Ten losses out of 11 games. That's how Tubby Smith's fourth version of maroon and gold finishes the season. Neither GN or I can stomach writing a game thread, so let's just have it it in the comments section. This team has clearly quit. It quit a long time ago. What a disaster this season turned into. 

More later, until then vent. .......

Use this as an open thread to vent about an 8th loss in 9 games. Truly the most frustrating Gophers season in my lifetime -- and that includes the Dan Monson era.

I'll update this post in the morning with a review of what was yet another late game meltdown. For now I'll just say that I believe this team to be one that wouldn't win with most any other coach, though Tubby certainly isn't without blame. What say you?

A constant topic among University of Minnesota basketball fans in recent weeks (and really ever since Tubby Smith arrived) is the University's efforts to keep up with the Jonses and build a basketball development center for the men's and women's basketball programs. Both Coach Smith and Pam Borton have highlighted the need for the facility. We've seen players opine about the need. And I think we all can agree that in the recruiting world, top-notch facilities (like it or not) is a factor.

Because of the interest on the topic, I reached out to Athletic Director Joel Maturi and others involved in the process to update everyone on where things stand. I pushed on two questions specifically in my email correspondence. First, I wanted to see the design work that had been done. University officials stated in the Pioneer Press on January 28th that "a desired design for the "player development practice facility"  appears to be set, as well as the estimated cost at $15 million, according to Minnesota associate athletics director/director of development David Crum."

With that news, I felt it was appropriate to see what the design looked like. I asked for initial design work or renderings and was provided with the following.

View of Practice Facility from Filming Platform:

Practice Court:

Strength and Conditioning: 

Recruiting Lounge:

 

Nice renderings, I have to admit, but having drawings in place and making progress towards building something are two different things. I would add that in email correspondence Maturi said on Feb. 15th that "drawings ... are being changed as we speak." Associate AD Scott Ellison, who sent me the above images, suggested as Maturi did that plans are being revisited.

"As Joel has mentioned we are very early in this process," Ellison stated in an email,  "In fact revisiting the facility design and layout as I write this, and feel this would be the best representation of what we are looking at for a practice facility adjacent to Williams Arena."

The second question I pushed on was the timeline of the project. The Golden Gopher Fund, which is working on the fundraising portion of the project, had noted on its Web site that the University had a goal of the fall of 2013 to break ground on the facility. Matt Slieter, associate director of athletic communications sent me this PDF on Feb. 13 which, at the time, was a verbatim version of the Golden Gopher Fund Web site. Here is the PDF which states the fall of 2013 goal:

UofM Practice Facility PDF

Since that PDF was sent to me, Myron Medcalf of the Star Tribune asked Maturi about the 2013 goal. Here's a piece of that article:

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said Wednesday that the university is still committed to building the facility. He said he believes the initial plan of a $20 million complex and a completion date of fall of 2013 are feasible, although fundraising hurdles remain.

"It's still realistic if we can raise the money," he said. 

As of today, the Golden Gopher Fund Web site now states that the goal is to "break ground on the facility as soon as feasible." No more mentions of 2013.

In my various email exchanges with Maturi, it was clear that he didn't want to put a precise timetable on the project. I actually tend to understand this, as fundraising, development and construction tend to be inexact sciences when trying to specify a date certain.

Here is a part of my exchange with Maturi seeking clarification on the 2013 timeline and timelines in general.

I personally do not like to put timelines on projects as  many actors determine the eventual date of ground breaking. We feel good about the process and our status at this time.

I eventually pushed on that question and sent Maturi the following:

The reason I'm pushing on this matter is a number of fans, as you can see on any message board and probably in your personal interactions, are looking for specifics. Myron Medcalf today reported that "according to those close to [Coach Smith]," the lack of progress on a facility is a "major, major issue for him."

Maturi:

Coach Smith is in the loop and has never expressed his displeasure to me. All of us would like it to be built tomorrow. It does not work like that. Look at the time on our stadium. The Twins. The Vikings. For you and others to say little progress has been made is not accurate. 

Again, I understand the nature of timelines and the difficulty they present capital projects. Deadlines can be missed for all sorts of justifiable reasons. One of the reasons, again, I pushed for renderings is because I think the fanbase has a right to see the work that has been done. And I think moving forward we have a reasonable expectation to be as in the loop as possible during this process. That should include an open conversation about timelines and goals. Coach Smith clearly has a goal in his mind of when shovels should first enter the ground. From MinnPost.com on Tuesday:

"My hope is by next fall or next spring, there's a hole in the ground somewhere," Smith said.

I'm sure Maturi and everyone else at the U that is working on this project shares similar goals. Everyone wants this facility built. But when designs are changing, timelines aren't discussed and Web sites are altered, it can only make one wonder, fair or not, exactly how much progress has actually being made. 

The Gophers needed this one. The Gophers had this game won. And then Tubby Smith watched as his team let Michigan State end the game on a 14-1 run. The Gophers lost 53-48 and fell to 6-9 in conference play. Talk of the NCAA Tournament is now silly. The Gophers have lost 6 of 7 games. NCAA Tournament teams don't let that happen even with injuries playing a factor. 

I've defended Tubby in recent weeks. Not this time. Not after this meltdown. The Gophers built an 8 point lead with less than 5 minutes to play. How? They used freshman guards Chip Armelin and Maverick Ahanmisi to push tempo. Ahanmisi was able to get the Gophers into their offensive sets efficiently. And because the Gophers again were playing exclusively in a 2-3 zone, Ahanmisi wasn't a liability on defense.

And then?

Tubby removed Ahanmisi from the game. He went to a lineup that didn't include a point guard. Spartans coach Tom Izzo pounced. He put on a full-court press. The Gophers turned the ball over. Spartans scored. The Spartans continued to press, and while the Gophers cut down their turnovers, they began playing not to lose. Tubby went to a 3-man-weave at the top of the court. This was quickly nullified when Izzo began switching on every screen. But the Gophers spent 10 seconds of each 35 second shot clock getting the ball up the court, and another 10 seconds weaving the perimeter aimlessly. 

