University of Minnesota Athletics
Long Ball: Freshman Guard Blake Hoffarber
1/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
There are certain sights and sounds that Golden Gopher Basketball fans are guaranteed to notice this season at Williams Arena.
Whether it is the student section aptly nicknamed “The Barnyard” providing a constant buzz of energy or the resounding cheer every time new head Coach Tubby Smith is announced in pre-game. For some it’s the history and tradition that comes from playing in one of the oldest college basketball arenas in the nation, with others simply coming to support their alma mater.
This season, there’s been another sound that Gopher fans have come to expect: “Hoffarber for three!” Freshman guard Blake Hoffarber has been lighting it up from behind the arc all season and it’s quickly turning him into a fan favorite at Minnesota. Fortunately for the Golden Gophers, “Hoffarber for three” has become synonymous with “Gophers Win!” and Hoffarber plans on keeping it that way.
Starting out playing basketball in the basement with his older brothers, Hoffarber was surrounded by basketball growing up. With his father the coach at Hopkins High School in a nearby Minneapolis suburb, a natural familiarity of the game followed Hoffarber in his youth, leading him to ultimately become a student of the game.
Even as a middle school student, Hoffarber was seeing the game differently from those around him. Despite being one of the tallest students in his grade, he devoted his time to becoming a guard, knowing that would carry him to the next level. Rather than focusing on overpowering his undersized competition, Hoffarber based his game on creating a reliable shot. Spending hours in the gym outside of practice became a staple of his training and has helped Hoffarber develop the consistent shot he has today.
“I’ve always had the attitude that if you don’t think you’re going to make your shot every time, you shouldn’t even take it,” Hoffarber said. “Even this year at Minnesota, I’m in the gym an hour before practice taking shots and then sticking around an hour after practice to shoot with the team managers rebounding for me.”
Entering this season, Hoffarber participated in Reebok’s ABCD recruiting camp where he was named the top three-point shooter of the camp. Considering that among the 152 camp participants was six of the top 10 recruits in the nation including USC’s O.J. Mayo and Memphis’ Derrick Rose, Hoffarber demonstrated what made him the top player in Minnesota his senior season by also being named the third-best guard at the camp.
Having a quick release has made this south paw shooter a threat to score every time he touches the ball. This season, Hoffarber has put on a clinic in three-point shooting, accumulating 22 three-pointers in his first eight games. His current pace would give him over 85 three-pointers on the season. This would break Minnesota’s all-time single season record of 78 set last season by senior Lawrence McKenzie. What remains most astonishing about the consistent perimeter shooting of the freshman is that at the current pace, Hoffarber would become Minnesota’s all-time leading three-point scorer only midway through his junior season.
Hoffarber has established himself as an offensive threat, tied for third on the team in scoring with an average of 10.2 a game. The remarkable part of this stat has been how he has accomplished it. Averaging just 18 minutes per game, Hoffarber’s knack for coming off the bench to hit the quick three-pointer has made him a valuable option for Minnesota and is a testament to the balanced attack brought each night from all 10 active Gophers.
Above all, Hoffarber has had an unfailing desire to win. Period. Winning the Minnesota High School State basketball tournament twice demonstrated Hoffarber’s potential of leading a team to victory. But despite his initial impression as a player, the effort comes from more than just his shot.
“I like to hustle for the loose ball and play tough defense. I’ll try to get some assists and rebounds whenever I can and just be an all-around good player,” Hoffarber said. “I like to win and that’s the way it has always been so I’ll do whatever I can to get there.”
What most fans do not see is Hoffarber’s time spent in the film room. Known for being a gym rat, his philosophical approach to the game can often be overlooked. He knows what it took to reach this level, but is trying to find ways to become great.
“I’m always breaking down film of what I need to do better and what I need to change. I’m always studying film and analyzing my game so I can just keep improving.”
This all-inclusive approach has made a positive on Gopher coaches and players, including Coach Tubby Smith. After the win over Colorado State earlier this season when Hoffarber posted his career high 21 points on 6-11 three-point shooting, Smith commented, “Blake is a very coachable player. He thinks, listens and concentrates well. Blake is always ready, and gets a lot of shots up when he gets the chance. He is a good player who comes from a good high-school program where he learned a lot.”
Even senior Dan Coleman, a leader for Minnesota, has seen how having a player like Hoffarber can change the way teams approach the game.
“Blake is a big-time shooter,” Coleman said. “He works every day in practice and it shows with his consistency. Any time you can have as many threats as possible, it makes it that much harder to defend, score on, and scout and it makes us that much better. Every player that comes to a team has the getting to know one another phase, but Blake fit in quick. He knows what he can do and that’s shoot.”
Hoffarber’s desire and passion for the game have him thinking much more than winning a few games here and there. Hoffarber wants to finish every night on the winning side of the scoreboard, no matter how they get there. Much to his delight, Minnesota is doing the right things to make this happen.
“When they signed Coach Smith, I was just shocked. He’s a great coach and a great man,” Hoffarber said. “He really knows basketball and has a deep understanding of the game. It’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about and we’re lucky to have him. We want to become a powerhouse in the Big Ten. The first step is having a coach like him.”
Having a legendary coach like Tubby Smith is a big step, but with players like Hoffarber and his commitment to winning, Minnesota can look to make that leap sooner rather than later.
feature by Ben Flattum, athletic communications student assistant
