When it comes to star power on the Golden Gopher basketball team, few can rival that of Blake Hoffarber. The junior guard has made a name for himself as a player that’s going to make a big shot, one that people are going to remember for years to come. After all, you don’t get nominated for two ESPY Awards (and winning one) for any old play.

However, while Hoffarber has been known in the past as the three-point specialist who made “that shot while sitting down” in high school, he’s also ready to become one of the leaders on this year’s Gopher basketball team. As he begins his junior season at the University of Minnesota, he spoke with the Gopher Hole’s Nick Walsh about his improvement in the offseason, what he thinks of this year’s Gopher squad, and what people should expect from the team this season.

NW: You’re coming into your junior year…having been able to play two years of college basketball, what are your expectations for this season from yourself?

BH: I’m just expecting to get better, improving on last season and the season before. I’ve been working hard in the off-season, so hopefully I can display that in the upcoming season.

University of Minnesota

NW: What do you feel you’ve improved on the most in the off-season?

BH: I’ve been working on my shot-fakes. I’ve been looking at a lot of film from last year, and I felt like teams were running out at my on my shot. I’ve got to use my shot-fake a little more, because then the defender will fly by me, and then I can dribble once and pass to the big guy inside, or hit the short two (pointer).

NW: Talk about the Gophers in general…what are your thoughts on this year’s team?

BH: I think we’ve got a bunch of great guys coming in, and we’ve been bonding well as a team playing in our open gyms and practices in the off-season, so hopefully we can go far this year. We’ve been working hard so far, so hopefully we can keep working hard every day and see where that takes us.

NW: From your freshman to your sophomore year, what did you see as far as changes or adjustments that other teams made on you?

BH: I think after my first year, people were flying out at me and keeping a closer eye on me. Hopefully this year I can display that shot-fake and some of the other things I worked on over the past summer.

NW: Talk about some of the incoming players on this team…

BH: I think all the freshmen are really impressing me. They’ve come a long way over the summer, and gotten stronger, better, and have more confidence in their game. Also, Trevor coming, I knew him when I was little. He’s a great player, and hopefully he can help us a lot. He’s a strong, big guy, and hopefully he can be a force inside.

NW: You went to the NCAA tournament last year, which raises expectations this year. That’s got to be a good thing for a player, right?

BH: Yeah, that’s what I was telling someone else, it’s definitely a good thing. You want a little pressure to do well, and we got to the tournament last year, but we fell a little short at the end. Hopefully we can get there this year and go a little farther.

NW: Talk about Tubby Smith…you’ve had two years to learn from him as your coach. Talk about what you’ve learned, and the importance of him being around…

BH: I think he’s a great coach, and a great individual. I think it’s very important to have him around. He definitely knows the game; he’s shown that over his previous experience as well as here. He’s turned the program around, and if our team just buys into his system and believes in him, I think we can do great things.

NW: You’ve played in Williams Arena for two years, and now you’ve got the new floor. What do you think of it?

BH: I like it a lot. I think it’s got the same amount of spring as the last court. I think I like the “M” in the middle of the court. I think it looks pretty good.

NW: What should people expect from this team this year…what kind of a team do you think you’ll be this year?

BH: I think we’re going to be even deeper than last year. We’ve got a lot of players on this team that can really play and display their talents. We’re going to work really hard in practice as well, so hopefully each game you’re going to see improvement from the last.

NW: What are your individual goals for this year?

BH: I would say to get to the NCAA tournament again, and go farther than last year. I’m always looking to improve from my previous experiences, and hopefully we don’t fall short of that, and improve from last year.

NW: How good could this team be this year, if everything goes right?

BH: I think we could be pretty good, but like I said, I think we just need to buy into Coach’s system. If we can believe in him and believe in our teammates, and hopefully if we work hard every day in practice and get better each and every game, we’ll see where that takes us.

NW: What are your thoughts on the Big Ten this year…how deep is going to be, and what’s that challenge going to be like?

BH: I think it’s going to be pretty deep. I think a bunch of the teams are pretty even, and we’ll have to see when we get there, but hopefully we can keep working hard so that when we get to Big Ten play, we’re playing our best basketball.


Previous article: Westbrook Slims Down and Prepares for Special Senior Season

Previous article: After Sharing Maple Syrup and Hockey, Canada Continues Giving with Gift of Devoe Joseph

Previous article: Iverson Looks to Become Latest Small Town Big Man to Shine for Gophers

Talk about the 2009-10 Gopher Basketball team on Tubby's Barn message board.