SEASON REVIEW

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3 2 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA H OCKEY THIS IS GOLDEN GOPHER BASKETBALL Season Outlook Schedule Roster Golden Gopher Tradition Postseason Play Gophers In The NBA Williams Arena Game Day At The Barn Gophers On The Road Golden Gopher Basketball Family National Exposure Academics Life Skills The Big Ten Conference Strength and Conditioning Life After Basketball The University of Minnesota University Campus The Twin Cities Twin Cities Sports/Entertainment Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Athletic Facilities PLAYER PROFILES Jamal Abu-Shamala Dan Coleman Lawrence McKenzie Brandon Smith Spencer Tollackson Jonathan Williams Damian Johnson Kevin Payton Ryan Saunders Travis Busch Engen Nurumbi Limar Wilson Bryce Webster Lawrence Westbrook GOLDEN GOPHER STAFF Head Coach Dan Monson Assistant Coach Vic Couch Assistant Coach Jim Molinari Assistant Coach Bill Walker Director of Basketball Operations Brent Lawson Athletic Trainer Roger Schipper Strength and Conditioning Coach Cal Dietz Support Staff Student Managers OPPONENTS North Dakota State/Long Island Iowa State/Clemson Arizona State/UAB South Dakota State/UALR UCF/UNLV SE Louisiana/Old Spice Classic Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Michigan State Northwestern Ohio State Penn State Purdue Wisconsin Opponent Records Opponent Game-By-Game Scores SEASON REVIEW Results Season Box Score Highs and Lows Big Ten Review Box Scores RECORDS Career Records Season Records Game Records Year-By-Year Records ,000-Point Club Point Games Big Ten Career Records Big Ten Season Records Big Ten Game Records Big Ten Year-By-Year Records Team Season Records Team Game Records Opponent Records Statistical History Williams Arena Records HISTORY NCAA Tournament History NIT History Gophers In The NBA Draft Golden Gophers in the NBA Last Time It Happened Jim Brewer Mychal Thompson Kevin McHale Lou Hudson All-Americans All-Big Ten National/Big Ten Awards Letterwinners Year-By-Year Records All-Time Scores MEDIA University President Robert Bruininks Athletics Director Joel Maturi Twin Cities Media Outlets Athletics Directory Gophers On The Radio Ticket Information Gophers On Television Team Travel/2007 NCAA Tournament Info Athletic Communications Media Information Big Ten Composite Schedule Radio/Television Roster

4 QUICK FACTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Location: Minneapolis, Minn. Enrollment: 48,150 (27,108 undergraduate) Founded: 1851 Colors: Maroon & Gold Conference: Big Ten Mascot: Goldy Gopher University President: Robert H. Bruininks Faculty Athletics Representatives: Dr. Richard Weinberg, Linda Brady Director of Athletics: Joel Maturi The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. GOLDEN GOPHER ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT To serve as a window to the University, in an environment of integrity and equity, that enables student-athletes to achieve excellence in their academic and athletic pursuits. gophersports.com The Minnesota Men s Basketball Yearbook is published by University of Minnesota Athletic Communications office. Additional copies may be purchased for $20 (shipping & handling included) by sending a check made payable to the University of Minnesota and mailing to: University of Minnesota Athletic Communications 244 Bierman Field Athletic Building th Ave. SE Minneapolis, Minn For more information, please contact the Athletic Communications office at: Phone: (612) Fax: (612) gophers@umn.edu Copyright 2006 University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics. The information contained in this publication was compiled by the University of Minnesota Athletic Communications office and is provided as a courtesy to our fans and the media and may be used for personal or editorial purposes only. Any commercial use of this information is prohibited without the consent of University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics. CREDITS This yearbook was written and compiled by Kyle Coughlin. Layout, design and covers by Jeff Keiser. Editorial assistance by Anne Strong and Steven Geller. Photography by Alicia Jerome, Jerry Lee, Eric Miller, Brad Person and David Sherman. Other photography credits: Andy King, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz (William Milner, Andrew D. Bernstein), Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Vikings (Rick Kolodziej), Minnesota Twins, Getty Images, Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images. Printing: University of Minnesota Printing Services Special thanks to Bob Swoverland and the staff at University of Minnesota Printing Services COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Dan Monson (Idaho, 1985) Career Record: (nine years) Record at Minnesota: (seven years) Assistant Coaches: Vic Couch (Santa Clara, 1985) Jim Molinari (Illinois Wesleyan, 1977) Bill Walker (Missouri-Rolla, 1987) Director of Basketball Operations: Brent Lawson (Minnesota, 2005) Strength and Conditioning Coach: Cal Dietz Athletic Trainer: Roger Schipper Basketball Office Phone: (612) Basketball Office Fax: (612) TEAM INFORMATION Lettermen Returning/Lost: 4/6 Starters Returning/Lost: 0/ Overall Record: (Home: 13-5 Away: 2-9 Neutral: 1-1) Big Ten Record: 5-11 (10h) 2005 Postseason: NIT Second Round/Lost to Cincinnati (76-62) First Season of Competition: 1895 Arena/Year Opened: Williams Arena (14,625)/1928 Arena Press Row Phone: (612) Arena Manager: Leon Freese ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Senior Associate Athletic Communications Director/ Men s Basketball Contact: Kyle Coughlin Office Phone: (612) Fax: (612) cough002@umn.edu Web site: Address: 244 Bierman Field Athletic Building th Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN Interim Director of Athletic Communications: Kyle Coughlin Associate Directors: Shane Sandersfeld, Becky Bohm Assistant Directors: Sara Berhow, Steve Geller, Kevin Kurtt, Michelle Traen Creative Director: Jeff Keiser Director of Internet Services: John Romo Intern: Tory Kukowski

