SB Nation - Colton Iverson

Gopher Hoops 2009-10 - Expectations

GopherNation — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:36 -0000

by Andy King - AP

Minnesota forward Rodney Williams, wearing a cape, dunks after winning the dunk contest at the Tubby Tip-off. Fri, Oct. 16, (AP Photo/Andy King)

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I cannot remember a Gopher hoops season that has had Gopher Nation this excited or been filled with this kind of expectations.The team returns all significant contributors to last year's squad that notched a win over an eventual #1 seed, racked up 22 wins and earned an NCAA tournament invitation. That in and of itself is reason for optimism and excitement but the team also adds three or four players who potentially will fill the biggest weaknesses from a year ago. Add to that a proven winner and highly respected head coach, and this season could be one of the best we have witnessed in many years. (and the best part is, next year could be even better, but we'll wait 12 months before we start talking about the 2010-11 season).

Let's first start with the known quantities. What we bring back from a year ago is more than enough to look forward to a winning season that is very likely to end in second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Defensively we have two of the best defenders in the conference with Damian Johnson and Al Nolen. We have two talented and developing big men who did a fantastic job of learning how to play Big Ten basketball on the fly. We have a few guards who lacked scoring consistency but they all were capable of putting up points in bunches. And let's not forget a couple of JUCO transfers who have had a year under their belt and are poised to contribute more on both ends of the floor. As stated, with modest improvement, this roster is good enough to finish top 6 of the Big Ten, get an NCAA bid and likely be favored in that first round match up. For a program that has not had sustained success since the Haskins era this would be more than enough for a very fun season in the Barn.

But there are things the returning roster was missing. A consistent and go-to scorer, some athleticism with the ability to get the ball to the rim from the perimeter, depth at PG and some toughness/nastiness inside. A top 15 recruiting class that has the pieces to fill those holes perfectly is what we have coming in to compliment the current roster.

Royce White is a consensus top 40 player in the country. He has the tools to step into this Big Ten roster and immediately fill the role of a dominating scorer. This is likely a role he will have to grow into and he doesn't have to carry the load every night, the hope is that defenses will have to account for him every possession and that will open things up for the other four guys on the floor. Rodney Williams is an athletic freak who should be Big Ten ready defensively but the hope here is that he'll be the one able to break down a defense and finish at the rim or kick it out to one of our shooters. Not having this threat allowed defenses to stick tight to the likes of Blake Hoffarber or Devoe Joseph making it hard for them to find their stroke from behind the arc. Justin Cobbs is the incoming recruit talked about the least but this true point guard should provide depth to the position allowing Al Nolen to play strong throughout the season. Finally we add Trevor Mbakwe. TM is the one I think will add the most to this roster. This guy finally gives the Gophers some toughness, a physical presence inside and some rebounding tenacity. The 2008-09 Gophers were a great offensive rebounding team but defensive rebounding was significant issue at times, I believe TM will change that dramatically.

The question though is will the formula of Returners + Newcomers = great success? Let's hope so, but here is what would be disappointing, surpassing all expectations and a realistic look at what should define success.

A disappointing season is hard to define. Obviously not making the NCAA tournament would be disappointing. Finishing outside of the top 6 in the Big Ten would be disappointing. But I think the minimum bar is winning a first round NCAA tournament game. By my definition making the tournament but losing in the first round again would be disappointing. For this level of defining success I don't care about Big Ten rank. As far as I'm concerned we could finish 7th, make the tournament, win a first round game and I can at the very least get some satisfaction out of this season. Obviously many factors go into this. If Damian Johnson gets hurt, Trevor Mbakwe is not eligible

A wildly successful season, with a pinch of realism, would be a Big Ten championship or maybe even a run to the Elite Eight. There is almost zero chance that this team is good enough to win an NCAA Championship. I could be wrong (I'd be happy to be wrong), but on paper we don't have a lot of holes but we also don't have bevy of superior talent. Now, I DO think this team is good enough to be in the thick of things for the Big Ten title. It isn't likely but if MSU and Purdue struggle or drop a game or two they shouldn't, this team might find it in a title hunt coming down the stretch. Assuming that doesn't happen, I also wouldn't be shocked to see a quick run through the Big Ten tourney resulting in a championship. And finally there is enough talent that with the right match ups and maybe the right upsets an Elite Eight or Final Four run would be a story but isn't completely unfathomable. One of those three scenarios is possible though clearly would be reaching beyond what most feel this team is capable of. I'm not holding my breath but much stranger things have happened in a college basketball season.

So after establishing the lower and upper parameters for success here is what I think is a realistic, if not slightly optimistic, picture of how the season will play out. The 2009-10 Gophers will be a top 5 Big Ten team and ranked in the top 20 for the vast majority of the season. I believe that a third place finish, #4 seed in the tourney and a run to the Sweet 16 is a realistic expectation.

Many of our weaknesses have been strengthened, but this is not a complete team and question marks do remain. So to believe this team is on par with some of the top 10 caliber teams is a bit of a stretch. Are we capable of beating Purdue or Michigan State during any given game? Absolutely, but with questions around consistent scoring and how this group comes together we are just as capable of losing to Michigan, Illinois, Penn State or Ohio State on a given night. When the season plays itself out with the usual ups and downs we usually see I expect we will go 11-1 in the non-conference portion of the schedule and right around 12-6 in the Big Ten which should be good enough for 3rd place.

That will take us into the Tourney where we should be seeded high enough that winning two games will be expected. Crazy things happen in the NCAA tournament so winning two games is not an absolute requirement for a successful season, but given the talent, depth and coaching on this team there is no reason to believe we are not capable of achieving this level of "success."

Poll

Where does this year's Gopher Hoops squad end up?

Final Four

18 votes

Elite Eight

34 votes

Sweet 16

158 votes

Win round 1, lose round 2

67 votes

Another token apperance

18 votes

295 votes | Poll has closed

BtB 2009-10 Big Ten Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:44:34 -0000

For all of the beating that the Big Ten took during a particularly rough and tumble regular season, the conference really validated itself in the postseason. Those March and April performances bode well for this season, especially considering that the Big Ten's main contenders didn't lose as much as the contenders in other conferences. For example, all five players on the coaches' All-Big Ten team from last season are back.

The two teams who progressed furthest in the NCAAs, national runner-up Michigan State and regional semifinalist Purdue are the clear favorites in the league, and both teams could make a serious run at a MIdwestern Final Four. Penn State, the NIT champions, will look to improve their standing enough to get into the Big Dance this time around. And of course, Northwestern will look to really shake things up in the league and make it to the NCAAs for the first time. In between, the Big Ten's other five NCAA entrants will attempt to stay in the field. The biggest thing for the conference this year is separating itself from the other BCS leagues, especially in non-conference play. With the Big Ten being hyper-competitive this year, its members really need to distinguish themselves during the early part of the season. Otherwise, teams will be clumped together on lines 8 through 12 of the bracket like last year, which doesn't bode well for sustained tourney runs. More on all 11 teams after the jump.

