With Hoffarber as a constant, Gophers flash their NCAA viability

Michigan State held Blake Hoffarber without a three-pointer in three attempts in a 60-53 victory last month in East Lansing. The Spartans were aware that they had accomplished something.

"He's a great player," guard Chris Allen said. "He's going to cut off those screens hard. So for him coming off, if you weren't in his face, it's pretty much going to be knocked down.

"His form is almost perfect. There's no movement. He doesn't take the ball down. Wherever he catches it, he lets it go from that spot and it's all wrist."

Wisconsin was another team with a reputation for sound defensive techniques. The No. 14-rated Badgers didn't have as much success with Hoffarber on Thursday night, as the Gophers opened a three-game homestand and a last-gasp effort to become a sixth Big Ten team in the NCAA tournament bracket with a 68-52 victory.

The aforementioned loss at Michigan State was the start of a five-week stretch in which the Gophers went 2-6 and surpassed Michigan in the race to be the Big Ten's flop of the year. They had managed to do this even as Hoffarber became the nation's most proficient three-point shooter.

He finished 2-for-4 in that area Thursday, putting him at 37-for-75 in the Big Ten and 71-for-144 for the season. That is a Division I-leading .493 percent.

On Thursday, the Gophers were attempting to make it three in a row in the past two seasons against Wisconsin. The expectations were lower for the Badgers than in recent years, but they came in at 9-4 in the Big Ten and among five teams with places already reserved in the NCAA bracket.

The Gophers were down 6-3 at the first TV timeout. The next timeout was called by Badgers coach Bo Ryan, after Hoffarber had slipped inside for a layup, quick-wristed a pair of threes and Devoe Joseph made another for a 14-8 Gophers lead.

Hoffarber had more to offer -- a pass to Paul Carter for a dunk and a pull-up jumper -- and it was 23-20 for the Gophers. And that's when the emotion of this rivalry boiled over for Ryan.

Gophers freshman Justin Cobbs stormed toward the basket, a Badger went flying and Cobbs sent a pass to Colton Iverson. The 6-10 sophomore, finally getting some minutes again, scored and was fouled.

Ryan went bonkers standing above the visitors' bench. His mood didn't improve in the closing minutes of the half.

Finally, there was a tangle for a rebound on Wisconsin's end. The foul was called on the Badgers. Ryan went stomping and screaming along the sideline.

Referee Eric Curry -- the Twins' vice president for corporate partnerships in his day job -- called a technical. Was the technical deserved?

"I can't answer that," Ryan said. "I just did my thing. I couldn't get a response. I have no idea what causes a technical."

Hoffarber made two free throws on the technical, and Damian Johnson made two off the foul, and it was 35-26 for the Gophers at halftime.

There was a nervous moment for the Williams Arena loyalists when the Badgers cut the lead to 45-42 midway in the second half, but then the Gophers took them apart -- on offense, on defense and in every instance where big effort mattered.

"I'm not surprised by them," Ryan said. "They have a lot of good players. Our league is good, but what's surprising is the inconsistency. It's not just a few teams. We're all inconsistent."

The consistency for the Gophers has been with Hoffarber. He made a couple of early threes to get his team started, then didn't force anything the rest of the night. There wasn't much shooting to be done down the stretch, as the Gophers made 17 of their final 21 points on free throws.

Hoffarber led the Gophers with 16 points and, more impressively, with nine rebounds. That's his most in three seasons, other than a dozen against Division II Concordia (St. Paul) in the 2008 opener.

The smooth lefty has been outstanding, and on this night, his mates were also large.

Patrick Reusse can be heard noon to 4 weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP. • preusse@startribune.com