It's Been a Good Year and the Future is Bright

Well, just like that the Gophers season is over. To break down what happened in the Texas game takes just one sentence. Abrams got hot and the Gophers panicked. It was a 3 point lead in the second half and then Abrams hit 4 straight threes. The Gophers then tried to score quick and from the outside and with this team that is a disaster. Damian Johnson did well on Damian James, but no one was stopping A.J. Abrams and no matter how hard Sampson and Iverson tried they were never going to be able to hold down Pittman who only Dejuan Blair might be able to stop.

This loss does not detract from what was a good season. The program has excitement that has not been around since 1997. This team made the NCAA tournament with NIT talent. This loss early should drive the returning players and especially the freshman to work hard in the offseason so this doesn't happen this year. Kentucky message boards in an effort to disparage the Tubby success says that the Gopher fans are just happy to be in the tournament and have low expectations. That was true this year but that is not the expectation for next year. I expect them to not be on the bubble and I expect them to be playing a lower seeded program in the opening round next year and not the 9 seed.

In a lame attempt at a season recap I will show the Gophers resume as if they were the next opponent.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-11, 10-10)

Wins to Showcase:

• Vs. Louisville 70-64
• at Wisconsin 78-74

Losses to Hide From:

• at Northwestern 65-74
• at Penn State 63-68

Assets:

• Interior Defense: This team had four very capable shot blockers in Sampson, Iverson, Johnson and Carter. They also after some issues in the non-conference schedule became a very good rebounding team. With the addition of bulk in Mbakwe and White, I don't see any opponent having any success down low next year.
• Free Throw Shooting: Outside of Colton Iverson, this entire team is very good at shooting free throws. That may seem small but many games were salted away by Westbrook and others not missing a free throw down the stretch. Sampson is very good at 75% that will be very benficial for a big man who should see the line a lot in his future.
• Damian Johnson: I don't care what the coaches decided but Damian Johnson is the best defensive player in the Big Ten. He can guard almost every postion and is all over the place with blocks, steals and rebounds. Towards the end of the season his offensive game really started to develop. He ended the season with 9.8 ppg but in the last 8 games he averaged 12.1 ppg. If he continues to develop in the offseason he can be a 14-15 point scorer next year while providing his world class defense.

Issues:

• Outside shooting: This was what held the Gophers back all season. They lacked a scorer who makes threes in their sleep that all successful teams have in College Basketball. Going into the season many asssumed it would be Blake Hoffarber but that just did not happen this year. Westbrook can make them but for often then not forced a contested one. Joeseph didn't shoot a lot and was also hot and cold. This is my biggest worry for next year as the recruiting class does not address this issue. The Gophers will need Hoffarber to bounce back and Joseph develop his shot and confidence where he can be that shooter. I think it is possible but we can not shoot like we did this year and be successful next year.
• Turnovers: We were too sloppy with the basketball too often. Many blamed Nolen for this issue but he had an assist to turnover ratio of 2.5 which is pretty good. It wasn't one persons fault but the team as a whole. For a poor shooting team like the Gophers they needed all the possessions they can get. This should improve next year with everyone becoming more experience and improving.
• Go-To Scorer: Lawrence Westbrook usually tried to fulfill this role but he is merely just holding it for someone else. A slow 6' footer with a mediocre shot is not who you want to be counting on down the stretch. The Gophers lacked some one like A.J. Abrams who you can count on to get hot and take over the game. They need a player or players that they can count on for 15-20 points a game and to get us through the lulls that plaugued us this year. I see Sampson, White and Joseph potentially be one of those guys but I don't know if that will be by next year. One thing I do see is Westbrook won't be the only player averaging double digits.

It was an exciting year and while sometimes frustrating it was a very enjoyable year. This will be a very long offseason as Midnight Madness can not come fast enough. This season was a stepping stone and next year should be the beginning of a long and beautiful run as a player in the college basketball scene.

Indiana Game Preview

Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-5, 6-5) Vs. Indiana Hoosiers (6-16, 1-9)

I saw a post by a Gopher fan on CBS Sports that said with the loss to Ohio State this game became a must win. What riveting insight. Whenever the last place team comes into your house it has to be a must win game. When would it ever be ok to lose this game? That said Indiana is coming in at a perfect time with the Gophers coming off two tough losses. Here is Indiana's resume:

Wins to Showcase:

• Vs. TCU 66 - 56
• Vs. Iowa 68 - 60

Losses to Hide From:

• Vs. Lipscomb 69 - 74
• Vs. Northeastern 42 - 55

Previous Result

• Gophers 67, Hoosiers 63

The news gets even better because Indiana's leading scorer Devan Dumes has been suspended indefinitely for throwing 3 elbows in the game against Michigan State. He scored 19 points against the Gophers in the previous meeting and is averaging 13.8 ppg on the season. Taking his points out the Hoosiers only average 47.7 ppg. The Gophers conversely average 69.1 ppg. This should be a cake walk. The previous game was close because the Gophers played terrible but it was obvious still that Indiana does not have the talent to compete in the Big Ten. The do always play hard and will give their best effort but they don't award victories soley based on effort.

Interesting Things to Watch

• Blake Hoffarber: We saw a glimpse of the old Blake Hoffarber in the last game with him busting out for 19 points. It was always thought he would just need to shoot out of the slump and it will be interesting to see if he has come out the other side. An unathletic team like Indiana would seem like a good opponent to keep the good times rolling.
• Ralph Sampson: This should be a good matchup for Ralph as evidenced by the 13 and 8 he got against them last time. I would look for a possible double-double as he looks to get back on the right track after back to back unimpressive games.

