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.

Why I Can't Wait for the Gophers to be a Powerhouse

In anticipation I was thinking about the upcoming Gopher game. I was happy to see that we are getting Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg doing the game because I do enjoy them. Then I thought about the thing I hate the most about the Gophers not being a known commodity. Those of us following the Gophers have to hear the same damn info about our team every time we get new announcers. So here is a checklist of what you are going to hear when Nantz and Kellogg cover us for the first time.

• Did you know that Lawrence Westbrook is a cousin to Eagles running back Brian Westbrook? They will mention this after he makes a drive to the hoop. They will then comment how he is built like a fullback or halfback. They will remark on how he barrells into the lane like a running back despite going the speed of a truck and not a 4.4 running back. They may also mention that he scored 40 ppg as a high school senior.
• Did you know that Ralph Sampson III is the son of legend Ralph Sampson Jr? They will make this comment after his first block or hook shot. They will then pan to his father for 15 seconds, who looks to not be enjoying himself at all. Clark Kellogg will then remark about how good Ralph Sampson Jr. was and how he won 3 Player of the Year awards.
• Did you know Devoe Joseph is from Canada? After his first long range make, they will remark that the young freshman hails from Ajax, Onterio in Canada.
• Did you know Damian Johnson has the wingspan of a 7 footer? This will be said after his first block how he is only 6'7" but he is quick and has a 7 foot wingspan.
• Did you know Paul Carter has moved a lot? This will happen if he contributes but it usually is only spoken while he is at the free throw line.
• Did you know Blake Hoffarber has been nominated for two ESPYS? This hasn't been mentioned much this year because he has had limited success this year. It might also not get mentioned because it is usually on ESPN to pimp their own awards.

This will all be mentioned in between non-stop gushing over Tubby Smith. They will mention his national title, NCAA appearances and consecutive 20-win seasons. They will mention how he was not appreciated by Kentucky and likely how Kentucky is not in the tournament.

This is why I can't wait for the Gopher powerhouse. I look forward to turning to ESPN and CBS and not having to listen to the announcers try and introduce the Gophers through unique meaningless stories. Instead they won't have to because the nation will already know about Ralph Sampson, Royce White and Rodney Williams.

Michigan Review

It took me this long to be able to write about this game. I still don't fully understand how we lost that game. The Gophers played 35 minutes of some of the best basketball all year. They were making crisp passes, shooting and everyone was contributing. Then it just stopped. Westbrook tried taking it all on himself but we weren't playing the Badgers so it was unsuccessful. We shot 55%, 94.7% from the free throw line. We outrebounded them 30-13 but we lost.

There were a lot of questions with the amount of useage of the seniors JAS and Williams. JAS justified his by putting up 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 20 minutes. Williams did not do so getting 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers in 16 minutes. It frustrated me to no end the fact that he played 16 minutes and Colton did not play. I then found that Iverson was injured during practice and was unable to play.

Looking back with sme clarity and understanding there were two reasons for the loss. One is the continued lack of someone who can consistently carry the team and take the big shots down the stretch of the game. The other was the foul trouble of Damian Johnson. He sets the intensity of the defense. He got his 4th foul around 8 minutes left. He came back with 4 minutes left but he played timid. He was scared of picking up the 5th foul so he lacked the defensive intensity of the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Michigan scored at will down the stretch and the defense that we have come used to wasn't there and it was due to DJ being in foul trouble. It was evident in DeShawn Sims ending up with 24 points.

Coming into this homestand I believed we needed to win both games to make the tournament, but with other teams blowing their chances (Kentucky, Penn State, Maryland, etc.) the Gophers are not out of it at all. As the 8 seed in the Big Ten tournament they will play Northwestern in the first round. I believe that if they beat Northwestern on Thursday they will be in the tournament. No one will expect them to then beat Michigan State so it will not hurt to lose in the quarterfinals as long as they don't get totally embarassed. It won't be for sure if they only beat Northwestern but I would expect them to make it. It would also help if Penn State loses right away and there are no major upsets in the other tournaments. Here is the bracket for the Big Ten tournament.

