Here's the thing: we've all kind of forgotten that Andre Hollins is actually supposed to be really good.

The reality is, he hasn't done much all season, he doesn't usually play at times that matter and seeing him in there at the end last night felt a little out of place. But given the opportunity last night, Hollins excelled. He looked like the player coach Tubby Smith envisioned when recruiting him: he was playing solid defense, he was driving with authority, making good decisions – he was playing like a Division I point guard. "He was able to put the ball in his hand, because we recruited him as a point guard and I was impressed with the way he stepped up and made his free throws and just played like a very mature, senior player," coach Tubby Smith said. "And just being a freshman, just a special effort on his part." It was huge for the Gophers last night, when all of the actual vets were struggling. And on a night when the Gophers very nearly choked the game away with missed free throws, he was a perfect 3-for-3 from the line, all of them coming in clutch moments. In fact, his whole performance was pretty clutch. Of his 12 points, 10 were scored after the four-minute mark in regulation and into overtime. He shot a huge three-pointer to bring the Gophers within striking distance, had a big steal that led to a foul on Joe Coleman and had five points, just in overtime. "It just felt good," a grinning Hollins said after the game. "The coaches just talk about the precious presence, and I think I seized the opportunity well … I've been waiting on this and just working hard in practice." We've been waiting for it too, even if we've forgotten, and it was certainly fun to watch.