2009-2010 Gophers

[Scott M]

Is it fishing season yet? Has the Twins season started? I don't know how many times this team has to tease us and then unravel in the end. They finally go back to the hi-lo game, Hummel tweaks his knee and goes down, and Ralph Sampson decides to finally have his breakout game, and they can't find a way to finish. Unbelieveable. Their at-large bid dreams went up in smoke. All that is left is the conference tournament and this team can't win a game down the stretch to save its soul. The whole time I'm looking at the clock in the second half thinking hurry up, hurry up. I never thought the Gophers had it won, and if the fans are thinking it, so are the players.

People were walking out complaining about Iverson's missed putback. I didn't get to see any replays, but it sure looked like he missed an off balance tip. He should have come down strong with it, but with as up and down as his season has been and how messed up his confidence has been, I couldn't blame Iverson for the loss.

This team couldn't exploit the Kramer mismatch. Purdue couldn't stop our big lineup. We were getting nice looks inside and we managed to erase the huge rebounding advantage Purdue had in the first half. But for whatever reason, no one wanted to post Kramer up like a man and finish. He is the Big Ten reigning defensive player of the year, but he's not that good. I was really disappointed with that unexploited matchup.

Devoe got a nice look. It always seems that Tubby calls the timeout right when somebody goes down and scores, as Devoe did on a stepback. Then they run the play, he gets the aforementioned Kramer up in the air, gets a great look, but it rims out. One second earlier, and Damian Johnson has a chance at a put back to win. There are little things that good teams do to win but Minnesota can't seem to do those things. That's all the Gophers did in the last 2 minutes was score on putbacks...with another second they probably could have done it.

Is this the watershed moment we look back on and say Ralph Sampson gets it? Personally I don't think so. No other team is going to let him plod in the lane with a slow dribble and slow baby hook. He still isn't working towards the basket like good big men do and he still isn't strong enough getting the ball. They can make him look like Mark McGwire in 1998 but it won't stop the fact that his shortcoming on the basket court is the mental approach he brings to the game. Mental toughness. Purdue had it tonight, and Minnesota hasn't had a mentally tough team since Clem was here.

Purdue has wanted this Big Ten crown from the get go and it looks like they control their own destiny. They had a plan and got wide open looks. Despite losing arguably their best player and playing poorly in one of the harshest venues to play in in the country, they found a way to win, especially senior Keaton Grant. Where are our senior stepping up like that? Hummel would have torched us if he stayed in (11 points in 12 minutes). Johnson was getting gorgeous jumpers without double teams. Kramer was putting the clamps on Hoffarber. I'd love to see Minnesota in that role some day, but they don't take the big jumps in learning little things, at least not together. They have all the talent to win a game or two in the Big Dance, go to the Sweet 16 and have a chance, but they can't do the little things to win games, get confidence, and realize that potential.

[mr_jman]

That was so disheartening and brought up bad memories of the Michigan State, Northwestern, and Indiana games. We can't hold a lead and ALWAYS let the opponent get back into the game.

Its a little tougher to be mad when your playing the #3 team in the nation. They are there for a reason and deserve to bet there, but we fought back so well in the 2nd half and to hld the lead almost all half once we got it then to lose it like that AGAIN!

There isn't a whole lot to complain about on the final play... They had an excellent look and it didn't go down. Smart idea for Joseph using that pump fake but I'm guessing the nerves got to him and he rushed it a little bit.

Its just the same old story. I'll kinda lose interest until the Big Ten tourney. We dont play well on the road! The gophers are really going to have to finish well to even have a sniff of being on the bubble. They could do well and upset somebody, but it seems more likely that they could lose in round 1 or most likely lose in the first "real" round of the tourney to a higher seeded team.

Are the Wild playing yet? How about the college hockey tournaments, not just the WCHA one... but the Bemidji State Beavers in the CHA and the REAL tourney! I'll take my interests elsewhere for now!

[CJH]

No Killer instinct!!!! They had the opportunity to put the throttle down and put it away and.......Westbrook dribbles it off his foot.

I don't blame Iverson or Joseph. Both tried to make plays and they just didn't go down (yes Iverson should have come down with it and gone back up, but he fought hard for that rebound and the lack of playing time shows on his ball skills) . That's basketball. The game shouldn't have been that close.

[james_walleye]

Chise, the reason Sampson had all that room in the middle is that Purdue refused to help off the perimeter. I dont know how many times the ball went inside on Hoffarbers side and Etwan would not leave him to help out. They were not going to get beat on the perimeter. Last night was the first night we've ever seen Sampson play with any confidence. We'll see if it continues.

