March Madness: Remembering the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four* Run
Even though I don’t remember much about the regular season that year, I do remember how excited I was for the tournament. Most of the teams I rooted for at the time were not successful (Sound familiar?). Plus, this was in the space between the Minnesota North Stars and the Minnesota Wild so there was no NHL hockey in the state. The Gophers being as good as they were was a huge deal.
The game I remember best, other than the loss to Kentucky in the Final Four, was the game against the Clemson Tigers in the Sweet 16. Clemson was ranked #14 by the A.P. Poll leading into the tournament, so the Gophers were favored but were up against a strong opponent. What ensued was a double overtime thriller.
Fast forward to the 32:25 mark for the highlights of this game. I distinctly remember being so upset when the Gophers fell behind in the first overtime that I almost gave up. It’s a good thing I did not though because I would have missed the end of a classic. The next game against UCLA I don’t really remember at all, but I remember the excitement of making the Final Four for the first time in Minnesota history.
I spent four or five hours drawing a banner to hang up while we watched the Final Four. After it was all over my grandpa hung it in his garage where it hung for about 15 years. What I did not notice until about a decade after making it was my spelling error. My banner read:
"1997 FINAL FOUR. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPERS"
Whoops. Anyway, Rick Pitino’s Kentucky Wildcats proved to be too much for the Gophers in the National semi-finals but it was still one of the most fun rides Minnesota fans had ever experienced. Then…
Next: The Aftermath