MEN'S BASKETBALL Turning down the Gophers was one
thing, especially since his dad, Gregg Smith, was a punter on the Minnesota football team in the early '80s. Turn- ing down a tender is another thing all- together. "I'm fortunate enough to come
from a background where my parents can afford to put me through college,'' Smith said. "My dad sat me down one night and
said, 'Listen, if you take the money off the table, if money (getting a scholar- ship) wasn't a part of it, where would you go?' "That was easy. I said, 'Wisconsin because they win. I know the coaching staff. I know the players. It's close to home. There's no question on where I want to go if that (money) isn't an issue.''' Such are the sacrifices that Smith and his family were willing to make. "That's huge from the standpoint
of what he turned down and walked away from,'' Gard said. "What it often comes down to is the combination of relationships and our track record (in Minnesota). "He (Smith) knew people who had
come here before him. He reached out to some of those guys and found out about their experiences. He took a look under the hood and kicked the tires, so to speak.'' Smith saw himself making that trip between
Orono and Madison, though maybe caroling in a car with Taylor was not on his radar. As it is, Thursday will mark Taylor's final appearance in "The Barn.'' "I'm actually looking forward to it; I love play-
ing there,'' said Taylor, who has played basket- ball with or against Minnesota's Rodney Wil-
34 ยป VARSITY FEBRUARY 9, 2012
liams (Robbinsdale Cooper) since he was 9 years old.
Each of the Minnesota-bred players on the
UW roster has their ties to the Gophers. One of Bruesewitz's closest friends is Chris Halvorsen, a walk-on from Sibley and transfer from Valpo. "That's just part of the fun,'' Bruesewitz said.
"But it will make it a lot easier when we go back in the summer if we can go up there (Thursday) and take care of business.''
DAVID STLUKA