Stats of the Game

• 18: Turnovers by the Gophers. For a team with offensive problems it does us no favors turning the ball over as much as we do. Interestingly, the only Gopher who did not turn the ball over is much-maligned Al Nolen. DJ, Williams and Westbrook lead with 3 turnovers each.
• 4-32: Gophers behind the arc in the last 3 games. The way college basketball is played it is a shock we even won one of the three games. I'm worried that with all the hype of next year's team the lack of outside shooting will undue us next year also. We need Hoffarber and Joseph.
• February 4: The last time Westbrook missed a free throw. He is 21-21 since then. I have never been a huge Westbrook fan but he is 88% from the line this year and it has helped us down the stretch in a few games this year.
  

Wisconsin Game Review

I have never been a huge Westbrook fan but as much as I dislike him, the whole state of Wisconsin hates him. He has been inconsistent all year and has disappeared for most of the Big Ten but he has single-handedly beat Wisconsin twice when we had no business winning either. Westbrook didn't equal the 29 he scored in Madison but he scored 15 all in the second half. He scored the last 10 points for the Gophers.

This was a huge win. If we had lost that game we would have needed a huge run in the Big Ten tournament. Now, if we beat Michigan on Saturday, we will be in the tournament regardless of how the Big Ten tournament turns out. In fact CBS Sports with the win moved us off the bubble and has us listed as safe. It might be true but I would not like to test that theory by going 0-2.

Another interesting development was that of Devoe Joseph. He started the game at point guard in place of Al Nolen who has been much maligned in the blogosphere. He did not do much only getting 2 points, 2 rebounds and 0 assists but the interesting thing was at the end of the game when we needed stops he was out there and not Nolen. He was in charge of stopping Hughes when we desperately needed stops and he did. He forced back to back misses from Hughes and he also had a hand in the shooters face for both missed 3's down the stretch. While I think he is better as a shooting guard, his defense has drastically improved this season and I would guess he will get the starting nod again on Saturday.

Stats of the Game

• 53.6%: Percentage of Gophers scoring by Westbrook in the second half. He won this game for us down the stretch by being the scorer in the half court.
• 11.25: PPG for Damian Johnson in the last 4 games, outside of Westbrook down the stretch he is the only one who consistently gives the effort and is trying to will the team into the NCAA's. He has become the on-court leader this team needs. He is a lock to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
• 2-22: The Gophers from behind the arc in the last 2 games. They currently have no perimeter game. The two 3's were made by Paul Carter and Travis Busch, not exactly the likely suspects. This team would be so different if Blake returned to last year's form but it just is not going to happen.
  

Wisconsin Preview

Minnesota Golden Gophers (20-8, 8-8) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (18-10, 9-7)

March Basketball is officially upon us and it comes in the form of a doozy. This game will be very similar to the Illinois game, it may not be high-scoring and beautiful to look at but it should be a very intense game and an exciting game to watch. Wisconsin is likely already in the tournament but I guarantee they have not forgotten the Gophers rallying to beat them at Kohl to send them into a 6 game spiral. They would relish the chance to severly damage our NCAA chances. Here is Wisconsin's resume:

Wins to showcase:

• Vs. Illinois 63 - 50
• Vs. Ohio State 55 - 50

Losses to hide from:

• at Iowa 69 - 73
• at Northwestern 63 - 66

Previous Result

• Gophers 78, Wisconsin 74

I think it is safe to assume that we can not count on getting 29 points from Westbrook and 11 from Bostick. I would also bet against a double-double by Paul Carter. This game will be nothing like the previous game. However, I bet the Gophers press for most of the game and the length and althleticism of Johnson and Carter should still cause problems for the Badgers.

Wisconsin is a legendary tough team at Kohl but it does not always translate to the road. This year they are 4-6 on the road with the best win at Michigan but they have also lost to Iowa and Northwestern. When it comes to games in March it always seems to come down to who wants the game more and plays like it. While Wisconsin has the revenge motivation and a win will clinch their berth in the tournament I have to believe the Gophers want it more. They need this game and they have been practicing for a week for this game with Tubby in their ear about how much they need this game. This is a different team at home mainly because they play stifling defense (holding Big Ten opponents to 56.14 ppg) and actually make an outside jump shot. I think the Gophers desperation will outweigh the Badgers want for revenge.

Gophers 57, Wisconsin 53

Illini Game Review

This game was more of a shame than anything else. The effort was there, the intensity was there, the defense was there. They just could not hit a jumper to save their life. They didn't just miss the shots they bricked the shots. There had to been at least double digit shots that didn't hit the rim. It seemed as if the guards were more interested in breaking the rim than making a shot. It was almost comical if it wasn't so depressing. If they shot even reasonably well we could have won that game. It was there for the taking but we didn't capitalize. This does not hurt our chances but I think the Gophers need to win both games at home to close out the season or put on a good run in the Big Ten tournament.

