Stu returns with a glorious Hunt Down. He apparently loves Willie Burton. Stu? ----------------- The Huntdown Name: Willie Burton Claim to Fame, Minnesota: The best player on the best team Clem Haskins coached that wasn't caught cheating, Burton led the Golden Gophers basketball team to the Elite Eight in 1990. He singlehandedly beat Northern Iowa (scroll down) in the second round, before contributing 12 points to Minnesota's upset victory over sixth-ranked Syracuse (which featured Derrick Coleman and Billy Owens, but did NOT feature Jim Shikenjanski or The Paratrooper, Richard Coffey) in the Sweet Sixteen game. Worth noting for those who've suffered through the current team's inability to put a game away: the Gophers shot 79% in the second half of that game. Burton was named first-team All-Big Ten in 1990, and finished his Gopher career with 1800 points, second on the all-time list behind Mychal Thompson*. Willie Burton was awesome. Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: Burton was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 9th pick of the 1990 NBA Draft. The highlight of his professional career was the out-of-nowhere, 53-point game he had as a member of the Sixers against the Heat in December 1994. In addition, he was named to the Detroit Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 1990. Where He Is Now: per Sid and this interview with gopherhole.com, Burton is back on campus, working towards his degree. He's also been doing some work with Legends of Basketball. Things I Remember About the Minnesota/Syracuse game: I watched it in Todd Bunkers' cramped dorm room on the 9th floor of Sherburne Hall at SCSU with a bunch of other miscreants. I was drinking Special Export, because I was an idiot. We cheered wildly when Bob Martin got the ball. He went 4-5 from the field and made both his free throws. Bob [redacted] Martin! Also: if the NCAA wipes this game from the books because it turns out some student ambassador from Glencoe was doing Connell Lewis' homework, I will hold my breath until they reinstate the victory. I AM VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. Glorious Randomness: can you name the rest of the top five scorers in Gophers men's basketball history without resorting to internet shenanigans? Jon Marthaler, dyed-in-the-wool Gopher fan, had trouble with this. Your hint: all three of the others are ONE OF US. *Voshon Lenard tallied 2103 points, but the official records don't list him. I assume this is due to the Bad Things That Happened. (Editor's note: Indeed. Check page 126 of this electronic media guide).