Coach Smith didn't help his team tonight. He oversaw an 8 point lead at home with less than 5 minutes to play evaporate in expeditious fashion. That 8 point lead was a 1 point lead in 2 minutes! In 2 minutes on our home floor, the Gophers saw their tournament hopes fade from on the bubble to off.

Minnesota's offensive possessions down the stretch were wholly unwatchable. When Tubby called a timeout it didn't matter. The Gophers put nothing substantive together on their home court down the stretch. 

Still, with 22 seconds left the Gophers trailed just 2. Tubby called a timeout. The resulting shot was an Armelin step-back three pointer. When Izzo calls a timeout to get a shot, the Spartans are going to get a good look. Oftentimes when Tubby calls a timeout, the Gophers look confused. 

There were some bright points of course. Armelin had 12 points and 2 steals off the bench in 21 minutes. Ralph Sampson III was solid, finishing with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Ahanmisi's 14 minutes didn't fill the stat-sheet, but the Gophers were just much quicker and more efficient getting into their offense when he was on the floor. I'll be interested to see the +/- for tonight. I'm betting Ahanmisi is easily on the + side. Mbakwe was Mbakwe. 13 and 10. But in one late game situation, the Gophers fed him on the low block. He went to what must be the Ron Jirsa, Vince Taylor or Tubby Smith patented post move -- the running hook. It fell way short. 

Interestingly, Rodney Williams found himself on the bench for most of the game. He played 11 minutes. Austin Hollins took his minutes and played OK. But during that late game meltdown, Hollins at one point was caught at the top of the key trying to handle the ball. Kalin Lucas made him look foolish and tied the ball up. 

There are other things we can highlight, and I'll update this post in the morning. But Tubby Smith's fourth year went from disappointment to near disaster Tuesday night at Williams Arena. 

The Gophers stormed back from a 10 point deficit with less than 10 minutes to play Thursday night in Happy Valley and took a late lead before fumbling away two critical possessions and watching Talor Battle hit a clutch three to give the Nittany Lions a 66-63 win.

Minnesota lost this game for two reasons. First, Battle played very well. He finished with 28 points and was 7-14 from three. Second, Minnesota's composure down the stretch was cringe-worthy. Blake Hoffarber forced a fade-away three. Austin Hollins traveled. And Hoffarber and Ralph Sampson III clearly weren't on the same page as Hoffarber threw a pass that missed Sampson and sailed out of bounds. Had any of those final possessions ended differently, the Gophers just might have secured their second straight road win.

But as it is, the Gophers fall to 6-8 in conference play and have dropped 5 of their last 6 games. That's good for a tie for 7th place with games remaining at home against MIchigan State, Michigan and Penn State and a road test at Northwestern. The Gophers might need to win 3 of those 4 games to find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.

Aside from he late-game mishaps, the Gophers can find other reasons to look inward. They committed 13 turnovers. Sampson alone had 5. Despite getting Penn State in early foul trouble in the first half with PSU's bigs on the bench and the Gophers in the bonus for nearly half of the first stanza, the Gophers didn't get to the foul line. On the night, the Gophers were just 6-10 from the line. With their size, the Gophers need to be getting to the line far more often.

Defensively, Minnesota went almost exclusively to the 2-3 zone they used against cold-shooting Iowa. There were stretches when the zone forced PSU into ill-advised or long threes. But there were also stretches when the Gophers were giving up very open looks. For a handful of possessions, the Gophers switched to a 3-2 zone to take away the three point shot. It was the transition defense that let the Gophers down when Battle hit his critical late-game three. As Penn State pushed the ball up the court after a turnover, two defenders swarmed the ball in the corner and no one noticed Battle spotting up on wing. 

While the loss digs Minnesota an even deeper hole, and it's tough to be optimistic after losing 5 of 6, the loss at Penn State isn't completely devastating. The Nittany Lions have played well on their home court. And despite was the ESPN's horrible play by play man Bob Wischusen told you 95 times, this wasn't a play-in game for the NCAA's. Today, the Gophers are likely still in. But they need to start winning.

Some thoughts on individual player performances after the jump.

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I've always paid attention to Sidney Lowe, probably because I followed his time with the Timberwolves. 

I saw this today at Rush the Court, my favorite college hoops site.

It must have been rough for you this past week, Sidney. Whenever UNC-Duke get together right in your own backyard it has to remind you how irrelevant your program is not just on a national level but also within the state of North Carolina. But it’s tough to feel sorry for SidneyLowe; he pretty much built the fire underneath his current hot seat with his lousy coaching. Lowe has yet to win more than six games in the ACC in a season, and it doesn’t look like he’s breaking that trend this year given N.C. State’s current 3-7 record in conference. This season is especially disappointing considering the highly touted recruiting class that Lowe reeled in during the offseason. All the losing combined with the general lack of buzz around the program equals a probable pink slip for Lowe at the end of the season. Lowe’s eventual firing will certainly please a large contingent of Wolfpack faithful, but N.C. State fans should do a little soul searching before their next hire. Are the expectations that N.C. State can compete with UNC and Duke on a yearly basis reasonable? We hear at TWTW don’t think so. If fans can temper their expectations and be content with a program that occasionally rises up to place in the top three of the ACC, then the next coach should find a work environment in which he can succeed.  

 

Four years later, Tubby Smith's honeymoon is officially over in Dinkytown. Welcolmed by Minnesotans as a savior of its long moribund and scandal-laden program, Smith is now learning that Golden Gopher fans want results, not excuses.

During Minnesota's recent four-game losing skid (this was written pre-Iowa) - the longest of Smith's era in Minneapolis - Minnesota fans have heard myriad excuses while watching a once-promising season crumble into another disappointing campaign. Minnesota fans justifiably want results, not spin. But in this case, and I'm as or more disappointed in this year's results than most, I think we need to recognize that Tubby's tenure, while frustrating at times, has yielded mostly positive results and there are many legitimate excuses for not yet turning the Gophers into a Big Ten contender.

