Last year is a long time ago for Gophers' Haskins

Last February, Minnesota basketball coach Clem Haskins walked into the Crisler Arena press room following the Gophers' 55-54 victory over Michigan, donning a basketball net around his neck and a wide grin on his face.

Who could blame him? The No. 2 team in the nation had just captured the Gophers' first Big Ten title since 1982 and beaten the Wolverines at Crisler Arena for the second time in 28 tries.

After the buzzer sounded, Minnesota players rightfully celebrated their conference title. But it's how the Gophers celebrated that lingered in the minds of the Wolverines.

Minnesota players were hooting and hollering on center court and they didn't stop there. Players remained on the floor as the Wolverines headed to their lockerroom and the Crisler fans left for the exits.

And then came the scissors.

Haskins said he asked the Minnesota athletic director if it was okay to cut the Crisler twine for a souvenir. He approved and down went the nets.

"I think there's a right way and a wrong way to do things," said Haskins after last year's victory. "I try to show class in defeat and I try to show class the same way we win."

For a coach who is known to show all class, the move was kind of surprising. Was it the most unappropriate gesture that a team could give? No, not at all. The Gophers, who advanced to the Final Four, had a special team last year and Haskins - the 1997 National Coach of the Year, - had the right to celebrate.

This was not bulletin-board material, but that's not to say the Wolverines let it completely slip their minds.

Jesse Mae Carter, Robert Traylor's grandmother, best summed up the Michigan players' feelings of the Minnesota trim-job, heading into last night's game.

"Minnesota is not going to cut any nets tonight," she said.

The Gophers didn't cut the nets, they didn't grace the nets, they didn't get anywhere near the nets. It could have been a fishing net and it still wouldn't have mattered. In Michigan's 65-57 victory over Minnesota, the Gophers (0-6 Big Ten, 7-10 overall) didn't score for the first 6:17 of the game. They shot an unfathomable 14.7 percent from the field on 5-of-34 shooting in the first half and 29.4 percent for the game.

But it's not as if Michigan was lighting it up from the field, either - shooting just 32.1 percent on 9-of 28 shooting in the first half and finishing at 34.6 percent.

Besides All-America candidate Sam Jacobsen, Minnesota's high scorer with 21 points - who nailed a few long 3-pointers to bring the Gophers within five points with 42.6 seconds to play, there wasn't much more production from anyone. In last year's loss, Michigan turned over the ball twice in the last minute of the game and blew a four-point lead in the final three minutes.

But history didn't repeat itself this time as Traylor put an end to any hope of a Minnesota comeback when he swatted away Eric Harris's layup, his third blocked shot of the game, to seal the win.

Cut this!

"I don't care where we cut it down," said Traylor, who had a team-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, responding to a question about what would happen if Michigan clinched a Big Ten title. "I just want to do it somewhere."

The extra motivation provided by last year's post-game jubilee may have been the difference in last night's game.

The Wolverines sure didn't play as well as they have in their last 10 games. The conference-leading team didn't display its strong inside-outside game.

Louis Bullock wasn't the same sharp-shooter of recent games. Robbie Reid connected on just 2-of-7 3-point attempts. And the team missed 14 foul shots.

But this is not the same Michigan team, who just found a way to win, and this definitely is not the same Minnesota squad from last year.

Bobby Jackson, the 1997 Big Ten Player of the Year, graduated last year and is with the Denver Nuggets. The Gophers' also don't have their forward tandem of John Thomas, who graduated, and Courtney James, who was suspended for the year. This is a team that is on a quick downward spiral.

Different story, right Clem?

"What a difference a year makes," Haskins said. "Last year, I was sitting here with nets around my neck, all smiles, and now we are 0-6."

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