final, and the band plays one last fight song as the crowd begins filing out of the arena. Many fans will spend the rest of the night winding down, but for those involved in the basketball program, there is still work left to do. Steps to wrap up this game and get ready for the next one begin immediately after the game clocks hit zero.
After a road game, managers Adam Bates, Tony Clemons, Tony Emanuel, Aaron Katsuma, Eric Lutz, Tom Giesen, and Dan Kurtzweil collect everything they brought with them to the arena--from laundry to dry-erase boards to chairs. They make sure it is all there, pack it up, and load it on the team bus to go to the airport. After loading and unloading the plane and bus and finally returning to Minneapolis, they ensure that everything makes it to its proper place back in Williams Arena.
There are a few different things to take care of after home games, but no packing and unpacking. Managers will likely leave Williams Arena an hour to an hour and a half after the game ends. They must clean up the bench areas, the locker rooms--including the officials' locker room--and the water coolers. And, of course, they must collect the laundry and take down the team's filming equipment.
Even for televised games, the team films each game on its own, too. It is video coordinator Bryan Bender's job to deal with all the footage. Before he gets to the team's version, he first makes DVD copies of the TV version right after the game and distributes them to the opposing team and to the Gopher coaches and players. Then the Gopher staff has a meeting to discuss not only the game that just ended, but also the upcoming schedule of games, practices, and meetings.
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 Video coordinator Bryan Bender prepares all the film the Gophers watch.
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Bender also obtains film of Minnesota's future opponents. For most Big Ten teams, this is fairly easy because the games are usually televised and Bender can record them. He also uses Synergy Sports Technology's online database of televised games. Like the Gophers' film Bender has broken down, the games in the database can be sorted. This digital filtering technology is a major step up from the VHS tapes the Gophers used when Bender started six years ago.
The most difficult time to find copies of opponents' games is the non-conference season. Some of the smaller schools rarely (if ever) play on TV. Bender may trade for film if other teams agree to it. Early-season tournaments present another challenge. The Gophers do not know who they will play each round, so they have to prepare for all possible teams. This means Bender had to find film of all seven teams in this season's Old Spice Classic, and prepare multiple scout tapes for one day.
During the Big Ten season, the schedule is set and film is easier to find. Even before the Gophers face a conference opponent they have already played during the year, Bender still gives the coaches copies of that team's last few games.
"We kind of know what they're going to do, but it's still good to see new things that they're doing," he said.
The day after, the team usually watches at least portions of last night's game to see what did and did not work. Players can also decide to go in on their own and watch clips of only their playing time. Once they have watched their last game, they move on to their next opponent. Bender makes a scout tape with a summary and highlights of each opposing player, one of the assistant coaches writes a scouting report, and the team does on-floor scouting of what the opponent does and what the Gophers can do to stop it.
"The guys have three ways of learning: It's on paper for them, we watch it on video, and we actually do it on the court," Bender said. "We cover all the different learning styles."
On those practice days, head manager Bates and his fellow managers usually stay at the Barn for five to seven hours. Bates was there for 13 hours two days before the Ohio State game because the team practiced twice that day. During practice, the managers help with the clock and drills and keeping things running smoothly. Afterwards, they put away all the equipment and do more laundry. After a few days of practice, it will be time to set up for the next game.
"Getting ready for a home game isn't really hard because everything's here, and if we don't have anything ready, we can go find it," Bates said. "But for road games, we have to make sure that we have everything. We'll double-check the players' bags and the bags that have all the gear in them. We have a big checklist to go through. We always pack extras of everything just in case someone needs something. That's definitely the most important part."
Soon the next game is over, and they all repeat the cycle again--more meetings, film sessions, clean-ups, and practices. Bender and the managers spend a lot of time and energy doing work that might not be recognized by those outside the program. But they see payoffs in their jobs that make it all worth it.
"Seeing something on film, we implement it on the floor, and you see it happen in the game--that's kind of the most rewarding thing," Bender said. "You can see some applied knowledge from what you do in what they are doing on the floor."