To refresh your memory, let's take a look at how the Big Ten standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Big Ten Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:23 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Michigan St. Spartans	15	3	31	7
Purdue Boilermakers	11	7	27	10
Illinois Fighting Illini	11	7	24	10
Penn St. Nittany Lions	10	8	27	11
Ohio St. Buckeyes	10	8	22	11
Wisconsin Badgers	10	8	20	13
Minnesota Golden Gophers	9	9	22	11
Michigan Wolverines	9	9	21	14
Northwestern Wildcats	8	10	17	14
Iowa Hawkeyes	5	13	15	17
Indiana Hoosiers	1	17	6	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a school's name appears in red, that's a link to its SBNation site. You can go there for more detailed analysis throughout the season.

Iowa (last NCAA: 2006) The long rebuilding process continues for Todd Lickliter. It looks to be another long year in Iowa City, especially since the Hawkeyes have real point guard issues after Jake Kelly (transfer to Indiana State for family reasons) and Jeff Peterson (transfer to Arkansas) left the program. 6-1 frosh Cully Payne will have to adjust to the Big Ten game fast, as he will have to be the main option. If he doesn't, expect sophomore Anthony Tucker (10.4 ppg, 0.6 apg) to move over from shooting guard. The team's only other returning double-digit scorer, Matt Gatens (10.8 ppg), will be a force as he can really shoot the ball (40.3 % from the perimeter and 90.4 % from the free throw line). The Hawkeyes really need more contributions inside, where Jarryd Cole has battled injuries and struggled offensively, which has also been a problem for the rest of Iowa's frontline players.

Indiana (last NCAA: 2008) Tom Crean is also in a rebuilding situation, but he loaded up on recruits this offseason, something Lickliter couldn't quite do. Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc and a Georgetown transfer, is now eligible and will run the offense. Rivers' steady hand should improve a team that rated near the bottom of Division I in assist/turnover ratio. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen are so highly regarded that last year's leaders may see reduced playing time. Rivers' arrival, and that of freshman Jordan Hulls, will eat into Verdell Jones' playing time (11 ppg, 3,6 apg). 6-5 Maurice Creek will take time away from Devan Dumes (12.7 ppg). In the frontcourt, Tom Pritchard (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) will still see significant time, and he'll be joined by freshmen Bobby Capobianco, Derek Elston, Bawa Muniru, and Christian Watford. Considering that Crean's returning frontcourt players not named Tom Pritchard only average 0.8 ppg, they should see plenty of action. If they adjust to the Big Ten quickly, the Hoosiers may win some of those close games they tended to lose in 2008-09.

Penn State (last NCAA: 2001) You rarely see teams as happy about winning the NIT than the Nittany Lions last year. PSU had a real case for an NCAA bid, thanks to 10 league wins, but a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes cost them. On that front, the Lions hope they can get some big wins in the Charleston Classic to help their case this time around. In terms of personnel, the good news is that all-Big Ten first teamer Talor Battle (16.7 ppg, 5 apg) is back. The bad news is that his backcourt mates, Stanley Pringle (12.8 ppg) and Danny Morrissey (5.3 ppg) are gone and so is star forward Jamelle Cornley (14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg). The effectiveness of their replacements will dictate the Nittany Lions' chances of moving up. Sophomores Chris Babb (2.8 ppg) and Cammeron Woodyard (2.2 ppg) will have to step it up to replace Pringle, but incoming freshman Tim Frazier will also play a big role in the backcourt. In the frontcourt, 6-9 Andrew Jones (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is expected to increase his production to make up for Cornley's graduation, so will David Jackson. Both Jones and Jackson played key roles in PSU's NIT run. Serbian freshman Sasa Borovnjak and redshirt frosh Billy Oliver will also see lots of time inside.

Wisconsin (last NCAA: 2009) The Badgers struggled on offense and defense last year. However, Bo Ryan's team was able to right the ship after dropping six in a row in January to sneak into the tournament and grab a first round win over Florida State. However, Ryan lost two key performers off that team, swingman Joe Krabbenhoft and F Marcus Landry. Jason Bohannon (10.3 ppg, 1.7 apg) and Trevon Hughes (12.1 ppg, 2.8 apg) are back, however, so the backcourt remains in good shape, typical of a Ryan-coached team. The returning frontcourt players, led by 6-10 F Jon Leuer (8.8 ppg, 3.8 ppg) and 6-8 Keaton Nankivil (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will have to be tougher to adequately replace Landry and Krabbenhoft. Look out for the Badgers' two redshirt freshmen, Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans, as they should see significant frontcourt time as well. If the frontline improves significantly, the Badgers could go dancing for the 12th straight year.

Northwestern (last NCAA: None) While Wisconsin (and the rest of the league) has become a consistent NCAA performer, the Wildcats are the complete opposite. Once again, NU is the only team in a BCS conference to fail to qualify for a single NCAA tournament. On March 4, the men from Evanston stood at 17-11, after winning at Indiana, against Iowa at home, and at Purdue. They then managed to lose at Ohio State by 5 to finish 8-10 in the conference. If that wasn't bad enough, they then fell to Minnesota by 13 in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Wildcats cannot let something similar happen this season. Personnel-wise, the Wildcats bring back nearly everyone from last year, most importantly all-Big Ten second teamer Kevin Coble (15.5 ppg, 4.8 apg) and point guard Michael Thompson (9.9 ppg, 3.7 apg), a deadly three-point shooter (41.7%). The major loss is guard Craig Moore (14.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) who graduated. Incoming frosh Drew Crawford could slide into Moore's slot on the roster. He's the son of NBA referee Danny Crawford. If coach Bill Carmody can squeeze a little more from his returnees, who provided solid, if unspectacular and inconsistent performances throughout last season, the Wildcats will finally make the field of 65.

Minnesota (last NCAA: 2009) Expectations are high for Tubby Smith's third season in the Twin Cities. The Gophers will have to find a way to play Michigan State and Michigan better, as they didn't manage to win a single game against those two teams (0-5). The Gophers return all of their key performers from last season, including leading scorer Lawrence Westbrook (12.6 ppg), second leading scorer Damian Johnson (9.8 ppg), point guard Al Nolen (6.5 ppg, 4.3 apg), and big men Ralph Sampson III (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Colton Iverson (5.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Sampson and Iverson should see more time at center thanks to the arrival of 6-7 freshman Royce White and JC transfer Trevor Mbakwe, if he's ever cleared to play. Mbakwe is due to go on trial for assault in South Florida in December. Nolen could also see the bench if he's as inconsistent as he was during Big Ten play, thanks to the arrival of freshman PG Justin Cobbs. The Gophers are drawn against Butler in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, which should be a good indicator of how well this team will perform in 2009-10.

