"Ben Johnson is a basketball genius," - former guard E.J. Stephens

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Gophers7633 said:
I agree. You know he's gotta be pretty smart to convince Coyle to hire him, given his shitty track record.
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Coyle will look like a BB Genius in a couple years. After all he passed on Dutcher, Mussellman, and Smith to ensure long term BB success.
 


I wish Tony’s picture frame was larger so we could totally enjoy his Joe Cocker style interview.
 

Gophers7633 said:
I agree. You know he's gotta be pretty smart to convince Coyle to hire him, given his shitty track record.
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I agree as well to get a coiyle to sign him. coyle will never be a genius for this hire. We try the new young up-and-coming coach and two big-name coaches all with failure to go after a young kid with hometown ties and a big appetite. If Ben succeeds at best it’s lucky by the default.
 





Fleck’s success is largely based on his energy and optimism. He is a “can do” personality. CBJ is more cerebral and measured. He is a builder. Many Minnesota BB fans can not imagine that. He has recruited players that do. Just look which players portaled out.
 

SanDiegoGopherFan said:
i know a few highly intelligently people who know a lot about their specific field. Would they make great leaders? That’s a different question/quality.

Fleck is not a football genius (per his own words) but he knows how to lead.
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100%. I have zero doubt that Ben knows a ton about basketball. But it’s also very apparent he doesn’t know how to lead a B1G basketball program.
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
100%. I have zero doubt that Ben knows a ton about basketball. But it’s also very apparent he doesn’t know how to lead a B1G basketball program.
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I hope we get to see Johnson lead a healthy roster this year so that we can truly see whether or not he can get it done. The first two years have been rough but that doesn't mean he can't be successful.

This is a make or break year for the program. If positive signs for the future aren't clearly apparent when this season is done then it will be time to pull the plug and start over.
 

Rockraven said:
Fleck’s success is largely based on his energy and optimism. He is a “can do” personality. CBJ is more cerebral and measured. He is a builder. Many Minnesota BB fans can not imagine that. He has recruited players that do. Just look which players portaled out.
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I would disagree at this point. Without a track record to point to, were hoping that he is a builder. The talent is there this year. Lets hope at end of year we see significant improvement in the record compared to last year where statistically we regressed.
 

Yes, we should have a 20 win season to see CBJ can put the parts together into a winning machine. The talent and depth is there, from 4 Star Garcia to 4 star freshmen Betts and Christie. The team chemistry is developing.
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
100%. I have zero doubt that Ben knows a ton about basketball. But it’s also very apparent he doesn’t know how to lead a B1G basketball program.
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IMO still way too early to make that call. If you haven't already seen it, watch the "All Access" game against Ohio State where you get to be in the locker room and in the sideline huddles during the game. I try to watch every "All Access" game (I think they're great), and of all those games I watched, Johnson was probably the most impressive in how he handled the in-game situations. Yes, there's more to leading a program than just the in-game situations, but it's a huge part of being successful.
 

Full Speed Ahead said:
IMO still way too early to make that call. If you haven't already seen it, watch the "All Access" game against Ohio State where you get to be in the locker room and in the sideline huddles during the game. I try to watch every "All Access" game (I think they're great), and of all those games I watched, Johnson was probably the most impressive in how he handled the in-game situations. Yes, there's more to leading a program than just the in-game situations, but it's a huge part of being successful.
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I watched that game live and really enjoyed it.

I don't think it's too early to make that call. Last year's team was the worst Gopher basketball team I've ever seen, and year 1 wasn't much better. It's obvious to me that Ben struggles with recruiting/roster construction, and he makes promises with via playing time and not over recruiting just to get the players he has, which is the least talented roster in the B1G.

If you have the mentality that 'you can't keep everyone happy', you've already lost and are not cut out for this job. It's the complete opposite of PJ. Ben is a career assistant.
 

Today “can’t keep everyone happy” is ancient history. 15 on the roster with 13 scholarship players. One of the most talented and balanced rosters in the league. We now know you are not serious. We don’t know your point.
 

I don't really know which way this is going to go, and neither does anyone else.

He might be the nicest guy, and a basketball genius, and sound good during a 2-hour interval during a game. All that is trumped by whether you can actually coach basketball, measured by actual objective data like offensive and defensive efficiency. And, that's been putrid so far. Maybe that'll change. Maybe not. No one really knows.
 

I wonder how much the assistants Ben put together has played a role in the last two years. Pure speculation but Ben doesnt seem the type to not let his assistant do whatever they feel is necessary for the team to improve
 

The assistants are strong coaches and they are standing by CBJ. That answers most questions. The final answer is the W-L record this year.
 

formerlybis said:
I don't really know which way this is going to go, and neither does anyone else.

He might be the nicest guy, and a basketball genius, and sound good during a 2-hour interval during a game. All that is trumped by whether you can actually coach basketball, measured by actual objective data like offensive and defensive efficiency. And, that's been putrid so far. Maybe that'll change. Maybe not. No one really knows.
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The nicest guy and a basketball genius who is NOT a good coach?
I have coached for a long time and have never seen nor met anyone who fits that description.
 

Sane24 said:
The nicest guy and a basketball genius who is NOT a good coach?
I have coached for a long time and have never seen nor met anyone who fits that description.
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Not surprised you are a coach. You are a valuable voice on this board.
 

Thanks.
I don't think I have ever heard a player or a parent describe a coach as a nice guy, a genius in his sport, but a bad coach.
Something just does not line up in that description.....
 

Sane24 said:
Thanks.
I don't think I have ever heard a player or a parent describe a coach as a nice guy, a genius in his sport, but a bad coach.
Something just does not line up in that description.....
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Nice guys have positive attitudes. That is the first piece to being a good coach and living a satisfying life. I had a full bird C-130 driver thank me for playing his son. Although small and still developing ball handling skills he was a great and eager kid. The rest of the team always rallied around him and supported him. He never kept us from winning a single game. The whole team learned and developed into better people. Positive people. That my friends is winning games. Love the game. Enjoy the game. Have fun and win. Always treat the other team and coaches with respect.
 
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Sane24 said:
Thanks.
I don't think I have ever heard a player or a parent describe a coach as a nice guy, a genius in his sport, but a bad coach.
Something just does not line up in that description.....
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There's a miles-long list of failed coaches at this level. Think about a guy like Lickliter at Iowa who was great at Butler. There are a LOT more.
 


formerlybis said:
There's a miles-long list of failed coaches at this level. Think about a guy like Lickliter at Iowa who was great at Butler. There are a LOT
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formerlybis said:
There's a miles-long list of failed coaches at this level. Think about a guy like Lickliter at Iowa who was great at Butler. There are a LOT more.
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Failed coaches are not necessarily bad coaches.
I have coached for 63 years and my successful teams all had good players and my UNsuccess teams had fewer good players.
I have had a few teams which shocked me with unexpected success, but it wasn't because I had a sudden surge in personal IQ.
The players were responsible for the unexpected success. My IQ was constant and predictable.
The oldest axiom in coaching is that no coach can make chicken salad out of chicken shit!
 

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