2008-2009 Gophers

[mr_jman]

hey quackaddict. I went to school in Bemidji and I dont know what cable you have, but if you look for BTNa or basically its a Big Ten Network alternative channel (They use them when multiple games are on), you might have been able to find it. I didn't think there were any other games on so it should have been on at 8pm but if not, its always worth scrolling for the game on the alternate channels also!

[Quackaddict9]

Direct TV dish

Yeah I figured it out yesterday that I was looking at the wrong BTN channel on one of the TVs that I live in right now in the cities for school and that TV has different favorites set up from the other TV that the girlfriend was watching her shows on the big tv.... gotta be nice sometimes ya know haha! I was looking at 623 not 610 as the game was on! Oh well!!!! next time

[Get-em-good]

Ilinois looked like the worst team we had played thus far. Big Ten teams that is. They are not, but our defense really bottled them up.

Lets hope we can sneak one from MSU. Doubt that will happen, its about impossible to win there. However, I feel alot more confident now than I have for years. Isn't that a nice feeling? Tubby rules, he is THE #1 reason we are back to being competitive. Lock him up for a lifetime contract, teams will come a calling after this season, lets keep this man here!

[so haaad]

The rumors have already started flying about teams trying to lure Tubby away from the U. This year's team has been a lot of fun to watch. Next year should be even better, with almost every key player returning and the addition of Royce White and Rodney Williams. Williams has the potential to be a crowd favorite with his monster dunks, kind of like Willie Burton.

[Get-em-good]

Yes, next year might be the year we make the big run. If nothing else, we will be setup to win the Big Ten. I would guess we will be picked by some to win it. VERY excited for next year and to be honest, this year's team looks as though they have sweet 16 written all over them.

Let's just hope Tubby likes it here enough to stay put. Rumor has it his wife loves Minnesota and that Tubby is very comfortable in his job.

As far as the Alabama job. I highly doubt he would leave MN for that job as he is a god here and down there basketball is not their #1 sport.

V

[Dotch]

That's good to know although as Gopher's fans, we always have the bad memory of the Lou Hoax debacle in the back of our minds. Right now Tubby owns the sports coffee talk here at the Mall for Men. Got a nice "Thank You" from my Illini fan buddy in IL for the sympathy card I sent him after the Gopher's dismantled them at the Barn. Like I told him, the 21st try was a charm. Gophers chances of pulling off a win at Mich St.? Stranger things have happened but odds are not good of the Spartans losing a 3rd game in a row at home. Don't expect I'll be quite so giddy after Wednesday evening's game. Nice win by the Gopher women over MSU BTW.

[Dotch]

At halftime, two words: Ug-ly!

[bassNspear]

wow, what a ugly game. Maybe it will give them a bit of a reality check ya know

[Get-em-good]

Hope they like running lines! Tubby's gonna crack the whip in practice today I bet.

Terrible game. Didn't rebound, didn't take care of the ball and couldn't shoot. They looked young and scared last night. Mich St. looked confident and cocky to a point .

Lets hope this wakes them up a little. They are not in the tourney yet. This loss knocks them from 2nd to 5th in the BT and they have alot of tough road games coming up. Lets hope they can settle down a little and get back to playing well.

Nolen - be a point guard. When times get tough, you have to be the voice of reason and settle it down, not drive through the lane like a chicken with your head cutoff and throw up a prayer or turn it over.

[Scott M]

Talk about walking into a hornet’s nest. Anybody think Michigan State was p-ed about losing 2 in a row at home? Everybody has to take a beating every once in a while to stay grounded, but calling this game a beating is like calling a 2 pound sunfish a keeper. I like to have something positive to say but its hard…I guess all you can say is regardless of two a--whoopings by MSU, you still have to be happy where this team is 2 years later and the progress they are making. Paradise isn’t lost yet. Minnesota is still a tournament team but there are programs that they aren’t ready to beat yet…the Michigan States, the cream of the ACC, the UCLA’s, etc.

