From the road
Men's hoops reporter Matt Bishop flew in and out of Minneapolis for Saturday's game. To put it lightly, Williams Arena has some character. "The Barn," as it's nicknamed, is one of the oldest and grandest buildings in college basketball and it hasn't lost any of its charm. The elevated court adds a lot to the experience and almost caused a few accidents. A Minnesota player would've slid off the court if not for the pole holding up the backboard, and senior forward Matt Trannon had to jump right off the thing and run into the tunnel behind the court after his momentum carried him off the floor. Despite holding the lead for much of the game, Minnesota's fans didn't come close to getting into the game until MSU took its short-lived lead in the second half. Although I didn't get to spend much time in Minneapolis because we flew in and flew out, it is still, by far, my favorite city and campus to visit in the Big Ten. So, to recap, Williams Arena (and the Minnesota campus): Thumbs up. Minnesota fans: Thumbs down.