After the jump, I explore what's transpired since Tubby came to Minnesota from Kentucky and argue that there's more reason for long-term optimism than ever before even if it's hard to see smack dab in the middle of a season that is failing to live up to expectations.

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The Gophers snapped a four-game skid Sunday night, playing some of their best basketball in weeks as they easily handled the cold-shooting Iowa Hawkeyes 62-45 in Iowa City.

The win was a must for Minnesota's once strong NCAA Tournament hopes, for Tubby Smith who had never endured a 5-game losing streak, for the fans who have been in near meltdown mode and for the players, who had to realize they can win games and salvage their season as they wait for Al Nolen's foot to heal.

Two players inparticular stepped up. Trevor Mbakwe had 24 points (22 in the second half) and went 10-11 from the stripe. In the first half, the Gophers were carried by the much-maligned Rodney Williams. The sophomore finished the night with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, a solid line. But Williams offensive spurt, which consisted of a drive to the rim, some nice finishes around the basket, a put back and a catch and shoot three, came in the early stages of the game when Minnesota desperately needed someone to step up. On this night, Rodney stepped up.

For the first time in what seems like all season, the Gophers ran into a team that was ice cold from the perimeter. Minnesota forced Iowa into outside shots throughout the game. During stretches, Minnesota's length and quickness in the 2-3 zone forced Iowa into contested shots. But in other moments it was clear Iowa was just having one of those nights where shots weren't falling. Iowa shot an abysmal 6-28 (21 percent from 3). For the game, the Hawkeyes shot just 34 percent. Matt Gatens inparticular was a frigid 2-11.

From a strategy standpoint, it was interesting to see Tubby go back to the 2-3 zone, which Minnesota played exclusively against Iowa. One reason Tubby has hesitated to use the zone more was Minnesota's inability to rebound out of it. But on this night, Minnesota did just fine rebounding as a team, as they out-rebounded Iowa 30-23.

Tubby also started the game with the big lineup that he used initially after Nolen's injury. Mbakwe was joined by centers Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III in the starting lineup with Williams and Blake Hoffarber. It was that lineup, actually, that sputtered out of the gate. It wasn't until Minnesota began to play a smaller lineup, with two of the bigs and a collection of guards and wings that they began to play quality basketball.

Williams and Mbakwe weren't the only Minnesota players to step up. Maverick Ahanmisi, who has been all but run out of Dinkytown by the fan base, played 11 solid minutes. He pushed tempo where appropriate. He hit an open 3 and finished with seven points. He led the fast break. He penetrated and found Mbakwe in the lane. Seven points, two assists, one steal, one turnover in 11 minutes? I'll take that, especially because on this night Ahanmisi wasn't a liability on defense. In the 2-3 zone, Ahanmisi wasn't asked to man-up on a more athletic point guard. He held his own on defense.

Making Ahanmisi's and Williams' performances all that much more important was Hoffarber's quiet night offensively. The senior shooting guard turned point guard didn't connect on a 3 and finished with a quiet 6 points.

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The Gophers left Williams Arena Thursday night having lost its fourth straight, second straight at home, and fell to 5-7 in conference play. At this point, there should be no talk of the bubble or NCAA berths. This is an NIT team right now. Nothing more. 

If you've watched the last four games, you've seen that the Gophers have a beast in the paint named Trevor Mbakwe. They have a sharp-shooter named Blake Hoffarber playing point guard. After that? Ralph Sampson III has his moments in the paint. But no one has stepped up to fill the void left by injuries to Al Nolen and Maurice Walker or the transfer of Al Nolen.

Maverick Ahanmisi hasn't stepped up at the point guard spot. His defense is atrocious.

Rodney Williams, the would-be NBA talent, looks to be regressing. After flashes of potential, Rodney is struggling with simple decision-making. His passing is scary bad sometimes. And aside from an occasional defensive play, he's not helping Minnesota at all.

Austin Hollins and Chip Armelin have both had their moments. But during a crucial stretch, Hollins, who is now starting as a freshman, came free at the elbow for a wide open jumper. It was an uncontested shot that didn't even draw iron. The Gophers were down 4 at the time with 3 minutes left. I don't think you can win big time college basketball games when your starting point guard can't hit the rim from the elbow.

Point is, the talent that's on the floor for Minnesota isn't Top 25 talent. It's not NCAA Tournament talent. And that's why they've lost four straight. Blame injuries. Blame recruiting. It doesn't change the fact that this Gophers team, sans any legitimate guard play other than Hoffarber, is closer to the NIT than the NCAA.

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Williams Arena was rocking. The undefeated #1 Ohio State Buckeyes were in town to face the #20 Golden Gophers. An upset was possible. After all, this Buckeyes team had looked vulnerable in recent close wins. But, alas, the game wasn't close and the Buckeyes did more to demonstrate just how dominant they are in the Big Ten than the Gophers did to show that they're legitimate contenders for a top 8 seed come March.

The Buckeeyes were very good on Sunday afternoon, but Minnesota ought to look inward. The Gophers gave up an amazing 20 offensive rebounds. I know Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale are a lot to handle, but Trevor Mbakwe, Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III should never, ever let that happen. At least 4 of those rebounds, maybe more, came off OSU misses at the free throw line. The Gophers weren't boxing out.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Gophers were incredibly sloppy with the basketball. 19 turnovers. Some were because of a lack of poise. Others were just because of bad decisions. 20 offensive rebounds. 19 turnovers. Ohio State wins 82-69. For most of the second half, the game didn't feel that close.

 

The loss pulls the Gophers to 5-6 in conference play, having lost 3 straight. The schedule does lighten up from here, and considering we're playing without a point guard, I think we should be careful about throwing in the towel on this team. They didn't play well against OSU. They didn't play well at Indiana. But all is not lost. It just might have felt that way Sunday early afternoon.

 

One of the reasons it might feel like all is lost is the Gophers didn't seem to have much fight. The bigs didn't seem to have the pride to fight in the paint. No one hit a clutch shot when the Buckeyes let the door crack open. Blake Hoffarber led the Gophers with 16 points. He looked uncomfortable at times again playing point guard. Sampson added 14, mostly during an effective first half for the junior.

