Best Team Since '97?

Donate To GopherHole
J

jamiche

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Messages
24,259
Reaction score
4,940
Points
113
Above the rim, below the rim, size, speed, muscle, defense, ball movement, depth. This team doesn't have a lot of obvious deficiencies. If Al Nolen can continue to hit the occasional three and they can improve their perimeter defense this could be a final four team.
 

Lot's to prove yet including an outside or mid range scorer to go with the hoff.
 

jamiche said:
Above the rim, below the rim, size, speed, muscle, defense, ball movement, depth. This team doesn't have a lot of obvious deficiencies. If Al Nolen can continue to hit the occasional three and they can improve their perimeter defense this could be a final four team.
Click to expand...

Maybe but that's not a high hurdle to leap. The Gophers (from 1998 through 2010) have had a few good teams but no great ones (like 1997 was).

Two senior G in starting lineup. Four very good juniors. Soph with NBA potential. And several good frosh to fill out the boxscore. 10 deep overall and 2 deep at each position.

The ingredients for the recipe (Best Since 1997) are there.
 

When Devoe comes back it'll be easier to tell how good we really are.
 



It's too bad that the Big Ten is absolutely loaded this year. One thing is certain, this team will be tested plenty during the regular season. Mbawke is a difference maker. Tubby's not just blowing smoke when he says that the team would have won more games with him in the lineup last year.
 

Studwell55 said:
Starting five versus starting five..... I'll take 97.
Click to expand...

We have nobody like Jackson, obviously. Blake is like a poor man's Jacobson (a high compliment in my mind) and Nolen could match up with Harris in every facet except scoring. Still, I think I might take Mbakwe and Sampson over James and Thomas.
 

panndder said:
We have nobody like Jackson, obviously. Blake is like a poor man's Jacobson (a high compliment in my mind) and Nolen could match up with Harris in every facet except scoring. Still, I think I might take Mbakwe and Sampson over James and Thomas.
Click to expand...

Harris was better than Nolen. Nolen's great at steals, but Harris by the end was playing consistently great D, as well as getting assists and hitting the odd shot. Nolen is looking like he might be on his way to being a great player. Obviously we have no Bobby J. Hoff isn't really like Jake, except in skin tone. Much better from 3, a much smarter player, and without any of the athletic explosiveness of the "Jewish Jordan" (my favorite ridiculous name for a Minnesota player in history, especially since he wasn't even Jewish). I'd take Ralph and Trevor over Thomas and James (although don't forget how good James was, and JT was a first-rounder). The crazy thing is that the 97 team didn't really have anybody like Devoe, somebody who can come in, hit a bunch of shots in the other team's eye, and generally control the mid-range game. I think it's way too early to say that this team is close to 97. That was a historically good team. However, I like how this team is playing right now.
 

I'm thinking we might be the best college basketball team of all time!
 



gold04 said:
I'm thinking we might be the best college basketball team of all time!
Click to expand...

That would be UCLA in late 60's or early 70's. They were 205-5 over 7 seasons and won 7 straight NCAA titles (among 10 straight FF appearances).
 

Anytime Clem wanted an instant three points all he had to do was put Charles Thomas on the floor.
 

I'l take the '97 backcourt (Harris and Jackson both a notch above Al and Hoff and Devoe) but I'll take the '10-11 front court, which is more talented, and deeper.

To be honest, Bobby is a once in a lifetime player with his combo of skills and heart. We will never get one better.
 

Are you guys forgetting about Quincy Lewis coming off the bench? And until the current team makes the Final Four (I know, I know, I was at the U during the scandal) then we shouldn't be having this discussion.
 



Harris > Al

Jackson >>> Rodney

Blake = Jacobson

Mbakwe = James

Ralph = J. Thomas

Bench:

Devoe >> Archambeau

C. Thomas > Hollins

Quincy >> Chip A.

Tarver > Mo

Winters = Colt

Bottom-line, we're solid but definitely still a notch below 1997. But who's to say we can't keep improving as we go?
 

Very nice win last night that has all of us grinning, but, come on, that '97 team was a Final Four team. It's way too early to be comparing the two squads though that's not what Jamiche was doing.

