Gophers: Getting practice facility weighs on Tubby’s mind

Tubby Smith received a call last week from one of his players who wanted to do some extra shooting at Williams Arena after practice. One problem: The player couldn't get into the locked gym.

The player tried two other on-campus basketball courts, but neither was available. He finally headed for a downtown athletic club.

Smith, the first-year coach of the Gophers men's basketball team, doesn't want such inconveniences for his players, so he's asked the university to invest in a new basketball practice facility. Such practice complexes are quickly becoming a staple of national collegiate programs -- large and small -- in part because of their 24-hour accessibility. With plush lounges, flat-screen TVs and other amenities, the facilities also give players a place to relax and bond after practice.

Depending on how elaborate the plans, a practice facility can cost a university a few million dollars -- Illinois practices in the $5.5 million Ubben Basketball Complex. Add some pricey accommodations that make a practice facility feel more like a condo, and a school could pay $30 million for a venue such as the Joe Craft Center at Kentucky.

Coaches say the benefits extend beyond current players. Schools that have state-of-the-art practice facilities have an edge in the all-important recruiting game.

In that regard, the Gophers are a step behind their competition. Minnesota is the only Big Ten school without plans to build a new practice facility that holds all its practices on its home court.

Smith said he believes a new practice complex would put the university's facilities on par with those of more noteworthy institutions and send a strong message to potential recruits.

"It's an issue as far as making sure that not just present players and future players but past players see ... the growth and the commitment that's there from the university and the administration," he said. "Obviously, there are other issues and other concerns on every campus. Just speaking for myself and being here at the U, I think that's one of the things we need to look into."

Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said the university has begun to discuss the possibility, but he also said that the school's priorities for athletic facilities are a new on-campus football stadium, which will be completed in 2009, and a proposed baseball stadium.

Maturi and Smith discussed a new practice facility prior to the coach's hiring in March. But the university would not put any provisions or promises to build additional facilities in Smith's new seven-year, $13 million contract, which he recently signed. Maturi also said he believes Smith has what he needs to recruit players to the university, and that Smith understands the school's other priorities.

"He waited 10 years for it to happen at Kentucky," Maturi said. "And I'm not trying to imply he's going to wait 10 years here. I'm just saying I can't go out tomorrow to start a fundraising campaign for a basketball facility. I need to wait, certainly until we're done with [the new football stadium]."

Two months before Smith left Kentucky, the school finished a $30 million practice facility, complete with basketball offices and multiple courts. At Florida State -- where the Gophers lost 75-61 on Nov. 27 -- a practice facility built in 2003 gives players 24-hour access through a device that recognizes their thumbprints. Once Seminoles players enter, they can play on a court that replicates their home floor and wind down in a plush lounge near their locker rooms.

Schools not only want places to practice, but also buildings that address all of a player's needs in one place, said Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson. Indiana is building a 67,000-square-foot practice and training facility for men's and women's basketball that is expected to be completed next year.

"Most schools, if not all schools at the higher levels, have either brand-new arenas or renovated their facilities where they have top-of-the-line gadgets or practice facilities, locker room, film room, weight room, training room, hydrotherapy areas ... which really make an impact when you bring a young man in for recruiting," Sampson said.

Players at Michigan State have access to a $1.3 million lounge complete with nine 42-inch flat screen TVs, a kitchenette and a pool table. Those extras encourage players to spend more time at the Berkowitz Complex and bond with each other, said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. In today's college basketball setting, practice facilities are "a necessity," he said.

New Michigan coach John Beilein agrees. After recognizing Michigan State's facility as a potential recruiting advantage for the in-state rivals, Beilein asked administrators to move forward with a practice facility for the Wolverines. They obliged and expect to build a new practice venue in the next three years.

"I think the Big Ten has set an awfully high mark right now," Beilein said. "Some of our universities just have outstanding, glamorous types of places that are just so attractive. ... Whatever your competition is doing, it's very important that you try and put that in front and compare that to what you would be looking at if you were a young man or a young woman."

In spite of his desire for a new practice venue, Smith said he doesn't feel like the team is at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting talent. But he said a new venue could help the team rebuild and move toward a new era of success in Gophers basketball.

"I think those kids want to feel like they're a part of the rebuilding or the building blocks for not just building a championship program here but a new facility," he said.