David Lighty, who to me is the best all-around player in the Big Ten, led all scorers with 19. Sullinger added 18-13. Mbakwe, who many thought could hold down or match Sullinger, was as big of a non-factor as he's been all season. Mbakwe didn't crash the offensive glass. He forced things offensively and finished with a pedestrian 8 points and 7 boards.

Aside from OSU's domination in the paint, the other thing that stood out was Minnesota's lack of playmakers in comparison to OSU. Where Minnesota will look to Chip Armelin or Austin Hollins, the Buckeyes have Lighty, William Buford or Deshaun Thomas. When Minnesota needs a guard off the bench, Tubby looks to Maverick Ahanmisi. When Thad Matta needs a guard to eat up 20-plus minutes, he goes to Aaron Craft, who continues to look fantastic. Simply put, the talent differential between the two teams right now is significant.

Some bullet points after the jump.

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If you're anything like me, you can't get enough news and notes about future Golden Gophers basketball players. With that in mind, I reached out to Minnesota commit Andre Hollins and asked him if he'd do a Q&A with us. Andre was kind enough to share some of his why he committed to Minnesota, his role on his high school team and what position he wants to play when he suits up in maroon and gold next season.

Many thanks to Andre for helping us get to know him a bit better.

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While any loss is disappointing, Saturday's 73-61 loss in West Lafayette isn't surprising nor troublesome. The depleted Gophers ran into a hot-shooting Boilermakers squad that desperately needed to grab a home win after recent road losses at Minnesota, West Virginia and Ohio State.

What should stand out, however, is just how good of a coaching job Tubby Smith has done and will need to continue to do as Minnesota faces a tough stretch of the schedule without any point guards that are playing meaningful minutes. The jumbo lineup that worked so well against Northwestern was kept in check, largely thanks to foul trouble and Minnesota's struggles rebounding out of the 2-3 zone. 

But the main difference was Purdue could score from the perimeter and Minnesota couldn't. Even though Minnesota won the battle of points in the paint, it wasn't enough to match Purdue's 10-23 from three compared to Minnesota's 3-9. It wasn't necessarily a case of bad perimeter defense as we've seen in games earlier this season. Instead, it was the simple fact that a 2-3 zone is going to force outside shots. And on this day, especially in the decisive second half, Purdue made its shots. 

If you hadn't noticed before, JaJuan Johnson is good. He played 40 minutes, scored a game-high 24 points to go with 7 rebounds. When Minnesota had a chance to make a run on Purdue, there was Johnson with a put-back, fade-away jumper or smooth outside shot. He was an efficient 8-13 and went 8-9 from the free throw line. 

Trevor Mbakwe led Minnesota again. He had a double-double again (17 and 14), but Mbakwe also missed a few opportunities close into the basket on dunk attempts that were a tad too aggressive. Blake Hoffarber added 14 points for Minnesota, as he once again did what he could to handle point guard duties with Al Nolen sidelined. Hoffarber played all 40 minutes

During the first half, Minnesota's 2-3 zone was frustrating Purdue. With Mbakwe on a low block, Rodney Williams or Austin Hollins joined Hoffarber at the top. The zone was active. The team's length was impactful. And Purdue struggled to get the ball inside. But all that changed in the second half when Purdue found seams in the zone.

It would have been intersting to see the outcome of this game if Iverson and Williams hadn't found early foul trouble. Iverson only played 15 minutes. Williams played 19. That meant the Gophers had to use a smaller lineup with inexperienced guards Austin Hollins and Chip Armelin. Both freshman played fairly well, but defensively losing Iverson's ability to rebound and Williams' ability to use his length and athleticism in all sorts of roles hurts Minnesota. The zone should allow Minnesota to avoid foui trouble. On this day, thanks to a couple cheap fouls, this wasn't the case. 

All in all, this isn't a horrible loss for Minnesota. It was expected. But the boys do need to grab a road win later this week when they travel to meet Tom Crean and Indiana. Bullet points after the jump.

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Not many teams could survive losing two point guards capable of starting in the Big Ten in a matter of weeks. But Tubby Smith's Gophers are surviving and thriving with Devoe Joseph opting to wear street clothes in Oregon and Al Nolen on the bench with a broken foot. How? Dominating the paint. On Wednesday night against Northwestern, the Gophers pounded the ball in the paint at every possible opportunity as Colton Iverson, Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbakwe helped the Gophers to a relatively easy win against the Wildcats.

Mbakwe had 18 and 14. Iverson had 15 and 6 and Sampson added 14 to lead Minnesota's pound-the-ball-inside attack. And any questions about Blake Hoffarber scoring while in the point guard role were answered, as the senior tossed in 20 points. The Gophers dominated for all about one first half 6 minute span and moved to 5-3 in the Big Ten with an 81-70 win.

Coach Smith clearly had a plan. If the basketball Gods were going to take away his point guards, then Coach Smith was going to live and die with what has been this team's strength all along -- its size. Tubby started all three bigs. That meant the Gophers were going to have to adjust defensively, with two relatively slow-footed centers on the floor at the same time in Iverson and Sampson. So the Gophers played the 2-3 zone that they've played on occasion very well this season. Mbakwe's ability to cover significant territory on the low block, and Minnesota's length generally has made the zone fairly effective. For the better part of the game, Northwestern was forced to take contested outside threes.

Offensively, no matter if Bill Carmody was playing zone or an extended 1-3-1, the Gophers were determined to get the ball inside. The interior passing from the bigs was something to behold. All three bigs knew what they wanted to do with the basketball and the big-to-big passing was simply great.

Northwestern, who has been oh-so-close to winning a resume-building Big Ten game or two, twice taking Michigan State to the brink of an upset, never threatened in the second half. Michael Thompson led the Wildcats with 18 points, but he was just 4-13 from three. John Shurna, who slammed his chin into the base of the basket in the first half, never could really shake free from the 2-3 zone. He added 16 and 8.