It’s hard to decide what was most disappointing. It seemed like the Gophers were out of shape comparatively speaking to Sparty. They got beat up and down the floor. On offense they didn’t get any easy ones in transition, and they got crushed vice versa in transition. They couldn’t get back. Their aggressive trapping and rotation got absolutely exploited. It was a freakin layup line in transition AND in half court sets. A team that thrives on quickness was out-quicked. And even though I’m sure they were told all week and all month to circle this game and look forward to avenging the loss and the whooping on the boards, they still got licked pretty good on the glass. Absolutely manhandled as far as rebounding. They do a great job of challenging shots, going for steals, but more often than not if they don’t get it, they are out of position. Look at some of the blocks and challenges in the lane…they go up, block a shot or fall for a fake, land out of bounds, and the layup drill and dunk-off continues.

On offense they stood or ran their little top of the key weave…I hate that offense. Hopefully next year they can find something a little better. Maybe a two post high low or something. They didn’t screen and their spacing was horrible. Pretty easy to defend when your offense isn’t a threat. And if you can’t make your bunnies? Well, you’ll probably be down by 30 at halftime and lose by even more…

Devoe Joseph had a decent game and looked to score, but even that isn’t a silver lining as he led the team in turnovers. Carter had a nice spurt that made you think the Gophers might make a comeback in the first half, but nobody tried to help him out. He found isolation on the right block or short corner and went to work on the slower Suton. Then MSU quickly double-teamed and nobody cut to the openings or Carter couldn’t make the pass out. It’s the right idea to take on these mismatches, but if others can’t step up they won’t go far.

Nolen is a pretty good PG, but again he got owned by Lucas. Then when he was on defense, him and Westbrook got busted double teaming in the lane and got torched by Durrell Summers. Can’t leave shooters open. Pick your poison.

Hopefully the Gophs can get their heads up and play hard in Columbus this weekend. MSU isn’t that good and the Gophers aren’t that bad, although Michigan State has more potential than Minnesota and if they realize it they can make a deep NCAA tourney run.

[Dotch]

Like I said, I figured I wouldn't be so giddy after last nite's game. 3 losses in a row by Mich. St. in their house? Not gonna happen, not with this year's team anyway. On the bright side, Duke suffered a similar fate at Clemson and Iowa lost at Indiana, so my nite wasn't a complete loss. Very nice summary da chise; you write well. Was waiting to hear your take on the disaster at East Lansing. Taking 2 from THE Ohio State University this season might help to put a little salve on the wound.

[KMR85]

Nolen can hit free throws, but the guy cannot shoot from the field. I could not believe the first 5 or 6 shots the gophers put up in that game, absolutely horrible. Hopefully they can learn and get back to the way they played against Illinois.

[Scott M]

Too much inconsistency at point guard. Good teams weather the runs when on the road by slowing down the pace, being methodical, and getting easy baskets. All you saw tonight was passing on the perimeter and standing. Absolutely no sense of urgency, which is why you saw Minnesota never take the lead beyond the first 10 minutes of the game...You can't be playing catch up all game long. If the Gophers wanted to finish in 3rd place or better, they had to win in Columbus or East Lansing, and that didn't happen. Its a good time to go home and get some home cooking, stop a 2 game losing streak, and again the team to face to get better is thankfully Indiana. Nolen is going to have to grow in that regard (and his outside shooting needs work). He didn't attack the basket, he wasn't looking to score, he was ready to commence with the status quo perimeter passing.

Too many points left on the table...missed free throws, missed bunnies, and way too many unforced turnovers. You can't win on the road with 17 turnovers. Would have been a nice chance to make Evan Turner eat his words about how the only reason the Buckeyes lost in Minnesota is because they gave the game away.

I wish they could find someone steady to compliment Johnson. Last year he was the only steady player and again this year it is true. Where is that step up player? Remember this when you fill out your bracket this March...the gophers play great defense but who is their scorer when things are bottled up? Who consistenly creates their own shot?

The only way they stayed in this game was the hot shooting of Hoffarber...but if you are counting on him for all of your points what kind of offense do you have? The opportunity was right there in front of them when he cashed another 3 and brought the Gophers within 4...at that point OSU was overplaying him and the lane finally became unclogged. Still, the ball never made its way inside and no one ever attempted any dribble penetration.

