Ben Johnson is a Disaster

[gopherbadgerman]

I don't get the impression that there are that many people who don't like Ben Johnson. Fleck has a unique style, and lots of people really don't like it (I'm not a huge fan) but, as you note, once you start winning, complaints about him either vanish or start to look silly. I can't recall many comments at all about people who really don't like Ben's personality. People don't like his resume (which they blame Coyle for hiring) or his results. If he wins at the level PJ does, I bet he will be even more popular here than PJ is.

If he won at a PJ level totally agree. That’s like going 11-7 or 10-8 in the b10 and 20-10 overall. He’d be loved

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Strongly disagree
Not more than 2 players that would see rotational minutes on a top half team in the conference.

Hit it in the head. Not enough top end players

 

[Block M]

Strongly disagree
Not more than 2 players that would see rotational minutes on a top half team in the conference.

Strongly disagree with this. Battle had a disastrous season (possibly due to injury and for other reasons I don't understand) and his productivity could be replaced, for instance, by a healthy Isaiah Ihnen. Payne and Garcia are absolutely one of the best returning front court tandems in the B1G. The keys will be to add a guard that can break a defense down and another guard that can knock down open 3-pt shots with consistency. I am also hopeful that Henley returns since he's got some game and physical gifts he can grow into.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Worst 2 years in Gophers basketball, with another full rebuild underway this offseason.

There's no point to continue this charade. If Ben isn't let go this week, I hope no one shows up to the Barn next season.

 

[leib0039]

What's worse than a disaster?

 

[bga1]

Worst 2 years in Gophers basketball, with another full rebuild underway this offseason.

There's no point to continue this charade. If Ben isn't let go this week, I hope no one shows up to the Barn next season.

He's not getting fired. So, while I agree with you that this whole episode has been a disaster so far, I am going to hope that the coach that we have, has an amazing spring recruiting in the portal and keeps the rest of our guys (sans Battle who is gone almost for sure). Furthermore I hope that the squad he puts together is competitive and wins enough games to get excitement for the program going again.
Just a reminder- you didn't think Henley was any good. (I actually did think he was going to be good).

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

He's not getting fired. So, while I agree with you that this whole episode has been a disaster so far, I am going to hope that the coach that we have, has an amazing spring recruiting in the portal and keeps the rest of our guys (sans Battle who is gone almost for sure). Furthermore I hope that the squad he puts together is competitive and wins enough games to get excitement for the program going again.
Just a reminder- you didn't think Henley was any good. (I actually did think he was going to be good).

I didn't think he was going to be a good guard. I thought he could develop into a nice 3 by the time he was a JR. Still think he can.

A real B1G program would fire Ben today. But this administration doesn't want to run a real B1G program.

 

[Dano564]

Henley leaving isn't a surprise, but it does go to show how much of a rebuild job this will be going into year 3.
Going into year 3 an we appear to be unproven at 3 starting spots. (All except Payne and Garcia).
This doesn't inspire confidence that we'll do better than 13th in the Big Ten next year.

The Big Ten tournament next year is March 13-17th, so we could be 366 days away from the Ben Johnson era ending.

 

[Dano564]

He's not getting fired. So, while I agree with you that this whole episode has been a disaster so far, I am going to hope that the coach that we have, has an amazing spring recruiting in the portal and keeps the rest of our guys (sans Battle who is gone almost for sure). Furthermore I hope that the squad he puts together is competitive and wins enough games to get excitement for the program going again.
Just a reminder- you didn't think Henley was any good. (I actually did think he was going to be good).

I think some fans already have concluded that Luke Loewe and Tarus Samuel's level transfers, whether 1 or 5 in quantity, isn't going to save Ben his job next year nor have us finish above 13th.

Unfortunate that Ben doesn't have the NIL to work with to land top of the line transfers, so I think for many of us, we realize we've entered the lame duck year of Ben's existence as head coach.

Feel bad for Ben that his first shot as a head coach was at a job he wasn't prepared to take. That appears to be the simple fact. If we were patient for 5-8 years, could he get there, maybe, but that's too much time and $$$ wasted.

Hopefully we hire a coach next year who has a solid system for winning with less than awesome players or we have a coach who is plugged in well enough to bring existing starters so we don't look at our roster every year at the start of the season and hope we'll get major contributions from kids who haven't done it in the Big Ten before.

 

[leib0039]

Interesting

 

[howeda7]

Interesting

Doesn't sound to be done with transfers? Henley sucks but we've known this for a few weeks. TT is logical. Anyone else would be very bad.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Doesn't sound to be done with transfers? Anyone else would be very bad.