For Bates, the role of manager offers a chance to gain valuable experience and connections that could help him reach his future goal of becoming a high school athletic director. But more simply, it offers an opportunity to be involved in something big.
"Personally, the most rewarding thing is just being a part of the team when you win," he said. "Once you don't play (varsity) sports anymore...it's cool to still be a part of the team even though we're not out there playing. All of the managers, we take pride in being a part of the team."
Forty years after suffering a heartbreaking and controversial loss to the Soviet Union in the gold medal game of the Olympics, the 1972 U.S.A. basketball team will reunite to commemorate its accomplishments. Former Golden Gopher forward/center Jim Brewer played on that team and is expected to attend the reunion activities.
In three varsity seasons at Minnesota (1970-73), Brewer scored 1,009 points and pulled down 907 rebounds. He led the team in rebounding in each of his three seasons. Brewer was a member of the "Iron Five" lineup that led the 1971-72 Gophers to a Big Ten title. Following his time at Minnesota, Brewer played nine years in the NBA, ending his career with a championship for the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers.
A release about plans for the reunion is provided below, courtesy of Amy Dedman of Preston-Obsorne.
GEORGETOWN, Ky.--Thursday, members of a planning committee gathered in Davis-Reid Alumni Gymnasium on the campus of Georgetown College to announce the reunion of the players of the 1972 Men's National Basketball Team during a celebratory weekend this August.
The celebratory event will take place Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 23-26 in Central Kentucky and include both public and private events.
"Those of us alive in 1972 will remember the significant impact that the controversial men's basketball gold medal game had (and continues to have) on international competition," said Billy Reed, executive scholar in residence at Georgetown College and founding member of the planning committee. "As our world witnessed the first act of terrorism in the modern era with the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes at the hands of Palestinian gunmen, the courage of these 12 young men's convictions in Munich does not go unnoticed."
The planning committee is working closely with Kenny Davis, captain of the 1972 team and Georgetown College alumnus, to coordinate the event. Currently, Davis is an account executive at Converse, the founding sponsor of the anniversary celebration.
"I look forward to reuniting with my entire 1972 team for the first time this August," said Davis. "It'll be nice to share all that Kentucky has to offer with my teammates, and in turn, share my teammates with the people of Kentucky."
On Friday, Aug. 24, the public will be invited to Georgetown College for a series of academic seminars and panel discussions focused on the historic impact of the 1972 Games and more specifically, the men's basketball gold medal game. All members of the team will be participating.
"Georgetown College has the privilege of calling Kenny Davis one of our own," said Dr. Bill Crouch, president of Georgetown College. "We're honored to host Kenny and his teammates for this reunion event."
The capstone event will occur on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Griffin Gate Marriott after the players take in the sights and sounds of the area. They will join other notables and appear at a public banquet dinner benefiting Georgetown's Academy for Character in Sport.
"Converse is honored to be a sponsor of this extraordinary event," said David Allen, vice president and general manager for North America at Converse. "Kenny [Davis] has been with Converse since 1972, and we are proud to pay tribute to such a dedicated member of the Converse family and his teammates."
Gov. Steve Beshear was unable to attend the press conference, but sent the following statement:
For more information about the reunion event, visit www.Courage in Munich.com.
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 Minnesota retired Brewer's No. 52 jersey in 1973.
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In three varsity seasons at Minnesota (1970-73), Brewer scored 1,009 points and pulled down 907 rebounds. He led the team in rebounding in each of his three seasons. Brewer was a member of the "Iron Five" lineup that led the 1971-72 Gophers to a Big Ten title. Following his time at Minnesota, Brewer played nine years in the NBA, ending his career with a championship for the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers.
A release about plans for the reunion is provided below, courtesy of Amy Dedman of Preston-Obsorne.
GEORGETOWN, Ky.--Thursday, members of a planning committee gathered in Davis-Reid Alumni Gymnasium on the campus of Georgetown College to announce the reunion of the players of the 1972 Men's National Basketball Team during a celebratory weekend this August.
The celebratory event will take place Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 23-26 in Central Kentucky and include both public and private events.