Guardplay was poor all around in this game. How many times did we see Diebler get open looks? Did MSU burn them enough when guards tried to double team in the post? How about guards crashing the boards? Turner gets a double double because nobody bothered to box him out or crash the glass on offense. A lot of that, from my recollection, was when Hoffarber was defending...He's the worst defender on this team, bar none. Well, I shouldn't say that, Shamala is pretty bad too. Although I saw Jamal grab a few boards tonight. That just proves the point I made last year that Shamala and Hoffarber are basically the same player except Hoff is a slightly better 3 point shooter and is more clutch. Hoff gets a defensive free pas because of his 3 point shooting, and I just don't get it. For as many as he scored tonight, he gave up even more with poor defense and a lack of team rebounding help.

Well two more consecutive losses could drop this team out of the AP and ESPN poll. They have 3 wins against top 25 teams, but OSU now has 5 wins and has vaulted into 3rd in the conference. Tonight they needed to hold off OSU if they wanted to rebound from the mauling in East Lansing Minnesota now gets another round of away games with Penn State and Michigan. Penn State is playing tough this year and Michigan has played a tough schedule and is looking for a conference season second half swing to get off the bubble and into the tournament. Two dangerous teams. Illinois away is the only ranked team remaining, but don't let that fool you. Every game is going to be tough this year. Playing close and moral victories just aren't going to be good enough. That childish stuff is gone I hope, now that Monson is gone. They need to win down the stretch and show some mettle. If they can do this, they can make some noise in the conference or NCAA tournament and build a platform of learning for next year's team.

[Scott M]

No Devan Dumes tonight for Indiana. He was suspended for tonight's game after his ejection against Michigan State.

Trent Tucker will have his jersey retired tonight as well.

[Scott M]

Well, if you tuned into the Gophers game tonight you might have thought you turned on a 6th grade girls basketball game, but that would be an insult to 12 year old girls. Gophers notch 17 turnovers in their home stanza against the worst team in the league, lead nearly the entire game, and finish with a margin of victory of 8. Give Indiana credit, they never quit, but I don't care how hard they play, they just are not that good, nor have any experience. You can play as hard as you want but if you don't play smart you won't win. That advice goes to both teams tonight. Indiana does the Gophs one better by turning it over 26 times, tying their season high.

I almost bought tickets to this game a month ago when I heard Trent Tucker's jersey was going to be retired, but after watching that game I'm glad I didn't go. More poor spacing, carelessness with the ball, and complete inattention to detail, particularly in the passing game was the M.O. tonight. These guys need to give each other a target and be crisp. They’re a step away from the big show, so I’m not asking them to show hands for every pass and telegraph everything, but look at how they passed the ball in this game…off balance, in the air, flips, one-handed pushes, soft lobs, balls with poorly judged speed given the distance...just not at all fundamental. Guys have to contort their body to catch balls and in doing so can’t balance up for shots…way too many turnovers as a result of poor communication and recognition in the passing game.

This half court offense is horrible. I hope this isn't a recurring thing, because this was an issue last year. Tubby shows little emotion and that's how he coaches the game, but if I were out there I would be doing some butt chewing. These guys stand and don't attack. A bunch of IU freshman juggling minutes and nobody wants to go at these guys? I don't get it. Post these chumps up and take them inside. Gophers dominated the paint, gathering 14 offensive rebounds. If you can do that kind of work on the glass, you should be able to do the dirty work down low. The high low was there in spurts, why not do it all game or get nice post entries from the wing? It made me sick. Carter can take anyone on his first step or use his length and all he gets is fast break points and garbage. Let him go to work. (And Tubby if you're reading this, it's time to start him over Iverson...Iverson is coming along nicely but if Colt 45 is going to get a set number of minutes regardless and never be in during crunch time, why not just go all out and let him work with the starters from the opening tap?) Sampson is putting together a nice little game. Work it inside to him. He finishes well around the rim and has length like few see in college buckets. I just don't see why this team can't run a half court offense that goes through the posts. Work it inside out and free up your 3 point shooters. Things have been so bottled up and the offense so bad that the Gophers are shooting like 10th in the league from behind the arc. With Joseph, Hoffarber, Shamala, and Westbrook, you should be cashing 3's at a much higher rate. If they want to go anywhere in the tournament, they will have to be able to bury their 3's and right now this isn't happening. Something has to change in the offense, yet Tubby has been unwilling to shake things up.

