Andy Katz on next year: The Gophers should be a real tough out

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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"Our Top 25 poll will generate plenty of buzz, but it left out a few teams that deserve mention. Don’t sleep on Murray State, which returns Isaiah Canaan and coach Steve Prohm. I’ll be stunned if Murray doesn’t make its way back into the Top 25. I also really like Minnesota again. The Gophers should be a real tough out with a healthy Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams and a returning perimeter. And Cincinnati should be in the mix in the Big East with a core returning that played exceptionally well down the stretch."

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...57476/3-point-shot-racers-out-in-early-top-25

Go Gophers!!
 

Katz really loves us, but I think he's right this time. Depending on how the roster shakes out, we could be a very good team. With Lockett, we're a top 3 team in the Big Ten. Without him, we're top 5. Either way, I'd say we're a tourney team, with the potential to make a little run.
 


Using ESPN.com's rankings as a barometer, it puts the Gophers at the tail end of the top half (6th) in the B1G.

Teams in the Battle 4 Atlantis?

#2 Louisville
#13 Memphis
#15 Duke
#22 VCU
#25 Mizzou
Minnesota (unranked)
Northern Iowa (unranked)
Stanford (unranked, but on the cusp)

I'll guess we get Duke in the quarterfinals.
 

BleedGopher said:
"Our Top 25 poll will generate plenty of buzz, but it left out a few teams that deserve mention. Don’t sleep on Murray State, which returns Isaiah Canaan and coach Steve Prohm. I’ll be stunned if Murray doesn’t make its way back into the Top 25. I also really like Minnesota again. The Gophers should be a real tough out with a healthy Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams and a returning perimeter. And Cincinnati should be in the mix in the Big East with a core returning that played exceptionally well down the stretch."

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...57476/3-point-shot-racers-out-in-early-top-25

Go Gophers!!
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Mr. Katz best be careful of talking expectations 'round these parts.....
 


jmag21 said:
Katz really loves us, but I think he's right this time. Depending on how the roster shakes out, we could be a very good team. With Lockett, we're a top 3 team in the Big Ten. Without him, we're top 5. Either way, I'd say we're a tourney team, with the potential to make a little run.
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You realize that Katz loves everyone right?

Have you ever heard him really lower the boom on anyone? His schtick is to a friend of every coach in the land. He heaps love upon every program in America.
 

Still a lot to shift in this. Obviously the transfer situation could play a big role, as well as declarations for the draft (April 10 deadline I think). I would guess when all's said and done we'll be an "on the cusp" team.
 

Surprised they have OSU #5 in the country. I have OSU #5 in the B1G at this juncture, but that's assuming Sullinger goes pro. ESPN.com must be assuming Sullinger returns?

The bloom has come off Sullinger's rose quite a bit. When faced with quality bigs (MSU, Kansas, etc.), his limitations get exposed. He's one of those guys if he stays in college another year, his stock might drop even further.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Surprised they have OSU #5 in the country. I have OSU #5 in the B1G at this juncture, but that's assuming Sullinger goes pro. ESPN.com must be assuming Sullinger returns?
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tOSU is stacked. Although Matta doesn't use his bench, there are a number of guys who could have started and been contributors. Sullinger could leave and I'd still be talking tOSU when talking about Big Ten title contenders for next season.

Also, there are a few very good recruits out there... and some who may change schools... chances of a big time recruit going to Ohio State? Not bad...

Katz is a uw-madison graduate that wanted to give Smith the COY award in the Big Ten.
 






SelectionSunday said:
What does that have to do with Ohio State, and where we're all projecting them to finish (with or w/o Sullinger)?
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It has to do with the topic of this thread (i.e., "The Gophers should be a real tough out"). Katz likes to heap praise on Coach Smith, plus is a uw-madison grad which is a curse.

dpodoll68 said:
But, but, but...tied for 5th in the Big Ten? What a terrible season! Tubby will definitely get fired for that!
I agree that his projections seem pretty reasonable.
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Where do you currently expect Minnesota to finish next season in the Big Ten standings?
 