Minnesota's focus on scoring in the paint also translated to scoring from the free throw line. The GOphers shot an amazing 46 free throws. Granted, they were just 31-46, but getting to the free throw line that often is an accomplishment by itself. With the focus on dumping the ball down to the block, the Gophers didn't settle for many outside shots. The Gophers were just 2-11 from three. Hoffarber was 2-5.

Tubby's bench also shortened. While the Michigan game saw Maverick Ahanmisi and Chip Armelin play significant minutes in Nolen's absence, against Northwestern it was Austin Hollins with the impactful minutes off the bench. With Hoffarber manning most of the minutes at point guard, Ahanmisi played sparingly. Hollins came in and found a role, however, providing solid defense with his length. He added 10 points in a variety of ways. This might have been Hollins' best game as a Gopher.

I'll have more thoughts on this game in the morning, but for now let's enjoy this one. This team continues to persevere despite continued setbacks. Up next is JaJuan Johnson and Matt Painter on CBS this Saturday in West Lafayette.

Give the Gophers credit. Not for winning a Big Ten road game against a rebuilding Michigan Wolverines team. Give them credit for stepping up as a team in the face of yet more adversity.

This time the setback was a mid-game injury to senior point guard Al Nolen. Nolen went down with a twisted ankle right before halftime where the Gophers led 31-29. The Gophers could have hung their heads at the news of another setback, as Nolen didn't play one second half minute. But instead others stepped up and carried Minnesota to a much needed road win, 69-64 in Ann Arbor.

Credit Blake Hoffarber for sliding over from his shooting guard spot to play point guard. Hoffarber had 6 assists to 0 turnovers. He had 12 points, most down the stretch as the Gophers worked to ice the game. Hoffarber didn't score with the three ball as he usually does, but he instead showed just how much he has grown. In the last three years can we remember a time when Hoffarber, with 10 seconds left on the shot clock, would have the ability to take a more athletic defender off the dribble into the paint for a clutch two? That's what Hoffarber did Saturday. 

Credit Chip Armelin. He played a sort-of co-point guard role at times with Hoffarber on the floor. He finished with 7 points, 2 assists and 2 steals in 20 solid minutes. Chip has a rare ability to completely impact a game in just a few minutes, and he did that with back-to-back strong moves to the basket in the second half. 

Credit Maverick Ahanmisi. The freshman point guard had played all of 7 combined minutes in the Gophers' previous two games. Against Michigan he was forced to play 13 very important minutes. Ahanmisi wasn't spectacular, but he answered the call. Ahanmisi was 2-2 from the floor for 5 points. He's shooting 41 percent on the year from beyond the arc. Hoffarber, for comparison, is shooting 39 percent.

Minnesota needed those three to step up in that capacity, because winning in Ann Arbor isn't easy. The loss of Nolen could also have meant Darius Morris would have more of an opportunity to dominate. But as Minnesota played the 2-3 zone that helped them through the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Morris was held in check. Tim Hardaway, Jr. led the Wolverines with 20 points. 

Minnesota's offense was balanced. Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbakwe led Minnesota with 13 points each. Hoffarber added 12. Rodney Williams came through with 10. But it wasn't so much who scored for Minnesota, as it was how efficiently the Gophers did score.

Minnesota shot 63 percent from the floor. That was because for the first time, the Gophers used their insider bulk and completely dominated the paint. Minnesota out-rebounded a much smaller Michigan team 37-11. Sampson, Mbakwe and Colton Iverson as a trio were simply too big for Michigan to handle.

This was an important road win for the Gophers as they climbed to 4-3 in Big Ten play. It's quite possible Ohio State will run away with the conference title, but the Gophers are in a position, with a favorable schedule, to fight for a great Big Ten finish. More thoughts below the jump.

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Blake Hoffarber's sweet left-handed stroke had venerable Williams Arena rocking Thursday night as the #25 Gophers upended #8 Purdue 70-67. Hoffarber's 26 points helped Minnesota to what was arguably a must-win after early conference losses at Michigan State, at Ohio State and at Wisconsin. For this team, after dealing with the transfer of Devoe Joseph and an off-the-court distraction involving Trevor Mbakwe, this win must have felt great.

The game was easily the most entertaining game the Gophers have played all season. An up and down affair in the first half, the Gophers went into the half-time locker room up 41-40. Both teams were running and hitting their shots. It was frankly just very fun to watch, and I'd say that regardless of who had won the game.

Purdue was led by JaJuan Johnson who was simply fantastic. Johnson started quickly, hitting from the outside, knocking down fadeaways that just aren't defendable. But as the game wore on in the second half, the Gophers took Johnson out of the game as best they could. They doubled him in the post constantly, and Purdue didn't hit enough outside shots to take advantage. 

The game was in doubt until the final seconds. Al Nolen hit a late three to put the Gophers up three points and Purdue missed two threes in the final seconds that could have send the game into overtime.

Significant kudos to Nolen for playing 39 minutes, scoring 13 points and adding 8 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Hoffarber's 26 points came on 10-15 shooting (4-6 from three). He added 4 assists. Combined, Hoffarber and Nolen had 12 assists to 4 turnovers. Pretty good.

Hoffarber was certainly the star on this night for Minnesota, but a considerable honorable mention goes to the Williams Arena crowd and home-court advantage. If you're going to compete in the Big Ten at the top of the conference, you must beat very good teams at home. The Gophers haven't done this in recent years. They've lost close home games to the team's best teams. Tonight, with the support of what sounded like an extremely lively home crowd, the Gophers got the job done. 

Lots of observations below the jump, but first, man this feels good. It's been tough to slog through with this team in the past few weeks. There's been inconsistent defense. Off-court headaches. Disappointing losses. But the win breathes new life into the Gophers as they now have their most difficult portion of the schedule behind them.

