B1G Game 8: Gophers Host Purdue (1-24-19)

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Ignatius L Hoops

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Controlling Tempo

Two things:

Firstly: Purdue (5-2) plays an aggressive 2-3 zone; so, we have that seemingly unsolvable nightmare to anticipate.

Secondly: Purdue lost to Wisconsin (1-6).

Purdue’s guard dominated lineup has evolved from the big three (Oden, McLaughlin and Harris) to the primary five. (The following stats are for B1G games only). At the post position is Ae’Rianna Harris (36.1 minutes, 12.4 points and 10 rebounds per game). The guards are Dominique Oden (37.7 minutes and 16.0 points per game), Karissa McLaughlin (39.9 minutes, 15.1 points and 4.7 assists per game), Tamara Farquhar (35.1 minutes, 9.7 points and 10 rebounds per game) and Kayana Traylor (30.7 minutes and 6.6 points per game). Traylor with 15 points in Sunday’s win versus the Hoosiers is becoming a solid performer.

Guard Cassidy Hardin is the only bench player playing more than 10 minutes (11.7) and 6’4” Fatou Diagne (7.6 minutes) is the only bench player bringing a little height. In other words, unlike Nebraska, the starters are an opposition coaches only real concern.

The Wisconsin loss was the second game on the B1G schedule. At the half, in Madison, Wisconsin led 34-31. The Badgers then put together a series of runs resulting in a 21 point, 67-46, lead with under eight minutes to play. Foul trouble was the overriding problem for the Boilers. Fouls limited playing time for Oden (30 minutes) and Harris (26 minutes). As a result, Hardin played 21 minutes without scoring. Getting into the Purdue bench is a simple way of neutralizing the Boilers.

Even without foul trouble, it’s not as if Purdue is dominating B1G competition. They have toughed out a one point win (Michigan) and two three point victories (Northwestern and Indiana). Of course, a Sharon Versyp team loves to control tempo and mix up their defensive assignments. Doing so was crucial to their win over Iowa which included sticking five fouls on Gustafson thus limiting the All-American to 30 minutes and 19 points. As Versyp said post game:

"We tried to control the tempo, forcing them to use as much of the shot clock as possible when we were on defense, and then executing and making them work on the other end of the floor," said Versyp. "Gustafson is one of the best players in the country and we knew we had our hands full with her, so we tried to mix up our looks, run different players at her and keep her guessing on offense. We tried to attack her on the other end of the floor, especially (freshman Kayana Traylor) in the second half, which was key in getting her to foul out."

Kenisha Bell will be expecting special treatment especially when Versyp recalls last season’s Gopher Win.

Last Season: Minnesota, behind Kenisha Bell’s 22 point, 9 assist, 5 rebound and 5 steal effort, defeated Purdue 78-74 at Williams Arena. The first quarter was all offensive fireworks with the Gophers prevailing 29-27. Things calmed down a bit in the 2nd and 3rd quarters with Minnesota leading by as many as 16 points. However, Purdue closed with three, 70-67, with five minutes remaining before the Gophers finished it out. Bell, Pitts (18 points) and Hubbard (17 points) each played 40 minutes. Taiye Bello played 14 minutes with 9 points and 10 rebounds. The numbers for this year’s Boilers: Harris (19 points and 11 rebounds), Oden (13 points in 40 minutes) and McLaughlin 11 points.

Stollings was 3-3 versus Purdue. Before that, there were a lot of losses. Under Borton, we were 2-13 versus the Boilers following the McCarville/Whalen era.


Some B1G Conference Numbers:

Rebounding: T. Bello and Harris are tied for 6th in rebounds with 10.1/game.

Scoring: 4th Bell (18.0/game); 6th Oden (16.0) and 9th McLaughlin (15.1)

Minutes Played: 1st McLaughlin (39.9); 3rd Oden (37.6); 4th Bell (37.3), 7th Pitts (36.7) and 10th Harris (36.1)


B1G Wins: Ohio State 60-42, Michigan 71-70, Iowa 62-57, Northwestern 57-54, Indiana 56-53.

B1G Losses: @Wisconsin 69-76, @ Rutgers 63-65



Starters:

5’7” G So Karissa McLaughlin (18 points, 1 assist versus Rutgers)
5’8” G Jr Dominique Oden (26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists versus Michigan)
6’1” F Jr Ae’Rianna Harris (17 points, 11 rebounds versus Rutgers)
6’0” G So Tamara Farquhar (8 points, 18 rebounds versus Northwestern
5’9” G Fr Kayana Traylor (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists versus Michigan)


Other:

6’4” C Jr Fatou Diagne (7 points, 5 rebounds versus Wisconsin)
5’10” G Fr Cassidy Hardin
 

https://purduesports.com/news/2019/...-road-run-continues-for-wbb-at-minnesota.aspx

BATTLE ON THE BOARDS
Thursday's matchup pits one of the Big Ten's best defensive rebounding teams against one of its top squads on the offensive glass. The Boilermakers have limited opponents to 31.3 rebounds per game in conference play, and are pulling down 73.8 percent of their opponents' misses, while the Golden Gophers are leading conference play with 15.0 offensive rebounds per game and nabbing 39.6 percent of their missed shots. Minnesota and Purdue are first and second in rebounding margin in Big Ten action, outrebounding opponents by 4.3 and 4.0 per game, respectively
 

https://kstp.com/sports/gophers-womens-basketball-whalen-purdue-preview/5220127/

Video with Whalen and Pitts. Whalen, "I've got to do a little more subbing".