5 4 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL GOPHER SEASON PREVIEW SPENCER TOLLACKSON The latest edition of the Golden Gopher Basketball team will feature plenty of new faces for Dan Monson s eighth season in Gold Country. But looks can be deceiving for those who expect the Golden Gophers to rebuild in True, there are no seniors on this year s squad and all five players who started in the NIT last season are gone to graduation, but a young and talented squad awaits their chance on the raised floor in venerable Williams Arena. I feel our program is in the best shape its been since I came eight years ago, Monson said. We ve established a base. A coaching base, a recruiting base, we ve put hundreds of thousands of dollars into our facilities, we ve revamped our academic counseling unit, we even eat breakfast together as often as we can I feel really good about our Gopher Basketball family. In , the Gophers were starting the season with an inexperienced squad with an abundance of newcomers and unproven veterans. That squad, that only returned 26.7% of the offense from the previous season, gelled continuously as the season went along and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. This season s Gopher team returns nearly 40 percent of last season s scoring and players with significant Big Ten experience. What I liked about the team two seasons ago is we were a team that the sum were greater than its parts, Monson said. Everyone knew their role, accepted their role and did whatever it took to win games. This year s team has to embrace that attitude, and if it does, we can be successful. Leading the way for the Maroon and Gold this season will be a group of juniors that have spent two years paying their dues in big time college basketball. Junior forward Dan Coleman has tremendous promise and the game to go with it. Coleman can bring a bigger defender outside and drive to the goal or pin a smaller player behind him and go to work on the block. Look for the 2005 Big Ten All- Freshman team member to have his most productive season yet in The Barn. Coleman has averaged 7.8 points over his first two seasons as a Gopher. He s scored in double figures 22 times in his career, but only three times after the first of the ROSTER BREAKDOWN year in 2006 compared to seven times in 11 games before the turn of the new year last season. DC has the game, Monson said. We need him every game and his maturation as a player needs to take another step this season. We re going to count on him, not just for points, but rebounds, assists and leadership. He s capable of being a very productive player at this level. Another frontline veteran will be counted upon to take his game to the next level as well. Junior center Spencer Tollackson took his points per game average from 3.2 ppg as a freshman to 8.1 ppg as a sophomore. The Chaska, Minn., native led the Big Ten in field goal percentage in conference play shooting.623 from the field in Big Ten games. Tollackson is in the best shape of his career going into this season and hopes increased fitness leads to increased playing time, which leads to increased production. Spence has worked very hard over the summer on his fitness, Monson said. We need Spence to be on the floor for extended minutes and we need him to be aggressive to the goal all season. He improved last season from his freshman year and we need that same improvement this season. He has the ability to be a force for us on the both ends of the floor. A returning veteran in the backcourt, but a player who hasn t worn a Gopher uniform yet in his career, is junior guard Lawrence McKenzie. McKenzie sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma where he was voted to the All-Big 12 Reserve Team as a sophomore. McKenzie is a deadly outside shooter and worked on his all-court game in his year on the scout team. He averaged 8.9 points per game as a Sooner and hit.435 (74-170) from beyond the arc as a sophomore. He s made an immediate impact on his teammates who voted him a team captain for this season. I m excited to coach Lawrence McKenzie, Monson said. He s a basketball player. He was a leader to our young guys and redshirts when he was sitting out last season and he continued that into the summer workout sessions and into the fall. I know he s hungry to be a Gopher and we re excited to see him in Maroon and Gold. Two newcomers join the junior class from the junior LETTERWINNERS RETURNING: 4 Name Ht. Wt. Yr./Elig. Pos. gp/gs ppg rpg other Spencer Tollackson Jr./Jr. F/C 31/ FG Dan Coleman Sr./Jr. F 30/ s Jamal Abu-Shamala So./So. G/F 30/ s Jonathan Williams Jr./So. C 25/ bpg OTHER RETURNERS: 2 Brandon Smith So./So. G/F 9/ FG Ryan Saunders Jr./Jr. G 10/ '06-07 co-captain REDSHIRTS: 3 Key Newcomers Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. ppg rpg other last school Lawrence McKenzie Sr./Jr. G s Oklahoma* Damian Johnson So./Fr. F Thibodaux HS* Kevin Payton So./Fr. G/F Camden HS* DAN COLEMAN NEWCOMERS: 5 Key Newcomers Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. ppg rpg other last school Travis Busch So./So. G/F FG Cal Poly Engen Nurumbi Jr./Jr. F FG AZ Western Coll. Bryce Webster Fr./Fr. F/C bpg St. Thomas Acad. Lawrence Westbrook Fr./Fr. G 18.0 Winchendon Prep. Limar Wilson Jr./Jr. G pg NE Comm. Coll. * redshirted the season