"Those of us alive in 1972 will remember the significant impact that the controversial men's basketball gold medal game had (and continues to have) on international competition," said Billy Reed, executive scholar in residence at Georgetown College and founding member of the planning committee. "As our world witnessed the first act of terrorism in the modern era with the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes at the hands of Palestinian gunmen, the courage of these 12 young men's convictions in Munich does not go unnoticed."
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 Brewer and his 1972 U.S.A. teammates have never accepted their silver medals after the controversial loss.
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The planning committee is working closely with Kenny Davis, captain of the 1972 team and Georgetown College alumnus, to coordinate the event. Currently, Davis is an account executive at Converse, the founding sponsor of the anniversary celebration.
"I look forward to reuniting with my entire 1972 team for the first time this August," said Davis. "It'll be nice to share all that Kentucky has to offer with my teammates, and in turn, share my teammates with the people of Kentucky."
On Friday, Aug. 24, the public will be invited to Georgetown College for a series of academic seminars and panel discussions focused on the historic impact of the 1972 Games and more specifically, the men's basketball gold medal game. All members of the team will be participating.
"Georgetown College has the privilege of calling Kenny Davis one of our own," said Dr. Bill Crouch, president of Georgetown College. "We're honored to host Kenny and his teammates for this reunion event."
The capstone event will occur on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Griffin Gate Marriott after the players take in the sights and sounds of the area. They will join other notables and appear at a public banquet dinner benefiting Georgetown's Academy for Character in Sport.
"Converse is honored to be a sponsor of this extraordinary event," said David Allen, vice president and general manager for North America at Converse. "Kenny [Davis] has been with Converse since 1972, and we are proud to pay tribute to such a dedicated member of the Converse family and his teammates."
Gov. Steve Beshear was unable to attend the press conference, but sent the following statement:
With the rich history of basketball success associated with this state, Kentucky is an appropriate backdrop for an event of this magnitude. On behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth, we are proud to host and honor such a special group of men on the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Games. We look forward to welcoming this outstanding group in August and celebrating the courage they displayed in Munich.Mayor Jim Gray agreed. "Central Kentucky is rich in educational opportunities, and we can always count on Georgetown College to expand our horizons," Gray said. "Congratulations to Dr. Crouch and his colleagues on a thought-provoking program."
For more information about the reunion event, visit www.Courage in Munich.com.
No players like to sit on the bench during a game, but when the Golden Gophers are out the game, they do have some pretty nice chairs to sit on. In this week's episode of "Barnstorming," radio play-by-play man Mike Grimm pays a visit to the Gopher bench to show us who sits where on game night.
Get to know redshirt freshman Oto Osenieks. The Riga, Latvia, native talks about his home country, his redshirt year, and even Ricky Rubio in these Q&As.
Q: What are some things that you learned during your redshirt year?
A: On the basketball court, I learned a lot. I learned what Coach Smith wants from defense. I learned his system offensively, too. I worked a lot on my game individually. Off the court, I adjusted to American culture more. I learned the language the language more, and learned in classes.
Q: How did it feel the first time you came into a game this year?
A: It felt awesome to be able to step out on the court after the year that I waited. It was hard (waiting), and I was really happy to go out there with Elliott (Eliason) and Chris (Halvorsen), who also redshirted.
Q: When you are in the game, do you specifically look for three-pointers, or do you just take them when they come to you?
A: I'm always trying to spot up for an open three-pointer, but if it's not there, then I just screen somebody and move without the ball and try and make opportunities for other players.
Q: How did you develop your shot?
A: I remember when I was a little kid I used to shoot every day. I just love shooting. I used to play point guard, and I always shot threes. I love three-pointers.
Q: When was the last time you were home in Latvia?
A: Last summer, the year before, in June.
Q: How does your family follow the games?
A: When the games are on ESPN, they can see it in Latvia, too. On Big Ten Network, when the games are live, they stream them. But if the games are not live on TV, they cannot see them. They just follow the live stat updates.
Q: Do you talk to your family on the phone a lot?
A: We have an eight-hour difference, so it's hard to get on the same page time-wise. But we talk a lot on Skype on weekends.
