2010-2011 Gophers

[schmitty3]

Wow 0 points in the last 3 1/2 minutes. It is just beyond me why

Ahanmisi was not in at the end of the game. He is the only player on the team that has any ball handling skills under pressure.

[Scott M]

Anybody else sick of watching deja vu? They blow a home game against a very beatable Michigan State team. They are done folks, NIT bound. They look and play scared down the stretch and blow it. Sampson doesnt box out and can't pull down a big rebound. It's all the same stuff each game. How they can build a 7 point lead with 3.5 minutes left and end up losing by 5...it's the same thing over and over. Now they are guaranteed to not having a winning conference record, and they have no potential to make a big run without anything short of Nolen returning for the BTT and running the table with him playing like Dwayne Wade. About as likely as me waking up with an arm growing out my rear. Pathetic.

[schmitty3]

Pathetic.

Pretty much sums everything up. lol

[mrklean]

NIT if they are lucky by now

[CodyDawg]

Bad coaching. An elite coach does not let his team implode like this. Look at Wisconsin, they done have the talent we have, but they have good coaching. The Souhan article of a couple weeks ago nailed it. Tubby is a mediocre coach who has a fancy reputation, but just doesnt get it done. Take out his 1 national championship with Pitino's players and he has done NOTHING. That offense they run is putrid. Utterly and completely a worthless offense.

[Dotch]

lol! Somehow the visual of da chise growing an additional appendage strikes me as funny. Think how handy that would be for ice fishing, hay baling, basketball and other assorted activities. Ennaway as Sid used to say, between Kim Kardashian doing my books and da chise's new arm, their NCAA turd just rounded the first bend. Even if they somehow miraculously pull off wins in their next 3 games and win 2 tournament games, I'd really rather they didn't get in. They will only disappoint. No doubt the NIT is calling as they just don't deserve someone wasting a bid on them after having Mich St. right where they wanted them at home. As a side note, while I don't enjoy watching them lose, it has been interesting to look at the pieces this team has for next year. In the off season, they'd better spend a lot fo time on free throws amongst other things. Earlier this season when they were on a roll, that was one of their Achille's heels. We wouldn't be in the position we're in had they made half the free throws they threw away.

[CodyDawg]

Funny Dotch, I started thinking to next year too. How sad is that? I am just so disappointed in them this year.

[SkunkedAgain]

They are disappointing. I really thought that Iverson would continue to emerge after his promising postseason in 2010. He's just a big thug that commits hard fouls when things aren't going well.

The bright spot is that Hollins, Armelin, and Ahanmisi are all flashing their potential. The lack of a real point guard is killing the Gophers, along with their lack of getting the ball down low to three really big guys. They also don't have a definitive guy (like Westbrook) who can put the team on their shoulders when the game is on the line. I'm not ready to crucify Tubby yet, but he's got to develop his talent better and utilize what he's got.

[schmitty3]

They do have a true pg. Ahanmisi is that guy. He can handle the ball under pressure, unlike hoff and hollins, and anyone on the team for that matter. He needs to get more minutes IMO. Another key loss that I think is big, but not brought up alot is Walker. he was a big guy who was hard to move down low and play pretty good D. They need that strength that Ralphy lacks.

[SkunkedAgain]

Good points. I think that an overall assessment is that most players on that team are not utilizing theirs strengths very well.

[Scott M]

Mbakwe misses a huge putback with 2 minutes left, defense breaks down, gives up a 3, the Gophers offense goes stagnant, Sampson can't get the ball away from the 6'4" guard Zach Novak, he creates a run out, and-1, Gophers come down and rodney gets fouled no call but it wouldn't have mattered. Noticing a theme yet? You play this game with confidence and the Gophers have zero after dropping 7 of 8. Sick of it. This sealed it. I have to watch them a week from tomorrow and it'll be for nothing. What a pathetic slide.

[harvey lee]

I said a long time ago the Gophers were pretenders. They proved it again today.

One can dream all they want but they simply are not that good and cannot close a game.

[Bryce]

Commitment to excrement. The failure of the administration and coaching staff has finally caused the players to give up. Al Nolen is not the missing piece. Only reason for NIT invite is that they can somehow continue to fill the barn. Embarrassing.

[goblueM]

they should have gone inside more - MN had a huge size advantage, but never fully exploited it.

Something else I noticed is Michigan never respected any of their big men, they wouldn't even take a shot from the free throw area when left wide open. Looks to me that MN needs another shooter in the starting 5.

Seems to me that Minnesota played their best ball at the start of the year and has gone downhill, whereas Michigan has kept improving all year

[Duffman]

I just hope Mbakwe comes back next year. And the rest of the team finds that thing called "confidence" this summer.

[hunter76]

They are painful to watch.

[merc]

I was at the game and all I can say is there are so many things they are doing wrong it would take all day to type it on here. There starting five is basically a starting three and the four bench players are all freshmen. That's pretty much it. They do play much better when they go to the smaller lineup. No excuse they didn't win the last two games when you have a lead with three minutes to go on your home court. I would like to see at least one of the freshmen starting, If you start Hof at point guard at least have someone at the shooting guard that can hit the rim from three point land. Try a smaller lineup the last two games at least they can run the floor and they actually show some hustle. They have nothing to lose now.