I didnt like the timeout call at the end. I've never liked it. Dont let the defense set up. Come up the court quickly with the ball in Josephs hand and let him create against a defense that isnt set up yet.

It is frustrating to see this team not able to finish off games. A win against the #3 team in the nation could be the difference between NCAA and NIT, depending on how this team finishes out. This team has had so many missed opportunities.

[Scott M]

I think Illinois puts one of two nails in the Gophers NCAA coffin today. The other nail is a BTT tourney loss.

[Dotch]

Am thinkin' you're right but like a fool I'll still burn the electricity and watch the game anyway between coughing, blowing my nose and checking for new lambs. Curious to see how our big boys progress matches up vs. a stickman like Tisdale for future reference I guess. Perhaps a glutton for punishment is more like it.

[mnhunter17]

Massive second half collapse. Up 19 with 7 mins to play. But somehow we pulled this one out. Not how you want to win , but a wins a win.

[Scott M]

Yuck. I guess we'll take it.

[Dotch]

Yup. An ugly win is still better than an ugly loss.

[CJH]

Creeping towards the bubble!!!! Two wins and a loss by Illinois would probably put us in!

[Mudcutter]

two wins and one in the Big 10--- IN. that's 20 wins. and 10-8 in a pretty darn tough conf. Wins agst Buter,Ohio St, WISC, ILL. check out pomeroy readings on google has MIn in top 30.

one win- one loss- and two in the Big 10--- ???

For what Tubby has had to deal with this year,, basically the same team as last year without the added high talent,,, he done pretty darn good especially with the close losses agst Purdue and MSU.

they get westbrook and Joeseph to play good, they can win a game or two in the dance. Hoffarber is a mystery to me.

[Northlander]

They will win 1 maybe 2 if they play out of their minds.

[goblueM]

big game tonight against my Wolverines! looking forward to watching it

[CJH]

Lost the last three to the marginal Wolverines, we need to turn the tide!!!

[Dotch]

If you guys come down around about 5 I could get my chores done in time to watch it. Thinkin' about steak and taters for supper if'n you're hungry. Go Gophers!

[james_walleye]

Not a good showing. That should cinch the NIT.

[Dotch]

No doubt. Kinda sucks when doing chores is more fun than watching your alma mater stink up the court. Westbrook should be benched for at least the next game. No play defense = no play against IA. Am tired of his little hissy fits and Randy Moss type attitude. Will be good riddance not having to put up with his garbage next season. I feel sorry for Damian Johnson. He can't carry the team on his shoulders. Surely his teammates need to show up and owe him a good game against IA.

[goblueM]

man, if only Michigan had played that way all year they'd be looking to go dancing.

Unless they wint the BTT

guess we'll see you guys in the NIT

[Northlander]

After seeing them stink up the court tonight I think they will be lucky to win a game in the Not Interested Tourney.

[james_walleye]

Ya it they can't get up for MI knowing that winning out the regular season puts them in decent position to go dancing, how are they going to get up for an NIT game.

[mr_jman]

EXACTLY - they still had a lot to play for going into that game. As the announcers said they still had a shot at 5th if Illinois would have lost both and we would have won both. We would have had a bye in the Big Ten Tourney. Well thats out the window and we will sit about 6 or 7th and have a play in game.

Really pathetic performance vs Michigan. I could have respected a hard fought loss, but a blowout??? They should beat Iowa but its going to take a big run to even get a bubble in the March Madness. NIT is where they are headed! I couldn't agree more with the Westbrook comments. He is a cancer on the team. I feel bad for Damian who is one heck of a player!

Nolen will be back next year and I like Williams and Sampson is improving! Devoe will have more game experience and we still have Blake one more year.

HOPE FOR THE BEST NEXT YEAR - I Suppose!

[Scott M]

No pride. How is that team not ready to win a must-win game? Swept by Michigan? Loss at Indiana? Those mediocre RPI losses leave them out of the tourney. That team flat out quit Tuesday. I'm going to the Iowa game only because I have the ticket. I won't be in the barn next year...too far to drive.

It's been a continuously unfolding disappointing season that will carry into the NIT. I just hope this team can try to win for Tubby to get to 20.

[CJH]

Don't even care at this point. Was starting to get excited they way they played down the stretch until this stinker.

I think I am done with them for the year. They are so frustrating to watch sometimes!!

