By: Daily Editorial Board

As the NCAA tournament continues, most viewers will notice promotional portions of the broadcast containing former players and their classic “one shining moments.” Importantly, the NCAA uses these videos without making any royalty payments to former student-athletes.

This is a result of Form 08-3a, in which players must sign away the rights to their likenesses for the promotion of NCAA athletics free in order to play in the NCAA. This is the core of Ed O’Bannon’s case against the NCAA, which was recently certified as a class action lawsuit.

O’Bannon alleges that the NCAA’s practice of forcing players to sign away their likeness rights constitutes a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, which prohibits artificially fixing prices. While it has been upheld in the courts that the NCAA’s interest in ensuring amateurism of student-athletes — and therefore their ability to prohibit endorsement deals and payments to student-athletes — O’Bannon’s suit is able to distinguish itself because he is suing as a former athlete. His likeness was used in NCAA Football, a game by EA Sports, as part of a “classic” UCLA Bruins team.

A ruling in favor of O’Bannon could fundamentally alter the way the NCAA does business. It is likely that the NCAA would have to establish some form of a trust fund to make payments to former athletes. However, this raises significant Title IX issues, which mandates that men and women receive roughly equal opportunities in higher education.

Administrators argue that this would make it harder for the revenue sports, such as men’s football and basketball, to support the non-revenue sports. While some funding would be diverted, these athletes deserve some form of payment — perhaps in the form of continued medical insurance coverage.

By: Janice Bitters

Two proposals at the state Capitol could make college cheaper for undocumented students in Minnesota.

The proposed measures would allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities in Minnesota and receive scholarships and grants.

Gov. Mark Dayton wants the state to adopt federal guidelines on admitting undocumented students, while two state legislators have a bill that would ease restrictions for students to receive in-state tuition.

Many smaller state schools allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if they charge a flat rate for all students, but a few, including the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus, charge these students at out-of-state tuition rates.

Currently, undocumented students are not eligible for state grants or private scholarships in Minnesota.

In his 2014 budget proposal for higher education, Dayton suggested Minnesota adopt the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — federal guidelines that would allow undocumented students to qualify for temporary residency status.

The Prosperity Act, proposed by St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party members Rep. Carlos Mariani and Sen. Sandy Pappas, would have fewer requirements for students to increase the pool of undocumented students who would qualify for residency status and financial aid in the state.

“We applaud the governor’s efforts in this, and we know the DACA Minnesota bill does a lot for students in the community,” said Juventino Meza, program assistant at the Minneapolis advocacy group Citizen’s League. “However, we want to pass the Prosperity Act because it goes further than Gov. Dayton’s proposal.”

Some University campuses and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities  currently charge undocumented students out-of-state tuition, but several charge a flat rate for all students regardless of status.

Because the school charges higher tuition for out-of-state students, University spokesman Steve Henneberry said they must also charge undocumented students the same under a federal guideline.

The Prosperity Act requests the University adopt its own policy, but due to its autonomy, the school isn’t bound to comply with the act or the governor’s proposal.

Undocumented students at the University can’t receive state grants or private scholarships if the University doesn’t adopt a new policy.

The University would likely adopt a policy if one of the measures passes, Henneberry said.

“I would say that we’ll be ready to act on either of these proposals,” he said. “We are committed to accessibility and working with all students, and we will be ready to do that no matter which of these go forward.”

Louis Mendoza, associate vice provost for equity and diversity at the University, said the bill provides a long-awaited opportunity for the school.

“It actually makes it more possible for the alignment of the University’s interests and the state’s legal system,” Mendoza said. “The University’s stance has been pretty supportive, and this opens more opportunities to support non-citizen students.”

One of the requirements of the Prosperity Act is that students must sign an affidavit agreeing to apply for citizenship as soon as he or she is eligible.

According to The Pew Research Hispanic Center, almost two-thirds of legal immigrants from Mexico who are eligible to become citizens of the United States have not yet applied.

Currently, 12 other states have requirements like the ones proposed in the Prosperity Act and several other states have similar legislation pending.

Skeptics of the bill are concerned the expanded provisions for college affordability will encourage more people to illegally enter the U.S., and some argue that education grant funds will be stretched thin due to the increased demand.