First time Damian Johnson has been scoreless and reboundless in a while, maybe ever. Just goes to show that he would much rather win than pump up his stats. Everything Johnson gets is in the flow of the game. Tonight it was hard for him to get anything going and he had some foul trouble.

Well, they say a win's a win but this is a moral loss IMO. They should have mopped the floor with the Hoosiers but instead got a slim win that was as UGLY as anything I've ever seen! They forced the turnovers early on but couldn't convert and let IU hang around. That intensity and attention to detail was missing. If any of the teams ahead of Minnesota in the standings were facing Indiana at home after a 2 game losing streak, they would have been way more aggresive and it would have been a highlights show. Instead you had a completely forgettable game that you hope doesn't carry into Saturday at Penn State.

Would be nice to get a win at Penn State...If anything, at least you are playing a team that is cooling off, not heating up like Ohio State and MSU. Let's hope Saturday is Tubby's 16th straight season of 20 wins. Go Gophers.

[Dotch]

Your second to the last paragraph pretty well echoes my sentiments. It's sad when I fall asleep at halftime but they just weren't doin' it for me. I woke up but except for a few spurts in the 2nd half, they really weren't impressing anyone, including Indiana. Iverson needs to learn how to go to the hole stronger and finish. Might get by with these lob over the top attempts at the basket against the Hoosiers but the past couple games he's had it rejected or off target as a result of the defender being positioned properly. Start Carter instead against Penn St.? Yup!

[fishingMN4eyes]

That game was ugly to say the least. Lucky to pull out a win with that many turnovers. But, they did what they had to do, which is win at home before going on the road for a couple tough ones. Penn State will be no gimme and Illinois has revenge on their minds after the Gophers held them to 36 in the Barn.

[Get-em-good]

Carter may be their best offensive threat or really best all around player outside of DJ.

I think he needs to start and he needs to play big minutes. His defense around the basket is also excellent and he is a hard worker, hustler, energy type player. Give him minutes, give him the ball, and I think you might start to see the offense open up a little. Also, getting it in to Ralph and letting him either take it to the hole or kick out for an "open" 3 works well. Alot of the outside shots our guards have been taking and missing have been contested shots or shots that come from left field, meaning not in the flow of the offense. Get it inside, collapse the d, kick it out and tickle the twine. They have the outside shooters, I just don't feel they are putting up good shots.

[blue_healer_guy]

Gotta be the most frustrating 19-5 team in the country to watch.

[Dotch]

Gotta be the most frustrating 19-5 team in the country to watch.

You are correct, sir! Make that 19-6. Arrrrrgggghhhh!

[Scott M]

Didn't get a chance to watch the game with a situation that developed on the in-laws side of the family. Sounds like a huge breakdown at the end of the game. Maybe it's better that I didn't watch it.

This team is falling apart right now, just in time to face a desperate Michigan team twice, a Wisconsin team that's playing better, and an Illinois team with revenge on its mind. Hot or not is a big factor for bubble teams to make the tournament, and Minnesota is free falling onto the bubble or right past it.

You can't turn the ball over 19 times and expect to win. It's a shame that they let their best free throw and 3 point shooting of the year, on the road no less, go to waste.

We'll see what happens Thursday at Michigan.

[Juan Grande]

Yep,their offense if bad enough without having to make up for 19 turnovers.

[Dotch]

What happens Thursday at Michigan? They come out and lay an egg, that's what! Pathetic effort! NIT, here we come!

[Scott M]

Another game I didn't see a minute of. I decided to stay after work and ice fish with friends. A better decision than turning on the tube. I heard the second half on the ride home and the homer commentators made it sound like the Gophers were just unlucky and were playing good defense. I hate when they do that. Call a spade a spade. This team is lost right now. It appears they peaked too early, but I have to cling to some hope. Last four conference games...time to take care of business if this teams wants to dance. Beat Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan at home, play tough and be in position to steal one in Champaign.

[Mudcutter]

they go 3-1 in the last 4--- they are in the dance

2-2--- still some work left.

1-3--- probably out other than a finals game in the B-10 tourney.