6 5 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL college ranks. Guard Limar Wilson was a Junior College All-American last season and was ranked the 23rd best juco prospect in the country. He is a prototypical point guard with tremendous quickness who can change the pace of a possession. Wilson, who played two seasons at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb., is a natural leader who distributes the ball well and shoots well from long range. Limar is more in the mold of an Aaron Robinson-type point guard, Monson said. His quickness will be an asset on both ends of the floor. Limar is a true point who can set up the offense first and shoot second. Another junior college recruit who will look to contribute immediately is Engen Nurumbi. A native of Kinshasa, Congo, Nurumbi spent last season at Arizona Western Junior College. He earned third team National Junior College All-America honors averaging 16.7 points and 8.1 rebounds last season. He led Arizona Western to a 28-7 record and to the second round of the NJCAA National Tournament. The Gophers need his size and athleticism to compete on the boards and the defensive end of the floor. Engen adds another dimension for our team, Monson said. He is an explosive frontcourt athlete with Big Ten size and athleticism. His versatility and his ability to complement the players we already have in the program make him a great addition. One junior that doesn t get talked about a lot, but has earned the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff is guard Ryan Saunders. Despite playing in only 20 career games, Saunders was voted a captain for the season. In addition, Saunders was an Academic All-Big Ten selection last season. For a walk-on who hasn t played a lot in his first two seasons to be voted a captain by his teammates gives you an idea of what kind of individual Ryan Saunders is, said Monson. BRANDON SMITH Minnesota returns three sophomores with varying degrees of experience in their college careers. Redshirt sophomore Jonathan Williams played in two games as a true freshman before taking a medical redshirt year. Last season as a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 27 games, starting two. He averaged 1.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.88 blocks per game. Despite averaging just 8.4 minutes per game, Williams ranked sixth overall in blocked shots in the conference. Over the summer, Williams played on the Big Ten All-Star Team and led the team averaging 9.0 rebounds per game. We need Big Jon to use his size to become a force in every game at this level, Monson said. Jon s another player that needs to believe in his ability and play aggressively on both ends. He s worked very hard on his fitness and is one of purest shot blockers I have ever coached. Another Gopher who s just tapped his ability to play at this level is sophomore Brandon Smith. Smith was thrust into the lineup early in his freshman season due to injuries to Vincent Grier and Moe Hargrow, Smith started five of the first nine games before being declared academically ineligible by the Big Ten. Smith is a physically gifted athlete who can get the ball to the rim. He averaged 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes of action and showed flashes of great natural ability. Brandon just needs game experience and he will get more comfortable at this level, Monson said. He just wetted our appetites last season before, unfortunately, having to sit out the second semester. He s back and hungry. The most surprising player last season and one that may be one of the most surprising players in the history of Gopher Basketball was Jamal Abu-Shamala. Now a sophomore, Abu-Shamala walked-on to the squad last season and earned a scholarship for the second semester and for this year as well. The 6-5 wing has a pure shooting touch evidenced by his.475 (28-59) from beyond the arc. He played in 30 games, starting 10 and scored in double figures in five of those contests. At one point last season, he made 11 consecutive field goals over a three-game stretch. Not bad for a player who had zero scholarship offers from Division I schools coming out of Shakopee High School. Jamal may be our toughest player, Monson said. Everything he s achieved on the basketball court and in life, he s earned. He will be an important part of this program for years to come. Two redshirt freshman will look to break-in to the Gopher lineup this season. Wing Kevin Payton was a highly-touted recruit coming to Gold Country, but he was slow to get back from offseason shoulder surgery and was forced to redshirt last season. Payton was named All- South Jersey his senior year and played in the Capital Classic. He was the third-leading scorer in New Jersey at 26.1 ppg, and also led his team to the state track title as the 400 meter champion. It was a blow to our team last year when KP had to sit out the season, Monson said. His attitude while going through a long rehabilitation last season was unbelievable. We have no doubt that he will work hard and continue to develop his game this season. Damian Johnson is a lanky forward that sat out last season to put some muscle on his 6-7 frame. Johnson is a versatile and explosive wing who has a quick first step. A native of Thibodaux, La., Johnson has the length to block shots and work the offensive glass. Damian is a unique athlete that has gained strength over the summer, Monson said. He continues to get better as he gains more experience and confidence. The true freshman class features a big man and a combo guard that Monson says will contribute right away. Lawrence Westbrook is a 6-0, combo guard that led the nation in scoring as a junior by averaging 41.0 ppg at JAMAL ABU-SHAMALA