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If it's possible, the Golden Gophers are even more baffling to me after losing 67-64 to undefeated Ohio State Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure exactly how the Gophers only lost by 3 points or how the Buckeyes didn't blow Minnesota out of the gym after building a 16 point second half lead. But somehow, someway, the Gophers clawed back into the game with a chance to send the #2 Buckeyes into overtime. In the end, Austin Hollins' fade-away three as time expired came up well short, and Minnesota fell to 1-3 in conference play.

For the first 30 minutes, the Gophers looked completely over-matched. While they worked to take Jared Sullinger away from the Buckeyes early, the dynamic freshman made them pay for doubling down on him, as he easily broke Minnesota's double-teams with solid passes out of the post. When the Buckeyes weren't beating Minnesota inside, they were playing inside-out and hitting from the perimeter. And for those first 30 minutes, Ohio State's defense was the best I've seen played by any team all year. Nothing was easy. Passing lanes were challenged. The Gophers could do nothing. 

And then I guess something changed? All of a sudden the Gophers were able to get to the basket. Al Nolen was able to penetrate and the Gophers found openings on offense. I'm not sure if it was because Ohio State began to rest on its laurels or the Gophers picked up the intensity. Whatever the case, the Gophers found themselves in an opportunity to steal a game on the road against the #2 team in the country, and while there were plenty of negatives--which I'll explore after the jump--the fact that this team held in during this game and made it competitive at the end, well, we should look at that as a positive heading into a much more manageable portion of the schedule. 

Trevor Mbakwe was this team's leader Sunday. He was as much or more of a factor than Sullinger. Mbakwe finished with 16 points, 12 boards and 4 blocks in 33 minutes. Sullinger finished with 15 points and 12 boards in 36 minutes. As the Gophers worked to limit Sullinger, it was other Buckeyes who came through. David Lighty led all scorers with 19 points. And freshman Aaron Craft played 34 minutes off the bench, threw in 11 points and did well to keep Nolen from penetrating for most of the afternoon. 

Minnesota's second half spurt proves that when this team wants to, it can compete with just about anyone. But that's also what makes this team so incredibly frustrating. They go to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and beat decent teams in North Carolina and West Virginia. Then they come home and struggle against cupcake teams and lose to Virginia. They play a great first half against Michigan State and then crumble in the second. They lay an egg in the first half against Ohio State, and then come roaring back. I'm not going to try and understand it. It's baffling. But below the jump I lay out some good and bad from Sunday's game and toss out a couple suggestions that might make this team a bit more even in its play.

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It wasn't pretty. And the Gophers again didn't look like a Top 25 team. But Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams and Al Nolen did just enough Tuesday night to lead Minnesota to its first Big Ten win of the season. 

After dropping road games to Wisconsin and Michigan State, winning at home against Indiana was a must for the team's hopes of a successful season. After the news broke in the last two days that junior guard Devoe Joseph is leaning towards transferring after being suspended for a second time, a win was needed for morale. The Gophers were able to get that done, thanks to a second-half flurry where the Gophers played with defensive intensity.

Mbakwe led the Gophers with an 11-16 double-double in the junior's first game against former coach Tom Crean. Mbakwe was occasionally dominant. During the second-half spurt, Williams showed Minnesota fans why scouts believe he's the most talented player in the BIg Ten. He finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds. An Nolen, picking up the slack with Joseph gone / out, took the game into his own hands during various stretches, playing solid defense and taking the ball to the rim. He finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. That's the type of Nolen stat line we've come to love. 

But once again things weren't easy for Minnesota. The Gophers sputtered during a first half that saw Indiana take a 6 point half-time lead. During the opening frame, the Gophers were complacent. They weren't contesting shots. Their defense was beyond suspect. And outside of an early stretch where Mbakwe dominated the interior, the Gophers couldn't put together any semblance of a consistent offense. 

Credit Indiana for coming ready to play. Victor Oladipo was particularly impressive. He finished with 13 points to lead the Hoosiers, most from the line where he went 7-8. 

Observations after the jump.

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The Gophers didn't impress Wednesday night in a win over Akron at Williams Arena. But they did just enough to win, so that's good, right?

The Zips are just the latest team to take advantage of a flat Gophers squad in the first half. This time, an uninspired first half allowed Akron to build a 5 point half time lead. But the Gophers were able to up the energy for portions of the second half to spurt to a 66-58 win. The energy Minnesota came out of the halftime locker room with is what they'll need to play with come Big Ten season, or this team will be in for a rude awakening. 

Some of Minnesota's first-half struggles can be attributed to shots simply not falling. They shot under 30 percent in the first half. Some of that was good Akron defense. Some of it was poor half-court execution. And some of it was Minnesota's bigs simply not making shots around the rim. 

Perhaps the ugliest part of the game for Minnesota was the failure to take care of the basketball. Minnesota turned the ball over 17 times. Devoe Joseph was sloppy again. He had 5 turnovers himself. There's a lot of talk about Joseph playing out of position and that he's just simply a shooting guard playing out of position. I agree he's a better shooting guard, but Joseph played point guard for the entire second half of the season last year and performed much better. 

It wasn't pretty last night. But a win is a win. There are some items to be positive about in the notes below the jump.

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Following the Gophers strong showing during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, which included triumphs over North Carolina and West Virginia, some jubilant Minnesota fans began drawing comparisons between this version of maroon and gold and the Bobby Jackson and Sam Jacobsen led crew that took the Gophers to the Final Four. 

In the weeks since claiming a non-conference tournament championship, the Gophers have struggled against teams they were expected to handle with ease. This stretch included  the first ever non-conference home loss of the Tubby Smith era. That loss came at the hands of Virginia, a team that isn't exactly expected to tear up a down ACC. There was an all-too-close home win over a Cornell team that is vastly inferior when compared to last year's Cornell team. There was a relative struggle against Eastern Kentucky at home and St. Joseph's on the road. This latest stretch has some of the once jubilant fan base a bit concerned.

So, what exactly is ailing Minnesota since its celebration in Puerto Rico? Three issues are explored after the jump.

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Via a Tweet from Doogie. ...

Tubby recently chatted w/ incoming pres. Eric Kaler... So, Tubby, could you get a new practice facility? "Not could, we will."