Michigan (last NCAA: 2009) Much like with Tubby Smith's Minnesota team. great things are expected in Ann Arbor during John Beilein's third season. Beilein's offensive and defensive philosophies usually take consistent hold in that third season, and the team's performance improves as a result. One of the Wolverines' biggest needs is in the frontcourt, where DeShawn Sims (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) was often left on an island last season. Seven-foot, redshirt freshman Ben Cronin should provide some help, as should 6-8 frosh Jordan Morgan, if he plays. Beilein may redshirt him depending on how well he's recovered from offseason knee surgery. 6-10 frosh Blake McLimans and 6-6 junior Anthony Wright may be called into duty frequently. The backcourt is the strength of this UM squad, led by all-Big Ten performer Manny Harris (16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg). Harris should get more time to drive to the hoop (and get to the foul line), thanks to the arrival of freshman Darius Morris, who is expected to take over at the point. The reserve backcourt players need to show more consistency, as none averaged more than 6.7 ppg, despite some impressive shooting nights.

Illinois (last NCAA: 2009) While the Illini lost guards Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham, the returnees and Bruce Weber's best ever recruiting class should keep the squad near the top of the Big Ten. Demetri McCarney (11.5 ppg, 4.6 apg) already has plenty of experience at the point to replace Frazier. Incoming freshman D.J. Richardson will be called on to replace Meacham, especially from the defensive perspective. Brandon Paul, another heralded recruit, will be an inside-outside threat. In the frontcourt, Mike Davis very nearly averaged a double-double last season (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), so he'll continue to be a force. Mike Tisdale could be a star if he's more aggressive. He has plenty of room to improve on the 10 points and 4 boards he averaged last season.

Ohio State (last NCAA: 2009) The Buckeyes did pretty well last season, winning 22 games and making the Big Ten title game despite losing G/F David Lighty in the seventh game of the year. With Lighty back and all-Big Ten selection/jack-of-all-trades Evan Turner still around, the Buckeyes should be even better this time around. Joining Turner as offensive forces are guards William Buford and Jon Diebler who both averaged a little more than 11 points a game. While Thad Matta has a lot of guys who can shoot, he doesn't have a true point guard. Not that this issue really stopped the Buckeyes last year. Jeremie Simmons (6.8 ppg, 2.5 apg) and P.J. Hill (3.2 ppg, 1.9 apg) saw some time at the point after Anthony Crater's departure for South Florida, with Hill making more of an impact. If the two have issues, Turner, who averaged 4 assists per game last year, could spend some time running the offense. Turner will also see time in the frontcourt, where Lighty will serve as OSU's power forward (9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). 6-8 junior Dallas Lauderdale and 7-foot UAB transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos will occupy the post. OSU will be tested early, thanks to a matchup with defending National Champion North Carolina at the Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York, followed by a game with either California or Syracuse.

Purdue (last NCAA: 2009) The Boilermakers bring back nearly everyone from last season's team, which fell to UConn in the West regional semifinals. Thanks to the graduation of Nemanja Calasan, Matt Painter has only two returning post players. However, they're two good ones. Robbie Hummel (12.5 ppg, 7 rpg) should be fully recovered from a stress fracture in his back that cost him five games last season. Meanwhile, 6-10 junior JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is one of the most electrifying players in the country. They'll be backed up by a crop of freshmen, led by 6-10 Croatian C Sandi Marcius. Purdue's backcourt remains intact. Chris Kramer will provide the defense, E'Twaun Moore the scoring--and some assists (13.8 ppg, 3.0 apg), while Lewis Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) will run the show. The Boilermakers' commitment to defense, led by Kramer, Johnson, and Jackson, is a major reason why they will seriously threaten to make the short trip to Indy this season. If they avoid the health issues of last season, they should get a seed that will help their path.

Michigan State (last NCAA: 2009) While the Boilermakers will attempt to do what the Spartans did last year, make a short trip in state to play in the season's final weekend, don't discount MSU, a team that has plenty of history of its own in Indianapolis. Tom Izzo has a team that may be able repeat Sparty's 2000 triumph. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year is back at the point. Raymar Morgan is back in the frontcourt. But the biggest questions are how well the Spartan frontcourt plays without Goran Suton and who replaces Travis Walton's defensive prowess in the backcourt. Junior Tom Herzog and incoming freshmen Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman will be given every chance to fill Suton's shoes. Meanwhile, Lucas will have to play more of a defensive role this season than in the past, to make up for Walton's absence. While Lucas is the unquestioned star of the team, he'll need lots of support from players like guards Chris Allen (8.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (8.6 ppg), and F Delvon Roe (5.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) to make a second straight Final Four run.

So, the Spartans will hold the Big Ten's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see what other teams from the conference I've penciled in at the start of the season. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big Ten team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Player of the Year: Evan Turner, 6-7 G/F, Jr. (Ohio State)

Remainder of the Team
Talor Battle, 5-11 G, Jr. (Penn State)
Manny Harris, 6-5 G, Jr. (Michigan)
JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 F, Jr. (Purdue)
Kalin Lucas, 6-0 G, Jr. (Michigan State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big Ten this season?

Illinois

72 votes

Indiana

4 votes

Iowa

5 votes

Michigan

12 votes

Michigan State

106 votes

Minnesota

9 votes

Northwestern

5 votes

Ohio State

14 votes

Penn State

20 votes

Purdue

49 votes

Wisconsin

4 votes

300 votes | Poll has closed

Gopher basketball - a Big Ten team on the rise?

GopherNation — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:36:37 -0000

The Gophers are entering year three of the Tubby Smith era. After steady improvement in the win column year by year and significant upgrading of the overall talent on the roster, year three has the makings for a special team.

Year one was a season of smoke and mirrors as Tubby used every coaching trick he had to squeeze 20 wins out of a team lacking any real talent. Year two we saw an infusion of young talent to go along with those role players who were becoming veterans. The youth and the experience complimented each other very well en route to a 22 win season and an NCAA Tournament first round match-up with Texas.

Year three sees the team returning it's top nine scorers to go along with a top 15 recruiting class. This team will be exciting and has all of the necessary pieces to be a team that makes a run at the Big Ten title and deep into the NCAA Tournament.

You won't see anybody on this roster listed on a pre-season All-American team and you likely won't see any Gopher on the first team All-Big Ten preseason team. But this roster is full of the necessary ingredients needed for a deep NCAA tournament run. Coahing? Check! Deep and experienced guard play? Check! Big men who can defend and rebound? Check! Youthful, athletic and dynamic players? Check! Defense? Check! Let's take a look at this Gopher club in greater detail.

You can't take a look at the Gophers without first taking a look at the man leading his troops into battle. Tubby Smith brings immediate credibility to any conversation regarding the Golden Gophers. Clearly he was unable to meet the bar of unrealistic expectations in Kentucky but he routinely took his teams to the Sweet 16 and beyond. He has demonstrated ability to navigate teams through the conference season, through conference tournaments and through NCAA Tournaments.

