http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_6264104 When Corey Brewer saw that Chris Richard was drafted by the Timberwolves, he couldn't contain his excitement. They were teammates in college at Florida, and now they're NBA rookies on the same team. "I was dancing around in my hotel room," Brewer said with a grin Friday. Brewer and Richard were close on the court in college, winning back-to-back national championships. Off the court, they have proof of a special friendship as well. "We even have the same cell phone plan together," Brewer noted, sitting next to Richard during a news conference at Target Center. "We came to the same place. I was like, we should keep our cell phone plan." Brewer and Richard's teamwork and unity are characteristics the Wolves have lacked the past two seasons, when they suffered through a combined record of 65 wins, 99 losses. Coach Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale, vice president of basketball operations, said the club was plagued by selfishness. Piece by piece, the Wolves are remaking their roster to remedy that problem. The makeover began with last year's draft, when the Wolves selected Randy Foye and Craig Smith, young players whom management considers part of the core for the future. Then the Wolves jettisoned forward Eddie Griffin, who had battled alcohol problems and was suspended five games by the NBA last season for violating the league's anti-drug program. Earlier this month, the Wolves acquired Juwan Howard, a veteran who's known for his classy demeanor. The change continued Thursday night with the additions of Brewer and Richard. "That was a little bit of our mind-set when we entered the process of the draft and looking at who we wanted," Wittman said. "These were two players that were a great part of a team. There wasn't one guy on that Florida team that stood out over another. That was an attribute we took into account." Florida became the first team since Duke in 1991-92 to win back-to-back national championships. Wittman said the Gators couldn't have accomplished that without the right mix. "What stands out with these two guys is not only their ability to be good basketball players, but their character and how they play together and accept each other; that's how a team becomes a team," Wittman said. "We're thrilled to death to have those guys." Brewer and Richard both proved in college that winning was their foremost concern. Brewer wasn't worried about making flashy plays on offense; rather, he defended the opponent's best scorer. More than anything else, that's why he was the seventh overall pick. He was named the Southeastern Conference's co-defensive player of the year as a junior last season. At 6 feet 8, 185 pounds, Brewer has the length and athleticism to play shooting guard or small forward. But he's versatile enough defensively to guard several positions. He thinks he's ready to guard the NBA's elite scorers. "I feel like I'm a team player guy, I feel like Chris is too," Brewer said. "It's all about winning in the end." Richard, a 6-9, 252-pound bruiser, wasn't a starter through four years of college. He could have transferred to get more playing time elsewhere, but he remained loyal to Florida. He was rewarded for that by being drafted 41st overall, ahead of more well-known low-post prospect Aaron Gray of Pittsburgh and just a few picks behind Duke's Josh McRoberts in the second round. Richard averaged just 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds while being named the SEC's sixth man of the year. He left college with 112 wins, most in school history. Richard turned down an opportunity to start during Florida's senior night because it was an important conference game. "That tells you how selfless he is," McHale said. "You never heard the kid complain. He literally could have started on almost any team in the country." Said Richard: "I'd rather sacrifice all the things I have to win championships than go somewhere else and start and be 'the man.' It was a simple decision." --

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