Minnesota Gophers women's basketball head coach Lindsay Whalen and sophomore guard Destiny Pitts spoke with the media Wednesday afternoon inside William's Arena.

The Gophers have lost five of their last six games after starting the year 12-0. They dfeated the Wisconsin Badgers last week, only to lose to Nebraska last Sunday. They next play Purude at home on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Whalen and Pitts both talked about how to turns things around, getting back to a normal routine with classes starting again, facing Purdue, beating Wisconsin, and how to overcome their shortcomings against zone defenses.
 

http://www.startribune.com/zone-def...ball-team-trouble-in-recent-losses/504782732/


Youngblood:

The Gophers lack of depth is a concern here, no question. Injuries have forced first-year coach Lindsay Whalen to rely heavily on her starters, and fatigue might be an issue down the stretch in games.

But so has this: Trying to solve opponents’ zone defense.

“Teams are going to zone us,” Whalen said Wednesday, before her team’s final practice in preparation for Thursday’s home game against Purdue. “Illinois went to a zone in the second half. Nebraska had to go to zone in the fourth. … I haven’t seen a zone since I was in college at some point. It’s been interesting, a good challenge to find ways [to attack it]. It’s like putting together a puzzle.”

It is a puzzle that persists. The Gophers are geared to play against man-to-man defenses, with quickness at guard in Kenisha Bell and Jasmine Brunson. Against Iowa, the Hawkeyes opened in man-to-man defense and the Gophers raced to a quick, early lead.
 





Brunson showing up halfway through the third? :eek:
 




Gophers are such a bad shooting team, somehow need to find someone other than Pitts that can make some shots if they wanna win this.
 

Garsh, they always look so bad in the 4th quarter. I'm doubting it's fatigue in this game.
 

Shades said:
Garsh, they always look so bad in the 4th quarter. I'm doubting it's fatigue in this game.
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Purdue hit some tough shots down the stretch so give them credit but the Gophers are so limited offensively, cant win many games shooting 30% and they got good looks most of the game.
 

shotc.jpg
 



Played well defensively most of the game but some fouls at the end of the shot clock bailed Purdue out. No doubt this team is offensively challenged and most likely a bottom four team in the BIG. I think Whalen is getting what she can out of them but team lacks the skill set to compete. At this point it would be nice to see some improvement but as the season moves along it appears the team is regressing.
 

Fun atmosphere with Whalen jersey night but TO's and limited options for scoring result in another loss. Bell and Pitts alone are not enough to carry this team. I really hope they can string a few W's in the upcoming weeks.
 

Whalen said she was going to do a little more subbing. Perhaps tomorrow I'll discern a little more rationale in Lindsay's substitution patterns. Purdue's big three picked it up late and that was that.

Other items of interest: Rebekkah Brunson was at the game. Whalen gave her a pre-game hand shake. Brunson spent half-time posing for selfies with a seemingly endless line of kids. Also at half time Cheryl Reeve was sitting on the court near Brunson talking, I believe, to Kent Youngblood.

Lamke zipped her pregame t shirt into the second deck over my head.
 

Only four players made FG’s only five players scored with the fifth player making two FT’s. Not sure anything is going to change.
 

GringaGopher said:
Bell and Pitts alone are not enough to carry this team.
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My problem is they shoot too much even when they’re bricking shots. Need more of post game.

Bello & Lamke combine for 6-14
Bell & Pitts combine for 14-38
 

On the bright side, it is the third time this season Annalese has reached the upper deck with a pre-game t-shirt.
 


Shades said:
My problem is they shoot too much even when they’re bricking shots. Need more of post game.

Bello & Lamke combine for 6-14
Bell & Pitts combine for 14-38
Click to expand...

Hard to get a postgame going when the defense has 4 players in the lane. We need players to step up and hit some outside shots or else the zones are gonna continue to kill us.
 

There was a developing post battle starting the second half. Harris and Lamke faced off inside and Annalese was 2-3 before being subbed out at 6:13.

As Whalenfan said, teams just camp their defense in the paint and they really don't care if or where Kaposi gets the ball or whether Taiye gets the ball beyond about eight feet from the hoop.
 

https://gophersports.com/documents/2019/1/24//19_PUR.pdf

Minnesota Head Coach Lindsay Whalen

On switching up the starting lineup:

“We felt like the last couple games E (Irene Garrido Perez) was both playing some really good defense and making some really big plays for us and knocking down some shots, so we felt like that might give us a little spark.”

On shots not falling down the stretch:

“These kids are in the gym shooting all the time, so it’s not for lack of effort. I feel for them. I know that it’ll pay off for them at some point, for sure. All their hard work is going to pay off at some point, I told them. It doesn’t feel good right now, at all, but they’re in there every day, working and shooting, they’re sticking together, and all those things you want, so at some point hopefully the shots will fall and the flood gates will just open for everybody.”