Next, lets talk about the guard play. As mentioned, the Gophers are returning their top nine scorers and three of the top four are guards. Also mentioned, you will not see any of these guys on and All-anything list. They do some things very well, compliment each other well and all play very good defense. The 2008-09 season was successful but this years squad will certainly be deeper and more athletic on both ends of the floor. The team's leading, returning scorer is Lawrence Westbrook who is a streaky scorer who is capable of carrying the team at times. Al Nolen a great on the ball defender and floor leader. Devoe Joseph may take a starting spot away from one of those guys and is poised to have a breakout sophomore season. This backcourt is talented and the the additions of Rodney Williams and Justin Cobb will add some much needed athleticism to the backcourt.

The backcourt is strong but the big men may end up being the real strength of this Gopher club. The team's best player is clearly SF-Damian Johnson. DJ Swat was the Big Ten's best defensive player a year ago and is very underrated on the offensive side of the ball. He does everything very well and if anybody is poised to garner any conference post-season awards, it will be he. Also in the frontcourt sophomores Ralph Sampson III and Colten Iverson had very good freshmen seasons as they managed to be productive on both ends of the floor through an entire Big Ten season. Both will need to take steps forward to make the Gopher interior more feared on the offensive end, but defensively both had very strong years as freshmen. Paul Carter was a JUCO transfer last year and really eased into the Gopher rotation but by the end of the season he was able to step in for Damian Johnson and give quality minutes. But the biggest addition to the Gophers may be transfer, Trevor Mbakwe (if he is cleared to play). Mbakwe is an absolute beast on the boards and wil give us a physical presence on both ends of the floor.

What the Gophers were missing last year was dynamic and athletic scorers. Tubby Smith and his staff brought in a consensus top 15 recruiting class that should perfectly compliment the experienced returning roster. Royce White is coming in to play one of the forward positions and should immediately give the Gopher offense a boost. Rodney White is freakishly athletic who will add a dimension of athleticism not seen in a Gopher uniform in several years. Justin Cobbs is a true PG who will add depth to the backcourt.

What we will see offensively is a bit unknown. It is hard to predict how the top nine returning scorers will fit with the more dynamic incoming players who clearly will have to be a factor in Tubby Smith's offense. But clearly defense will be what drives this team and what will carry them. Al Nolen and Damian Johnson are both worthy of being All-Big Ten defensively. And the frontcourt, with the addition of Mbakwe, should be one of the best rebounding groups in the conference.

Ultimately defense will be what defines the Gopher season. But the returning players plus some very key and well placed additions could make this a very special season at the Barn.

Golden Nugz for 06-16-09

GopherNation — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:00:21 -0000

Summer is here and it is just a matter of time before the Howard Pulley Pro-City League starts up again. For those of you who do not know this is great summer league for mostly local professionals (NBA, NBDL, Europe, etc) and D1/D2 players. Guys like Kahlid El-Amin, Kamron Taylor and Troy Hudson played last year against Al Nolen Blake Hoffarber, Damien Johnson and the host of newcomers on last year's roster.

I went to a night of games last year to get a look at Sampson, Iverson, Bostick and Joseph. The games have little defense as you can imagine but it is a great way to get a glimpse of what we will see on the new Barn floor next year. Marcus Fuller has posted what Gophers will be playing with each other.

Team El-Amin Fishhouse (defending league champs)

Paul Carter and Devron Bostick (and Travis Busch)

Troy Hudson's Enterprises

Royce White (no Gopher teammates playing on White's team)

The TRP Group

Ralph Sampson, Justin Cobbs, Damien Johnson

Errol Carlstrom Playaz

Trevor Mbwake and Devoe Joseph

A&A Millwork

Al Nolen and Colton Iverson

B2X

Blake Hoffarber, Lawrence Westbrook, Rodney Williams and walkon Dominique Dawson

It is important to note that the rosters are kind of fluid but to start with if you take a look at this summer's schedule and look for the above teams. I urge you to go, the games are free and it is athletic basketball. Like I mentioned above it is not full of defense but I learned early on that Bostick could not shoot from the outside and that Iverson was going to be a tough player on the inside.

Former Gopher defenseman, Crystal native and current San Jose Sharks assistant coach, Todd Richards has reportedly been offered the Wild head coaching position. I don't know if this is a good hire or bad hire (I know little about hockey) but check out Hockey Wilderness for quality commentary.
Another Marcus Fuller story, this one on Bryant Allen. He will be your next two-sport athlete to wear maroon and gold. Allen is receiving a scholarship to play football, but he is also very good at basketball and will compete for playing time at point guard in Tubby's system.
One of my favorite collge hoops blogs is Beyond the Arc and they have their 2009-2010 Top 25 v2. This one has the Gophers at 19th.
Finally, I don't know howII missed this but Varsity Blue pointed me back to Charley Walters who says Gopher's offensive line coach Phil Meyers may be sending his son to Cretin Durham Hall. Why does this matter? Have I ever posted about the school choices of any Gopher coaches? No, but the younger Meyers will be attending school with Seantrel Henderson (um the number one recruit in the nation). I don't know what kind of NCAA rules prohibit the younger Meyers from talking with Seantrell but I don't think USC or Michigan are going to be enrolling their kids at CDH.

Probing The Enemy: The Daily Gopher

Peter Bean — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:42:53 -0000

Prior to 2007, the extent of my Minnesota knowledge was limited to whatever I'd picked up from Garrison Keillor over the years. But in '07 Minnesota AD Joel Maturi first hired former Longhorn assistant coach Tim Brewster to be the main man for football, then shrewdly snagged Tubby Smith for the hoops revival which has the Gophers sitting across from Texas in the first round of this year's tournament. With Minnesota Golden Gophers chatter in Austin officially en vogue, this presents a convenient excuse to haul in the authors of SB Nation's outstanding MN blog, The Daily Gopher.

Not only should you be sure to visit TDG for excellent material of particular interest to Texas fans, but general college hoops fans of any kind should make sure TDG is part of their tournament plans. Tom's got a double-screen DirecTV super set-up primed for the action, which he'll be discussing live throughout the weekend.

Also keep an eye out for my own (bloated) answers to questions asked by TDG.

Best used to discourage littering.

Gentlemen, thanks for taking the time to chat. As always, we start with the most obvious question: What do Minnesotans think of the famous "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign? They ran those ads nationwide, you know. So, fill us in: Did y'all find it intimidating? Did it inspire you not to litter? And most importantly, did it project enough swagger to scare the current Minnesota basketball players? Will they, in fact, decide it's best just not to mess with Texas?

