Ben Johnson is a Disaster

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Bfan said:
Why are Duke fans still here?

This is Minnesota. Being a fan of Minnesota is not easy. It means suffering between peaks. Minnesota has never been a great recruiting school.

And Johnson's recruiting class next season is the 1st or 2nd best prospect in school history.

Enjoy the payoff that's coming since it is so rare in school history.

At Minnesota it takes a rebuilt setup to pull it off - like Johnson is doing.

Dennis Evans!

The 4 freshmen this year. OK it won't work if they don't pan out.

Stay tuned.
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Do you honestly think Gopher fans have really high expectations?

Ben was fairly popular on the board last year while going 4-16 in the Big 10. He would probably be loved on this board if he went 6-14 in the Big 10.

We don't have expectations of Duke fans. It's closer to like Duquesne fans.
 

For next year team to be successful they need a Point Guard who can defend the position. Cooper can be a nice starting shooting guard and back up PG. Then from there JOJ, Christie, Carrington and Henley can battle it out for the minutes at the three and back up two minutes. Front Court, Payne, Evans are Fives, Garcia is five who can play four. Battle and Betts are fours. TT an end of the bench guy if he stays. Fix and Ihnen, perhaps if they had never gotten hurt they could have had the defensive flexibility to make these bigger line ups work, but quite frankly after two years of knee injuries it's tough to project anything out of them. This team needs a PGand from there I think the rest of it can fall into place with the freshman taking a leap in the off season. I think some interesting conversations will be had with Fox, TT and Ihnen. Maybe Cooper, and Battle as well if Garcia comes back. Battle just has not been anywhere near what we need him to be and with Payne another year in the program, same with JOJ, Evans coming in. If Garcia stays, can't see him having the same leash next year. He's just not a wing.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
4.4 which is 14% less.

6.3 minutes less than his conference average. About 19% less.
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And those came at the end of the game. With Purdue’s offense running possessions at 25 sec clips, it most likely meant 5-6 less offensive possessions
 

cjbfbp said:
I remember Todd Lickliter well. This situation definitely is within Todd Lickliter territory but Lickliter did get three years.
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Yeah. Regardless of what anyone thinks about anything, Ben Johnson year 3 is a thing barring off the court scandal

I do think he has to show some significant improvement in year 3.
 




Most of you commenting on here probably follow basketball more closely than I do these days. Probably have a better understanding of the game, too.

That said, when I watch this team, I don't see a lot of BIG talent. With a couple exceptions, they seem pretty soft, don't shoot particularly well, are not very athletic, can't create their own shot nor penetrate the lane for dish-offs, floaters or lay- ups and don't rebound or block out well. Bad combination. Understand the freshman should get better (if they stay) and Evens and Christie should help, but I think Ben has to have some hard conversations with some of the excess forwards and bring in at least 2 guards that are athletic, quick, can play D and hopefully knock down open 3's.

I'd give him 1 more year but the leash is short. Its just embarrassing how bad they look at times and he should be faulted for not bringing in better transfers and having a better roster. It's very doable in this day and age and I have not seen or nor heard any evidence that ISU or Tang, for example, are throwing out big NIL deals to get their players. Just selling them on playing time and the school and the situation.

If I saw progress in year 2, it would be 1 thing, but I feel we've regressed.
 

TNGophfan said:
Most of you commenting on here probably follow basketball more closely than I do these days. Probably have a better understanding of the game, too.

That said, when I watch this team, I don't see a lot of BIG talent. With a couple exceptions, they seem pretty soft, don't shoot particularly well, are not very athletic, can't create their own shot nor penetrate the lane for dish-offs, floaters or lay- ups and don't rebound or block out well. Bad combination. Understand the freshman should get better (if they stay) and Evens and Christie should help, but I think Ben has to have some hard conversations with some of the excess forwards and bring in at least 2 guards that are athletic, quick, can play D and hopefully knock down open 3's.

I'd give him 1 more year but the leash is short. Its just embarrassing how bad they look at times and he should be faulted for not bringing in better transfers and having a better roster. It's very doable in this day and age and I have not seen or nor heard any evidence that ISU or Tang, for example, are throwing out big NIL deals to get their players. Just selling them on playing time and the school and the situation.

If I saw progress in year 2, it would be 1 thing, but I feel we've regressed.
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Wonderful Post!!!
 

OK I will attempt to be brief as the 1569th post on this stream. Throw out the wins and losses. Are we seeing development and progress. I struggle to say yes. They are playing hard, especially defensively. Offensive scheme is brutal. I am not seeing any development there - and I will call out the staff on this.

Case in point and please challenge me on this. Shot clock violations….these are recurring game after game. Indulge me further - last night - our ball and Purdue knocks is OB. Our ball on the inbound. We hit media time out (I think 12 minute but might have been 8 minute). There was a a stale shot clock (5 seconds or thereabouts) Ben has a full media time out to set an offensive play with a stale shot clock.

We inbound the ball out high and (I think Joseph) we start a full offensive set. Out of a time out and there was zero situational awareness on the inbound that the shot clock was stale. As such we dribbled it out.

