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Gophers put on dancing shoes

After sweating bubble, Minnesota heads west for game

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Posted: Monday March 08, 1999 12:41 AM

Sophomore Terrance Simmons (bottom) and Minnesota are hoping they'll come out on top in their upcoming games. AP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota made it into the NCAA men's basketball tournament Sunday and will play Gonzaga in the first round.

The seventh-seeded Golden Gophers (17-10) play the West Coast Conference champion Bulldogs (25-6) in Seattle on Thursday, giving the home-court advantage to 10th-seeded Gonzaga, which is based nearby in Spokane, Wash.

"I just want to go home and get me my dancing shoes on and get packed," said Minnesota senior Quincy Lewis, the Big Ten's leading scorer. "I'm so anxious to get going. ... Everyone's going to be ready, fired up, ready to go. We just want to go and try to play well."

Minnesota made it to the Final Four in 1977, and coach Clem Haskins said he won't be content with the mere fact that the Gophers made it into the tournament this year.

"I'm driven to win a national championship," Haskins said. "Just going and playing a game don't get me excited anymore."

Minnesota was the seventh Big Ten team invited to the tournament. When the Gophers were upset by 11th seed Illinois in the opening game of the Big Ten tournament, Minnesota's chance of being selected was in doubt.

Sophomore Kevin Nathaniel said the Gophers are confident now that they're in.

"We know that we can play with any individual team in this country," Nathaniel said. "We feel that if we play on any given night we can beat any given team. We have a great coaching staff that has us prepared for every game, and great team chemistry."

But the Bulldogs are also confident, and they expect to play in front of a large crowd of alumni and supporters at Key Arena.

"We couldn't ask for more," said second-year coach Dan Monson. "We're excited we get to stay in Seattle."

This is the second NCAA tournament appearance for Gonzaga, a Jesuit-run school with about 4,800 students, which lost to Maryland in the first round in 1995.

 

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