The Daily Gopher: Don't mess with Texas? I watch Friday Night Lights and I thought the Texas slogan was "Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose." Regardless, I think the only thing that matters is that everything apparently really IS bigger in Texas (see Dexter Pittman), that is the biggest thing that should be scaring the Golden Gophers.

Honestly though, I think that biggest intimidating factor for the Gophers is the NCAA Tournament itself. Nobody on this roster has played in the Big Dance and to make matters worse the bulk of our roster is comprised of freshmen and sophomores. So Texas is a big name team, but the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament is likely more intimidating than the thought of what will happen if we mess with Texas.

Whatever their fears, it's safe to assume Tubby's gonna make 'em get on the plane for Greensboro to go compete hard for 40 minutes on Thursday. Minnesota is dancing this year as a 10-seed after a solid 22-10 season, highlighted by a 12-0 start which included a neutral floor win over Louisville. Less promising, my bar napkin math says that means the Gophers were a .500 team over the remaining 20 games. So let's start there: put the "season story" together for us as succinctly as possible.

The Daily Gopher: Well the season took some time to ramp up to the Louisville game in December. While Texas was playing Notre Dame, Villanova, UCLA, Michigan State and Wisconsin the Gophers were getting warmed up with Washington (Eastern not the Pac10 version), Georgia (State), Colorado (State), and a handful of other directional schools. Along the way we did beat a couple eventual tourney teams in North Dakota State and Cornell, but they are not exactly high major competition. So when we headed to Arizona to play then #9 Louisville on a neutral court most of us would have been happy to be competitive and see this program heading in the right direction. Shockingly we won leading early, getting up by as many as 13 in the second half and never looked back. That win put us on the map and clearly was the signature win of the year.

Then the Big Ten season hit, we struggled to generate any offense and we battled to a 9-9 record. The conference season had it's highs and lows. We swept arch rival, Wisconsin and we beat Illinois for the first time since 1993. This is a building block season and I think this team surpassed most expectations.

Let's focus in a little bit now and talk personnel. I want to start with the guards, who seem to me perfectly crafted Tubby Smith warrior ants. Westbrook, Joseph, Bostick, Nolen -- they're all great defenders with excellent speed and quickness, and inconsistent-to-poor jump shooters. (Do you feel like you're haunted by the Ghost of Keith Bogans?) Tell us a bit about what these guards do well when Minnesota wins, and their struggles which contribute to losses.

The Daily Gopher: You are kind of accurate in that they do excel on the defensive end but they aren't all great defenders. Al Nolen is one of the best on the ball defenders you will see all year. As a former coach I get a sick thrill out of watching his footwork, quick hands and how he guards the passing lanes. He will get lost on screens occasionally but on the ball he is as good as they come. Westbrook is quick and an OK defender but he seems disinterested at time. Joseph is a freshman, has terrible footwork but has really improved on his defense away from the ball.

Offensively they have struggled for most of the seaosn with each of them breaking out at random times. Westbrook scored 29 at Wisconsin, Nolen scored 18 in the win over Louisville and Joseph threw in 23 at Penn State. The problem is they lack consistency and when they are playing poorly they turn the ball over too much (especially Westbrook). When they are playing well Nolen is penetrating, Westbrook is just plain scoring (he averaged 40 ppg in high school) and Joseph (and Hoffarber) are nailing from the outside. What kind of production we get from these guys is a total crapshoot.

And now the forwards. True to form, Tubby this year has consistently worked into games a deep rotation of contributors, which in the frontcourt includes junior Damian Johnson, sophomore Paul Carter, senior Jamal Abu-Shamala, and freshmen Ralph Sampson and Colton Iverson. Hold your thoughts on match ups against Texas and just walk us through what this group does and doesn't do well.

The Daily Gopher: Damian Johnson is our do everything player. He is great defensively, second in scoring, third in assists, second in rebounding and second in steals. He is easily one of the most underrated players in the Big Ten and had the Gophers posted a better record likely would have been B10 defensive player of the year. The freshmen centers are solid but clearly still learning. On any given night either of them will go for 11 points and 7 boards. They are not there yet but eventually Big Ten coaches will be gameplanning for our twin towers. Paul Carter is a sophomore JUCO transfer. He is very athletic and has had some huge games but more often than not he is a non-factor. If he plays well on Thursday I really like our chances. And finally Jamal Abu-Shamala. He is slow, average defensively, can usually shoot well and is a senior. If he plays 10 minutes I really do NOT like our chances.

Let's stick with this group for a minute, because in looking over the Gophers' stat pages one of the first things which leaped out at me is the truly ridiculous shot blocking numbers of Damian Johnson (59 blocks) as well as the freshmen twin towers Sampson (49 blocks) and Iverson (41). To have three players ranked among the top 32 nationally in block percentage is a truly mind-boggling accomplishment. Or statistical anomaly. Or something. What the hell's going on here? Both freshmen are both tall but neither reaches 7 feet and Johnson plays at 6-7. Are they uncannily coordinated in terms of timing blocks? Is there something in the system (or guard play) that particularly sets them up to rack up rejections? Tell us what this is all about, and then build on that to share with us how you think those frontcourt players will fare against the 6-11, 295-pound Dexter Pittman. As Stanford's Lopez twins found out during last year's Regional Semifinals, tall is not the same as strong; are Minnesota's big men ready for the Sexiest center in all of college basketball?

The Daily Gopher: They do block a ton of shots and it really helps our defense. Part of their success is that offenses are funneled to them. We put a lot of pressure on the frontcourt which leads to back cuts and penetration to the hoop. But more than anything these guys are just good shot blockers. Johnson is only 6'7" ish but he has a freakishly long wingspan. Sampson and Iverson are not huge but they have great timing and get their hands on a lot of shots. Amazingly these guys have remained disciplined and usually don't get into foul trouble reaching for blocks.

How will this translate into defending Pittman? I have no idea. I imagine he will have his way in the paint, pin us deep and score without the fear of a blocked shot. Defensively Sampson/Iverson are going to have to do a little acting to draw a charge or cheap foul or two as Pittman is wont to foul trouble. Iverson is tough and Sampson is savvy but nobody would accuse those guys of playing "strong." Pittman is a bad match up for us without a doubt, but if he can get into foul trouble we should be able to control the paint.

We've talked about the season and you've helpfully illuminated the personnel situation for us, so let's wrap this discussion with your insights into the particular things Minnesota needs to do well to win on Thursday. And of course, any thoughts you have on red flags you'll be hoping not to see from the Gophers. Finally, if you dare, feel free to throw in any predictions about how this one's looking from your seat in the stands. We promise not to hold it against you.