7 6 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL Chandler High School in Arizona. His senior season he spent at Winchendon Prep in Massachusetts. Westbrook is a powerful guard who has the ability to hit pull-ups off the dribble. Westbrook, who originally signed a letter of intent with Coach Wayne Morgan at Iowa State, averaged 18.0 ppg as a senior. Lawrence is a player who can continue to build the future of this program, Monson said. Not only is he a dynamic scorer, but his game has continued to develop over the past year and he will compete for playing time immediately. Bryce Webster, a freshman from St. Thomas Academy in St. Paul, will contribute to the frontcourt immediately. Webster was a two-time first team all-state player and was the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year in He is a low-post scorer who can finish with either hand around the basket. At 6-9, 240, Webster will continue to get stronger as his career progresses and add to his defensive rebounding prowess. Bryce has the strength and the size that you can t teach, Monson said. He will continue to develop over the course of his career and he will compete for playing time this season. THE SCHEDULE The schedule is one of, if not the most challenging, in Monson s tenure. Games against major conference opponents Iowa State, Clemson and Arizona State highlight the home non-conference schedule. Road trips to UNLV and UAB should be a challenge for the young Gophers as will the inaugural Old Spice Classic at the Walt Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Minnesota opens the tournament vs. Marist on ESPN2 and will face either Arkansas and Southern Illinois in the second round. During the conference schedule, Minnesota does not host Michigan State or Indiana or travel to Ohio State or Penn State. National television matchups with Illinois and Ohio State at home are two high points in an always difficult league slate SCHEDULE Day Date Opponent Time Local TV Fri. Nov. 3 BEMIDJI STATE (exhibition) 7:00 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8 WINONA STATE (exhibition) 7:00 p.m. Mon. Nov. 13 NORTH DAKOTA STATE 7:00 p.m. FSN North Fri. Nov. 17 LONG ISLAND 7:00 p.m. Tue. Nov. 21 IOWA STATE 7:00 p.m. FSN North Thu.-Sun. Nov Old Spice Classic (Orlando, Fla.) 23 vs. Marist 1:00 p.m. ESPN2 24 vs. Arkansas or Southern Illinois TBA ESPN2 26 vs. TBA TBA ESPN2 Wed. Nov. 29 CLEMSON (Big Ten/ACC Challenge) 8:30 p.m. ESPN2 Sat. Dec. 2 ARIZONA STATE 1:00 p.m. FSN North Tue. Dec. 5 at UAB 7:00 p.m. TBA Thu. Dec. 7 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 7:00 p.m. Sat. Dec. 9 UALR 1:00 p.m. FSN North Tue. Dec. 12 CENTRAL FLORIDA 7:00 p.m. Fri. Dec. 22 at UNLV TBA Sat. Dec. 30 SE LOUISIANA 1:00 p.m. Wed. Jan. 3 PURDUE 7:00 p.m. FSN North Sat. Jan. 6 at Wisconsin 3:30 p.m. KSTC (45) Sat. Jan. 13 at Iowa 3:30 p.m. KSTC (45) Wed. Jan. 17 ILLINOIS 6:00 p.m. ESPN2 Sat. Jan. 20 NORTHWESTERN 1:30 p.m. KSTC (45) Wed. Jan. 24 at Michigan State 6:00 p.m. FSN North Sat. Jan. 27 PENN STATE 11:15 a.m. KSTC (45) Wed. Jan. 31 at Northwestern 7:00 p.m. FSN North Sat. Feb. 3 at Illinois 7:00 p.m. FSN North Wed. Feb. 7 IOWA 7:00 p.m. FSN North Sat. Feb. 10 at Michigan 7:00 p.m. FSN North Wed. Feb. 14 WISCONSIN 7:00 p.m. FSN North Sun. Feb. 18 OHIO STATE 12:00 p.m. CBS Wed. Feb. 21 at Indiana 6:00 p.m. FSN North Sat. Feb. 24 MICHIGAN 1:30 p.m. KSTC (45) Tue./Wed. Feb. 27/28 at Purdue TBA TBA Thu.-Sun. Mar Big Ten Tournament (Chicago, Ill.) ESPN/CBS Home games in bold. All times Central. Times and Dates subject to change. JON WILLIAMS RETURNING STAT LEADERS FG PERCENTAGE Player Rk FG ATT PCT Spencer Tollackson PT FG PERCENTAGE Player Rk 3FG ATT PCT Jamal Abu-Shamala FT PERCENTAGE Player Rk FG ATT PCT Dan Coleman POINTS Player Rk GMS PTS AVG Spencer Tollackson ASSISTS Player Rk Num Avg/G Spencer Tollackson STEALS Player Rk Num Avg/G Spencer Tollackson BLOCKS Player Rk Num Avg/G Spencer Tollackson PT FG MADE Player Rk ATT Att/G Jamal Abu-Shamala FT ATTEMPTS Player Rk ATT Att/G Spencer Tollackson FT MADE Player Rk FT Att/G Spencer Tollackson REBOUNDS Player Rk Reb Avg/G Spencer Tollackson OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS Player Rk Num Avg/G Spencer Tollackson DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS Player Rk Num Avg/G Dan Coleman MINUTES Player Rk Num Avg/G Dan Coleman TURNOVERS Player Rk Num Avg/G Spencer Tollackson

