gophers/ncaa

SPARTANBURG, S.C.

The core of Wofford's back-to-back NCAA tournament teams started coming together five years ago in gyms a thousand miles away in Minnesota.

There, senior starters Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs and Cameron Rundles played for the same AAU team, forming a bond that would eventually be strong enough for Dahlman to draw them all back together to Spartanburg and bring the tiny liberal arts college (enrollment 1,450) unprecedented basketball success.

As their college careers end, the players who call themselves the "Minnesota Mafia" have one more dream -- leaving the court a winner in an NCAA tournament game. The 14th-seeded Terriers will get their last chance Thursday in Denver against No. 3 seed Brigham Young.

"I love those guys to death," said Rundles, who considered several schools when transferring from Montana before settling on Wofford. "Greatest decision of my life."

Dahlman came first. He chose Wofford because he wanted to go somewhere much warmer than his parents' farm in Braham. He made an immediate impact; the Terriers went 16-16 his freshman year, then had their first winning record in 14 years in Division I his sophomore year.

But perhaps Dahlman's biggest move came after his freshman year, when he learned Rundles wanted out of Montana. Rundles was considering Wayne State (Neb.), where Diggs started every game as a sophomore. Rundles and Diggs won a Class 3A state title together at DeLaSalle in 2006.

But Rundles' mom convinced him to visit Wofford, where Dahlman and coach Mike Young said there was a spot for him and Diggs. They both loved the weather, solid academics and Young's infectious charisma.

The Minnesota Mafia was born.

"High-character guys," Young said of the three. "Absolute consummate team guys. I've said many times -- the sum is greater than the parts, and the parts are awfully good."

The three first played together last season and led Wofford to 26 victories and the team's first ever Southern Conference title and NCAA tournament bid. The 13th-seeded Terriers came back from eight down at halftime and were tied with Wisconsin in the final minute before losing by four.

They vowed to return next year, and kept that promise. They don't fear BYU and Jimmer Fredette, the nation's leading scorer at 27.8 points a game. Diggs, the team's defensive specialist, has dealt with high scorers before.

"One of the best players in the country hands down," he said of Fredette. "My team wants me to go out there and play defense -- that's what I do."

The three players from Minnesota average a combined 46 points a game -- nearly two-thirds of Wofford's total. Rundles is a shooter, Dahlman the leading scorer and post player.

"At exactly the right time, we were able to put things together," Young said.

The Minnesota trio form Wofford's core but remain close to the rest of the squad. When asked about Dahlman and Diggs, Rundles veered off to talk about what he likes about nearly every guy on the roster.

"It's more than a dream come true," Rundles said not just of making the NCAA tournament twice but of the lifelong friendships he has made at Wofford. "When you're young, you dream about this."

Said Dahlman: "It's been the best experience of my life so far. Wofford's been great and having these Minnesota guys with me, that's just added to the experience."