The Daily Gopher: I have no doubt in my mind that the Gophers are capable of winning this game. But being capable is one thing, actually doing it is another. We are exactly what the pundits have accused the Big Ten teams of being. We are very good defensively and sometimes struggle to generate any offense. With that said I don't think Texas will truly know how well we play defense until they get on the court and find out. I anticiapte we will press, I anticipate Nolen will defend Abrams and I think Johnson will guard Jones. On the defensive end I actually like those match ups. If UT really shows up in the frontcourt and the backcourt then things could get ugly. If Pittman dominates the paint, Abrams gets several open looks that he nails and Jones gets space to operate as he pleases we will lose. But you can count on the Gophers taking away at least one of those, Texas is not a scoring juggernaut so we can keep their points at manageable level.

The real question is can we score? We at The Daily Gopher firmly believe that the Big Ten teams (Minnesota included) are looking forward to not facing a Big Ten defense. The hope is that FG% will go up a little and if Pittman spends some time on the bench we will make every effort to dominate the paint. I think the Gophers press early, force turnovers, get Pittman in foul trouble and win by 7.

Mission Accomplished: Gophers Head to Big Ten Quarters

PJS — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:35:03 -0000

Minnesota's win Thursday afternoon over Northwestern was in some ways a microchosm of the entire season. The Gophers use high-intensity defense to start strong, cooled in the half court offense in the second half, but did just enough in the end to pull out a close 66-53 win in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.

And the win, it should be considered a good win after all Northwestern has done this year, should get the Gophers into the Dance regardless of how they fare tomorrow against Michigan State.

After building a double-digit first half lead, Northwestern rallied. Kevin Coble was a force in the first half, scoring 19 points but was slowed in the second half (just 2 points) because of a combination of foul trouble and great defense by Damian Johnson. And as Coble cooled, Minnesota's offensive difference maker, Lawrence Westbrook, took over. The junor guard finished with a team-high 14 points, including numerous clutch shots and free throws down the stretch.

Also playing a big role was the on-again, off-again Devron Bostick. After being an afterthought for many games during the second half of the year, Bostick provided an offensive spark in the first half to get the Gophers out to an early lead. He finished with 11 points.

Bostick was part of the second group in the first half that made a world of difference. The game had a stagnant pace until Bostick, Devoe Joseph, Blake Hoffarber, Colton Iverson and Paul Carter came in for the middle minutes of the first half. That group built the lead. Along with Bostick, Iverson in particular was impressive with his defense and hustle plays.

But as the game tightened in the second half, that second group stalled as Nortwestern's 1-3-1 zone caused havoc. It wasn't until the last 4 minutes of the game, with Al Nolen, Westbrook, Johnson and Ralph Sampson III back on the floor did the Gophers finally find a groove again. Sampson was tremendous in the final minutes on defense, blocking a handful of Craig Moore drives. Sampson finished with 5 blocks and he slammed in a late lob pass from DJ to put the nail in the coffin. RSIII finished with 9 points.

The Gophers did a much better job today of handling the basketball. After routinely turning the ball over 15 to 20 times per game, Minnesota coughed the ball up just 9 times. For a team that struggles in the half court as it is, the only way they can win close games is to take care of the basketball. Combine that with an 11 to 2 block advantage, and the Gophers have a formula to win.

Perimeter shooting was again atrocious. As a team the Gophers shot just 21 percent. Bostick was 1 for 6. Joseph was 1 for 4. Hoffarber was 0 for 3. Nolen was 0 for 2. But somehow the Gophers did enough when Northwestern was playing a 2-3 zone to get the Wildcats to back off. If teams are smart they will start playing a whole bunch of 2-3 zone against the Gophers, and pack the zone defense back into the paint and simply force the Gophers to hit from the outside.

A couple other observations:

After playing an unusually high number of minutes in the regular season ending loss to Michigan, Jon Williams didn't play at all.
Jamal Abu-Shamala received the starting nod and played the first 5 minutes and didn't play again.
Despite starting, Al Nolen played just 18 minutes. But when the game was on the line this time, Nolen got the team into its offense. And his defense probably contributed to Northwestern's dry spell down the stretch.

First thought about MSU: The Gophers are decided underdogs, but they'll have the advantage of having a feel for the big arena. If the Gophers can play even with the Spartans on the glass and limit MSU's run-outs, we could have a close ball game.

I mean, Tubby Smith has to beat Tom Izzo eventually, doesn't he?

Does Tubby's Recruiting Class Address the Team's Needs?

PJS — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:56:00 -0000

As Tubby Smith's Gophers have stumbled down the stretch, a large contingent of the fanbase has relaxed, noting that this is simply a building year. They point to the lack of departing talent at seasons end and to the team's second consecutive nationally competitive recruiting class.

This is a building block year, many say, and the team will take off as Ralph Sampson III, Devoe Joseph, Paul Carter and Colton Iverson grow along with incoming recruits Royce White, Rodney Williams, Trevor Mbakwe and Justin Cobbs.

Maybe. But I'm not sure the new parts fit our needs.

For much of the second half of the Big Ten slate, Coach Smith has forced the ball inside after he figured out that our outside shooters were suspect at best. And if this team has a strength at the moment, it is scoring inside. RSIII has been solid. Colton Iverson has been OK. Damian Johnson has found ways to score inside.

No doubt this team can still be better inside. And Smith's recruiting class addresses that. Let's take the recruits one by one.

Royce White: A 6'7 combo forward, but more of an interior player than a slasher or shooter, White is the most heralded player Smith has brought in so far. Here's what ESPN Insider says.

White is a strong combination forward that plays more like a power forward than a small forward at this point. He is physical around the basket where on the left low block he likes to face and attack the rim along the baseline. White is strong enough to finish through contact when he gets his shoulders square to the basket. On the right low block he will also face and attack the middle of the lane and finish with his left hand over the defense. White loves to drive left when his faces up. White is an average shooter at best behind the arc and this is an area that he needs to develop along with adding some scoring drives off the dribble.

It's possible that White comes in and immediately takes the reigns as the team's best offensive player. But without an outside option to unclog the lanes, White will have little room to operate. What's not mentioned here that I've seen elsewhere is White's knack for the assist. That's great for a big man to have as he's being double-teamed in the post. But, again, we need an outside shooter to make defenses pay.

Trevor Mbakwe: A Minnesota product who comes to the Gophers from Marquette via Miami Dade Community College, Mbakwe is another interior option. At 6'8 and 220 pounds, Mbakwe is more of a long and athletic type of low post player with the ability to hit a 15 foot jumper, according to ESPN's scouts.

Along with White, RSIII, Iverson, Johnson and Carter, Mbakwe will add to what will be one of the Big Ten's best interior groups. Just two years after the Monson/Molinari regime ended--a regime that was always dominated on the inside--this group will represent a complete 180. Coach Smith has done a tremendous job shoring up his players in the paint.

Rodney Williams: Described as "off the charts athletic," Williams might be the most athletic recruit coming into the Big Ten. Athleticism is certainly one of Minnesota's needs, and Williams should be able to get to the basket against most competition. But he isn't exactly a shooter at this point. From ESPN.