[Scott M]

Last regular season game at Williams for Westbrook, Bostick, and Damian Johnson. I don't think there was a lot of leadership in that group. Solid play on the court? Yes at time. DJ was about the most solid guy they've had in the program for some time; he could affect games without having the ball in his hands. He set some records in blocks and steals; hopefully he gets a look as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. They announced Johnson graduated last August. Wish someone would have stood up as a player to right the ship this year. Best 18 and 12 team in the nation, right? Ha. I guess what kills me is how much potential this group had. If they managed to win half the games they let slip away we would be looking at a ranked team, lock for the tournament, and a threat to upset a team to advance past the Sweet 16. Instead this group will settle for the NIT. Imagine if they were .500 and they had won a few more games, they would be where they are at recordwise right now. Nobody would have cared. Instead, they are 18-12 and left everything on the table. The "what could have been" factor is what sours so many fans. Ranked #17 in the preseason, ranked #70-something after the season.

How will things get better next year? Not too many Big Ten impact men are graduating. DeShawn Sims, Devan Dumas, Chris Kramer, Trevon Hughes, Jason Bohannen. That's it. Everybody else is back and everybody else is recruiting, and well.

Tubby's Big Ten Record: 8-10, 9-9, 9-9. There were promises that the nonconference schedule will get more difficult, we'll see if that's true. I'd hate to be the one that turns on Tubby, but there are some expectations he was supposed to live up to. I don't think they can get anyone better as HC, but we'll see what happens with the college basketball landscape in the coming years. It's so funny how fatalistic Minnesota fans are. Every Star Tribune Men's basketball chat starts with some polls and the first poll is always "Will Tubby Smith leave the University of Minnesota?" The students do their bowing when Smith is introduced...when does the fawning end and the expectations begin?

On to the Big Ten Tourney...They open with a frisky of late Penn State, winner to play Michigan State. Winner likely plays Purdue, and then is in the championship game. Not likely to say the least.

[Scott M]

Well, 2 games won in 2 days.

Minnesota puts itself in NCAA discussion

by Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS -- Lawrence Westbrook wasn't sure how Minnesota's overtime upset of Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals would affect the Golden Gophers' NCAA tournament chances.

But the Minnesota senior guard planned to find out. Fast.

"I've got to watch ESPN and see," he said after the 72-67 win. "It can't hurt us. We helped ourselves. We have to be in the discussion, at least. We've just got to keep on playing."

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently has the Gophers as the first team out of the NCAA field, but that's certainly an improvement from 48 hours ago, when Minnesota was simply an afterthought. The Gophers, who now have four wins against top 25 teams, likely will move onto the right side of the bubble with a win Saturday against No. 2 seed Purdue in the tournament semis.

"Our loss is hopefully Minnesota's gain," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.

They came to Indianapolis after a season of what-ifs and quality losses, which don't help much on the tournament résumé. Arguably no team in America has had a more frustrating string of losses: seven by five points or fewer, four by three points or fewer and 1-point home losses to then-No. 3 Purdue and then-No. 6 Michigan State.

It's why head coach Tubby Smith bristled at a suggestion late Friday that his team was an enigma.

"I didn't see ups and downs," he said. "I saw close losses where we didn't make plays. ... We haven't been far off, and I've been trying to stay positive, telling the guys, 'Don't listen to any garbage. Don't listen to the static. Don't listen to the people that disrespect you.'"

Smith's players might not be listening, but they're certainly aware of how they're perceived. The team dons T-shirts before and after games that contain one word: Respect.

Minnesota earned some on Friday night.

"Every one of these games is our last chance," said center Colton Iverson, with the "Respect" T-shirt hanging from his neck. "I feel like we came with more intensity [than Michigan State]. We had more to play for.

"I'm not on the committee, but I hope people are looking at us."

Those who tuned in Friday saw a talented team that seems to be clicking at the right time. They saw a team that out-toughed an Izzo-coached squad, which is never easy to do. They saw a team getting big contributions from Iverson (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks), forward Damian Johnson (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) and guard Blake Hoffarber (14 points, 5 rebounds).

They also saw a team following a new leader, Devoe Joseph, who took over the point guard duties from Al Nolen after Nolen was ruled academically ineligible. Joseph racked up 17 points, four assists and six rebounds Friday, blending a shooting guard's mentality with his new role as floor leader. He hit two 3-pointers in the extra session, including a game-tying triple with 4:12 left.

"I was very composed and just very excited to win the game," Joseph said. "I was in the zone, to the point where I wasn't really thinking too much."

Added Smith: "He's a clutch performer."

Perhaps the same can start to be said about this Minnesota team, which was about as un-clutch as they come for most of the season. The Gophers are two wins away from a tournament title and an automatic berth, and they think they can get there.

"I have as much confidence in this team as any team I've ever coached," Smith said. "The sky's the limit."

In the post-game locker room, Joseph huddled with Iverson and several other players. They put their hands together and counted off, "1-2-3!" But instead of punctuating the cheer with "Win!" or "Big Ten champs!" they simply exhaled and started laughing.

They'd earned the right to breathe easy. At least for a night.