2 games in, this team is fun to watch

[BleedGopher]

Competition aside, this team is already so much more fun to watch than anything we saw last season.

We have some moxie, depth, versatility, athleticism and seemingly very unselfish play.

I hope we stay healthy, I hope we build on what we've seen so far. A long way to go, but I like how this team is constructed.

Go Gophers!!

 

[FinnGopher]

We certainly have more depth and better shooters. But, the best thing is we have guys who play better defense.

 

[BTChamp]

I haven't been able to watch every minute but some highlights here and there and then a horrible stream of tonight's game from "Fred's free streaming stuff". But I have to agree. Look so much faster and athletic. Look good playing together. They'll clean it up as they learn. My chili is coming out of the freezer.

 

[stocker08]

This team looks like they'll be able to play competent basketball. And be fun to watch at the same time.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Physically we look like a B10 team.

We also look confident and much more comfortable than n last year.

Much better ball movement this season - those weren’t Cooper and Battle’s strengths.

 

[Dakota2]

Competition aside, this team is already so much more fun to watch than anything we saw last season.

We have some moxie, depth, versatility, athleticism and seemingly very unselfish play.

I hope we stay healthy, I hope we build on what we've seen so far. A long way to go, but I like how this team is constructed.

Go Gophers!!

But can we ever live down losing the scrimmage at Colorado St 99-23?

 

[howeda7]

Christie looks smooth and like he has good instincts in addition to having a nice looking shot. He is the X factor to this team being better than expected to me in addition to Ihnen and Fox being healthy and better than expected. Small sample size and weak opponent asterisks obviously.

 

[Cayman]

Maybe 5 minutes into the second half, we were up by about 35 points, and I thought at least part of it was some unsustainably hot shooting, but we hit 48% from deep for the game, so it didn't drop off much if at all. It looks like Garcia, Ihnen, Christie, Mitchell, Hawkins, and then maybe Carrington and Ola-Joseph can all be trusted to hit from deep somewhat reliably. It's been a long time since I felt like shooting was one of our strengths, but maybe it could be this year.

 

[Unregistered User]

Hawkins, and then maybe Carrington…can all be trusted to hit from deep somewhat reliably.

They were both 0-3 tonight, but I really expect that to be an outlier.

If they both went 1-3 I would find that acceptable.

 

[Unregistered User]

Average margin of victory is 22.5 pts. just as we all predicted.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

and - we still haven't seen the entire team on the floor healthy.

Payne was limited in the 1st game and Christie didn't play.

2nd game - Christie is back but Payne sits out.

don't get me wrong - I don't want Payne back until he's healthy. just saying that we really haven't seen what the rotations look like when everyone is available.

 

[Unregistered User]

and - we still haven't seen the entire team on the floor healthy.

Payne was limited in the 1st game and Christie didn't play.

2nd game - Christie is back but Payne sits out.

don't get me wrong - I don't want Payne back until he's healthy. just saying that we really haven't seen what the rotations look like when everyone is available.

Tonight we had 8 guys get significant run, 9 with Jackhammer Wilson and without Payne. And I’m thinking, “we need to get Betts and K2 some minutes”. Not some walk on so we can reward them at home for their practice contribution, but scholarship players I hope we can trust if/when we need them. They need to see the floor to see how they perform in live game conditions.

And I can hope that just like last year, when the B10 season starts, and things get tougher, these players refuse to give up, refuse to take the night off and get better as the season goes on.

 

[Tucker32]

Just finished watching the game. They are fun to watch this year. They move the ball well, rotate well on defense, and shot the ball well. Ihnen looked great - hopefully he continues to prove the many naysayers on here wrong. The kid is athletic and has a good stroke. Overall, they look dramatically different than the last couple of years.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

I'm all about PG play. I don't know if Hawkins has what it takes, but the kid sure knows how to push pace.
I'd like to see Garcia get rewarded in some aspect before his time is out. He's a real versatile big.