Williams is an above the rim highlight in transition. Catching lobs is his specialty. Williams also scores with a one or two dribble pull up going to his right or a running floater where he uses his leaping ability and length to score over opponents. Skill development must be at the top of his list to be successful in college. Williams struggled to score in a half court setting. He must work on his overall shooting and ball handling. He didn't look comfortable shooting the three or making scoring moves off the dribble (Timberwolve Shootout). He also had trouble finishing at times once he got to the rim because he seem to be anticipating contact instead of attacking the basket.

If Williams can put together a respectable outside game, he could dominate the Big Ten eventually. But his current struggles in the half court and lack of comfort shooting from the outside will reinforce Minnesota's current weaknesses.

Make no mistake, I think Williams is a tremendous addition and will eventually add quite a bit. But I'm not sure he addresses the team's most dire need: A consistent scorer from the outside.

Justin Cobbs: A point guard that will probably be given every chance to win the starting point guard job, Cobbs has earned a reputation as a talented point guard with upside. Interesting analysis here.

Cobbs is one of the most debatable players on the west coast. On the one hand, his competiveness, athleticism, and improved skill are attractive to any coach on any level. However, his decision-making (specifically his shot selection), is troublesome to say the least. He takes very difficult shots early in the shot clock that leave you shaking your head, but there is no question he is a talent. He is extremely explosive in the open court and is very strong going to the basket and had some of the most acrobatic finishes of the tournament (Mission Prep Christmas Classic). He can knock down the 3-point shot and he gets great lift on it.

No doubt that Cobbs' competitiveness is what drew Coach Smith to him. And it's great to see that Cobbs is confident shooting the rock. But Tubby has a short leash and will not put up with out of control shot selection. It'll be intersting to see where Cobbs shakes out next year. Will he earn time at the point? If he does, will Devoe Joseph slide over into the two-guard slot? No matter what happens, Cobbs might be the most important member of this class. If he pans out into a solid point guard who can score, then Minnesota will be scary for the next few years. If not, the Gophers will continue to have the same problems they've been having.

Bryant Allen: A Missouri native who signed a letter of intent to play for Coach Brewster, Allen could be another member of Minnesota's backcourt. At 6' 160, Allen is a point guard who is described as a streaky outside shooter who is very quick and athletic off the dribble. If he plays basketball, he too will be in the mix at the point guard spot.

Conclustion: Each of the incoming recruits could be very good in a number of areas. But in looking at the common perceptions surrounding each of them, I'm not sure this incoming recruiting class has addressed the team's most dire need, that is, finding a guard who can score consistently from the outside.

In fairness, when Smith was putting this class together the largest perceived weakness was a lack of a stable inside presence. No doubt that has been addressed. And Williams' athleticism will be great to see in Williams Arena. But unless Williams, Cobbs, Allen, or current guards Nolen, Westbrook, Joseph or Hoffarber begin to hit shots from the outside, next year's team, while tougher on the inside, might suffer from the same issues.

Swept Away By Westbrook: Minnesota 51, Wisconsin 46

PJS — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:47:27 -0000

Lawrence Westbrook could have sulked. He could have complained at the end of the bench about Tubby Smith's decision to keep him on the sidelines to start the game.

Westbrook didn't do any of that. And for the second time this season, Westbrook took over a game during the final minutes against the Badgers of Wisconsin. The junior guard rescued an otherwise stagnant Minnesota offense by scoring 15 second half points--and the team's last 10--to lift Minnesota to a fun 51-46 win over the Badgers Wednesday night at Wiliams Arena..

For their part, the Badgers didn't give this game away. They played their typical stingy defense. And senior Marcus Landry did his best to put his team on his back, scoring a game-high 18 points to give the Badgers a late 46-43 lead.

But Westbrook had none of it. On the bench to start the game, the enigmatic shooting guard put the Golden Gophers back in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Before Westbrook stole the show, the Gophers claimed a 10 point first half lead by pounding the ball inside. Minnesota's high-low set with freshmen Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson was effective, if not proficient. At one point, the Gophers led the inside scoring battle 20-2. That couldn't have made Bo Ryan happy.

But it was an indication that Tubby Smith has laid down the law. With the team's porous outside shooting of late, the Gophers are clearly at their best when they are scoring inside (or in transition). Iverson had 8 points inside and Sampson had 4. But along with their points, both big men also were able to get the Badgers in to early second half foul trouble.

Speaking of laying down the law, Westbrook wasn't the only starting guard to ride the pine at the beginning of the game. Al Nolen was replaced in the starting lineup by Devoe Joseph. Frankly, I completely agree with Smith's decision to bench Nolen and Westbrook. He needed to send a message to both players, who have had a tendency to play out of control lately.

Joseph played admirably. He hit an open jumper on the wing to open the game. And he played solid defense during crunch time. The fact that Joseph was on the floor in the final minutes should indicate Smith's confidence in the freshman guard. Blake Hoffarber started at the other guard spot and contributed despite not being the three-point ace he was last year. As someone noted in the game thread, Hoffarber is superior to all of his teammates when it comes to executing a simple entry pass. Hoffarber only had 2 points, but he led the team in assists (3) and, in my opinion, earned more playing time.

During Minnesota's February struggles, perhaps the biggest issue was turnovers. Well, tonight the Gophers had just 10 turnovers to Wisconsin's 14. If the message Smith was sending was to protect the ball, the kids heard it.

But the night, even if it started auspiciously, belonged to Westbrook. It was a team effort, but the young man from Chandler, Arizona is the biggest reason Goldy the Gopher was running around with a broom at Williams Arena late Wednesday night. For the Badgers, it had to be almost like deja vu. Let's flash back to Minnesota's 78-74 overtime win in Madison.

In particular, Westbrook was insane. He finished with a career-high 29 points (nine in overtime), and it was the type of offensive performance that he's always been capable of but rarely produced. He was every bit the go-to man the Gophers need. He hit from outside. He made Jordan-esque hanging, double-clutch, reverse, under-handed layups. OK, that's a stretch. But he was damn good.

Westbrook has had his ups and downs this year, but for the second time this season he's carried his teammates during the final minutes against our border rival. And for taking the benching in stride and performing anyway, Westbrook deserves the accolades he will receive.

Next up: One more at Williams Arena. Senior night for Jamal Abu-Shamala and Jonathan Williams. A win and we're in.

Illinois 52, Minnesota 41

PJS — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:06:32 -0000

In some respects, Minnesota's performance Thursday night against Illinois was imporessive. The Gophers dominated the Illini in the paint. They rebounded like Michigan State and established three scoring options in the post.

But in other respects, Minnesota's performance Thursday night was unfortunate. Had it not been for ice cold shooting from the outside and the team's relatively newfound sloppy play, the Gophers would have pulled an upset on the road against a nationally ranked team.

Minnesota's two vices came back to haunt them, as the team fell .52-41 to Illinois, a game that was entertaining and back-and-forth for 34 minutes, until the Gophers went scoreless the last 6 minutes of the game.

