B1G Game 6: Gophers host UCLA 1-14-26

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Thought the size would actually come in handy this game but looks like Betts had usual line
 

18 point loss without Tori and an offense. Guess we take it and move on.
Starters logging a ton of minutes.
 




Wasn’t expecting a win, thought we would be more competitive but without McKinney was tough. Most of the season Braun’s and Battle’s scoring was been absent but they were hitting shots but the rest of the team was off. Against good teams the whole team cannot seem to click offensively
 



I noticed McKinney didn’t play tonight. Did she get injured against SC? Why is coach P using a minimum 7 player rotation? Why is Holloway not playing or only getting a few minutes each game. I think Klick could help give some rest to the other guards even it’s only a few minutes.
 



DietCokeFan said:
I don’t get why Coach P won’t give her more minutes. Just baffling.
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If GG can't get open for decent looks from 3, what makes you think that Christian can? I don't think she's much faster, quicker or as adaptable as GG at this point. GG is about as good as we have at getting open for her shots, and UCLA gave her nothing. I mean, we worked pretty hard to get her some looks and there was nothing available unless she got into the paint.
I'd love to see a little more of Christian too, but not being at practice or film sessions, we can't know what the reasoning is. Pretty sure there is a good reason (or 3) and it's not just because "I don't like the way she looks at me when I coach her up (I'm being facetious) at practice". It could be something as innocent as only wanting to put her into positions to succeed and going in against a perimeter defense that gives her no room to breathe might be something that saps confidence instead of building it. None of us knows and Coach P certainly isn't going to throw one of her players under the bus just to satisfy our curiousity.

I actually think that our posts did a decent enough job on L. Betts. And we managed to keep Kneepkens under control as well. Rice and Jaquez, not so much.

I hope Braun can bottle whatever she had going on in the second half and open it up for the rest of the season. She looked pretty good on both sides of the ball, with both the mid-range and long-range working tonight against a couple of pretty good defenders. Need more of that as the season goes on.
 

DietCokeFan said:
I don’t get why Coach P won’t give her more minutes. Just baffling.
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What is baffling is we can be up by 30 against little sisters of the poor in non conference and she keeps starters in until maybe 3 minutes left. Wants to win by 40. That does not develop anyone.
 

DietCokeFan said:
Honest question. What do fans think the ceiling is for this program?
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A lot of variables, but I think second round feels possible / realistic. With a favorable seed / draw could pull off an upset and make the round of 16. But we’d need McKinney. A couple years ago I thought Sweet 16 should be expected this season with possibility to go further. I was expecting more this season but losing Heyer is a real loss. But I think it’s most important to for sure make the NCAAs this season. I’m really wishing that for our players that have been here 4 years and been through a lot with injuries and the coaching change.
 




BBJones said:
The difference between Niko's offense (in his first year) and Dawn's is startling
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Lot more fun to watch Niko coached b-ball even in a loss! Still got a D and the ball moves on offense and even struggling with shooting they are in until the end lately.
 

DietCokeFan said:
Honest question. What do fans think the ceiling is for this program?
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I honestly think we might be a top 60 team. On a great night with everything clicking, we can give anybody a good game. But like most Better Than Average, but not Great teams, it's going to be rare that everyone and everything is clicking at the same time. I've spent time around some pretty successful teams and coaches over the last 40+ years, and even they admit is rare to have everything run exactly as coached for every game, or even most games. It amazing to watch film & practice and talk with these guys to get an idea of all the stuff that goes wrong, despite all the preparation, only to find out that one player had a half-second brain fart. Or, in one memorable season, " We have this guy, they don't, and our guy can make plays.". GG does that a lot for the Gophers, but as we found out tonight; a really talented team that's very locked in on taking away an integral part of her game, can do it and it really affects the result.

With basketball, it's like an offensive line. If one guy only chips his guy instead of sealing, or his technique is just off at just the right time, it can blow up everything. Or when you're shooting and everything about your timing and technique feels fantastic and somehow, the shot doesn't drop. All the coaching in the world can't help you if that shot that you make all day in practice and felt perfect, somehow was an inch off and rims out at a crucial moment of the game.

I'd love to believe the Gophers will make the Tournament. I believe that in a different Power Conference we'd have a much better shot, but the Big Ten is so loaded. Like I said, on a great night, I think the Gophers can play with almost everybody, but everything has to go right for us to knock off the powerhouses.
 

drewhaus7 said:
Next 2 games don't get any easier.
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Yes they absolutely do. Oregon and Washington are way more beatable than UCLA, who may very well go undefeated in Big Ten play. UCLA's five starters are all projected to be first round WNBA draft picks this year. That's so rare.
 

Just got back from the game. We gave them all they wanted on D. The women played tough all game. Too many shots that you thought were in only to rim out. The UCLA run in the 1st period did us in. With Tori, we still lose, but it would have been closer. L. Betts is not as dominant as I expected. Hart and Tonga gave her a tough time. News flash, she's just taller than everybody else. Hope we at least get a split on the West Coast trip.
 