I'll bet these guys are better in the classroom though.
 

Mulligan said:
Very nice win last night that has all of us grinning, but, come on, that '97 team was a Final Four team. It's way too early to be comparing the two squads though that's not what Jamiche was doing.

I'll bet these guys are better in the classroom though.
Click to expand...

The original post said (paraphrasing) 2011 team can be better than 1998-99-2000-01-02-03-04-05-06-07-08-09-10 teams.
 

>>...that '97 team was a Final Four team.<<

Probably even better than that without the untimely injury to Harris.

The current team has a lot of potential and needs to stay healthy and eligible. But it's a far cry from Bobby's team at this point.
 

Gopher4Life said:
>>...that '97 team was a Final Four team.<<

Probably even better than that without the untimely injury to Harris.

The current team has a lot of potential and needs to stay healthy and eligible. But it's a far cry from Bobby's team at this point.
Click to expand...

I still think we'd have beaten Kentucky if he'd been healthy. It's a damn shame. Cue FOT with stats to tell me how it's not possible. ;-)
 


I will say that this might be the deepest team since 1997 if Devoe comes back. Better than anything Monson had for sure and may be Tubby's best yet. But I do think that NC was over-rated and we are in danger of jumping the gun. If they beat a good West Virginia team, MN might not lose again until B10 season, and they could be well on their way...
 

Mulligan said:
Very nice win last night that has all of us grinning, but, come on, that '97 team was a Final Four team. It's way too early to be comparing the two squads though that's not what Jamiche was doing.

I'll bet these guys are better in the classroom though.
Click to expand...

I was sort of doing it in the sense that the last two nights have reminded me of the kind of physically dominant performances that we saw in 1997. This team has the size to bang with the B10 teams and the speed and agility usually associated with the ACC, SEC and some of the smaller conferences.

I agree that Mbakwe is the difference maker and I didn't think that the freshmen would contribute to the degree that they have. Going into the season I thought they would be a good to possibly very good team. This team has a chance to be great.
 

I don't know why people think it's outlandish that this is our best team since '97?

Has anyone watched any of our teams in the past 12-13 years? They haven't been anything to write home about, let's put it that way. I think there is a very good chance this will be our best team since the Final 4 run squad of '97 that never happened.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
I will say that this might be the deepest team since 1997 if Devoe comes back. Better than anything Monson had for sure and may be Tubby's best yet. But I do think that NC was over-rated and we are in danger of jumping the gun. If they beat a good West Virginia team, MN might not lose again until B10 season, and they could be well on their way...
Click to expand...

As long as the team doesn't get overconfident (which I don't think Tubby will let them), then there's nothing wrong with fans being very excited. No matter if UNC was overrated or not, a win over a big time program is always a big thing for our program. It certainly has to get the attention of some recruits out there.
 

Gopher4Life said:
>>...that '97 team was a Final Four team.<<

Probably even better than that without the untimely injury to Harris.

The current team has a lot of potential and needs to stay healthy and eligible. But it's a far cry from Bobby's team at this point.
Click to expand...

Agree.

This just might be the best since 97, but to think they are as good is insane.
 

Colt 45

Colt over Trevor Winter...

Trevor Winter was a stiff his GPA was higher then his scoring and rebound average
 

Trevor Winter played in the Association, young man. Have some respect.
 

Trevor

One game in the Association and it was hometown charity.. I will take Bob Martin and Hagen over Winter.. and Hagen didnt play in the Association...

Stiff may have been to harsh... should of used "not very good"
 

We are not as good as 97. But with Joseph we could be very good. College buckets have changed since 97 with all the guys that leave way earlier. The 97 team would win the national title today with any luck. Tons of experience coupled with ability. This current Gopher team has enough to get hot at the right time and go far in the tourney.
 


Our frontcourt is better, backcourt not as good.

I would take the frontcourt of williams, Trevor, Sampson, and Colt over Jacobsen, James, Thomas, and Winter mostly because of colt. Colt may be the best post player off the bench in the country.

Nolen and the Hoff are playing lights out but they cannot match Bobby and Harris.

Our bench is looking nice and I'm sorry for criticising Tubby's recruits...the freshmen look great!!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom