Williams Arena, which opened in 1928, is one of the oldest college basketball arenas in America. Sadly, unlike other famed edifices, you don’t immediately sense its rich history when you go inside The Barn, especially when it comes to former Black Gopher basketball greats.
“I’m 84 years old and have followed University of Minnesota men’s basketball for many years,” bemoaned Dave Grimsrud of Zumbrota, MN, a regular MSR reader. “When I look up at the banners in Williams Arena and don’t see our two all-time best guards, I’m not happy.”
The two guards he is referring to are Archie Clark (1963-66) and Ray Williams (1976-77).
Five of the 10 MBB banners hanging in the Williams Arena rafters are Black. Linda Roberts is the only Black female whose jersey hangs among the seven female Minnesota greats in the rafters.
But not Clark and Williams, both of whom went on to solid NBA careers. Clark is, however, featured on the Gophers Hardwood Heroes wall in the arena concourse.
“The revolving door of recruits visiting the program needs to see Archie Clark and Ray Williams. None of the other guards hanging up there compare,” added Grimsrud.
We agree. However, we shouldn’t be so surprised given the fact that the school has for years been super slow in formally honoring its past Black hoopsters. The same also goes for the U’s great teams.
Melvin Newbern (1988-90) and Connell Lewis (1986-90) were teammates on Clem Haskins’ first Gopher teams of the late 80s.
“Most of it was good times here — blood, sweat and tears on the floor,” recalled Newbern as he sat behind the home team bench after an early season game. He, Lewis, and fellow teammate Willie Burton, whose uniform number is among the 10 Gopher MBB greats in the rafters, were reminiscing about the good times and bad they had together as Gophers.
“We were one for all,” Newbern said proudly.
“I’ve got a lot of fun memories,” continued Lewis, who became a top reserve guard for the Gophers in his final three seasons. But as a former Detroit high school star, Lewis had to make some serious adjustments to his game upon arriving in Dinkytown.
“My biggest adjustment was not shooting,” recalled Lewis. “I was just as stubborn with [Coach Haskins] because I felt I’m not even getting the fair shake at this,” he pointed out.
Now a longtime local minister and entrepreneur, Lewis looks back and is eternally grateful that he stuck with it, and that Haskins stuck with him.
“The best memory I have,” said Lewis, “is the development and maturation of Coach developing me to be a man, sticking through all of the stuff, and allowing that part to happen to me was probably the best thing that could have ever happened.”
The three former Gophers were there to watch Melvin’s son Peyton Newbern, a Bemidji State junior guard, play in an exhibition game against his father’s old school. The younger Newbern admitted to some nervousness “because my dad did play here, and I had some nerve wracking moments.”
Coming up: “Diva” coming to town – First year North Florida WBB Assistant Coach Gadiva Hubbard will be in town when the Osprey plays at Minnesota Tuesday, Dec. 3. Hubbard played at Minnesota (2017-21). We plan to speak with her and feature her in a future MSR.
Read more in MSR Sports Online – head coaches for the new Unrivaled 3×3 league; a preview of the new Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame pop-up exhibit; and Black College Sports Weekly.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.