Post game notes and quotes following Minnesota's 70-67 victory over Purdue...
Minnesota Head Coach Tubby Smith:
-Hard fought game by both teams, with both teams scoring on most of their possessions in the first half
-Very proud of the way the team played in this game, and especially the ability to rally around each other in the face of some outside adversity
-Thought tonight the Gophers believed they could win
-Purdue is a very good team...Johnson is very difficult to stop
-Thought the Gophers did a great job of contesting shots, especially late in the game
-On Hoffarber, he believes that stamina and conditioning are things that he has developed over the years, as well as his determination. They have changed some things as well in order to get him more shots
-Thought Rodney Williams did a nice job of shutting down Moore, as well as Hoffarber, making him shoot deeper than he would like
-Thought the post men did a nice job of getting out and picking up screens in the game
-Coach Smith thought the team did a better job of challenging shots in the second half, particularly on the pick-and-roll and the outside shooters
-On being 2-3, he said he felt good about tonight, but noted that "I believe we should be 5-0, to be honest."
-He mentioned they took care of the ball much better tonight, only committing eight turnovers
-On Mbakwe not having a great game, Smith bristled, saying "he had 10 rebounds. I don't care if he scores one point."