Q: People probably get your last name wrong all the time, but how often do people spell your first name incorrectly (with two "T"s)?
A: Yeah, it actually happens. I don't know if they have the name Oto with one "T" in America. It's kind of rare. I understand the mistake.
Q: What do you like to do for fun outside of basketball?
A: I like to go to movies and play video games with teammates. But you don't get a lot of time off, usually.
Q: Have you chosen a major yet?
A: Business management. And a minor in sport management.
Q: How do you like your major so far?
A: It's good. I'm taking all my classes next semester that are required. The first years were just general requirements.
The Golden Gophers line up on the sideline of the Williams Arena court.
Clad in their maroon and gold practice gear, they are ready to get
started. For the next several minutes, they go through a series of
warm-ups--from slow lunges to straight-legged kicks to calf stretches.
The Gophers go through this sequence of dynamic and static stretches
before each practice.
While head coach Tubby Smith and his assistants run most of the practice, Kevin Kocos is the man in charge of those first few minutes. Kocos is now in his second season as director of the men's basketball team's strength and conditioning program, and his fourth season overall with the program. He earned his Bachelor's Degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and before earning his Master's Degree at Minnesota, he was an intern with the Chicago Bulls strength and conditioning program.
During the season, the Gophers lift in the weight room with Kocos twice a week. Out of season, they train with him Monday through Friday, incorporating more agility, speed, and conditioning drills as well as weights. The volume and nature of the work depends on the time of the year.
"In the beginning of the season a lot of times, it's getting them prepared for the volume of work they're going to be doing on the court," Kocos said. "We do a lot of conditioning in the preseason. Then after that, I can progress them to getting stronger, more explosive, and doing the things that are going to transfer more on the court--getting them faster, playing better defense and everything."
Now that Minnesota is most of the way through its Big Ten schedule, the team's strength and conditioning needs are different from way back in the nonconference season. At this point in the season, Kocos has the Gophers lifting lighter weights, but with quicker repetitions.
"The speed in the weight room will transfer over onto the court and be very fast, and power output will be a lot higher that way," he said.
Workouts must not only be tailored to where the team is in the season, but also to where each individual player is.
"You need individualization, because all these guys come from different training backgrounds," Kocos said. "Some guys will still benefit from doing heavy weight training and getting stronger. Other guys are already strong and they need to work on their speed and explosiveness more. It depends on every individual. Some guys are so fast already, but they're not even strong enough to put on the brakes, so to say, and stop themselves and make cuts."
In his time at Minnesota, Kocos has been particularly impressed with the improvement of guard Austin Hollins. He has been in the starting lineup for nearly every game of his sophomore season, and he is averaging more than eight points per game. Kocos would attribute a portion of that success to Hollins' added body weight and increased lifting capacity in the weight room.
"I believe he's put on about 25 pounds of body weight and he's put on about 75 pounds on his back squat, 50 pounds on his bench, about 50 pounds on his power clean," Kocos said. "You can see it in the way he moves on the court--how he jumps, and how he makes cuts--that it's really helped him."
To make those types of gains with each player--to successfully individualize each player's training program--Kocos collaborates with the basketball coaching staff as well as team athletic trainer Roger Schipper.
"We're always in daily communication, finding out, 'This guy might need a little more conditioning because he didn't play that many minutes the other night,'" Kocos said. "Or, 'This guy's ankle's very sore because he rolled it the other day, so we might need to modify that to do only single-leg stuff.' Or things of that nature. So injuries, conditioning--it's changing every day."
To limit those injuries as much as possible, the Gophers must do their stretches correctly. Those slow movements might not seem as exciting as lifting hundreds of pounds or increasing a vertical leap, but really, the two functions of the program--preventing injuries and building better athletes--work toward the same goal.
"Everything we do here is geared towards injury prevention," Kocos said. "The stronger I make them, the more efficient they're going to be on the court, the less likely they are to be injured. It's not all completely separate--injury prevention and performance can be one and the same. As long as they're becoming better at these movements, they're going to be safer athletes."