 

[leib0039]

Just out of curiosity I went beck to the board after starting 2-0 last year.

"Clearly more talent out there than last year"
"Payne and Henley will form a great nucleus "
"We've finally found our PG, we are set there"
"This team didn't even have Battle the first 2 games and look at us"
"CBJ seems to have figured it out"

Call me whatever you want, but I'll admit I'm incredibly skeptical. Sure it's looked good thus far, but let's remember we've played two teams figured to bring up the rear of their terrible conferences. Mizzou got handled tonight by Memphis so should mean we keep it close if not win. Do that and I will buy in more.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

Just out of curiosity I went beck to the board after starting 2-0 last year.

"Clearly more talent out there than last year"
"Payne and Henley will form a great nucleus "
"We've finally found our PG, we are set there"
"This team didn't even have Battle the first 2 games and look at us"
"CBJ seems to have figured it out"

Call me whatever you want, but I'll admit I'm incredibly skeptical. Sure it's looked good thus far, but let's remember we've played two teams figured to bring up the rear of their terrible conferences. Mizzou got handled tonight by Memphis so should mean we keep it close if not win. Do that and I will buy in more.

Yeah we should judge by closed door scrimmage scores instead I think.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I like the way the PG plays and we have wings and depth. They’re a fun team to watch.

 

[Holy Man]

We certainly have more depth and better shooters. But, the best thing is we have guys who play better defense.

I’m not convinced on the defense yet. Both our opponents got way too many easy looks. They missed a lot of them last night.

 

[Holy Man]

Tonight we had 8 guys get significant run, 9 with Jackhammer Wilson and without Payne. And I’m thinking, “we need to get Betts and K2 some minutes”. Not some walk on so we can reward them at home for their practice contribution, but scholarship players I hope we can trust if/when we need them. They need to see the floor to see how they perform in live game conditions.

And I can hope that just like last year, when the B10 season starts, and things get tougher, these players refuse to give up, refuse to take the night off and get better as the season goes on.

I wanted to see the walk ons. Just me I guess. I was also grumbling about Christie being in the last two minutes of an already decided game. Last thing we need is injuries to key players in garbage time.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

But can we ever live down losing the scrimmage at Colorado St 99-23?

REMATCH!!

 

[MNVCGUY]

Just out of curiosity I went beck to the board after starting 2-0 last year.

"Clearly more talent out there than last year"
"Payne and Henley will form a great nucleus "
"We've finally found our PG, we are set there"
"This team didn't even have Battle the first 2 games and look at us"
"CBJ seems to have figured it out"

Call me whatever you want, but I'll admit I'm incredibly skeptical. Sure it's looked good thus far, but let's remember we've played two teams figured to bring up the rear of their terrible conferences. Mizzou got handled tonight by Memphis so should mean we keep it close if not win. Do that and I will buy in more.

Totally understandable to be skeptical after the past 2 seasons.

Key difference to me through 2 games is this team really seems to be able to shoot and put up points in a way the team last year couldn’t.

Missouri game will be a decent indication of how much actual improvement has been made.

Just nice to finally enter a year with a roster that is actually in tact to start the season as opposed to a roster already dealing with season ending injuries before the first game is even played.

 

[Unregistered User]

Just out of curiosity I went beck to the board after starting 2-0 last year.

"Clearly more talent out there than last year"
"Payne and Henley will form a great nucleus "
"We've finally found our PG, we are set there"
"This team didn't even have Battle the first 2 games and look at us"
"CBJ seems to have figured it out"

Call me whatever you want, but I'll admit I'm incredibly skeptical. Sure it's looked good thus far, but let's remember we've played two teams figured to bring up the rear of their terrible conferences. Mizzou got handled tonight by Memphis so should mean we keep it close if not win. Do that and I will buy in more.

Here is the game thread from the 2nd game last year. It’s only 4 pages.