The player of the game is not hard to find in this game. There was not a single thing the Damian Johnson did not do. His line is incredible but it still does not do him justice to how he played tonight. He ended up with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. He was absolutely everywhere. Also playing well were the two freshman down low. Ralph had 8 points and 4 rebounds and Colton had 4 points and 8 rebounds.

While Johnson was the hero we also have goats of the game. Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolen cost us this game. They combined for 8 turnovers and only 4 points and 1 assist. They did nothing and they caused nothing but turnovers and bricks. To be a good NCAA team you need guard play. Find a team that is elite without a point guard. A lot of people are fed up with Nolen and say that he has regressed. He has not regressed he has just faced the Big Ten. He is not to the point yet where he is an elite point guard. He needs to develop a shot. Also we need him because while he is struggling Devoe Joseph is more of a combo guard and can not run the offense as a starter.

The Gophers are still alive but they have two big games coming up. They have played well at home but the Wisconsin game scares me a lot. Wisconsin needs the win and they are mad about the Gophers winning at Kohl and starting the 6 game losing streak. We will face a very determined Wisconsin team. It helps that we have 5 days to prepare.

Stats of the Game

• 5-35: Shooting by Gophers not named Johnson, Sampson or Iverson. That is 14%. That is unimaginable. This team lacks a shooter and the problem is that even though the incoming recruits are good none are good shooters so those on the team need to step up.
• 1-14: Gophers 3-pt shooting. That is 7%. A high school team would put up better perimeter shooting than that.
• 37-25: The rebounding edge for the Gophers. This was the only reason it was close. The Gophers got 15 offensive rebounds but that is easier with so many bricks.
  

Northwestern Review

It is good to be home. One watching the game on Sunday can not believe that was the same Northwestern team that beat us this year. They did not even appear to be a Division I opponent. They never got anything going offensively and while the Gophers still struggled at times in the half court they cruised to their largest win of the season by 27 points. This team is night and day when playing at home versus on the road. They make shots and play much harder on defense forcing turnovers.

This game did not have a standout player of the game as everyone played well and contributed from Bostick scoring 9 to Busch, Iverson and Hoffarber getting 7. The player of the game is then by default the leading scorer in Lawrence Westbrook. He lead the team with 17 points and went 6-10.

This was a game that we needed to stay alive but it didn't help our chances that much. What did help us the most on Sunday is that Michigan lost to Iowa. They are now 7-8 in the Big Ten and still have to face us, Purdue and Wisconsin. There season is over. The Big Ten is down to 7 possible teams and it also helps because when Michigan shows up for the final game they won't have anything to play for and could just roll over for us.

Next up is the final road game at Illinois. It is a daunting task to go in there and win. It is good news that a win there is not required but if we do somehow win at Illinois we are almost assured a spot in the NCAA's.

It should also be mentioned that the win against Northwestern gave us 20 wins on the season. We now have won back to back years of 20 wins and Tubby has coached 16 straight 20 win seasons. The Minnesota program only has 11 20 win seasons in its entire history and 4 of those are wiped out due to sanctions.

Stats of the Game

• 9: Points scored by Devron Bostick in 16 minutes. He had scored only 4 points in 62 minutes in the last 9 games.
• 56.14: Big Ten oppponent's scoring average at Williams Arena this year. Big Ten foes average 67.75 ppg when the Gophers are on the road. That is a huge difference. If you take out the Purdue and MSU home losses opponents are scoring only 50.6 ppg.
• 29-13: Tubby Smith's record in the NCAA's. For all those who think if we make the tournament we will be one and done. Tubby Smith has lost in the 1st round only once and that was in 1996-1997 with Georgia.

Time to Take a Step Back

Back to back losses by the Gophers have caused me to take a step back and try to take a more objective view of the team. Going in to this season I thought this team would be a NCAA bubble team. I figured they would be seeded somewhere between 8-11 and likely be one and done. Then wins over Louisville, Ohio State and Wisconsin had me dreaming of Sweet Sixteens and 4 or 5 seeds. The last two games have made me forget those dreams and for good reasons. It won't happen because as the famous Denny Green said, "They are who we thought they were." This team is better than last year and should make the tournament but they are not a sweet sixteen team.