Because fewer students would pay higher out-of-state tuition and more grants would go to students, the Prosperity Act is estimated to cost $9 million, according to Mariani, a number Pappas is unsatisfied with.

“We can actually challenge the assumptions of the fiscal notes, and [Pappas] has done that,” Mariani said. “The senator thinks that is way too high.”

No estimate has been released for Dayton’s plan.

Also included in Dayton’s budget is an $80 million increase in state higher education grant funding.

Some student groups at the University have announced support for measures to aid undocumented students, including the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.

GAPSA announced its support for the federal DREAM Act in February in solidarity with an undocumented student member who was having trouble finding loans to continue his education at the University, said the group’s president Brittany Edwards.

Edwards said the group decided unanimously to support the act because members believe it fits with the stated mission of the University.

“With those values in mind as a University — diverse community, creating a global workforce — all of that is part of the [DREAM Act],” she said.

In past years, bills to expand the definition of residents for educational purposes have been largely unsuccessful, but Mariani said he’s confident the Prosperity Act has a chance this year.

“The bill we introduced here this year is really the next logical step,” he said. “We are acknowledging that undocumented students should have access to higher education.”

By: Alexi Gusso

Eight University of Minnesota students will get the chance to serve as student representatives to the University of Minnesota’s governing body.

The Minnesota Student Association and Graduate and Professional Student Association will choose four students from the Twin Cities as student liaison to the Board of Regents.

In addition, one student will be selected from each of the University’s satellite campuses by the corresponding student government.

Although student representatives don’t cast votes on official measures, the position allows for a student perspective in matters of University governance.

A joint committee of GAPSA and MSA officers will interview and select one or two graduate or professional students and two or three undergraduate students as the Twin Cities representatives.

GAPSA president Brittany Edwards said any student can apply for the position, but the strongest applicants are those who “have experience with the governing structure of the University.”

She said applicants don’t necessarily need to be involved in MSA or GAPSA. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Law School students often apply, as well as students who want to get more involved in the community.

Regents policy states that of the Twin Cities representatives, no more than two students can be members of GAPSA and no more than three can be on MSA, according to the regents website.

Student representatives attend each full board meeting and sit on at least one board committee. Representatives can ask questions and provide information in and outside of committee meetings, according to the application website.

The group of student representatives is also tasked with writing one 10-page report per semester on student concerns and issues for the regents.

Kyle Kroll, a senior and a current student representative to the regents, sits on the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, which he calls the “super committee” because it handles issues that directly affect students.

Through his involvement, Kroll has lent his voice to important committee discussions on topics ranging from tuition to the student conduct code.

Kroll, who called his experience “rewarding and fun,” said he makes a point to ask pressing questions in committee meetings.

“I know that there are ways that the University can improve, and I want to bring those points to the attention of the administrators and the regents themselves,” he said, noting that students’ questions can have a “strong impact.”

For example, Kroll once brought up strengthening the University Honors Program at a committee hearing. After discussing the topic, the committee resolved to speak with administrators and explore ways to improve the program.

“That really made me feel good because it showed that my voice can have an impact on the direction of the discussion going on at that high of level,” Kroll said.

Cody Mikl, current chair of the student representatives, said his experience has resulted in a “tremendous respect” for the board.

“Decisions around here are not made lightly, and I’m pleasantly surprised about what I see go on at those meetings,” he said.

Mikl said the regents have been “hugely receptive” to his comments and questions during committee meetings.

Students interested in becoming board representatives should be dedicated to putting in the work necessary — it’s a time commitment, and prioritizing meetings can take up “large blocks of your schedule,” Mikl said.

Despite the heavy time commitment, Mikl, who’s on the selection committee, said being a student voice to the board is an important job.

“Students know very well what it’s like to be in the classrooms and what it’s like to be educated in the institutions, so that’s a valuable perspective,” he said.

Kroll said applications are due April 12, and the committee will announce its final decisions at the end of the month.

By: Roy Aker

Full-time University of Minnesota sophomore Tony Corradi was surprised to see a financial aid cutback after dropping a class this spring.

Despite still paying the same amount in tuition, Corradi said part of his state grant was redacted after he cut his credit load from 19 to 14.

Because Minnesota’s grant system operates under a 15-credit policy, aid is reduced for grant recipients like Corradi, who are taking 13 or 14 credits.