The projectionts look somewhat reasonable, but I think WI will miss Taylor. Of course, I have underestimated what Ryan cand do before.
 

Gopher Warrior said:
Where do you currently expect Minnesota to finish next season in the Big Ten standings?
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As I have stated previously, I expect them to finish somewhere between 4th and 7th. In the 25 seasons that actually count since our last Big Ten championship, the U's average Big Ten finish is 7.44. Under Tubby Smith, it is 7.4. Given that we are losing no one of consequence from this squad, 7th (and a Tournament berth) is the very bottom of what should be acceptable. Given that MSU and OSU are always right there, and that Indiana is losing no one of consequence (assuming Zeller's likely return), I deem it very unlikely that we finish ahead of any of them, making 4th the probable high-water mark. Bo Ryan has never finished worse than 4th in the conference, so it is likely that they will finish ahead of us as well, but they are also losing the leader of their team whose backup has zero game experience. Michigan's success is very dependent on whether Trey Burke returns. We could very well finish ahead of either of them (or both), but past precedent says no. Either 5th or 6th seems most likely, with 4th (Wisconsin falters, Michigan loses Burke) possible and 7th (Purdue reloads, Illinois plays better under a new coach) also possible. Anything less should result in a Tubby dismissal.
 

dpodoll68 said:
But, but, but...tied for 5th in the Big Ten? What a terrible season! Tubby will definitely get fired for that!

I agree that his projections seem pretty reasonable, but I will pay that clown $100 if Tim Miles has 2 or less victories in the Big Ten next year.
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That roster is in bad shape right now. I coach in Colorado now, so I didn't make it to a practice this year, but for the last three years I was always struck by two things when leaving a Doc practice 1 Doc and his staff where really good coaches who paid a lot of attention to details. 2 They had maybe three players the belonged in the Big12/Big10.

I'm sure people who wanted Tubby fired, and thought Miles wasn't qualified to coach here will love kicking him round for the next two years. But the tune in Lincoln is changing already about this hire from just how he's handled the medias questions, to how he's already out in the community and impacting recruiting. He's going after the Biggs kid from a CC in Kansas. Biggs played at Omaha Central and while he's a boarder line Big10 player Central has Akoy who is and a Sophomore named Tre'Shawn Thurman who's going to be a stud. I remember our Freshman coach coming back after playing Central and saying he's never seen a Freshman jump like this kid, and that he did a 360 on a break away against them.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/294737/treshawn-thurman

As much as I hate Central, right now getting a pipeline set up to the school is a very important pr move and he already gets that. Northwest final has a real coach, and it looks like Burke is going to try and make winning a priority now, but for right now Central is the only one that matters to a Big10 school. When it comes to Central the question will always be to the kids have the grades to get into college, but that's not important right now for Miles.
 

Katz may love every team, but he really loves the Gophers.
 

Gopher Warrior said:
It has to do with the topic of this thread (i.e., "The Gophers should be a real tough out"). Katz likes to heap praise on Coach Smith, plus is a uw-madison grad which is a curse.



Where do you currently expect Minnesota to finish next season in the Big Ten standings?
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Doll just expects tubby to finish - location in the standings in not relevant, as for the past 157 years no Gopher team has blah blah blah.....
 

BarnBurner said:
Doll just expects tubby to finish - location in the standings in not relevant, as for the past 157 years no Gopher team has blah blah blah.....
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You don't actually read other people's arguments, do you?
 

If Derek Nix is kicked of MSU's team, that could knock them down a couple of notches in the B1G.
 

B1G could be wide open next year, right now I don't see a dominant team, especially if Sullinger goes pro. Alot of good teams that the Gophers should be able to compete with especially if a healthy Mbwake returns.
 

Ohio State should still finish top 3 in the Big Ten they're bench is loaded.
 


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