[Snag]

Hoffarber at point experiment 1-7. Should have tried one of the three freshman at point and kept Hoffarber at the two.

Williams and Hollins both take it strong for two steps then stop. Tubby needs to take the reins off of those two.

16 and 4 with Nolen. The only big ten teams that could probably still play decent without their point guards are Ohio State and Purdue.

Top 10-15 team with Nolen, NIT maybe worse without.

[CJH]

Tubby has failed the season. Drove two of the top 3 PG's off the team - the most important postion on the team. The Hoff experiment should only have been for a game or two until they got a freshman ready to take the point. Hoff isn't a point, plus you are taking your best offensive player out of his game. What's a matter Tubby, are you just being stubborn or do you really not get it?

I was excited this year to get Nolen back, have the three bigs, and having Hoff and Joseph lighting it up from the guard spot. I thought they had the talent to at least get past the first round of the Dance. What a disappointment.

Stopped watching two weeks ago, couldn't watch that garbage anymore.

[harvey lee]

It may be better if Tubby left.

[CJH]

This was an interesting note from Sid in Sunday's Star Trib:

• It was obvious on Saturday how much the Gophers missed guard Devoe Joseph, who transferred to Oregon. Joseph's AAU coach convinced him that Tubby Smith's style would keep him from playing in the NBA, unlike what they play at Oregon. Joseph will not be eligible to play until the second semester next season with the Ducks, and if he chooses to play then he will exhaust his college eligibility in that final semester. He could have played out this season, transferred and played a full year at Oregon in 2012-13. Great advice the kid got from somebody who was not looking out for Joseph's best interests.

[EBass]

Early this seaon after winning the PR tourney I thought they could win or at least compete for the Big Ten Title, wow was I wrong.

[Willy]

I said a long time ago the Gophers were pretenders. They proved it again today.

One can dream all they want but they simply are not that good and cannot close a game.

They weren't pretenders with their full roster. Quite the contrary.

This team with Nolen, or Joseph, or both, is a top 10-15 team in the country. Without them, they are what you see right now. Injuries played a huge part this year. Hard to win without any guards. College b-ball is all about guards and we have none right now.

As far as Tubby leaving, who do you want to coach us? You want another DAn Monson or other no-name coach like a Jerry Kill? MN is not a destination job.

[rundrave]

I dont think most folks would dispute the argument about the injuries and people leaving that they are obviously a better team.

But you dont see schools like Purdue completely derail after losing a key player like Robbie Hummeel. Look how well they have played while he was out, much different attitude than the gophers.

[goblueM]

Purdue has a far better team than Minnesota, heck most of the conference, WITHOUT Hummel. I don't think its fair to the Gophers to compare the two teams in that respect

[Bryce]

Do they not have a team doctor to check if Sampson has a pulse?

[Scott M]

That was it folks, the nail in the Gophers NCAA coffin. There won't be any repeat of last year, this team doesn't have the stones to make any sort of run. They have an 10 point lead in Northwestern in the second half and lose by 11. If they had beat Northwestern and could win at home against Penn State, they could have positioned themselves better for the Big Ten tournament. Instead, they will be in the 8-9 game with Northwestern, the winner getting a date in the barbershop with Ohio State where they get cut up. They might have had a chance if they got wins # 18 and 19 to close the season, then won a couple games in the tournament, but OSU is shooting for a #1 seed and won't be taking the tournament lightly. Tubby will probably get his 20 wins in the NIT, but what's the point?

There's a lack of leadership all the way around, from players to coaches. Getting outhustled to loose balls, not being strong with the ball or taking care of it, poor free throw shooting. The endings are all the same. No players could ratchet up the intensity and grit out a game or two? UNC and West Virginia are doing all they can to help the Gophers but they can't even help themselves. It's sad and pathetic to know how much talent this team had and then to see it swirl down the drain.

Now I have to go to a meaningless game on Sunday...what a disappointing season.

[Dotch]

Well at least your worries about growing another apendage out your backside are over! Oh yeah, so are my Kim Kardashian worries. Yupper, when the Gophers were up by 10 early in the 2nd half I told the wife they were going to lose by at least 10. I should be betting her for some kind of favors but I hate taking advantage of her! They showed no fire, were lapsing on D, putting up lousy shots, and as you aptly put it, no one was showing any kind of leadership. Hoffarber had a terrible game and the rest of the team just seemed to follow right along.

It's been a major disappointment the last half of the season to come in from chores after freezing our hineys off and know this team will find a way to lose games after blowing sizeable leads. This team deserves nothing more than the NIT. Then again, deserve's got nothing to do with it. They made their bed now they've gotta sleep in it. Will they be better next year and go somewhere? They better be or the rumors of Flip Saunders returning to the Barn will be about the only thing to warm us up.

[zepman]

Tubby will be gone next year.....

[Harmonica Bear]

Tubby will be gone next year.....

Two weeks ago I would have and did argue that statement. After the last two game and comments made, it wouldn't surprise me at all. And maybe almost want it to happen, but finding a quality replacement isn't so easy. Flip isn't going to coach college kids, thats crazy talk.