“It’s definitely confusing and frustrating,” he said.

One Stop Student Services bases financial aid on the assumption students will take 15 or more credits — the state’s definition of full time — although University students only need 12 credits to be considered full time and 13 credits to pay full tuition.

“I’d think that if the school says [12] is full time, then the state would recognize that as full time instead of setting their own mark,” Corradi said.

Roughly 10 days before aid is disbursed, it’s repackaged based on students’ actual enrollment, said Kris Wright, a director of the Office of Student Finance.

She said One Stop staff often see students who don’t receive all the aid they expected.

“They’ll see a drop in what they’re going to get, and that’s when the calls come,” she said.

The state’s policy on full-time students was changed in 1992 from 12 to 15 credits.

Meredith Fergus, a policy analyst for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, said the rationale behind the state’s credit policy is that more students will graduate on time, saving them money in the long run.

“It’s not that we expect all students to take 15 credits,” Fergus said. “We just think it’s a more realistic message to send to students.”

The average University undergraduate student is taking 14.8 credits this semester, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

Larry Pogemiller, Minnesota OHE director, said switching the grant system to mirror the University’s full-time student policy “shouldn’t be the conclusion we come to.”

Pogemiller said he’d rather see more grant aid awarded instead of students taking fewer credits in order to work and pay for living expenses.

“The best way I can think about it from a policy perspective,” he said, “is that we have not kept up on the level of financial aid and that it would not be a wise result for students to take less credits.”

Pogemiller said Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposal of an $80 million increase in funds to the state grant program as well as $42.6 million in direct funds to the University for a tuition freeze will help the current situation.

“We do think this would go a long way in easing the pressure off a large number of students,” he said. “I’m optimistic something significant will happen this year at the Legislature.”

By: Charlie Armitz

Rumors swirled around the Internet about the next Gophers head men’s basketball coach in the hours following Tubby Smith’s dismissal Monday.

But the University of Minnesota’s athletics department has kept mum despite the rampant speculation.

Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague said Monday that he had a “short list” of candidates to replace Smith but did not name anyone.

Many believe Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart is his top choice. Smart has led VCU to three straight NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance. Teague, who was VCU’s athletics director prior to leaving for Minnesota, hired Smart at VCU in 2009. The two worked together along with Mike Ellis, a Gophers associate AD who also left VCU, from 2009-12.

USA Today and Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that VCU is trying to secure Smart to a new contract agreement, and USA Today reported that both Minnesota and UCLA have reached out to the 35-year-old coach.

While Smart has dominated the headlines, about a dozen other coaches have been mentioned as realistic possibilities to replace Smith. Two of the most realistic options are Flip Saunders, a former Gophers player with many local ties, and Buzz Williams, the head coach at Marquette.

Coaches for major college sports such as men’s basketball are usually replaced quickly, and the Gophers’ new coach could be announced as soon as Wednesday.

If not, the announcement will likely come next week rather than Thursday or Friday, when the college basketball world will shift its attention to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.

A LOOK AT POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS FOR TUBBY SMITH

Shaka Smart

WHY HE WOULD ACCEPT: Even if VCU extends Smart’s contract, Minnesota would likely offer him more money. Smart has strong relationships with Teague and Ellis from their three successful years together at VCU.

WHY HE WOULD SUCCEED: Smart is known as an excellent recruiter and has built VCU into one of the nation’s most consistent winning programs. His in-game coaching, which features a pressure defense known as “havoc,” has helped him make the most of his talent.

WHY HE WOULD FAIL: “Havoc” might not be suited for the Big Ten, which has better ball-handlers than Smart is used to facing. He doesn’t have many local ties outside of Teague and Ellis, which would present a recruiting challenge.

Flip Saunders

WHY HE WOULD ACCEPT: He follows the Gophers and the local high school scene closely. He has ties to the state from his time at the University and his 10 years as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He hasn’t held a head coaching job since the Washington Wizards fired him in 2012.

WHY HE WOULD SUCCEED: He knows local recruits better than the other candidates and would have a better chance of landing Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn and Reid Travis — the trio of highly coveted 2014 recruits from Minnesota. On the court, his efficient half-court offense would be an instant improvement over Smith’s.

WHY HE WOULD FAIL: He has no college head coaching experience and has struggled in his last two NBA jobs. He’s known as an average to below-average defensive coach.

