gopher7
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From Shooter:
After 80 years, the Gophers basketball teams are playing on a new floor at storied Williams Arena. Most noticeable for spectators is that the wood is a lighter shade, and there's a giant block maroon and gold "M" at center court.
But if you're a player, you notice other, more subtle changes.
"I love the 'M' on the floor, but I can't lie, I liked the old floor better," Gophers men's co-captain guard Lawrence Westbrook said. "I liked the other court."
The former court, Westbrook said, "was softer. We played at Kohl Center in Wisconsin, and that floor is really hard because they have ice under it. It feels like that here because it's not really broken in.
"Last year, that (Williams Arena) floor was really springy. If you fall on this floor, you know the difference automatically."
There's another significant difference for players.
"We had some soft rims last year, and these new rims are harder," Westbrook said. "These new rims are really stiff; we've got to loosen them up. I need some friendly bounces sometimes. The 'Barn' last year gave you a lot of friendly bounces."
The people who manage Williams Arena, though, have been incredibly detailed with the replacement floor and basket rims.
They say the ball return off the court on the former floor was horrible because there was no subfloor, and that the only solid return was every six feet because that's where the panels rested on a concrete pier. Now, with a concrete slab, the ball return is the same for the entire floor.
The new rims apparatus costs $44,000 and complies with strict NCAA standards for rebound performance off the metal. There was some question about whether the "friendly" old rims at Williams Arena were legal by NCAA requirements.
http://www.twincities.com/ci_13585685
After 80 years, the Gophers basketball teams are playing on a new floor at storied Williams Arena. Most noticeable for spectators is that the wood is a lighter shade, and there's a giant block maroon and gold "M" at center court.
But if you're a player, you notice other, more subtle changes.
"I love the 'M' on the floor, but I can't lie, I liked the old floor better," Gophers men's co-captain guard Lawrence Westbrook said. "I liked the other court."
The former court, Westbrook said, "was softer. We played at Kohl Center in Wisconsin, and that floor is really hard because they have ice under it. It feels like that here because it's not really broken in.
"Last year, that (Williams Arena) floor was really springy. If you fall on this floor, you know the difference automatically."
There's another significant difference for players.
"We had some soft rims last year, and these new rims are harder," Westbrook said. "These new rims are really stiff; we've got to loosen them up. I need some friendly bounces sometimes. The 'Barn' last year gave you a lot of friendly bounces."
The people who manage Williams Arena, though, have been incredibly detailed with the replacement floor and basket rims.
They say the ball return off the court on the former floor was horrible because there was no subfloor, and that the only solid return was every six feet because that's where the panels rested on a concrete pier. Now, with a concrete slab, the ball return is the same for the entire floor.
The new rims apparatus costs $44,000 and complies with strict NCAA standards for rebound performance off the metal. There was some question about whether the "friendly" old rims at Williams Arena were legal by NCAA requirements.
http://www.twincities.com/ci_13585685