Great to hear! Let's hope this is a positive first sign from Kaler. And kudos to Tubby Smith for continuing his push for a new practice facility. Now, let's see a plan, timeline, etc. ...

The Gophers held Eastern Kentucky scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the second half and Ralph Sampson III filled up the stat sheet as Minnesota cruised at home to a 71-58 win Saturday afternoon.

Sampson led the way with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block. But the story for the Gophers was the team defense. After struggling defensively against the likes of St. Joseph's, Cornell and Virginia, the Gophers finally clamped down on defense against the Colonels. During that decisive 10 minute stretch, the Gophers forced turnovers, helped on defense and took control of the glass. The Colonels had a slight rebounding advantage at halftime, but by game's end, the Gophers had exerted their force on the interior and claimed a 34-21 rebounding advantage.

The first half wasn't as easy for Minnesota. The Gophers turned the ball over 11 times in the first half (only 5 in the second) and struggled against EKU's 1-3-1 zone. But because EKU was only playing the 1-3-1 zone after made baskets (questionable strategy), the Gophers were able to avoid playing against the zone for literally half of the second half. 

Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe both added 14 points for Minnesota. And Devoe Joseph had 6 assists. Minnesota product Justin Stommes led the Colonels with 19 points.

Minnesota's second half domination of an inferior opponent was great to see, after the Gophers have struggled since the Puerto Rico Tip Off against all levels of competition. With blizzard-like conditions outside, and a smaller-than-usual crowd, the Gophers lacked energy for much of the first half. After the Colonels tied the game at 25 with less than 10 seconds left in the first half, Maverick Ahanmisi fired a half-court buzzer beater to send Minnesota into halftime up 28-25. The momentum clearly shifted, because after the Gophers came out of the halftime locker room, Minnesota was clearly the superior team. 

More thoughts below the jump.

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It wasn't always pretty. And it wasn't dominating. But the Gophers won their first road test of the season Monday night in Philadelphia, beating St. Joseph's 83-73. Trevor Mbakwe led the Gophers with 12 points and 16 rebounds. He was the difference maker for this team again. 

The Gophers led throughout, but couldn't put St. Joes away until the final minutes. Offense wasn't an issue, as the Gophers shot 48 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three. Devoe Joseph finished with 19 points. Mbakwe, Blake Hoffarber, Ralph Sampson III and Maurice Walker all had double-digit points.

Defensively, however, the Gophers continued to have their struggles. Things weren't as bad as they were against Virginia, but St. Joes helped out by shooting poorly from the floor. Minnesota's man defense left a lot to be desired. The Gophers forced more difficult shots for some stretches when they played their 2-3 zone. In the first half, after St. Joes got out to a small early lead, Tubby went to the second five and began playing the extended 2/3 zone that worked well for the Gophers in Puerto Rico. The Gophers were able to contest most outside shots. Perhaps most importantly, for the second five that includes Colton Iverson and Maurice Walker, their lack of speed couldn't be exploited. When the Gophers have played man defense with those two on the court together, opposing teams have been able to pull them away from the basket and penetrate. 

But there were other positive signs for Minnesota. Walker continues to improve. His 10 points and 5 rebounds in 15 minutes were impactful. The big man from Ontario seems to be improving each game. And he seems to have a good understanding of the game. When he catches the ball in the paint, he's able to make a move or pass out of the post. Aside from Mbakwe, Walker was Minnesota's best big man against St. Joes. 

And the Gophers were able to use its size advantage well. The Gophers outrebounded the Hawks 40-33. Mbakwe, Sampson and Walker all got close inside looks. And other than Sampson's 5 turnovers in the post, the Gophers did well to run their offense through the post.

From here, Minnesota's non-conference schedule lightens with home games against Eastern Kentucky, Akron and South Dakota State. And then the Big Ten slate starts with tough road games in Madison and East Lansing. Hopefully the Gophers can iron out the kinks on defense--and get Nolen back--before the Dec. 28th tilt in Madison.

A few more thoughts after the jump.

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Rivals is reporting confirmation that Northern Illinois' Jerry Kill will be the next coach of the Golden Gophers. Joe Schad of ESPN is reporting the same on his Twitter feed. And the STrib is confirming as well. It's real.

Use the thread below to say nice things about Joel Maturi and his coaching search.

Here's some Jerry Kill Wikipedia fun. He's already listed as the Minnesota head coach.

And here's a poll!

Poll

What do you think about Joel Maturi's apparent decision to hire Jerry Kill?

15%

Great

122 votes

20%

Fail

164 votes

48%

I'll give Kill a chance, but fire Maturi now

388 votes

16%

Shrug

132 votes

806 votes | Poll has closed

The Gophers pulled out a 71-66 win Saturday night over the Cornell Big Red. That's the good news. The bad? The  Gophers again played no perimeter defense, had just occasional consistency on offense, and shot free throws at a 59 percent clip (26-44). It wasn't pretty. At all. 

Tubby Smith has quite a bit to fix before the Gophers head to St. Joesph's next week for the team's first road contest. Minnesota certainly doesn't deserve a top 25 ranking the way this team has played its last two home games against less talented competition. First thing for Tubby to fix, Minnesota's defense.

The Gophers didn't give up 55 points in a half the way they did against Virginia, but for the second straight home game, the Gophers allowed an opponent to take pretty much whatever uncontested open three they wanted, whenever they wanted. There was one sequence in the first half where Cornell made a couple uncontested threes in a row. After the second or third make, an exasperated Devoe Joseph threw his hands up in the air with disgust, presumably wondering when Cornell was going to stop making open shots.

Minnesota's man-to-man ball-line defense was so bad at covering the three for the second game in a row, that Coach Smith switched for a few minutes to a 2-3 zone, which is a zone that obviously works to force more outside shots. Cornell finished shooting 42 percent from three. 

So how did Minnesota squeak by? Credit Trevor Mbakwe for his 16 boards and 12 points, all on a 12-20 effort from the stripe. Not a great percentage, but Mbakwe's hustle on the glass allowed Minnesota to avert a second-straight loss at home.