Buzz Williams

WHY HE WOULD ACCEPT: Williams has a good relationship with Teague and Ellis, and he hasn’t been on great terms with Larry Williams, Marquette’s athletics director. Larry Williams suspended Buzz Williams one game last August in connection with recruiting violations.

WHY HE WOULD SUCCEED: Williams has led Marquette to the Sweet Sixteen for three consecutive years and hasn’t missed the NCAA tournament in his five years with the Golden Eagles. Unlike Smart and Saunders, he’s proven he can compete in a power conference, the Big East.

WHY HE WOULD FAIL: There isn’t a strong case against Williams, but he would likely be only a minor upgrade over Smith and wouldn’t excite fans like Smart or Saunders.

OTHER CANDIDATES: Anthony Grant (Alabama head coach), Brad Stevens (Butler head coach), Gregg Marshall (Wichita State head coach), Andy Enfield (Florida Gulf Coast head coach), Jay Wright (Villanova head coach)

By: Samuel Gordon

The back end of the Gophers pitching staff is getting healthy at just the right time.

With conference play set to begin Friday, pitchers DJ Snelten and Alec Crawford both returned from injury last week, leaving head coach John Anderson with the difficult task of sorting out which arms will go where.

Junior lefthander and Friday starter Tom Windle is pitching like an All-American and is the unquestioned ace of the staff.

The 6-foot-4-inch Windle is 3-2 with a 1.54 ERA in six starts this season. He’s thrown three straight complete games, the first of which was the program’s first no-hitter since 1993.

Meyer, a sophomore righty, has done well as the Saturday starter, posting a 3-2 record and a 2.79 ERA in six starts.

Anderson said he has no plans to remove Meyer from the Saturday slot, but the third spot in the rotation is still undecided.

Crawford, who has started each of the past two Sundays, looks to have the inside track.

“We’ll probably start Alec and use DJ to back him up,” Anderson said about his third starter spot.

Both Snelten and Crawford were considered as starters before the season.

After Sunday’s outing, Crawford, who missed the first month of the season with a knee injury, said he’s much more comfortable as a starter.

Crawford said he wasn’t aware of any plans coaches had for him in Big Ten play.

Snelten, who’s returning from an elbow injury, was the Gophers’ No. 2 starter last season.

He posted a 4-4 record and a 3.24 ERA in 16 games last season, including 13 starts.

Anderson said he’s satisfied with the strides his team has made but disappointed with how little Snelten and Crawford were able to pitch.

“They’re behind,” he said. “They’re two of our better arms. We’ve got to keep getting them out there.”

Gophers pitchers rank first in the Big Ten in strikeouts (175) and have the fifth-lowest team ERA (3.01).

Anderson said he’ll evaluate Crawford and Snelten this weekend before making any permanent decisions.

“We’ll figure out long-term how we’re going to do it based on how they pitch,” he said.

Notes

Wednesday’s game will be Minnesota’s last at the Metrodome, which will be torn down after the Minnesota Vikings’ 2013 season.

The Vikings will open a new stadium in 2016 at the site of the Metrodome. The stadium will include space for a baseball field.

By: Jake Stark

A University student was arrested outside of Five Guys Burgers and Fries early Saturday for harassing an off-duty police officer, according to a Minneapolis police report.

The student, 22, was acting as if he was going to damage a police squad car parked outside of Five Guys around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the report said. The officer told him to leave the area, but the student refused.

After the student refused to leave, the officer arrested him on suspicion of obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct, the report said.

A University police officer arrived at the scene and found the student to be very drunk, said Minneapolis police Sgt. Steve McCarty, so the officers booked him at Hennepin County Jail.

Smartphone stolen near Central Avenue Southeast

A University student had her cellphone ripped from her hand Thursday night near a bus stop close to Central Avenue Southeast, according to a Minneapolis police report.

The student, 21, was walking away from the bus shelter around 9:45 p.m. Thursday when a man followed her and grabbed her phone from her hand, the report said.

The man then fled into a car that pulled up next to him, the report said. The car drove off across the Third Avenue Bridge before police could arrive at the scene.

Thefts like these are not uncommon around the University, said Minneapolis crime prevention specialist Nick Juarez .

