Their last dance

When Tom Coverdale, Kyle Hornsby and Jeff Newton each arrived as freshman in Bloomington ready to make an impact on the IU men's basketball team.\nThroughout their time as Hoosiers, the men have experienced the striking low of losing a coach and the ultimate high of making it to the NCAA title game. Not to mention all the trying and exciting games smashed in between.\nTonight their eventful careers in Bloomington come to an end as they will take the floor of Assembly Hall one last time when IU faces the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN.\n"It's going to be depressing when it's all over," said Coverdale, a guard. "Four great years, but I can't think about it right now. I'm sure I will think about it when it's over."\nShould IU pick up a win against the Golden Gophers, their goal of attaining a spot in the NCAA tournament will be closer to being recognized. The Hoosiers are 17-10, 7-7 in the Big Ten currently, and just one more win would put them above .500 in conference play for the season. \nBut first they have to get past Minnesota.\nThe Golden Gophers enjoyed a 5-2 record throughout the month of February, including the 90-68 trouncing of then-No. 25 Purdue. As of late, the Gophers (16-9, 8-6) won four straight games before losing their last two, at Michigan State and at home against Wisconsin.\nSophomore forward Rick Rickert, who proved to be too much for the Hoosiers in the last meeting between IU and Minnesota, is the leading scorer for the Golden Gophers and ranks seventh in the Big Ten. Rickert averages 16 points per game and is seventh in another category in the Big Ten, this time rebounding, where he is tied with IU's junior center George Leach with 6.2.\nThe Hoosiers are going to have their hands full with Minnesota as the Golden Gophers lead the league in scoring offense with around 75.6 points per game and blocked shots per game (6.7). Minnesota gets just over seven steals per game, and its .407 field goal percentage average earns it the second highest rating in the conference.\nBut the Golden Gophers are coming into an environment where the entire attitude of the IU team has adjusted.\n"We want all the wins. I know we haven't been the best, but trust me we want to win every game, these guys would have done it," junior guard/forward A.J. Moye said. "March is our month, especially mine. I like it."\nThe Hoosiers displayed this new outlook on their season over the weekend when the Hoosiers defeated Iowa in a 91-88 win. Moye said following the game that had IU been placed in the situation of losing a lead and having to play in a close game, the Hoosiers would have lost by 20. Not anymore as IU enters the final stretch of the season.\n"Our tournament starts right now with these three games," freshman guard Bracey Wright said. "Our tournament started early. We're fighting right now. We are fighting to stay alive"