8 7 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL ALPHABETICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS HT WT YR./ELIG HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL) 33 Jamal Abu-Shamala * G So./So. Shakopee, Minn. (Shakopee HS) 4 Travis Busch # G So./So. St. Paul, Minn. (Cal Poly/Mounds View HS) 13 Dan Coleman ** F Sr./Jr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins HS) 34 Damian Johnson F So./Fr. Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS) 1 Lawrence McKenzie (c) G Sr./Jr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Oklahoma/Minneapolis Henry HS) 12 Engen Nurumbi F Jr./Jr. Kinshasa, Congo (Arizona Western College) 3 Kevin Payton G/F So./Fr. Camden, N.J. (Camden HS) 2 Ryan Saunders (c) G Jr./Jr. Medina, Minn. (Wayzata HS) 23 Brandon Smith G/F So./So. Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Henry HS) 50 Spencer Tollackson ** C Jr./Jr. Chaska, Minn. (Chaska HS) 54 Bryce Webster F/C Fr./Fr. St. Paul, Minn. (St. Thomas Academy) 20 Lawrence Westbrook G Fr./Fr. Chandler, Ariz. (Winchendon Prep) 30 Jonathan Williams * F/C Jr./So. St. Cloud, Minn. (Notre Dame Prep/St. Cloud Apollo HS) 5 Limar Wilson G Jr./Jr. Orlando, Fla. (Northeast Community College (Neb.)/Lyman HS) * Number of letters earned # redshirt, not eligible until (c) captains Head Coach: Dan Monson Assistant Coaches: Vic Couch, Jim Molinari, Bill Walker Dir. of BB Operations: Brent Lawson GOPHER ROSTER NUMERICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS HT WT YR./ELIG HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL) 1 Lawrence McKenzie (c) G Sr./Jr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Oklahoma/Minneapolis Henry HS) 2 Ryan Saunders (c) G Jr./Jr. Medina, Minn. (Wayzata HS) 3 Kevin Payton G/F So./Fr. Camden, N.J. (Camden HS) 4 Travis Busch # G So./So. St. Paul, Minn. (Cal Poly/Mounds View HS) 5 Limar Wilson G Jr./Jr. Orlando, Fla. (Northeast Community College (Neb.)/Lyman HS) 12 Engen Nurumbi F Jr./Jr. Kinshasa, Congo (Arizona Western College) 13 Dan Coleman ** F Sr./Jr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins HS) 20 Lawrence Westbrook G Fr./Fr. Chandler, Ariz. (Winchendon Prep) 23 Brandon Smith G/F So./So. Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Henry HS) 30 Jonathan Williams * F/C Jr./So. St. Cloud, Minn. (Notre Dame Prep/St. Cloud Apollo HS) 33 Jamal Abu-Shamala * G So./So. Shakopee, Minn. (Shakopee HS) 34 Damian Johnson F So./Fr. Thibodaux, La. (Thibodaux HS) 50 Spencer Tollackson ** C Jr./Jr. Chaska, Minn. (Chaska HS) 54 Bryce Webster F/C Fr./Fr. St. Paul, Minn. (St. Thomas Academy) ROSTER BY CLASS Seniors (0) Juniors (6) Dan Coleman Lawrence McKenzie Engen Nurumbi Ryan Saunders Spencer Tollackson Limar Wilson Sophomores (4) Travis Busch Brandon Smith Jamal Abu-Shamala Jonathan Williams Redshirt Freshmen (2) Damian Johnson Kevin Payton ROSTER BY STATE Minnesota (9) Jamal Abu-Shamala Travis Busch Dan Coleman Lawrence McKenzie Ryan Saunders Brandon Smith Spencer Tollackson Bryce Webster Jonathan Williams Arizona (1) Lawrence Westbrook Florida (1) Limar Wilson Louisiana (1) Damian Johnson ROSTER BY HEIGHT 6-9 Dan Coleman Spencer Tollackson Jonathan Williams Bryce Webster 6-7 Damian Johnson Engen Nurumbi 6-6 Brandon Smith 6-5 Jamal Abu-Shamala Kevin Payton 6-4 Travis Busch 6-0 Lawrence Westbrook 5-11 Limar Wilson PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Jamal Abu-SHAMALA Jim MOLINARI Dan MONSON ENGEN Nurumbi Spencer TOLLACKSON LIMAR Wilson Sha-MAH-lah MOE-li-nar-ee MUN-sin EE-gun TALL-ick-son LEE-mar Freshmen (2) Bryce Webster Lawrence Westbrook New Jersey (1) Kevin Payton Congo (1) Engen Nurumbi 6-2 Lawrence McKenzie 6-1 Ryan Saunders

