The Gophers started off with a bang in 2017 with their best win all year coming New Year's Day in West Lafayette 91-82 in overtime at eventual Big Ten champion Purdue.
The Boilermakers currently have a 16-game winning streak at Mackey Arena, which includes going undefeated so far this season. Their last home loss was to Minnesota last season. Pretty impressive.
So that's my pick for the best win in 2017 without a doubt.
Let's see some of my other choices for best of the year for Gophers basketball as we welcome in 2018.
Best player: JORDAN MURPHY
Why: Murphy basically went from worst to first as far as what type of impact he had for the Gophers from the beginning to the end of 2017. He failed to reach double figures in scoring in seven of his first nine games of the year. He only averaged 7.4 points for the Gophers during a 4-5 start to Big Ten play last season. How erratic was Murphy's play to that point? He went from a 21-rebound game vs. Michigan State to just one rebound in a loss vs. Wisconsin. But he finished last season on a double-double tear that carried over to a record-setting pace this season. Murphy averaged 15.2 points and 11.9 rebounds in his final 11 games last season, including seven double-doubles. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound junior put himself into Big Ten player of the year conversation this season leading the league in points (19.1) and rebounds (12.6) through 14 games in 2017-18.
Best play: AKEEM SPRINGS GAME-WINNER VS. INDIANA
Why: The senior graduate transfer missed his first 10 shots of the game, but he sank a baseline shot with three seconds left to lift the Gophers in a 75-74 win against the Hoosiers at Williams Arena. Springs never hesitated after receiving the ball off his missed three-pointer tipped on an offensive rebound by Eric Curry. The victory was Minnesota's fourth in a row, halfway to the eight consecutive wins that sealed the first NCAA tournament berth since 2013.
