Gopher basketball defeated Siena last night 76-69, in part due to some impressive performances from young players. Trevor Mbakwe was a force on the boards with 11 rebounds, and also had 10 points. Freshman Austin Hollins impressed the crowd by going 3-6 from behind the arc, and Rodney Williams entertained the crowd with a few circus plays around the rim.
Gopher football fans should tune in to watch Al Golden's Temple squad this evening on ESPN2 at 7pm. He's got to be near the top of the Gophers' coaching wish list.
So, speculation aside about whom may be interested in taking the Gopher football coaching job, what other top schools will be looking for a coach? Right now, the top competitor is Colorado. Arizona State is a likely addition to the list. Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and Mississippi are also possibilities. Want to watch some meaningful games for Gopher football? Root for these teams to win out their schedules and reduce the competition.
At ESPN's Big Ten Blog, Adam Rittenberg discusses the Gopher victory. Jeff Horton is quoted in the article:
"Just the circumstances, all the uncertainty, coaches, players, all we've been through," Horton said. "I don't think people realize how hard this is. It's a daily grind to try to keep moving forward. To see it pay off for the kids and the coaches was awesome."
This win, in my opinion, was a big one for Gopher football. It demonstrates that there is talent on this team for the next coach to work with, it rewards the players who never gave up, and it just may create some hope heading into 2011. Personally, I'd like to see both Jeff Horton and Thomas Hammock remain members of the next head coach's staff.