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16 15 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL Construction on what is now known as Williams Arena was started in 1927 and completed in 1928, when it was dedicated as the University of Minnesota Field House. It cost $650,000 and initially had a seating capacity of 14,100 with bleacher and standing room expansion to 16,000. The original building housed basketball and winter football practice facilities. When the basketball season was completed, the portable floor was taken out and replaced by a pair of tennis courts and an indoor track. Ohio State won the first basketball game held in the building, scoring a double overtime victory over the Golden Gophers on Feb. 4, The building was remodeled in Renamed in honor of Dr. Henry L. Williams, U of M football coach from 1900 to 1921, it was divided into a hockey arena on one end and a basketball arena with a seating capacity of 18,025 on the other. From 1950 until 1971, it had the largest capacity of any collegiate basketball arena in the country. The capacity has been reduced to 14,625 in recent years due to renovation, fire-code restrictions and handicapped-seating construction. Following the season, the renovation of Williams Arena began as part of a $41 million project for on-campus sports facilities. The first phase was completed in time for the season opener. The Golden Gophers locker room, training room, spacious offices and team meeting rooms, are now state-of-theart. The locker room was named in honor of former Golden Gopher coach Ozzie Cowles through the more than $100,000 in gifts from many of his former players. The east end addition is highlighted by the Williams Arena Club on the third floor. The Club overlooks the floor and can hold parties of up to 200 fans, adding another touch of class to an already classy arena. The second phase of the renovation project was completed during the summer of It included the installation of theater-style seats, the widening of concourse areas and the addition of both concession areas and women s restrooms. A large portion of the renovation was financed by private gifts, including those to the successful $5.5 million sports-facilities campaign, and by the generous participation of fans through the assured-seating program. In the summer of 1997, 21 barn lofts above the second deck were built. The lofts offer a spectacular birds-eye view of the court with luxury amenities. The $2.3 million project added 304 seats to the capacity, raising it to 14,625. In the winter of 2005, a state-of-the-art team lounge area was added, including several high definition televisions, a theater-style team film room, a coaches strategy room, kitchen and large expansive lounge area. The site of the 1951 NCAA Finals, The Barn can be a frightening venue for opponents. The raised floor, one of only a handful in the country, and the deafening roar of 14,000-plus fans unquestionably has something to do with it. Spectators need to only witness the atmosphere and feel the electricty in The Barn just prior to any Big Ten game to find enough evidence to support that fact. With sellout crowds cheering them on, the Golden Gophers have become very tough to beat at home in front of their loyal fans. The Golden Gophers suffered only two losing seasons at the Barn since the campaign. Minnesota was 13-5 at Williams Arena last season. The Golden Gophers overall record in The Barn stands at for a winning percentage of.720. A long and illustrious list of college basketball s greatest players have run the Williams Arena hardwood through the years, and many memorable games have been contested within its hallowed walls. The historic arena is among the finest in college basketball and enable that mystique to live on for many years to come. Williams Arena is truly what college basketball is all about.