DietCokeFan said:
Honest question. What do fans think the ceiling is for this program?
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Good question. Going into the season I was thinking sweet 16 but I think I’ve tempered that feeling. I agree losing Heyer right before the season perhaps has made a bigger impact than I realized also paired with the Woodson injury. Also going into this season I was hoping for win(s) against a ranked opponent(check), a win on the road against a solid or good team, not to play on the opening day of the Big Ten Tournament and making the NCAA’s. Getting a win or sweep on the next road trip would go a long way in raising their ceiling. They are solid and competitive team but mostly fall short when lights are the brightest.
 

I thought that this was Braun's best game of the season. She was primarily responsible for shutting down Kneepkens (no field goals) and scoring. I don't recall that she ever came off the floor except after drawing her 4th foul. Unfortunately, this was a game of 5 Gophers playing defense and essentially 4 Gophers playing offense. They did better than I expected without Tori.
 

Ceiling is high, Sweets 16, except for some issues:

Their best player Mara Braun through no fault.of her own was the team star and yet her shot is MIA due to consecutove i juries ending her full season, redahirt, and a major piece of another.,

If Mara was Mara, this is the run. The team has GG, Tori and terrific players arri es on the scene.

That and overall erratic shot misses..you can play top tier basketball getting you in the winner circle and then have strings of missing many shots you should make.

The question is, do these get fixed and they catch fire or is the repair not coming.

Mara Braun played for a Team USA offseason 3 on 3 team. She is not an Olympic team talent but the next team behind that. But not now.

Imagine, they have so much right now. Need.offense, not sure it will arrive.
 

Gopher Mac said:
What is baffling is we can be up by 30 against little sisters of the poor in non conference and she keeps starters in until maybe 3 minutes left. Wants to win by 40. That does not develop anyone.
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I've had a few successful coaches tell me that "there is no guarantee that I'll put you in a game, even a blow-out. You develop and earn my trust and confidence every day in practice. Once the player has done that by taking care of business, then you get playing time." It seems some of these coaches put a much bigger value on how a player does everyday in practice as opposed to coming in at the end of a blow-out. Not sure all coaches believe playing 5 minutes of garbage time is actually that beneficial for everybody.
 


BBJones said:
If you're talking about this year, I agree. Down the road, who knows? It will depend on the quality of her recruits. Of course, we may not see them play meaningful minutes until their 2nd year.
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Yes, this year.

If coach P cannot recruit better, then that's where they're going to stay. The lack of talent on offense is shocking. They don't attack the rim well, they don't shoot well, they don't pass that well. It's bad.
 

Chico Gopher said:
I've had a few successful coaches tell me that "there is no guarantee that I'll put you in a game, even a blow-out. You develop and earn my trust and confidence every day in practice. Once the player has done that by taking care of business, then you get playing time." It seems some of these coaches put a much bigger value on how a player does everyday in practice as opposed to coming in at the end of a blow-out. Not sure all coaches believe playing 5 minutes of garbage time is actually that beneficial for everybody.
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Well coach better start recruiting more ones that gain her trust. After seeing the way Christian has played D and shot the ball early in the season it just cringes she hasn't earned the trust and doesn't get more opportunities, especially when others are cold shooting. Coach just doesn't have an offense to get players shots. Like mentioned earlier. Down 15 tonight, got nothing to lose to have her in at the 5 none the less and see if Betts stays on and allows her to shoot the 3's. At this point Christian (who has some size) still had 5 fouls to give too to if anything put Betts on the line and stretch out the game.

My opinion we probably lost Heyer 2 weeks before the season because she lost her starting spot to (Tori, seems to be a favorite of coach P's) even though Heyer has grinded as hard as anyone started every game for 3 seasons, got many dbl dbles including big one in the WBIT Championship game.
Then was also battling Woodson(got injured unfortunately) Glenn and Christian for 6 or 7 rotation minutes. Heyer sure kept her out message short and didn't thank any coaches. Only 2 recruits in 3 years have had successful minutes for coach P. Don't get me wrong, like Tori and think she is a great player, but would she really have minded being the 6th player coming off the bench and still playing 25 minutes? UCLA top bench player still got 29 minutes tonight. Both Braun and Woodson already coming off injuries last year. Plenty of minutes.

I have been rooting for this team who have gone through a lot, that is why it is frustrating. Mens team had same lack of offense with CBJ and now with Medved, it is much more entertaining to watch even with a loss.

Rah!
 


Heyer left for the better package of grad school and NIL, Have to sit out one season and then play the next, go.to grad school. Braun and Battle.got paid, Heyer not, probably nothing left to give.to Heyer, so Heyer went to the right fit.
 
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DietCokeFan said:
Playing the #3 team in the country and all you see on TV are open seats. Now I get why recruits want to go to Iowa :) lol
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wbbaddict said:
There are about 5,000 fans here. The camera angles are very misleading.
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Turnout was disappointing. Almost all older people. Decent attendance but not for a marque team like UCLA in town. A Wednesday night vs a weekend day maybe a reason why few young people, kids there.

WNBA is on a roll getting attention. With the top Gophers player Braun lost her shot due to injury and should be star, I think people are not paying much attention to this team. Too much other stuffy vying for attention these days of media overload.

A Tournament run would bring attention. Will the team be fully functional if they get in? Mara has to be Mara. Maybe not until next season, we will see.
 

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