***OFFICIAL ST. FRANCIS AT MINNESOTA IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

Love Gopher hoops. Love home games. This another opportunity to hopefully get some guys back healthy and playing, get the new guys some run and hope we put these guys away earlier than the Broncos. GET 'ER DONE JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gopherhole.com

I looked through some other threads that were started after that thread was originated and saw none of the “quotes” you included in your post.

 

[MissouriGopher]

Just out of curiosity I went beck to the board after starting 2-0 last year.

"Clearly more talent out there than last year"
"Payne and Henley will form a great nucleus "
"We've finally found our PG, we are set there"
"This team didn't even have Battle the first 2 games and look at us"
"CBJ seems to have figured it out"

Call me whatever you want, but I'll admit I'm incredibly skeptical. Sure it's looked good thus far, but let's remember we've played two teams figured to bring up the rear of their terrible conferences. Mizzou got handled tonight by Memphis so should mean we keep it close if not win. Do that and I will buy in more.

The American is not a terrible conference

 

[60's Guy]

The American is not a terrible conference

100% the American is not a terrible conference. But, UTSA has been perennial bottom feeder in it.
A team so messed up that 12 guys departed the team from last year. The new UTSA did look like they will be improved and they were likely the best team we have played but nobody we have played compares to anybody we will play in Big Ten competition.

 

[Unregistered User]

100% the American is not a terrible conference. But, UTSA has been perennial bottom feeder in it.
A team so messed up that 12 guys departed the team from last year. The new UTSA did look like they will be improved and they were likely the best team we have played but nobody we have played compares to anybody we will play in Big Ten competition.

Jebus.

Arrogance and ignorance is a terrible combination.

This is UTSA’s first year in the AAC, and this is only the 10th year the conference has been in existence.

 

[Ragnor]

Totally understandable to be skeptical after the past 2 seasons.

Key difference to me through 2 games is this team really seems to be able to shoot and put up points in a way the team last year couldn’t.

Missouri game will be a decent indication of how much actual improvement has been made.

Just nice to finally enter a year with a roster that is actually in tact to start the season as opposed to a roster already dealing with season ending injuries before the first game is even played.

I agree, we are definitely better this year than last, much more depth, size and scoring ability along with athleticism. We have already scored more in both games than we ever scored last year. Last year we averaged just over 61 points/game with a high of 79 vs Nebraska and a low of 39 vs Purdue. The second highest we had was 78 and we still had "cupcakes" on the schedule. This year we have 80 and 102 in first 2 games. I am optimistic because Fox, Ihnen and Christie have proven themselves to be ready for the season which really confirms the hoped for depth and talent.

 

[60's Guy]

Jebus.

Arrogance and ignorance is a terrible combination.

This is UTSA’s first year in the AAC, and this is only the 10th year the conference has been in existence.

Hey, thanks for being so gracious in pointing that out. Lotta guys would have probably just been a prick.
Whatever conference UTSA was in ... the basketball team has been at the bottom in recent history.
And there are good basketball programs in the American.
What was your point? (My ignorance may have missed it?)

 

[Holy Man]

I agree, we are definitely better this year than last, much more depth, size and scoring ability along with athleticism. We have already scored more in both games than we ever scored last year. Last year we averaged just over 61 points/game with a high of 79 vs Nebraska and a low of 39 vs Purdue. The second highest we had was 78 and we still had "cupcakes" on the schedule. This year we have 80 and 102 in first 2 games. I am optimistic because Fox, Ihnen and Christie have proven themselves to be ready for the season which really confirms the hoped for depth and talent.

Fox’s awkward play concerns me. He’s flopping all over the place. Great energy, but needs to stay under control. I worry he’ll go down again.

 

[Sane24]

But can we ever live down losing the scrimmage at Colorado St 99-23?

O

 

[GopherinPhilly]

Fox’s awkward play concerns me. He’s flopping all over the place. Great energy, but needs to stay under control. I worry he’ll go down again.

I'm hoping he has a Cardinalesque year for us...