Minnesota's best stretch against the Big Red came during the second half when every starter was on the bench. Led by freshman Chip Armelin, Austin Hollins, Maverick Ahanmisi and Maurice Walker, the Gophers during that stretch finally displayed a want-to on both ends of the floor. Armelin specifically, in just 7 minutes of play, asserted himself.

Let's focus on the difference between Ahanmisi and Joseph. In 25 minutes, Joseph looked uncomfortable, scored 5 points, and added 2 assists, 2 turnovers and 2 rebounds. In 15 minutes, Ahanmisi had 2 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4 rebounds and 0 turnovers. Ahanmisi might never be the point guard that can score 20 points in a flash the way Joseph can, but right now, the Gophers are better served having a point guard on the floor like Ahanmisi who is playing within himself and running the team's offense. It's a small sample size of just two games, but Joseph so far doesn't look like the player that carried the Gophers during a Big Ten Tournament run a year ago. 

The Gophers did much better against Cornell, as compared to the game against Virginia, to use our size advantage to hold down the glass. The Gophers had a 45-29 rebounding advantage that might have been the difference in the game. The Gophers were also better, though not as good as they can be, in running their offense from the inside-out. The Gophers were able to the Big Red's bigs into foul trouble by using our size and depth in the paint. But with such a significant inside advantage, I'm surprised the Gophers didn't force the ball down low more often.

There is no other way to describe the win over Cornell as anything but ugly. With Al Nolen reportedly out until at least the start of Big Ten play, the Gophers have to find a way, especially defensively. And Coach Smith just might think about playing some younger Gophers the minutes they are earning on the court -- specifically Ahanmisi and Armelin. Because if something doesn't change between now and the trip to Philadelphia to play St. Joes, the Gophers won't slip by again.

For all  coaching rumors, tidbits and Twitter updates and Joel Maturi bashing.

I'm currently predicting Randy Edsall or Randy Shannon. I'm thinking it will be a Randy. We'll see.

We can blame the loss on Al Nolen's injury if it makes us feel better, but the way Minnesota played in the second half Monday night, they didn't deserve a win, with or without their starting point guard.

The Gophers blew a 10 point halftime lead against a Virginia team that had lost to Stanford by 20, Washington by 43 and Wichita State by 12. Minnesota played sparingly on defense--especially while giving up 58 second half points. The Gophers failed to exert its force on the interior and ran a half-court offense that looked at times like a pick-up game offense you might see at the local gym. The result was an 87-79 loss that didn't feel that close.

Did the Gophers miss Nolen? Of course. He's a lock down perimeter defender. And through Minnesota's surprisingly strong first six games, Nolen ran Minnesota's offense efficiently. The Gophers could have used Nolen against Virginia, but let's not pretend Nolen himself would have fixed Minnesota's leaky perimeter defense. The Cavaliers shot a red-hot 10-13 (76 percent) from three and 47 percent from the field for the game. Despite Minnesota's front-court depth, Virginia out-rebounded the Gophers 32-30.

Give credit to Virginia for pouncing. Mustapha Farrakhan was 4-5 from three and had 23 points. Joe Harris was 4-6 from three for 24 points. An Mike Scott's athleticism and savvy on the low block was too much for Minnesota's big men Colton Iverson, Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbakwe.

As Virginia slowly took away Minnesota's half-time lead, the Gophers clearly didn't know what to do. What was a cohesive offensive attack through 6.5 games all of a sudden turned into a panic-stricken offense. With Nolen out, the Gophers turned to Devoe Joseph at the point for the majority of the second half. I don't want to be too hard on Joseph in his first game back from a six game suspension, but the offense really didn't exist for about 15 minutes as he led a disjointed Minnesota attack. Joseph forced shots and the Gophers neglected their interior big men for long stretches. Sampson, for example, took two shots all night.

If I have a complaint for Tubby Smith on this night, it's that he stuck with Joseph for far too long in the second half. During freshman Maverick Ahanmisi's minutes, the Gophers were better on both ends of the floor. On the other hand though, as Minnesota's lead slipped away, Joseph is one of few Gophers who is capable of scoring in bunches, so I understand why Tubby kept him on the floor, even though it didn't work out. 

At the end of the day, this loss isn't terribly damaging to Minnesota, but it does suck quite a bit of air out of that #13 national ranking. More thoughts after the jump.

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The University of Minnesota's men's basketball team took care of business  against the pesky North Dakota State Bison, but in doing so the #17 Golden Gophers may have lost starting small forward Rodney Williams.

The sophomore slasher told the Star Tribune he heard his ankle pop a couple times during the first half of Minnesota's 84-65 win Wednesday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Williams spent the second half on the Minnesota sidelines wearing a walking boot. Williams will be getting an MRI on his ankle sometime tomorrow, according to published reports. While we don't know the extent of the injury to Williams, this news is certainly a potential blow to the Gophers.

Aside from question marks surrounding Rodney's health, the Gophers played a methodical, even-keeled game against the Bison. The Gophers showed poise when the Bison cut our second half lead to 6 points, and quickly rallied to blow out NDSU 84-65. Blake Hoffarber led the Gophers with 24 points and 4 assists. Trevor Mbakwe added 12 points and 7 assists and Colton Iverson was a force again off the bench, scoring 9 points and grabbing 11 reboudns in just 17 minutes.

But credit the Bison for keeping this game relatively interesting through 2/3s of the affair. Michael Tveidt led the Bison with 14 points.

While Hoffarber, Mbakwe and Iverson led the Gophers offensively, Al Nolen gets my nod for Minnesota's player of the game. One game after his team needed him to score to lead the Gophers, Nolen went back to doing what he does best against the Bison. He finished with 5 steals, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 points, 1 block and 1 turnover. Nolen didn't force his offense. He didn't drive wildly into the lane. And, for the most part, he got the Gophers into our offensive sets.

More thoughts and observartions after the jump, including thoughts on what the Gophers look like if Rodney is out for an extended period of time.

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