While safety is always important, all competitive athletic programs have aspirations beyond keeping their players healthy. To win games in one of the top basketball conferences in the country, the Gophers need to have the physical tools to stay in the game against other Division I players who have worked just as hard. Experience, basketball-specific skills, and smarts all play a role. But sometimes, it is strength and conditioning that can determine who has the edge.
"The difference maker between elite athletes and anonymous athletes is speed and explosiveness," Kocos said.
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 The Gopher strength & conditioning program has helped Eliason put on 43 pounds.
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While head coach Tubby Smith and his assistants run most of the practice, Kevin Kocos is the man in charge of those first few minutes. Kocos is now in his second season as director of the men's basketball team's strength and conditioning program, and his fourth season overall with the program. He earned his Bachelor's Degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and before earning his Master's Degree at Minnesota, he was an intern with the Chicago Bulls strength and conditioning program.
During the season, the Gophers lift in the weight room with Kocos twice a week. Out of season, they train with him Monday through Friday, incorporating more agility, speed, and conditioning drills as well as weights. The volume and nature of the work depends on the time of the year.
"In the beginning of the season a lot of times, it's getting them prepared for the volume of work they're going to be doing on the court," Kocos said. "We do a lot of conditioning in the preseason. Then after that, I can progress them to getting stronger, more explosive, and doing the things that are going to transfer more on the court--getting them faster, playing better defense and everything."
Now that Minnesota is most of the way through its Big Ten schedule, the team's strength and conditioning needs are different from way back in the nonconference season. At this point in the season, Kocos has the Gophers lifting lighter weights, but with quicker repetitions.
"The speed in the weight room will transfer over onto the court and be very fast, and power output will be a lot higher that way," he said.
Workouts must not only be tailored to where the team is in the season, but also to where each individual player is.
"You need individualization, because all these guys come from different training backgrounds," Kocos said. "Some guys will still benefit from doing heavy weight training and getting stronger. Other guys are already strong and they need to work on their speed and explosiveness more. It depends on every individual. Some guys are so fast already, but they're not even strong enough to put on the brakes, so to say, and stop themselves and make cuts."
In his time at Minnesota, Kocos has been particularly impressed with the improvement of guard Austin Hollins. He has been in the starting lineup for nearly every game of his sophomore season, and he is averaging more than eight points per game. Kocos would attribute a portion of that success to Hollins' added body weight and increased lifting capacity in the weight room.
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 Austin Hollins has significantly increased his lifting capacity since arriving at Minnesota.
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"I believe he's put on about 25 pounds of body weight and he's put on about 75 pounds on his back squat, 50 pounds on his bench, about 50 pounds on his power clean," Kocos said. "You can see it in the way he moves on the court--how he jumps, and how he makes cuts--that it's really helped him."
To make those types of gains with each player--to successfully individualize each player's training program--Kocos collaborates with the basketball coaching staff as well as team athletic trainer Roger Schipper.
"We're always in daily communication, finding out, 'This guy might need a little more conditioning because he didn't play that many minutes the other night,'" Kocos said. "Or, 'This guy's ankle's very sore because he rolled it the other day, so we might need to modify that to do only single-leg stuff.' Or things of that nature. So injuries, conditioning--it's changing every day."
To limit those injuries as much as possible, the Gophers must do their stretches correctly. Those slow movements might not seem as exciting as lifting hundreds of pounds or increasing a vertical leap, but really, the two functions of the program--preventing injuries and building better athletes--work toward the same goal.
"Everything we do here is geared towards injury prevention," Kocos said. "The stronger I make them, the more efficient they're going to be on the court, the less likely they are to be injured. It's not all completely separate--injury prevention and performance can be one and the same. As long as they're becoming better at these movements, they're going to be safer athletes."
While safety is always important, all competitive athletic programs have aspirations beyond keeping their players healthy. To win games in one of the top basketball conferences in the country, the Gophers need to have the physical tools to stay in the game against other Division I players who have worked just as hard. Experience, basketball-specific skills, and smarts all play a role. But sometimes, it is strength and conditioning that can determine who has the edge.
"The difference maker between elite athletes and anonymous athletes is speed and explosiveness," Kocos said.
