Column: It's time for fans to get behind the Gophers men's basketball team

Minnesota is averaging just 7,343 fans per game this season.

The Gophers men’s basketball team had every chance to give away Sunday’s game against Maryland.

Minnesota couldn’t buy a basket in the first half, shooting just 9 of 31 from the field and 1 for 14 from 3-point range as Maryland took a seven-point halftime lead at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

How did the Gophers respond?

By shooting over 50% from both the field and long range in the second half.

That helped Minnesota turn the seven-point halftime deficit into an eight-point lead with 4 minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the contest. For a moment it felt like that would be enough to ice the game away for the Gophers, but the Terrapins closed the gap to 57-55 with 56 seconds left in the game.

How did Minnesota respond this time around?

The Gophers were a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line over the final 22 seconds as they closed out a 65-62 victory, their second straight Big Ten win and third overall this season.

“Every experience is a learning experience. And I thought this was a good one because it showed we can win ugly,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said postgame Sunday.

Ugly, pretty or in between, Johnson’s Gophers keep finding ways to win. And they’re winning the types of close games they would have lost more often than not the last two seasons.

This Gophers team is different. And it’s time for Gophers fans to get behind them.

Minnesota probably won’t win the Big Ten. The Gophers may not make the NCAA Tournament. But they will be competitive night in and night out in the Big Ten Conference, and they’ll be plenty of fun to watch while doing it.

Elijah Hawkins has emerged as one of the best passers in the country, ranking second in the nation in assists (117) and assists per game (7.8). He set the Gophers’ single-game assists record when he had 17 in a 101-65 win over IUPUI on Dec. 12. 

Only 6,581 fans took in the feat live.

More special moments are sure to come. Maybe more Gophers fans will come to see them as the team continues into conference play. 

Mike Mitchell Jr. has been another transfer to emerge for the U and has shown he has the ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court. Sophomores Josh Ola-Joseph, Pharrel Payne and Braeden Carrington have all taken strides this season. Freshman Cam Christie has shown a ton of promise. And Dawson Garcia remains an effective scorer and rebounder.

The Gophers are currently 3-1 in the Big Ten; they won just six conference games the last two years combined. They have a 12-3 record overall with an 11-1 mark at home. And yet, they’re averaging just 7,343 fans at the 14,625-capacity Williams Arena. Before Sunday’s game, the average number of tickets actually scanned was just 3,420 per game, according to the Star Tribune.

Johnson took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, before Sunday’s game to ask Gophers fans to show out. They got their second-best crowd of the season, with an official attendance number of 8,583. But it was just the second time this season that the official attendance number has risen above 8,500.

“We had a great crowd,” Johnson said after Sunday’s game. “I want to thank everybody who came out (Sunday), showed support. When our back was against it, or we needed a stop or we made that run, you can feel them. And our players feel them.”

The energy was palpable from the crowd at The Barn on Sunday, and it was noticeably fuller in the stands than it had been over the course of the Gophers’ last four nonconference games. Fans were vocal and into the game from the opening tipoff and remained so until the clock hit all zeroes.

“When the fans are up and rowdy with us, it brings more energy for us,” Hawkins said.

Think about the energy that a crowd closer to Williams Arena’s capacity of 14,625 could bring. It's time to make that reality instead of a distant memory. This Gophers team isn't a fluke. It'll be competitive in the Big Ten and put on a show each and every night. A packed house at The Barn will only help their cause.

“You only can win at this level and in this league at a high level if you have a fan base that’s going to support it because winning on the road is so hard,” Johnson said. “And if you can make your home court a true home-court advantage, which I know we can and we will here, God, that really helps your team and helps your program. So hopefully people keep coming out. If you’ve got season tickets and you can’t (attend), give them to somebody.

“But I think this is a fun team and a fun group, so the more we can play well, I think people will respect it and come out, but without a doubt we don’t come back in that game if it weren’t for the fans today, so very appreciative of everybody who came out.” 

Experience in starting lineup helped Pharrel Payne make strides for Gophers

Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins (0) and forward Kris Keinys (8) celebrate the win against Maryland at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2024 :: Matt Krohn / USA TODAY Sports