Golden Gopher Hoops

[montanagriz]

Watched the Gophers lose another game this afternoon to Marist in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando on ESPN2. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be a long year for this team and the last one for Dan Monson.

The cupboard is awfully bare right now. McKenzie is really our only consistent scoring threat, but he tends to get out of control and make poor decisions running the team. Coleman is probably our most talented guy, but he plays too soft for someone his size. To his defense, it doesn't seem like the staff makes much of a priority of getting him the ball. After Tollackson we have absolutely no scoring threat inside. It seems to me this team really doesn't seem to enjoy playing the game under Monson. I'm a season-ticket holder and there are lots of blank stares on these kids faces when they come back to the bench. The good news is that it's early. Hopefully someone steps up and this team can start playing some inspired ball before the Big Ten games begin.

[Willy]

It is sad the way our once proud basketball program has sunk to the level it has. The barn is so quiet and empty now that it makes me sick. Back before Monson came, if you were the visiting team and you wanted to get out of the barn with a win, you had better bring your best game or get awfully lucky. The barn was probably the best and hardest place to play in the bigten for opposing teams. And it was hard to get a good seat to get in there. I remember my ears ringing when I got out of that place after a bigten game.

Now, we are soft, have a TERRIBLE coach and the fans are not showing up or showing interest in the team. It is time for Monson to go. We need to bring back our tradition and fill that barn back up and get it rockin. It makes me sick to think that we now lose to teams like Winona St., Marist, and Gardner-Webb on a regular basis.

I bet these boys can't wait until the Bigten season. They are gonna have a tough time pulling off more than 4-5 wins this year in the conference. I would venture to guess that we won't even qualify for the NIT this year. What a joke we have become. We are the new Penn St. or Northwestern.

[montanagriz]

I agree Willy, I was at the game against Long Island a week ago and there was absolutely no atmosphere in The Barn. They were even pumping in the fight song over the loudspeakers..pretty pathetic. The lower level was still somewhat full, but I could count the number of people in the upper deck.

I'm splitting season tickets this year with a friend who's had good seats for many years and his other partner he usually splits the seats with bailed out this year, so I decided to step in. They are lower level behind the Gopher bench. I'm hoping they'll get rid of Monson at the end of the season and eventually bring some life back to the program and the Barn will be rockin again.

On a side note, the Gophers play my alma mater tomorrow, the Montana Grizzlies. That will be one game I hope the Gophers get crushed!! Unfortunately the Griz are struggling now too, so something has to give.

[schweady]

Here's something I hadn't ever pictured myself saying: "I'm so glad I didn't waste my time on Friday's Gopher game... hanging the Christmas lights on the house was so much more fun!"

[montanagriz]

I got my wish!! My Montana Grizzlies beat the Gophers in the 7th place game of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando this morning. I was able to catch the 2nd half on tv at Champps in Maple Grove. The game was very competitive, Montana held the lead for the entire 2nd half, but the Gophers made a big run to cut the lead to 1 with about 5 minutes left. The Gophers played with more intensity than I've seen all year, but still came up short. Now that the Montana game is over, I can get back to rooting for the Gophers again...although I think there is going to be little to cheer for this year. I have this strange feeling Monson will either resign or get fired before the Big Ten season starts.

[doser]

The gophers will never be succesful in basketball or football again until they get rid of Monson, Mason and Maturi. Maturi doesn't have the seeds to fire Monson ! The program is embarassing.Losing to three school like the did in the arm pit classic .....this is an all time low. At least the Iron Five acted like they cared.

[Northlander]

Monson isnt a bad coach. Remeber his record before he came to the gophers?

This program can not recruit against other big ten teams. Who would come to MN. when they could go to Ohio State, Mich, Wisc, Mich. St.?

Winning, TV and Great facilities bring in recruits. The gophers have none of them.

To bad Monson will probably lose his job and then the program will go threw a long long long winning drought.

Until the U gets new facilities, better recruiting and some TV money you wont see a competitive B-Ball team in maroon n gold.

[doser]

You have got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!

What planet have you been on the last how many years?

For one they don't need a new facility at the U for basketball. Football... yes. The Barn is one of the most sought after areanas in the country.It was just remodeled a few yrs ago. They have never had problems filling the area with fans until the Dan Monson era came along. Everything in your post is 100% wrong. Can't compete against Mich Ohio St. and Wisconsin? C'mon.Correct me if I'm wrong, but sactons or no sanctions the Gophers won the big Ten title and went to the final four in the late ninteys.....not according to record books though

Dan Monson is the sole reason Gophers hoops stinks right now. Attendance at games tell it all. Explain to me when was the last time a coach at the U has had that much of a problem selling out the barn. You can tell me Monson isn't a bad coach, but don't tell me they can't compete with other schools or lack of facilities for basketball.I'm sure you want him to be here...... your from Wisconsin !!!!

To quote Patric Ruesse today....he's a dead coach walkin'.

knowing Maturi he probably won't have the seed to fire him.

