2011-2012 Gophers

[Scott M]

Here's a snippet from an ESPN Eamonn Breannen article:

"What if Minnesota had [fill in what-if scenario of choice here]?

Tubby Smith's tenure at Minnesota has been defined by this very question. This season, there were two major what-ifs of note. The first: What if guard Devoe Joseph -- who starred at Oregon this season -- hadn't transferred in 2011, before guard Al Nolen lost the remainder of his senior season to injury. The second, and by far the most important: What if Trevor Mbakwe hadn't torn his ACL? The Gophers managed to put together a decent late-season run, and a solid path through the NIT (excepting the last loss, a 30-point blowout to Stanford, of course) even without Joseph and Mbakwe. What if either player had been available? That's a tournament team, right?

And let's not forget about the loudest silence in Gophertown … the one coming from the power forward position, where Minneapolis native Royce White could have been. White, who struggled silently with anxiety disorder, spent his entire freshman season at Minnesota mired in bizarre trouble and outspoken distrust. Eventually, after attempts at reclamation, Smith let White get away. What if he had stayed? What if he had developed and displayed his remarkable NBA-ready talent -- his rare mix of size and quickness and guard-like ball skills -- in his hometown? What if he had the chance to do so alongside Mbakwe? That's one of the nation's best frontcourts, hands down.

Instead … nothing. Such is life in The Barn these days, unfortunately. The Gophers' fortunes are a microcosm of every fan base's lot when the discussion is not about what was, but what may have been. It's a painful place to be.

But then again, the sun always comes out tomorrow, the offseason is always a route to rebirth, and the new season always begins before we know it. For subjects of the above questions -- and so many more -- November can't come quickly enough."