“We probably see more thefts of the forgotten cellphone at the bar or at a party,” he said. “But we’ve seen that before, where someone is distracted and texting, and another person runs up and grabs the cellphone from them.

In order to prevent these types of thefts, students need to learn to put their cellphones away, Juarez said.

“You can’t be using your phone,” he said. “I know it’s hard. For most people, that’s their computer; that’s their iPod; that’s their life right there. But just don’t look at it until you’re in a safe place.”

By: Tyler Gieseke

The University of Minnesota just barely missed the goals the Board of Regents  set for 2012 graduation rates.

The University’s graduation rates have risen significantly in the past few decades  but fell short in 2012 of what Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education  Bob McMaster called a “very, very ambitious” goal.

Fifty-eight  percent of students who started in 2008 finished four years later — two percentage points shy of the goal. But the 73 percent  six-year rate fell seven points short.

“I think they were very lofty goals,” he said. “They were really put in place to have the University pull out all the stops to try to improve the rates as fast as we could.”

The University focuses its efforts on increasing four-year rates, McMaster said, adding that five- and six-year rates will increase accordingly. He expects the four-year rate to reach its 60 percent goal by fall 2014.

The University has increased its four-year graduation rates by nearly 17 percentage points since 2006, according to University data.  

Although the University missed its goals, McMaster said little additional action will be taken besides perhaps stepping up what the University is already doing.

Increasing graduation rates

Currently, the University focuses on pushing the importance of four-year graduation to students, McMaster said.

“We really expect that students will graduate in four years,” he said, adding that the message is “pretty hard to escape.”

For example, at convocation each year, students are given a tassel with their four-year graduation year on it.

Another approach the University takes in increasing rates includes admitting students who can graduate faster, McMaster said.

“The quality of our students has gone up significantly over the last five or 10 years,” he said.

Since 2001, the average ACT score for freshmen entering the University has increased about 3 points, from 24.5 to 27.7 in 2012, according to the University’s Office of Institutional Research. 

In addition, McMaster said the University established Welcome Week  in the fall of 2008 and Graduation Planner, which allows students to plan their coursework for each semester until graduation. The aim, he said, is to increase support for students.

Other initiatives the University has taken to increase graduation rates include standardizing the number of credits to graduate across departments, reducing the number of themes needed in liberal education requirements from five to four and providing services to those in a financial emergency.

But these things don’t always work.

Dan Johns, who dropped out of the University after four semesters, said he realized his industrial and systems engineering degree wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do. His adviser discouraged him from changing colleges, and Johns eventually left altogether. 

“It hasn’t held me back from anything yet,” he said.

Johns said he could find similar opportunities elsewhere.

“The only real thing with the U is getting the University of Minnesota on your degree,” he said.

By: Nate Gotlieb

The Gophers football team was left with a sour taste in its mouth last year after a 34-31 loss to Texas Tech in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Minnesota graduated 14 starters from that squad and eight on the defensive side.

Three months later, with spring practice set to begin Tuesday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex, the team will look to fill holes at linebacker and cornerback.

The Gophers lost two starters at each position, but head coach Jerry Kill said Monday at a press conference that he expects other players to step up — especially at linebacker.

“We are a little bit thin in there in the spring,” Kill said of the linebacker position, “but the people that are in there need a lot of repetition to get better.”

Minnesota graduated starters Mike Rallis and Keanon Cooper, both of whom were among the team’s top- five leading tacklers.

Kill said he expects seniors Aaron Hill and James Manuel and junior Lamonte Edwards to fill the void.

Hill and Manuel both played in all 13 games last season and recorded 74 and 50 tackles, respectively. Edwards appeared in 11 games and made eight tackles.

Manuel and Edwards are both considered undersized linebackers — neither weighs more than 225 pounds — but Kill said he expects them to make plays using their speed and physicality.

“We don’t need a 230 guy that’s going to go out there and play on an inside receiver,” Kill said.

Kill said he expects newcomer Damien Wilson to compete for the starting middle linebacker job as well. Wilson, a 254-pound junior, transferred from Jones County Junior College in Mississippi and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Gophers.

“Damien’s got to come through,” Kill said.

Wells, Jones will move to corner

With Troy Stoudermire and Michael Carter graduating, the cornerback position is open for competition.