You can't be an elite team if a 6' (I'm being generous) shooting guard named Lawrence Westbrook is your leading scorer and the only one averaging double digits. You can't be an elite team if him and your point guard are the only ones who can create their own shot. You can't be an elite team if your leading rebounder is a 6' 7" wing who averages 4.1 a game. This isn't the NFL. Defense does not win championships, talent wins championships. Sure, some of the teams have played great defense like UCLA but they still had star talent. I challenge you to find the last Final Four team that did not have a NBA lottery pick on the team.

This team is well coached, play hard and with great intensity but the talent is not there yet. I'm not saying it won't be there soon. Nolen is only a sophomore, all three of the freshman look to be good players eventually, but they are not elite players yet. There will be fans out there that will equate this team to the football team as a big disappointment if we finish fourth or fifth in the conference and lose in the first round. They are stupid and short-sighted. Find me someone who predicted the Gophers were a top 25 team at the beginning of the season. Most prognosticators didn't even have the team making the NCAA tournament. This team is good, but the talent and ability is not currently there for this team to live up to the top 20 ranking and be an elite team. Here is my current view of the Big Ten. This is how I would currently rank the teams and how I expect them to finish the season along with where they will be in the postseason.

Michigan State (2 or 3 seed)
Purdue (4-6 seed)
Illinois (5 or 6 seed)
Minnesota (8 or 9 seed)
Ohio State (8 or 9 seed)
Wisconsin (8-10 seed)
Michigan (bubble team 11 or 12 seed)
Penn State (bubble team, likely NIT)
Northwestern (NIT)
Iowa (CBI)
Indiana Absolutely nothing

Stats of the Day

• 314th: Westbrook's rank in scoring in the NCAA. There are 347 teams in Division 1
• 29th: Johnson's rank in rebounding in the Big Ten. He is not in the top 500 in the NCAA.
• 210th: Westbrook in 3-pt% in the NCAA at 39%. Needed to make 1.5 threes per game to qualify.
  

Oh, Its a Great Time to be a Gopher

That is what college basketball is all about. I'm struggling to write this because I at a loss for words to describe how awesome that game was. I think this finalizes any complaints or naysayers saying "well they didn't play anybody". We have beaten Louisville, Ohio State and Wisconsin. That is three NCAA teams and our only loss is to an elite Michigan State team. Now to the game. It goes without saying that the MVP of the game is Lawrence Westbrook. He scored a career high 29 points including the clutch three to send it into overtime. He then preceded to score 9 points in OT including clutch free throws to seal the deal. I have been less than overwhelmed with Westbrook over his career but he was clutch and put up one of the best single game performances by a Gopher in a long time. Grier against Wisconsin and Pryzbilla against Indiana come to mind.

The other bright spot is the continued development of the Junior College transfer players. They may have scored more against Penn State but I was more impressed with their performance today. Paul Carter pulled in a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebs. He also had a clutch block down the stretch and did a great job defending Landry down the stretch. Bostick continued to showcase his offensive game. He scored 11 points with some impressive drives to the lane in the second half. When he gets aggressive on the offensive end he is quite the force.

A sign that I'm still used to Monson ball. Who thought that the Gophers were done at halftime and when they didn't cut the lead early in the second half? A Monson team would have packed it in and looked forward to the Northwestern game. Not a Tubby team. They will never stop playing hard. In all three road games they have come back from double digit deficits to win the game. This win is due to Westbrook and the work ethic and drive that Tubby has installed in the team.

Other Thoughts

• What is with the Purdue team? They seem to be the definition of inconsistent. They get crushed by Duke, crush Davidson, soundly beat Wisconsin, and they should have lost tonight to Northwestern. With the Gophers win and their lack of consistency I think the Gophers can finish second in the conference this year. Michigan State is still the runaway favorite but I see no team that is significantly better than the Gophers in the conference.
• The Don Lucia saga seems to have a happy ending. It has been diagnosed that a twinged nerve caused by infection or inflammation caused the headaches and numbness on the left side of his face. I think this great news should move the Gophers hockey team to a great second half of the season starting this weekend with St. Cloud State.
  

Stats of the Day

• 4: The number of Big Ten home losses by Bo Ryan including the loss to the Gophers.
• 20.8: The 3-pt shooting percentage of the Badgers. They went 5 -24.
• February 2nd, 2005: Last time a Gopher scored at least 29 points. Vincent Grier did it scoring 32 points against Northwestern.