TT, most likely Cooper, I’m thinking.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

What's that old phrase, something about only rats left on a sinking ship?...

 

[howeda7]

TT, most likely Cooper, I’m thinking.

Cooper's probably not coming back, but I doubt he's transferring.

 

[goldengophers]

If the buyout was $2-$4M there is zero chance Ben returns for 2023, right?

 

[leib0039]

I'd like to hear from one of these CBJ backers that says be patient we have freshman who will be here 4 years. What say you?

I didn't think he would get fired but I mean at this point if 1-2 more leave we have to for him right??

 

[Spaulding!No!]

What's that old phrase, something about only rats left on a sinking ship?...

No, rats are first off. The intelligence of ship rats is legendary amongst the sea faring.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Doesn't sound to be done with transfers? Henley sucks but we've known this for a few weeks. TT is logical. Anyone else would be very bad.

I'm interested to see if Garcia tests the NBA draft process again. If he does, I wouldn't expect him back.

He doesn't really gain much long term by returning and playing for another bottom of the B1G team, unless he really wants to stay in school.

 

[alaska]

Does it matter who the coach is?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Does it matter who the coach is?

Yes

 

[Dano564]

If the buyout was $2-$4M there is zero chance Ben returns for 2023, right?

It's a PR thing. You can't make the decision "too quickly" but at this point, I think we are counting days until Weakling Wednesday is over at the Target Center next year. Like Lindsay, Ben could be let go on a Thursday after a weakling Wednesday loss at the Target Center.

366 days
Edit, 2024 is a leap year. make that 367 days.

 

[alaska]

Yes

Then we should make a change asap. If it doesnt matter, stay on this track

 

[Obi-Wan Okogie]

Pitino was right. It's extremely hard to crack the Big Ten. If Ben Johnson does manage to turn things around and get this team good after this start, he will probably earn a lifetime contract. It's extremely bleak right now though.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Pitino was right. It's extremely hard to crack the Big Ten. If Ben Johnson does manage to turn things around and get this team good after this start, he will probably earn a lifetime contract. It's extremely bleak right now though.

Which of course is why the person you hire for this kind of job is already one of the best at what they do in their profession. Those kind of people have been available to the Gophers in the past, and a couple, two-three of them were available two years ago. I'm not sure anyone with anything on the ball is going to sign up at this point to pilot a crashed plane.

 

[Holy Man]

Which of course is why the person you hire for this kind of job is already one of the best at what they do in their profession. Those kind of people have been available to the Gophers in the past, and a couple, two-three of them were available two years ago. I'm not sure anyone with anything on the ball is going to sign up at this point to pilot a crashed plane.

There are some who want to be heroes and see the potential. We need to find one. Either a competent coach coming home or someone who is good but treated badly by a previous job.

 

[howeda7]

There are some who want to be heroes and see the potential. We need to find one. Either a competent coach coming home or someone who is good but treated badly by a previous job.

Smith, Dutcher, Holtmann, Medved and possibly even Musselman all fit one of those criteria to one extent or another. It's not impossible to land one of them.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Smith, Dutcher, Holtmann, Medved and possibly even Musselman all fit one of those criteria to one extent or another. It's not impossible to land one of them.

Either Smith or Medved would've hopped here in a bunny suit to take this job two years ago. They might have even raced each other hopping in bunny suits for the right to have this job. Regrettably, I think those ships have sailed now.

 

[Holy Man]

Smith, Dutcher, Holtmann, Medved and possibly even Musselman all fit one of those criteria to one extent or another. It's not impossible to land one of them.

Has Holtmann been dismissed? I speculated he might be on the hot seat but assumed the run in the tournament cooled it down.

 

[skiumah1]

Either Smith or Medved would've hopped here in a bunny suit to take this job two years ago. They might have even raced each other hopping in bunny suits for the right to have this job. Regrettably, I think those ships have sailed now.

Bummer on Smith, but I will say that there is always going to be coaches on the up and up.

Just need to find the right guy.

If it gets to that point with Ben, there will be plenty of qualified candidates in the next hiring cycle.

 

[Holy Man]

Either Smith or Medved would've hopped here in a bunny suit to take this job two years ago. They might have even raced each other hopping in bunny suits for the right to have this job. Regrettably, I think those ships have sailed now.

I’m not as confident in Niko as others. His stops have been too short and evidence of sustaining a program isn’t there. Smith should be pursued. Not sure if his ego says no because of previous screw up.