Seniors Jeremy Baltazar and Martez Shabazz, among others who have played cornerback, will compete for the starting jobs, Kill said. Former safety Derrick Wells and former wide receiver Marcus Jones will also compete for the position.

Wells appeared in all 13 games last season at safety and is the Gophers’ leading returning tackler (74 tackles). He will split time between safety and cornerback this season, Kill said Monday.

“We feel like we’ve recruited pretty well at safety,” Kill said. “That allows us to have some flexibility with [Wells].”

Jones, who played on both sides of the ball in high school, exclusively played offense and special teams in his first two seasons at Minnesota, tallying 15 receptions for 209 yards.

Gophers look for playmakers at wide receiver

While Minnesota will try to fill holes at both linebacker and cornerback, Kill said the team is also looking for improved production at wide receiver after last season’s struggles.

A.J. Barker, the Gophers’ leading receiver last season, quit the team after eight games. Although Barker is enrolled at the University this semester, he’s not on the team.

Sophomore Andre McDonald is still with the team but won’t participate in spring practice because of personal issues.

That means returning wideouts Isaac Fruechte, Derrick Engel and Devin Crawford-Tufts will be relied on to lead the receiving corps, along with former running back Devon Wright and redshirt freshman Jamel Harbison.

Harbison, whom rivals.com rated a three-star recruit in the class of 2011, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Gophers’ season-opening win over Nevada-Las Vegas last season.

Harbison’s rehab has been slow, and he won’t be at full strength for spring practice, Kill said.

“It’s been a slower process than he wants,” Kill said. “Is he where he was when he started? No. But nobody is coming off those surgeries, except for maybe Adrian Peterson.”

Kill said that he’s hoping Crawford-Tufts, who caught 16 passes for 189 yards as a sophomore last season, will break out this season.

By: Andrew Krammer

The negativity surrounding Gophers men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith seemed to gain intensity in each of his six seasons at Minnesota.

No winning seasons in the Big Ten and one win in four games at the NCAA tournament, among other factors, convinced first-year athletics director Norwood Teague to buy out Smith’s contract and start over.

The Gophers stayed relevant nationally by upsetting then-No. 1 Indiana in February and winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 1997. But it wasn’t enough for Teague’s new administration to see a bright future.

Fans and boosters, however, expressed their fondness of Smith as a person, saying he affected lives off the court in addition to his work on it.

“It’s a great loss for the University,” Gophers basketball booster Jerry Broeckert said. “I hate to see him go. I don’t think he had to go.”

Broeckert was part of Smith’s “coach’s circle,” an exclusive group of about 20 people that typically met monthly with the coach and his wife, Donna.

“Disappointment,” Broeckert said about the firing. “I’m disappointed in all the media hype about it going into the playoffs. I think it just fuels the fire.”

Don Bromen, president of the “Golden Dunkers” booster club, said although he devotes his continued support to Gophers basketball and the administration, Smith was ultimately a “great human being.”

“Winning isn’t everything,” Bromen said.

The seventh-year member of the booster club recalled Smith’s hiring at Minnesota in 2007.

“I knew his pedigree then, and I was excited,” Bromen said. “I knew it would be a great thing for this program, and I feel it still was.”

Broeckert likened Smith to former Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi and said both “did it the right way, which could be part of their downfall.”

Maturi and Smith are both in their 60s, and Broeckert said there was a “clash in cultures” between Teague and Smith, who was hired by Maturi.

“It’s a generational thing,” Broeckert said.

Broeckert pointed to Smith’s philanthropy work, including the Tubby Smith Foundation, and said it was overlooked in deciding the coach’s fate.

Teague said Monday that Smith is “an outstanding, outstanding person” and took the firing “graciously” despite not finding out until Monday afternoon, around the same time the media found out.

Smith was asked after the Gophers’ NCAA tournament loss to Florida on Sunday if he felt his job was in jeopardy.

“No,” Smith said, marking his last response as the Gophers’ head coach.

Teague said Smith was a “little surprised” when told he would be let go.

Fans at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday said Smith’s name recognition alone garnered national attention that will be hard to get from another coach.

Casey Maikkula, 21, attended high school with Gophers player Rodney Williams. Maikkula said Friday’s win over UCLA in the NCAA tournament round of 64 should’ve been enough to save Smith’s job.

“One win,” Maikkula said. “That’s where it starts.”