All time Gopher Team from Minnesota

Donate To GopherHole
station19

station19

Moderator
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
22,605
Reaction score
1
Points
36
Players from Minnesota(went to high school here at least) that actually played for the Gophers.

Players before 1964 I am not too familiar with....some of you are.

McHale comes to mind for a start.

Have at it.
 

Randy Breuer, Lake City; Blake Hoffarber, Hopkins (?); Ron Johnson, New Prague; Jim Peterson, St.Louis Park;
 

Contenders
Kevin McHale
Randy Breuer
Rodney Williams
Trevor Mbawke
Mark Olberding
Rick Rickert
Sam Jacobson
John Thomas
Kevin Lynch
Blake Hoffarber
Kris Humphries
Al Nolen

So, by position, I think here's my team:
PG Nolen
SG Lynch
SF Jacobson
PF McHale
C Breuer

Obviously I'm only going back to the mid-70s and I could be missing some players, but through the years we've certainly been starved for home-grown guards/small forwards at the "U". There's been some strong talent (Khalid El-Amin, Troy Bell, Jake Sullivan, Darius Lane, Kammron Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Alan Anderson) developed within the state, but has escaped the borders. Would be great to turn the tide with Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn, and Reid Travis.
 

3 players have won a state title and a Big 10 title.

Harold Gillen, Stillwater 1914, was an all-American for the Big 10 champ Gophers in 1917.
Dick Seebach, Red Wing 1933, started at guard for the Big 10 champs in 1937.
Randy Breuer, Lake City 1978-1979, played for the Big 10 champs in 1982.

In 1950 Gopher fans voted Frank Lawler 1910-1911-1912 as the greatest Gopher ever. I know, who? Lawler led the Big 10 in scoring 1 year (I forget which) and the Gophers won the Big 10 in 1911.

My all time Gophers who played high school ball in Minnesota would be:

C- Jim McIntyre, Mpls. Henry 1944-1945, all-Big 10 4 years, all-American as a junior in 1948
C- George Tuck, Mpls. Central 1900-1901, started for Gophers' national champs in 1902 and 1903 and was their 1st all-American in 1905
F- Lawler, did not play high school basketball, Mpls. did not offer basketball until 1919, they played indoor track and indoor baseball in the winter before that
G- Marty Rolek, Mpls. Edison 1934, all-American 1937-1938, Big 10 champs 1937
G- Whitey Skoog, Brainerd, all-American 1951, scored as many as 15 ppg for world champion Mpls. Lakers

I know, who really cares about these old-timers. They're almost all dead (not Skoog). I guess the lesson here is the Gophers were a lot more competitive in the old days. They won the very 1st Big 10 title ever contested in 1907 and a total of I think 7 of them by 1937 (30 years), only 3 since then (1972, 1982, 1997), 2 of them tainted, in 75 years. National titles in 1902, 1903, 1919.

For the record, my post 1960 team would be Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale, Sam Jacobson, Kevin Lynch and Blake Hoffarber. If it were a post 1950 team Ron Johnson would be the post ahead of Breuer and of course Skoog ahead of Sammie. If it were a post 1980 team I would have Trevor Mbakwe at the PF in place of McHale. Terry Kunze is another guard to go with Lynch and Hoff. Dave Winfield is maybe the next forward, though I'm not totally sure I like him any better than Rodney.
 

sunnyday2 said:
3 players have won a state title and a Big 10 title.

Harold Gillen, Stillwater 1914, was an all-American for the Big 10 champ Gophers in 1917.
Dick Seebach, Red Wing 1933, started at guard for the Big 10 champs in 1937.
Randy Breuer, Lake City 1978-1979, played for the Big 10 champs in 1982.

In 1950 Gopher fans voted Frank Lawler 1910-1911-1912 as the greatest Gopher ever. I know, who? Lawler led the Big 10 in scoring 1 year (I forget which) and the Gophers won the Big 10 in 1911.

My all time Gophers who played high school ball in Minnesota would be:

C- Jim McIntyre, Mpls. Henry 1944-1945, all-Big 10 4 years, all-American as a junior in 1948
C- George Tuck, Mpls. Central 1900-1901, started for Gophers' national champs in 1902 and 1903 and was their 1st all-American in 1905
F- Lawler, did not play high school basketball, Mpls. did not offer basketball until 1919, they played indoor track and indoor baseball in the winter before that
G- Marty Rolek, Mpls. Edison 1934, all-American 1937-1938, Big 10 champs 1937
G- Whitey Skoog, Brainerd, all-American 1951, scored as many as 15 ppg for world champion Mpls. Lakers

I know, who really cares about these old-timers. They're almost all dead (not Skoog). I guess the lesson here is the Gophers were a lot more competitive in the old days. They won the very 1st Big 10 title ever contested in 1907 and a total of I think 7 of them by 1937 (30 years), only 3 since then (1972, 1982, 1997), 2 of them tainted, in 75 years. National titles in 1902, 1903, 1919.

For the record, my post 1960 team would be Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale, Sam Jacobson, Kevin Lynch and Blake Hoffarber. If it were a post 1950 team Ron Johnson would be the post ahead of Breuer and of course Skoog ahead of Sammie. If it were a post 1980 team I would have Trevor Mbakwe at the PF in place of McHale. Terry Kunze is another guard to go with Lynch and Hoff. Dave Winfield is maybe the next forward, though I'm not totally sure I like him any better than Rodney.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I was hoping someone would add these players.

I'd like to give honorable mention to Tony Jaros. Played for the Gophers while he was not enrolled at the University.:) Later played for the Lakers with Mikan and the boys.
 



Dave Winfield doesn't deserve serious consideration,but if he would have played basketball four years rather than being drafted off an intramural team during his senior year,he would have been one heck of a player,.
 

John Kundla
Whitey Skoog
Mark Olberding
Kevin McHale
Randy Breuer
 





And it kinda feels like if you put John Thomas up for consideration, you have to consider Kolander.
 

Cole Aldrich doesnt get mentioned?

Edit:
Nevermind.... Didn't read the question... I'm an idiot
 

Maybe it is time to stop trying and compare 1907 players to 1997 players and instead build all decade teams for the past 100 years.
 



1961-63 - Eric Magdanz - 6-6 Center out of Mpls South HS with a sweeping sky hook. Led the Gophers in Scoring for 3 seasons. Also my HS Phy ED teacher. Great guy!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom