Al Nolen Interview

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The record for MN after he got hurt was because there was NO pg. Mav is not good and moving Hoff there was a disaster. He is not a pg. If Tubby would have had an average Big Ten pg behind Nolen, we would have been fine.

I have watched Nolen's game for 4 years. That is how I know him. You know nothing about my basketball knowledge other than my take on Nolen. Because you disagree with someone you attack their knowledge? Isn't that kind of juvenile?

Here, let me give you an example...only an idiot would think Al Nolen was anything other than an average player. Your basketball takes are terrible. You are a homer and a Nolen ballwasher. You couldn't be objective about a MN Gopher player ever.

There. I don't know you from Adam, nor have I followed you around the forum for other takes, but because you support Nolen these must be true.
 

dpodoll68 said:
So...do you know Al Nolen, or not?
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I know his game. That is what I criticized. I didn't criticize Nolen as a person or his intelligence because I don't know him. He did flunk out though, so I could make some assumptions, but I won't. Like I could make an assuption that you want to stray from the main point by trying to box me on this point. But I won't.
 

You know his game? shut up. Al Nolen will go down as a top 5 gopher PG of all time, without even playing in the Big Ten for 2 years in a row. That is saying something. He would've been the all time leader in steals had he not been injured. I don't know what your perception of good basketball is, but nolen was a blue collar, hardworking kid. He played half of this season with a stress fracture for god sakes. I'd like to see you display that kind of heart instead of bashing him from behind your computer candy a$$.
 

Go Gophs eh? said:
You know his game? shut up. Al Nolen will go down as a top 5 gopher PG of all time, without even playing in the Big Ten for 2 years in a row. That is saying something. He would've been the all time leader in steals had he not been injured. I don't know what your perception of good basketball is, but nolen was a blue collar, hardworking kid. He played half of this season with a stress fracture for god sakes. I'd like to see you display that kind of heart instead of bashing him from behind your computer candy a$$.
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From my perspective, I'd love to see gopherhole use the facebook identity for comments. You may not like minngg's comments grow up a little bit.

Nolen had a decent, if not unfulfilled potential, career. Top 5? Being the best Polo player in Hibbing doesn't mean you are a great polo player. What you are saying about Nolen is accurate he did all those things you talk about but he also let the team down. It's all his legacy.
 


minngg said:
I didn't criticize Nolen as a person or his intelligence
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...
minngg said:
flunked out of school
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minngg said:
irresponsible
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And those are just in this thread alone. Unless you would like to explain how saying he "flunked out of school" and is "irresponsible" has something to do with his abilities as a basketball player?

And this is not even getting into your malformed opinions of him strictly as a basketball player. Calling him anything less than a good, solid Big Ten PG is nothing more than evidence of your ability to read a stat sheet and inability to analyze the quality of basketball being played in front of you.
 

Again, he let the "team" down 1 year. Did JFK let the country down by being assassinated? He couldn't help the broken foot. Mingg, Nolen flunked out? Didn't he graduate this spring?
 

minngg said:
People have trouble with my Nolen posts. So what? They also questioned when I said Wolters was better than Nolen. So what? That is their right, but to call me Mrs. Wolters and demean my basketball knowledge is silly.

If Al Nolen played with the Badgers or Hawkeyes, believe me, there would be none of this love of his game. I appreciate loyalty, but very few on another team would say Al was better than an average or below average Big Ten pg. People put way too much stock in early season holiday tournaments. They just really are a poor barometer of the future success of a team.
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Rick Pitino would beg to differ. "I love him as a basketball player. He goes left and right, makes his free throws. I love him. Tell him to transfer." Pitino has been to the Elite Eight 9 times, the Final Four 5 times and won it all once I will trust his judgment over yours.
 

Name me 6 pg's worse than Al Nolen in the Big Ten the last 2 seasons. People say, well he beat Butler. Butler? Al played 19 mins. Scored 2 pts. Did not get to the line. 1-3 from the field with zero assists. Yep, thank goodness Al won that game for us. The next game??? People don't mention that we lost to Portland. Guess they forget the bad times.

For the guy saying Al will go down as a top 5 pg in Gopher history all I can say is hmmm. Al only played 12.3 conference games the last two years. His stats in those games are below average. MN's best Big Ten season was when he was out and Devoe played pg. They went to the Big Ten championship game.

In Al's career, MN lost more conference games than they won when he played. His fg % in conference games was 29%, 32%, 27% and 27%. There isn't a chance in hell that Pitino plays Al. It is coach speak. Top 5 Gopher pg? Please. Don't denigrate the many fine pg's this university has had.
 



mattw1067 said:
Rick Pitino would beg to differ. "I love him as a basketball player. He goes left and right, makes his free throws. I love him. Tell him to transfer." Pitino has been to the Elite Eight 9 times, the Final Four 5 times and won it all once I will trust his judgment over yours.
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Another poster awhile ago also posted an article from ESPN (So this is ESPN saying this, not a Gopher fan) that Al Nolen was the missing piece from the UNC team that was in the NIT. Saying a kid is a necessary piece for a powerhouse is pretty good.
 

scher215 said:
Another poster awhile ago also posted an article from ESPN (So this is ESPN saying this, not a Gopher fan) that Al Nolen was the missing piece from the UNC team that was in the NIT. Saying a kid is a necessary piece for a powerhouse is pretty good.
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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/seth_davis/12/28/davis.jigsaw.man/1.html

Over the last two years in Big Ten play alone (including the BTT), the Gophers were 7-6 with Nolen and 11-18 without him. Minngg, you are delusional if you think he didn't make a difference, let alone hurt the team.
 