Prediction

This game should not be close as while Indiana brings the effort it is harder to get that going without the home crowd behind you. They have played teams close at home but have been blown out on the road( 28 at Michigan State, 24 at Ohio State and 31 at Illinois). I don't look for a blowout of quite that proportion but this should remind us more of the Non-Conference schedule. In fact here is a list of teams we played in the non-conference that have a higher RPI than Indiana's 181 : Colorado State (168), Bowling Green (149), Cornell (106), North Dakota State (95), and Virginia (100)

Gophers 75, Indiana 59

Northwestern Preview

#18 Minnesota Golden Gophers (16-1, 4-1) at Northwestern Wildcats (8-6, 0-4)

Northwestern is a perennial bottom feeder in the Big Ten and they haven't gotten off to an impressive start this year. They have never made the NCAA tournament and this does not appear to be their magical season. They have had some good wins and should have beaten Purdue on Thursday but they are not an NCAA caliber team. Here is Northwestern's Resume:

Wins to showcase:

• vs Florida State 73 - 59
  
• vs DePaul 63 - 36

Losses to hide from:

• at Penn State 57 - 61
• at Wisconsin 45 - 74 (Losing by 29 not the opponent)

Assets

• Ball Control: 11.5 turnovers per game, 1.4 assists to turnover ratio
• Quick Hands: 7.4 steals per game, 3rd in conference. Gophers 1st with 9.0
• Kevin Coble: 14.2 ppg, 5.4 rebs, 2.3 ass

Issues

• Rebounding: 34. 6 per game, second worst in conference
• Free Throws: 64.7% worst in conference
• Perimeter Defense: Opponents shoot 36.1% from 3, second worst in conference

While their losses are not too embarrassing, they don't have any real good wins, DePaul is the worst team in the Big East and their third best win is probably over 9-7 UC Riverside. They play a style similar to Iowa. They play slow and limit possessions. If they make you play their style it could be a close game, if you force them to play up-tempo it could get ugly.

Interesting things to watch:

• Gophers athleticism: The Gophers have some long quick wings in Johnson, Bostick and Carter that can cause some problems and they will likely be assigned to shut down Coble.
• Blake Hoffarber: Lost in the excitement around the program is the struggles of Blake Hoffarber. He has shot 3-20 from 3 in the 5 Big Ten games and has not made one since the Ohio State game. That is 15%. He shot 42.7% last year. He did very well against Northwestern last year scoring 15 points in both games. I look for him to shake off the drought at Northwestern.

Prediction

This has the possibility to be a trap game. Coming off a huge win at Wisconsin and playing a bottom feeder. Northwestern showed in the Purdue game that they can be very dangerous. The game will be similar to the Iowa game if we shoot poorly we will be in for a dog fight but if we play like we can it should be a breeze. Monson frequently struggled with Northwestern's defense but Tubby doesn't have the same issues. In the two games against Northwestern last year the Gophs won by 19 and 20 points. They scored 92 at Northwestern last year. Also the Barnyard has chosen this game for their annual road trip. I don't know the number they are bringing but with Northwestern's lack of attendence the game might feel more like a neutral court game than a road game.

Gophers 73, Northwestern 60

Penn State Preview

#22 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-1, 2-1) Vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (13-3, 2-1)

There are teams in the Big Ten like Michigan State we know are elite and their are teams like Iowa we know are subpar. Penn St. has yet to be placed in the pecking order of the Big Ten. They have perennially been in the basement of the conference not making the NCAA tournament since 2001. They have had some good wins including beating Purdue, however, Purdue was playing without Robbie Hummel and Kramer Berg. Here is Penn State's resume:

Wins to Showcase:

• Vs. #14 Purdue 67 - 64
• at Georgia Tech (9-6) 85 - 83

Losses to hide from:

• Vs. Rhode Island (11-5) 72 - 77
• Vs. Temple (7-6) 59 - 65

Assets

• Rebounding: 40.5 rebounds per game second in the conference behind MSU
• Ball Control: 10.9 turnovers per game second least in conference behind Wisconsin
• Talor Battle: 18.9 ppg, 6.1 rebs, 5.3 ass

Issues

• Defense: Allow 60.7 ppg and opponents shoot 41.2%
• Depth: After top three scorers, the fourth scorer Danny Morrissey scores 6.1 ppg. By comparison our fourth scorer is Al Nolen with 8.3 ppg.

While Penn State has some talent in Battle, Stanley Pringle and Jamelle Cornley, they are not in my opinion a tournament-caliber team. If the game was at Penn State it would be one thing but they are a team we should beat at Williams. Losing to teams like Rhode Island and Temple at home shows they aren't ready to jump up to the top tier of the conference.

Interesting things to watch

• Talor Battle Vs. Al Nolen: Two of the best point guards match-up. Nolen struggled to control Kalin Lucas but Battle doesn't have the speed that Lucas does. If Nolen is able to shut down Battle the game will be over quick. Battle last year at Williams was shut out shooting 0-8. If that is repeated this game will be over quick.
  
• Blake Hoffarber: Last year Blake put up 29 points in his two games against Penn State. He has been struggling lately but a big game from him would do wonders for the Gophers.

Prediction

Penn State is a dangerous team. Overall they are average but if their stars get hot they can beat any team in the Big Ten. The key for the Gophers is to jump on them early, let the crowd get into it and Penn State should go away. If Penn State gets going early it will be a long game. The Penn State offense is very perimeter oriented, Minnesota has a lot of defensively talented players in Nolen, Joseph and Johnson. They also should be able to utilize Iverson's blocking abilty in help defense. I think Tubby has this team to focused and determined to get upset but this game will be close. Let's hope the Gophers shoot a lot better than they did Thursday night.

Gophers 65, Penn State 63