The Gophers came out of the locker room with a serious feel to their game. They were apply 3/4 court pressure to the Illini. They were forcing turnovers. They were moving on offence and crashing the boards. Damian Johnson was everywhere. But eventually the pressure-oriented defense subsided and the Gophers' offense couldn't function in the half court.

The Gophers shot 31 percent from the game and an atroucious 1 for 14 from three. Travis Busch provided the only make from beyond the arc. Not one guard had anything resembling a nice stroke last night. Al Nolen, atrocious on offense for the entire game in many respects, was 0 for 5. Devoe Joseph was 0 for 6. Lawrence Westbrook was an out-of-control 2 for 10. Paul Carter looked as if he was playing with moving rims, becuase I'm not sure he touched one in going 0 for 5.

But the daming part of it all, is the Gophers still could have won if they had just protected the basketball. During a second half stretch where the game was hanging in the balance, Minnesota's turnovers ruined the day. The Gophers gave the ball away 20 times, a number far too high to beat a team like Illinois, especially on the road.

The only reason the game wasn't a blowout in the Illini's favor was Minnesota's real dominance on the interior. The Gophers had an asontishing 43 to 28 rebounding advantage and scored the vast majority of its points in the paint. The three effective Gophers on the offensive end were Johnson, who had a team-high 18 and Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III who combined for 12.

Johnson, by the way, was a force and the BTN announcers rightly proclaimed all evening he MUST be considered for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He had 5 steals and three tremendous blocks while changing multiple other Illinois shots. He was everywhere Thursday night. He acted the part of the team-leader that we've wanted him to do. But his teammates didn't join him for the ride.

And while the Gophers did their part to lose the game, let's not taking anything away from the Illini. Chester Frazier was great on defense (4 steals). Trent Meacham, Gophers killer that he is, hit the open jumpers the Gophers could not. Mike Davis was impressive inside and Demetri McCamey hit a very important late three to seal Minnesota's fate.

As the game winded down, the BTN color man commented that after seeing the last two Minnesota games he is even more impressed with what the coaching staff has done with the team. He remarked that the Gophers don't have shooters nor guards or even big men that can consistently create their own shot. That's spot on. If the Gophers had one, just one perimeter player who could provide a consistent offensive output this team would beat Illinois more times than not.

The loss drops the Gophers to 8-8 in the conference. Couple that with Michigan's upset win over Purdue last night, and I believe the last two home games are must-wins for the Gophers. They have about one week off before hosting Wisconsin before wrapping the regular season up with a date with Michigan at The Barn. I believe the boys need to go 2-0. I know that they would probably be seen as 'in' by most experts at 9-9 in conference, but the team just hasn't performed well enough down the stretch. And the late season collapse could really haunt them with the selection committee.

South Dakota State @ Minnesota - TDG Preview

GopherNation — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:15:05 -0000

I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is that the Gophers are on TV (assuming you have Big Ten Network). The bad news is that we have yet another uninspiring opponent. I know the Gophers are young and full of new players, so a weak out of conference schedule has its benefits, but I'm getting tired of every game being agaisnt a team that has very little chance of making the game remotely competitive.

I know this game was close a year ago and SDSU returns some of their key players, but this game will do nothing to improve Minnesota's strenght of schedule (281st according to Sagarin rankings and 212th by Ken Pom standards).

The Facts are These...

Efficiency Stats

	SDSU	Minnesota
Off Eff	0.980	1.119
Def Eff	1.034	0.945
Differential	-0.054	0.174

eFG%	46.0%	55.4%
Def eFG%	49.9%	44.7%
TO %	20.5%	21.7%
Off Reb %	34.1%	37.4%
Def Reb %	66.6%	63.9%

Assuming things play out as we can reasonably expect our defense should make thing difficult for them offensively and we should shoot well enough to win.

Turnovers though are still a significant problem for this team. We have a handful of talented perimeter players but Nolen is our only true PG. And while Absolute Zero (Nolen for those who didn't know) has done a fine job taking care of the ball, some of our other backcourt players really need to improve in this area or it will really hurt us by the time we get into the Big Ten schedule. We simply cannot give the other team that ball on slightly more than one out of every five possessions.

	Total TOs	TOs per 40 Min
Nolen	13	2.19
Westbrook	17	4.02
Hoffarber	14	2.83
Josepth	13	4.56

Key Players for the Jackrabits

Likely Starters	Size	Class	Pos	Pts	Reb	Ast	3pnt %
Garrett Callahan	6-1	JR	G	18.6	3.1	2.0	43.9%
Clint Sargent	6-4	SO	G	13.7	4.3	1.7	37.5%
Mackenzie Casey	6-0	SR	G	5.3	1.6	2.1	6.7%
Kai Williams	6-6	JR	F	10.6	6.6	1.3	29.7%
Anthony Cordova	6-7	SO	F	8.0	7.9	1.0	-
Key Reserves
Josh Cassaday	6-6	FR	F	5.3	4.8	1.3	-
Dale Moss	6-4	SO	G	4.6	2.7	0.2	-
Mark Engen (MN native)	6-10	JR	C	2.3	2.0	0.0	-

The guy to worry about here is Callahan who had the best game of his career scoring 28 points on 11/18 shooting last year in the Barn. After seeing what the Gopher defense did to Sylven Landesberg of UVA, I am not spending my afternoon fretting about what Callahan is going to do to us tonight. The rest of the roster is pretty balances with four guys scoring in teh 8 - 14 ppg range.

Stories to watch tonight

I see two things to pay close attention to tonight. The first is turnovers. Against a team that so far has not been a great defensive team this is a chance for the Gophers to lower that turnover percentage. Not lowering the stat for statistical ranking purposes, but hopefully a game where we can learn to be efficient on offense by taking care of the ball and getting a shot every time down the floor. The guys to wach will be Westbrook and Joseph.

The other storyline for tonight will be Colt 45 facing the D1 team from his native state. The fact that Iverson is from SoDak will make things interesting but added to that is the need for the Gophers to dominate the frontcourt tonight. The Jackrabbits are undersized with only one guy over 6'7" who sees any significant minutes (and Engen is solidly their 8th man). This should be a great chance for DJ Swat, Colt 45 and RSIII to dominate the paint scoring and rebounding.

SDSU killed us on the boards last year which largely contributed to the final six point margin. I fully expect that will not be forgotten and DJ Swat, Colt 45 and RSIII will be focused on ending possessions with a rebound.

Quick Predictions

Minnesota reversed the rebounding disparity and outrebounds the Jackrabits by +6.
The losses of Hoffarber and Carter really do not factor in as this is the kind of game tailor made for guys like Abu-Shamala and Busch. They both see big minutes and play well.
This one is a 12 point cushion for the final 30 minutes of the game and the Gophers cruise to victory.