Ah, Al Nolen was 3-3 last year and 3-3 this year. I don't count the MI game because he got hurt early in that game and we were behind when he left. Also, you cannot count this year because we didn't have Devoe Joseph or any other pg to replace Nolen. I contend the loss of Devoe hurt more because he could score from the outside and the opposition could not just key on Hoff. With him out and Hoff having to play pg, the Gophers were doomed. This is on Tubby for not having a legitimate backup pg. Joseph played pg very well and he was a shooting guard.
The Gophers were 9-7 in Big Ten play without Nolen in 2009. They went to the NCAA's.

I am still waiting for 6 pg's worse than Nolen in the Big Ten last year. PG scoring in college basketball is essential for good teams. I have said that the Gophers would have won 3 more games if Al didn't get hurt. He is better than Maverick. I just think how many more points Hoff would have scored with a pg that could score even a little. Losing Al hurt this team lastyear. I never said it didn't.
 

minngg said:
I am still waiting for 6 pg's worse than Nolen in the Big Ten last year.
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Maverick Ahanmisi
Jean Selus
Crandall Head
Kevin Berardini
Daniel Moore
Matt Roth
Taylor Wayer
Jordan Stoermer
Cully Payne
Bryce Cartwright
Branden Stubbs
Darrick Ervin
Josh Bartelstein
Corey Person
Keith Appling
Alex Marcotullio
Austin Nichols
Jordan Sibert
Lenzelle Smith
Eddie Days
Taran Buie
Nick Colella
Tim Frazier
Terone Johnson
Bubba Day
Dru Anthrop
Ryne Smith
John Hart
Wquinton Smith
Ben Brust
J.D. Wise


I named 31. What else ya got?
 



Thanks for making my point. The onyl starter you could name was Cartwright and I would take him over Nolen any day.
 



dpodoll68 said:
What was your point? That you're absolutely horrible at elucidating and subsequently defending your stance?
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The point is that Al was one of the worst starters in the Big Ten last year. Below average. If you read the thread and stop worrying about semantics you would see that my point is that Al was a below average starting Big Ten pg.

As far as Cartwright goes. He played very well last year for Iowa. That is why Payne transferred. The last 10 conference games Cartwright averaged 11.5 pts per game and 7.5 assists per game for a lousy team. He'll be back this year. Head to head against Nolen last year at Williams Arena Cartwright had 10 pts and 5 assists and Nolen had 13 pts and 2 assists. Cartwright got his points and assists against one of the best defensive pg's in the world.
 


SelectionSunday said:
We get it. You don't think Al was any good.

Turn the page.
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AllI did was say Al seems like a good kid but wasn't that good. I got called all kinds of names and had my intellect attacked. I wouldn't have said another word if others wouldn't have attacked me for my opinion. Is it legal to not be positive about every player that ever played for our Gophers?
 


The horse was only beaten because of personal attecks. Just like when I said Wolters could play for Minnesota and I got called Mrs. Wolters and persoanlly demeaned. It is a small group, but nonetheless.
 

minngg said:
you cannot count this year because we didn't have Devoe Joseph or any other pg to replace Nolen.
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This makes no sense. Most of us were arguing Nolen's importance to the team in addition to his obvious skill as a B10 basketball player. What if I said -

"Joe Mauer is no good. Sure, the Twins are worse without him, but that's just because we don't have another adequate catcher to back him up".

Do you see the flaw there? Nolen, in addition to being a skilled penetrator, distributor, defender, and team leader, was a huge key and possibly THE key piece last season.

I do agree that Joseph's transfer ultimately hurt the team - because of Nolen's injury. We will never know how it would have turned out had Nolen stayed healthy but in my view it is an easy decision between those two players - in terms of TEAM benefit.
 

fryguy22 said:
This makes no sense. Most of us were arguing Nolen's importance to the team in addition to his obvious skill as a B10 basketball player. What if I said -

"Joe Mauer is no good. Sure, the Twins are worse without him, but that's just because we don't have another adequate catcher to back him up".

Do you see the flaw there? Nolen, in addition to being a skilled penetrator, distributor, defender, and team leader, was a huge key and possibly THE key piece last season.

I do agree that Joseph's transfer ultimately hurt the team - because of Nolen's injury. We will never know how it would have turned out had Nolen stayed healthy but in my view it is an easy decision between those two players - in terms of TEAM benefit.
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No, I don't see your point. Joseph, not even a pg, played the position better than Nolen in 2009-10. If Mauer gets hurt (by the way comparing Nolen to an MVP is silly to start with) and we have Ramos or another AVERAGE backup, the Twins are hurt but not to the extent that they are with Butera (below average) behind him. The Gophers had nothing behind Nolen. Nothing. That doesn't make Nolen good. I have already said his injury cost the Gophers 3 games IMO.

Al was a good defender, an average distributor, a below average penetrator and a poor team leader. He wasn't clutch and he never carried the team. He was a loss. I am not dumb, but in four years, the team did very little with Al at the helm. He was not good at running the team. Creating chances for teammates or making defenses come out to guard him.

Al is a good kid. I wish him the best and think he did as well as he could (outside of academics) for the Gophers.
 

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