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29 28 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL NATIONAL ATTENDANCE LEADERS YEARS AND COUNTING: For the 30th straight season, Big Ten men s basketball has led the nation in attendance, according to numbers released by the NCAA. The Big Ten ranked first among all conferences with an average of 12,581 per game/session, 1,300 more than the national runner-up (ACC 11,273). The NCAA s final attendance numbers and rankings include both regular-season and conference tournament attendance. In addition, the Big Ten broke the two-million mark in total attendance for the 14th consecutive season as the league welcomed 2,186,322 fans through the turnstiles in 176 games for an average of 12,422 patrons per contest. Individually, the Big Ten registered six universities among the country s top 25 in average attendance, highlighted by three programs among the top 10. No other conference placed more than four teams among the top 25. BIG TEN TELEVISION SCHEDULE All 88 Big Ten Conference games are scheduled to be televised in 2007 with contests appearing on CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Plus. The conference season will conclude with the 10th annual Big Ten Tournament, which is scheduled to take place Thursday through Sunday, March 8-11, at the United Center in Chicago. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Plus will broadcast the first round and quarterfinal games while CBS will televise the semifinals and championship contests. HISTORY OF NCAA SUCCESS Since the inception of the NCAA Tournament in 1939, the Big Ten has recorded the most appearances of any conference in the Big Dance with 174 (ACC, 160) and has the second-most NCAA Tournament victories with 277 (ACC, 316). The conference has tied the ACC for the most Final Four appearances with 38 and boasts the second- most national titles (10) in college basketball history. The Pac-10 leads the nation with 15 titles. FINAL FOUR FRENZY The Big Ten trails only the ACC (7) in Final Four appearances since 2000 with six league representatives reaching the national semifinals. The Big 12 follows with five appearances over that time span, followed by the SEC (3), Big East (2) and Pac-10 (2). Michigan State leads the Big Ten with three appearances (2000, 2001 and 2005), while Illinois (2005), Indiana (2002) and Wisconsin (2000) have each earned a Final Four spot in that time span.

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35 34 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

36 35 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

37 36 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

38 37 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

39 38 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

40 39 UNIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

41 40 U NIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

42 41 U NIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL

43 42 U NIVERSITY OF M INNESOTA B ASKETBALL