On staying the course versus making any changes:

“Stay the course, and on to the next one. One of our big goals today in the conference was getting our turnovers down and our assists up, so today with 15 (assists) and 8 (turnovers) was great. We’re making strides and we’re making progress. It doesn’t feel like it right now, but throughout these times there are areas you can see we’re making progress, and that’s a really good sign for us. Like I said, it doesn’t feel
great. Give those guys some credit. There were a couple of shots (Dominque) Oden hit that there was not much more we could’ve done, and (Ae’Rianna) Harris hits an 18-footer with one second on the shot clock. Sometimes you tip your hat and move on, but for us it’s just continue to work and stick together, and I know we’ll do that.”

Purdue Head Coach Sharon V

Opening Statement:

“It’s always a battle to come up here in the Barn. There’s such great history, and we’re trying to do the best we can and compete when we can on the road. We know how important road games are, so I was really pleased with our team’s effort. I thought our first half was obviously a battle back and forth, but I thought the second half we played really solid, had great inside-outside game, were able to do a really
good job on the boards, and play better defense than we did in the first half. I thought that was the difference. ”

On second-half adjustments:

“We made adjustments, as in I was not very happy with our group because we’ve been working on things to get the ball inside and we didn’t do it the entire first half. The second half our guards did a better job getting the ball inside, so it looked like a major adjustment, and I’m glad it happened, but that’s what we were supposed to do from the start.”

On getting Minnesota frustrated offensively:

“We play a really good match-up zone, and we take more pride in our defense than anything else. We’ve been pretty efficient with that all year, so we were just trying to make sure that we were out on the shooters, and we didn’t get sucked in when they took the ball inside. We’d rather have them shoot twos than threes. Obviously (Destiny) Pitts had a good game. She did a nice job shooting, and we got her going which is not good for us, but still I think we did some good things with the rest of the team.”

On Purdue’s third-quarter run:

“I felt like that third quarter when we were able to get the ball inside and get Ae’Rianna Harris going, that was big for us. I thought Dominique Oden hit some major shots for us in the fourth, but I thought the third was when we were able to rebound, run, and change the tempo to get the tempo where we wanted it, so I thought the third quarter was good.”
 

Ignatius L Hoops said:
http://www.startribune.com/zone-def...ball-team-trouble-in-recent-losses/504782732/


Youngblood:


“Teams are going to zone us,” Whalen said Wednesday, before her team’s final practice in preparation for Thursday’s home game against Purdue. “Illinois went to a zone in the second half. Nebraska had to go to zone in the fourth. … I haven’t seen a zone since I was in college at some point. It’s been interesting, a good challenge to find ways [to attack it]. It’s like putting together a puzzle.”

[/I]
Click to expand...

Should it be concerning that the head coach of the Gophers women's basketball team says she "hasn't seen a zone since...[she] was in college"? Maybe that's an example of why most head coaches have first served as assistant coaches, huh?
 

let'sbeclear said:
Should it be concerning that the head coach of the Gophers women's basketball team says she "hasn't seen a zone since...[she] was in college"? Maybe that's an example of why most head coaches have first served as assistant coaches, huh?
Click to expand...

If Whalen and her staff don’t know how to beat a zone, all she has to do is go on YouTube.
 

let'sbeclear said:
Should it be concerning that the head coach of the Gophers women's basketball team says she "hasn't seen a zone since...[she] was in college"? Maybe that's an example of why most head coaches have first served as assistant coaches, huh?
Click to expand...

Yes, last Spring's concerns are playing out now. Thankfully, we had the non-conference grace period.
 

Katogopher said:
Played well defensively most of the game but some fouls at the end of the shot clock bailed Purdue out. No doubt this team is offensively challenged and most likely a bottom four team in the BIG. I think Whalen is getting what she can out of them but team lacks the skill set to compete. At this point it would be nice to see some improvement but as the season moves along it appears the team is regressing.
Click to expand...

I watch every game and live and die (figuratively anyway) with the results, but it's deflating. Lazy ball handling and numerous air ball shots are madness. I keep wondering why Gopher bb teams (men's team included) can't recruit any better players. Anybody have an explanation?
 

Hrothgar said:
I watch every game and live and die (figuratively anyway) with the results, but it's deflating. Lazy ball handling and numerous air ball shots are madness. I keep wondering why Gopher bb teams (men's team included) can't recruit any better players. Anybody have an explanation?
Click to expand...

Many of these players went to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.
 


Shades said:
Many of these players went to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.
Click to expand...

Last year's team had 5 players who could score often and big: Wagner, Bell, Pitts, Hubbard, and Brunson. This year? There seem to be only 2: Bell & Pitts (last night those 2 made 37 (I think) of the team's 53 points. It seems Stallings flew the coop (or was she going to be let go?) and left Whalen with a depleted roster. I don't see how MN can be a powerhouse in the BIG if Whalen can't recruit the top high school talent in MN. I hope she can.
t
 

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