Ben Johnson is a Disaster

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I commend the fans for being so engaged and enthused. Over 600,000 comments in the basketball group.

What's worse than a critical vocal fan base? An absent or apathetic fan base.
 


Crappie said:
All teams had the same circumstances. Stop.
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Really?
All teams had everybody but one person hit the portal in 2021? All teams had two starters blow out their knees in back to back years? All teams are having to rebuild with 18 year olds playing?

Clearly you are Crappy to imagine all teams have the same circumstances.
 

MennoSota said:
@Ogee Oglethorpe , my complaint is that many of you don't take in to account the circumstances of last year and the consequent rebuild. You all want an instant fix and then you go all "Karen" on the team when it doesn't happen exactly as you want it to happen. The rest of us are standing in line while all you "Karen's" keep railing on the staff. It's tiring to watch you go all "Karen."
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I disagree. The end of the Pitino days and the subsequent departures of almost everyone on the team left us in a horrible situation. A total rebuild. Yet, last year we won games, played competitively until the end of the season, overachieved, played with passion and purpose, maximized our limited abilities, and made me proud! This year? We have far more talent yet don't/can't compete, have no rhythm, play weak defense, have no definable style of play, and get outplayed and outhustled every night. That, to me, is not a step in the right direction
 



MennoSota said:
Really?
All teams had everybody but one person hit the portal in 2021? All teams had two starters blow out their knees in back to back years? All teams are having to rebuild with 18 year olds playing?

Clearly you are Crappy to imagine all teams have the same circumstances.
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Continue with excuses.
 

Indiana Gopher said:
I disagree. The end of the Pitino days and the subsequent departures of almost everyone on the team left us in a horrible situation. A total rebuild. Yet, last year we won games, played competitively until the end of the season, overachieved, played with passion and purpose, maximized our limited abilities, and made me proud! This year? We have far more talent yet don't/can't compete, have no rhythm, play weak defense, have no definable style of play, and get outplayed and outhustled every night. That, to me, is not a step in the right direction
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I agree with all this.

Last year was exciting.

This year has gone wrong.

I just think fixing the guard situation will correct it.

Coach is good. Look at last year.
 

Bfan said:
I agree with all this.

Last year was exciting.

This year has gone wrong.

I just think fixing the guard situation will correct it.

Coach is good. Look at last year.
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There’s nothing exciting about finishing last and getting blown out in the majority of B1G games. That happened last season, and is likely to happen again this season.
 

Bfan said:
Yes it will get better next season.

The needs are not that bad.

Guard.

A shooting guard is coming in next season.

Maybe one good transfer portal player is needed.

We will alll be talking about portal player prospects -- but they need only one.

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They need more than one guard. And who’s Ben running off to make this happen? Right now they don’t have the scholarships.
 



John Galt said:
Cooper is possibly the worst PG defender in the history of Big Ten basketball. The average lunchtime YMCA player could drive past him at will. This team needs to play zone the rest of the year even though Ben doesn’t want to.
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Kim Zurcher is smiling in heaven, now that he has been replaced.
 



MennoSota said:
@Ogee Oglethorpe , my complaint is that many of you don't take in to account the circumstances of last year and the consequent rebuild. You all want an instant fix and then you go all "Karen" on the team when it doesn't happen exactly as you want it to happen. The rest of us are standing in line while all you "Karen's" keep railing on the staff. It's tiring to watch you go all "Karen."
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Many people think CBJ is/has made bad decisions. They have a point. It's not "all Karen". It's legit stuff.
 



Allshade said:
Many people think CBJ is/has made bad decisions. They have a point. It's not "all Karen". It's legit stuff.
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I think we can all agree that this was the Patino record the season before Coach Johnson took over:

1671920746677.png

We all like what Battle has brought in.

We have an elite center coming in next year. Also a very good shooting guard.

The team this year is a mess. I don't know if we can say Coach is to blame for that.

I'll just repeat my conclusion that fixing point guard would help a lot.

I don't know if Clem or Patino or anyone would have a better way out of this mess.

