Article:Talk about under the radar...

The Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball team. No kidding.

Today saw a remarkable upset in College basketball, with Minnesota upsetting Penn St. on the Road, 76-73. Upsets happen, I get it, but this one is amazing. Look at where this team has come since last year:

In 2006-2007 season, the Gophers went 9-22, with a 3-13 conference record. They were the laughing stock of the Big Ten, and Dan Monson got fired midseason. So far this year, they are 12-3, and 2-1 in conference play. Simple math will tell you that if they win 2 more conference games this year, they will have had an all around improvement record-wise from last year.

But it goes so much further than that. Minnesota is a state that loves to watch good basketball. Back in 2004 when the T-Puppies made a run to the Conference Championship, Downtown was electric, traffic from the suburbs headed downtown was backed up on game nights. Restraunts were packed. Everyone longs to watch a successful program.

And we've finally got a new one. I don't care how far they make it in the post season, or if it's the NCAA tourney or the NIT. They're a team loaded with young talent that will be around for at least a year or two, and that are fun to watch. They try hard, and they deserve all the credit in the world. It's so remarkable what they have been able to do, and they deserve.

Credit also must be given to new Head Coach Tubby Smith. He has been a crucial factor in getting these kids to believe in one another and themselves to hang with the big dogs in the Big 10. He has a proven track record of success, and it has definitely shown. The team looks confident, knowledgeable, and aware of what they are supposed to be doing. Their ability to learn so much in so little time is credit to a great coaching staff that knows how to get these kids to play.

Congratulations on the upset, and I hope to see these young men in the post season in march.