[schweady]

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Until the U gets new facilities

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Whaaaat!?!?!? The Barn is THE best venue for college basketball, bar none. Too bad the recent poor recruiting makes it impossible to enjoy much of anything beyond some great Gopher nostalgia while you're in there.

[AWH]

When Monson was at Gonzaga, the main guy doing the recruiting was not Monson, but assistant coach Mark Few. Monson left, Few took over, and Gonzaga still has a strong basketball program to this day. Makes you wonder who had more influence on the success of the Bulldawgs when Monson was there....

Aaron

[doser]

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When Monson was at Gonzaga, the main guy doing the recruiting was not Monson, but assistant coach Mark Few. Monson left, Few took over, and Gonzaga still has a strong basketball program to this day. Makes you wonder who had more influence on the success of the Bulldawgs when Monson was there....

Aaron

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That is exactly right. Monson even said a couple weeks ago is players are playing with no confidence. Well who fault is that? If the Over/under on wins this yr. in the Big Ten is 2. I'll take the under.

[Willy]

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Monson isnt a bad coach. Remeber his record before he came to the gophers?

This program can not recruit against other big ten teams. Who would come to MN. when they could go to Ohio State, Mich, Wisc, Mich. St.?

Winning, TV and Great facilities bring in recruits. The gophers have none of them.

To bad Monson will probably lose his job and then the program will go threw a long long long winning drought.

Until the U gets new facilities, better recruiting and some TV money you wont see a competitive B-Ball team in maroon n gold.

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You have it all wrong. Before Monson came, we had winning, we HAVE the best arena in the bigten, and as far as TV money, the Bigten has a revenue sharing type deal. The gophers get plenty from TV, even if their market isn't the one generating the income.

As far as recruiting, the last time I looked, that was part of the job. He has had hardly any good recruits since he got here. Now I was willing to give him a couple years because of the sanctions and Clem's mess, but he's had 8 years and we are heading nowhere but down.

The only one I will give him credit for is Vince Grier. The rest of the good ones all committed somewhere else and fell into Monson's lap when things didn't work out elsewhere.

As far as winning, not so long ago, Wisconsin was one of the worst programs in the bigten in basketball. Look what can happen with a good coach. Bo Ryan wins there and he wins big. Guess who is getting the job done for him? That's right - MINNESOTA KIDS!

Look at the guy that just took the job at Iowa St. When he was at Northern Iowa and making the tournament the last few years, guess who he was doing it with - MINNESOTA KIDS!.

At no time in the last 20 years has the in-state talent been better than it is right now in the state of Minnesota. Still, our basketball program slips further into the depths of Northwesternville.

Now I'm not saying you can win with all Minnesota kids and that you should be able to keep all your talent in state, but my oh my we NEVER land the tops kids in state. Our program is a running joke to most in the bigten and they have little competition from us for even kids from our own backyard.

I want Monson gone and I want him gone now. No more chances. He has had his chances. I have also never seen a worse gameday coach than Monson, his teams are usually highly unprepared to play, run a no offense or a futile one at best and defensively, they are very soft. Worst rebounding team in the big ten. That is coaching.

[Cooter]

Not a real bright outlook for the Gophers? Did they play their ACC/Big 10 game yet? I'm on my way home to watch the Badgers play Florida St. I have high hopes for the Madtown boys this year, cripes it must be their highest initial ranking in a while. I see we play the Gophers early Jan and again Feb. College hoops rocks, the NBA can go you know where. Later.

[schweady]

8:30 tomorrow night. Clemson. Any over/under guesses out there?

[Willy]

Anybody watch the slaughter last night? Sure wasn't pretty. Noone in the barn to watch an ACC/Big Ten challenge, dead, empty barn. Very poor play by the gophers all around.

Cannot break a simple press, cannot rebound at all, don't defend the perimeter at all. They looked like a junior high team last night taking on the NBA all-stars.

This has to be the worst or one of the worst teams ever assembled at the U. Monson needs to go. What a loser. I will place a bet right now and say that we will not win more than 10 or 12 games this whole season. Time for a change.

[rundrave]

even though I got the game in High Def on ESPN last night that was about the only thing that looked great.

As for the gophers well...OUCH

[Willy]

Well, Monsy is out. He will be stepping down today. There is a 3 pm press conference. It's about time.

http://www.startribune.com/512/story/844947.html

[schweady]

About time is right. Best description of the Gophers last night was the "helium ball" they floated out there as they "tried" to break the double team on Clemson's press.

Hopefully, Monson's replacement will be someone who can light the fire again. Looked like some pretty sweet seats going empty at the Barn last night...

[montanagriz]

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I have this strange feeling Monson will either resign or get fired before the Big Ten season starts.

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Ok..this is just plain eerie. Now I knew I had a feeling, but I sure didn't think Monson would be gone 4 days after I posted it! Even though he's a lame duck coach, hopefully Molonari can do something so this team can at least win 1 Big Ten game this year. I can't wait to see who the next coach will be. Personally, I'd love to see Flip Saunders get fired or resign in Detroit and come back to coach the U. Having a former Gopher with serious NBA connections would bring in some big time recruits and booster money.