Below are the first three seasons for Clem. I circled his Big Ten record.

I will admit I don't know as much as others on this board. I'm more of a stats person and see good stuff at forward and trouble at guard.


1671920991648.png
 

Bfan said:
I think we can all agree that this was the Patino record the season before Coach Johnson took over:

View attachment 22688

We all like what Battle has brought in.

We have an elite center coming in next year. Also a very good shooting guard.

The team this year is a mess. I don't know if we can say Coach is to blame for that.

I'll just repeat my conclusion that fixing point guard would help a lot.

I don't know if Clem or Patino or anyone would have a better way out of this mess.

Below are the first three seasons for Clem. I circled his Big Ten record.

I will admit I don't know as much as others on this board. I'm more of a stats person and see good stuff at forward and trouble at guard.


View attachment 22689
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*Pitino* got fired for a 6 win conference season. I am hoping Ben will get to 6 conference wins total before the end of year 2. If they make the sweet 16 next year, everyone will forgive this season. Big if though.
 

Crappie said:
The entire roster. Cbj recruited each of them, and chose to keep TT.
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Ben's first recruits are freshmen.

You won't give names to prove otherwise, because you know you can't.

Deep down you guys know that your temper-tantrums are childish and nonsensical. But you can't help yourselves.
 

GopherBlood666 said:
*Pitino* got fired for a 6 win conference season. I am hoping Ben will get to 6 conference wins total before the end of year 2. If they make the sweet 16 next year, everyone will forgive this season. Big if though.
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I read a simulation online that projected 2.2 conference wins this season. Let's say they win 4. The team will be worse under Johnson. No escaping that.

Minnesota is not a good recruiting school. Almost no coach would take the job.

Johnson got the elite center Evans. One piece at a time.

Realistically, the team needs to add another piece after that to contend. Build around the center Evans.

Evens will be a junior in 3 years. Look to pull it all together then Is there any other way out?
 

Bfan said:
I read a simulation online that projected 2.2 conference wins this season. Let's say they win 4. The team will be worse under Johnson. No escaping that.

Minnesota is not a good recruiting school. Almost no coach would take the job.

Johnson got the elite center Evans. One piece at a time.

Realistically, the team needs to add another piece after that to contend. Build around the center Evans.

Evens will be a junior in 3 years. Look to pull it all together then Is there any other way out?
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"Almost no coach would take the job" You make very definitive statements but seem to be unfamiliar with the circumstances that got us here. Coyle cancelled interviews before hiring Ben. There were other interested parties the university passed on. You also can't assume Evans will make it to his junior year as a gopher. Too many variables now.
 

Bfan said:
I read a simulation online that projected 2.2 conference wins this season. Let's say they win 4. The team will be worse under Johnson. No escaping that.

Minnesota is not a good recruiting school. Almost no coach would take the job.

Johnson got the elite center Evans. One piece at a time.

Realistically, the team needs to add another piece after that to contend. Build around the center Evans.

Evens will be a junior in 3 years. Look to pull it all together then Is there any other way out?
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I'm actually a little more bullish. Same concept...but I'm hoping to be good by the time Evans is a sophomore.
 

MNJay said:
Ben's first recruits are freshmen.

You won't give names to prove otherwise, because you know you can't.

Deep down you guys know that your temper-tantrums are childish and nonsensical. But you can't help yourselves.
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Roster​


  • Glossary
Player#ClassPosHeightWeightHometownHigh SchoolRSCI Top 100Summary
Jamison Battle10JRF6-7225Robbinsdale, MNDe la Salle HS17.5 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Payton Willis0SRG6-4200Fayetteville, ARFayetteville High School15.9 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 4.3 Ast
E.J. Stephens20SRG6-3176Plantation, FLSt. Thomas Aquinas High School10.2 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 1.6 Ast
Luke Loewe12SRG6-4186Fond Du Lac, WIFond du Lac High School8.1 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Sean Sutherlin24SRG6-5200New Brighton, MNIrondale (MN)7.2 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Eric Curry1SRF6-9240Memphis, TNRidgeway High School7.7 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Charlie Daniels15SRF6-9230Jacksonville, FLPotter's House Christian (FL)1.5 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Treyton Thompson42FRC6-11190Glenwood, MNLa Lumiere School1.9 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Abdoulaye Thiam2FRG6-3180Orlando, FL0.8 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Will Ramberg25SOG6-5195Grand Marais, MNCook County (MN)0.4 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Danny Ogele22SRF6-7220Chicago, IL0.2 Pts, 0.7 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Joey Kern3SRG6-1170Norwalk, IA0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
14
 



