Thought I would share my few thoughts and experience being at the game last night. Full disclosure – I know very little about basketball and am more of a hockey guy – but I have been a die-hard Canes football fan for years and years so I had to go support the Canes when they came into town.
On the players:
#11 Brown is player. He can really do it all. He put some crazy passes thru some amazingly tight windows. When he had the ball in his hands – there was just a feeling he was going to score every time. He had a dunk that it looked like he was a foot above the rim. It seems like the Canes run the game thru him.
#00 Newton (I think) – the Minnesota fans sitting around me that know a lot more about basketball then me were very impressed with him. They were talking him up like no other. He impressed them more than any other Cane.
#20 (name?) – had a huge game. Put up a lot of points for the Canes and really changed the momentum of the game several times with some massive dunks.
#4 (name?) – kind of made me angry in the 1st half. Seemed like he was the one Cane that was missing a few shots and making some bad decisions with the ball. I know he is a true frosh though.
Coaching: Coach L coached this game marvelously. He seemed to use our shooting ability, quickness and technical skill and keep the game to the outside which worked awesome for us. It seemed like we outshot them in 3 pointers about 5-1. Minnesota had a lot more trips to the line than we did though. The fans couldn’t believe how many 3’s we were draining – they were impressed. I saw some of the other posters thinking that the refs were favoring the Gophers. The Gophers fans sure didn’t think so – they were calling for a lot more fouls against Miami (to be expected).
On the atmosphere of the game – it was amazing. The Barn is an awesome court. One of the few courts left that is risen above the floor. Aside from the immediate row of Miami fans behind the Miami bench – there was probably no more than 15 Miami fans scattered throughout. The fans in general were heckling me a little bit (I of course was wearing all Canes gear) but most of them were very nice. A lot of older folks. One MN fan got really mad at me. A MN couple was taking a pic on the stairs with the court at their backs – and I happened to be walking up behind them – They got their picture with me throwing up the []_[] in the background. A nearby fan started yelling at me calling me a jerk and such – I told him I was just having a little fun – but he didn’t stop. I just blew him off.
Last – Blake James was at the game right behind the players bench. Most of the Miami fans throughout the stadium at one point or another went down to shake his hand. I did not – but thought of what I would have said to him. I would have asked for his autograph on the underside bill of my Miami hat with an inscription that says “I fired Al Golden”.
Oh - and no - they do not have an ice rink under the BB Court. All the gophers teams (mens and womens) have their own stadiums.