Crappie said:

Roster​


  • Glossary
Player#ClassPosHeightWeightHometownHigh SchoolRSCI Top 100Summary
Jamison Battle10JRF6-7225Robbinsdale, MNDe la Salle HS17.5 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Payton Willis0SRG6-4200Fayetteville, ARFayetteville High School15.9 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 4.3 Ast
E.J. Stephens20SRG6-3176Plantation, FLSt. Thomas Aquinas High School10.2 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 1.6 Ast
Luke Loewe12SRG6-4186Fond Du Lac, WIFond du Lac High School8.1 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Sean Sutherlin24SRG6-5200New Brighton, MNIrondale (MN)7.2 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Eric Curry1SRF6-9240Memphis, TNRidgeway High School7.7 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Charlie Daniels15SRF6-9230Jacksonville, FLPotter's House Christian (FL)1.5 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Treyton Thompson42FRC6-11190Glenwood, MNLa Lumiere School1.9 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Abdoulaye Thiam2FRG6-3180Orlando, FL0.8 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Will Ramberg25SOG6-5195Grand Marais, MNCook County (MN)0.4 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Danny Ogele22SRF6-7220Chicago, IL0.2 Pts, 0.7 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Joey Kern3SRG6-1170Norwalk, IA0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
14
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I didn't ask you to cut & paste the entire roster. I asked you to name Ben's first recruits.
 




GopherBlood666 said:
"Almost no coach would take the job" You make very definitive statements but seem to be unfamiliar with the circumstances that got us here. Coyle cancelled interviews before hiring Ben. There were other interested parties the university passed on. You also can't assume Evans will make it to his junior year as a gopher. Too many variables now.
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I am looking at the roster and see a 5th year player and 14 players on the roster. Someone said they have no open roster spots this next offseason which cannot be true. They need one transfer portal player then and it should be much better.

Does Battle get a fifth year? They can put it together by then.

So let's say Johnson gets graded harshly this season. Next year is a new year.

And he gets an A for getting center Evans. The biggest battle is recruiting. So Johnson survives to show that he can get one more piece.

We can argue if Evans would be with Minnesota anyway.

The biggest struggle is to get players here. The other stuff matters but getting players in trumps that.

2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster - University of Minnesota Athletics

The official 2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster for the University of Minnesota Gophers
gophersports.com gophersports.com
 

MNJay said:
My opinion seems like a bit, a joke...because I'm actually able to follow a rebuilding plan. Instead of being the typical fan who blasts the coach after every loss, no matter what.

If our freshmen & recruits improve nicely but get bribed away and leave for other teams...I'll quit watching college basketball completely. I'll be done for sure, no exaggeration. But until that day, I say Ben should be allowed to recruit & develop.
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Most rebuilding plans don't call for getting worse in year 2 and being non-competitive in any power 5 game.
 

howeda7 said:
Most rebuilding plans don't call for getting worse in year 2 and being non-competitive in any power 5 game.
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Lots of rebuilding plans do get worse in year two though. Playing with previous coaches players that hung around and are experienced. Year two declines in experience and often times success. Circa Richard Pitino at Minnesota. Not by design but frequently happens.
 

Holy Man said:
Lots of rebuilding plans do get worse in year two though. Playing with previous coaches players that hung around and are experienced. Year two declines in experience and often times success. Circa Richard Pitino at Minnesota. Not by design but frequently happens.
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True, but that didn't happen this time.
 

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