Aside from personnel issues this is what these kids are dealing with. Was it coaching or just somebody not thinking? I have more but will wait til we hit 1600 posts
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
Even Lickliter never finished last in the B1G and won 15 games in year 2.
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Yes, but he had the awful probation era Indiana in the conference at the time and Pitino had the abysmal one-conference-win Rutgers during his worst season. Johnson doesn't have that luxury.

Again, you dishonestly omit important details. Either that or you're just lazy and don't do your research.
 

Gopherfan84 said:
And those came at the end of the game. With Purdue’s offense running possessions at 25 sec clips, it most likely meant 5-6 less offensive possessions
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He took 9 shots. He averages 14.3 in conference. If you think they used him fully—great. Maybe it was the stout D that held him to 66.6% shooting?
 

cjbfbp said:
Yes, but he had the awful probation era Indiana in the conference at the time and Pitino had the abysmal one-conference-win Rutgers during his worst season. Johnson doesn't have that luxury.

Again, you dishonestly omit important details. Either that or you're just lazy and don't do your research.
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I didn't dishonestly omit anything. I just see more terrible excuses to try and defend a basketball program that is currently the laughing stock of the B1G.
 

This program has sucked for decades.

Minnesota has never been a recruiting school.

Ben Johnson started with a crap hand.

Now Johnson has phenom Dennis Evans coming in for the brightest future ever. I believe he can develop the freshmen.

Dennis Evan! After decades of sucking the glory land is finally here.

Enough of this talk of Johnson ruining a program that has been crap nearly my entire life and has NEVER been a recruiting school.

Enough of this talk of Johnson ruining a program that has been crap nearly my entire life and has NEVER been a recruiting school.

Dennis Evans!

I have faith the freshmen recruits - his recruits will pan out too.
 



When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
 

Bfan said:
When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
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He gets credit. Big recruiting coup. But he sucks as a coach and at constructing a roster.
 

Bfan said:
When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
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Until we see Dennis Evans make an impact on the team I don’t think we can anoint him as savior. Maybe he‘ll be a 26/13 guy as a freshman but he’s not in high school so I don’t see it personally.

Evans is on paper a great get. I’ve never seen him play a game in my life.

You posted earlier if they miss the NCAA tourney next year you’d fire Johnson…so he gets one year with the greatest recruit in history?
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
He took 9 shots. He averages 14.3 in conference. If you think they used him fully—great. Maybe it was the stout D that held him to 66.6% shooting?
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More just arguing that Edey sitting was taking it easy. The way we played he could’ve sat the whole second half lol.
 


Wet_Blanket_Guy said:
He gets credit. Big recruiting coup. But he sucks as a coach and at constructing a roster.
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I don’t know if we can say he sucks at both yet. Fair to argue one or the other, but tough to say both considering if roster construction is bad, coaching won’t make a difference and vice versa.
 

I am very disappointed writing this as I’ve always been a Gopher basketball fan, but we are seeing the beginning of the bottom for men’s gophers basketball. i think the focus of the current admin (and most fans at this point) is now football and hockey. Pitino doesn’t look too bad now. He had some exciting teams in his tenure
 

cjbfbp said:
Yes, but he had the awful probation era Indiana in the conference at the time and Pitino had the abysmal one-conference-win Rutgers during his worst season. Johnson doesn't have that luxury.

Again, you dishonestly omit important details. Either that or you're just lazy and don't do your research.
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Abysmal one-conference-win Rutgers is in the conference.
The issue is we don’t get to play them (because we are them)
 


Some guy said:
Abysmal one-conference-win Rutgers is in the conference.
The issue is we don’t get to play them (because we are them)
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That doesn't make any sense, their only win was against us that year (we finished with 2).
 


Bfan said:
When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
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We have never been Duke that's for sure, but we've never been Northwestern either. I would have put us as a top 40 program, and honestly on par with our football program prior to Fleck arriving, middle of the Big.

I hate to break it to you, but if you're expecting a 7'1 Freshman that barely weighs 200 lbs to dominate the most physical league in college basketball, idk what to tell you.
 

Some guy said:
Yeah. Regardless of what anyone thinks about anything, Ben Johnson year 3 is a thing barring off the court scandal

I do think he has to show some significant improvement in year 3.
Click to expand...
We all agree, but honestly from what you are seeing now in regards to scheme, player development, the makeup of the roster for next year, compared to all the other teams in the B1G and what they do for scheme, player development and their roster makeup do you honestly see "significant improvement" for next year?
 

Bfan said:
When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
Click to expand...
Sure, he’s the highest ranked recruit in eons, which is great. No one is arguing that, but it takes more than a single player. And honestly, Oturu was as dominant and efficient offensively and defensively as almost anyone in the country outside of Garza his sophomore year, but we didn’t amount to anything with him because of other roster construction flaws like the ones we are currently witnessing. If we get Oturu level PER and +/- out of Evans, I think we should be very content.

Ultimately, he was so good that he left after two years leaving a huge void in our roster for the following year (good decision for him, we just had nothing in the bullpen).

PS if you say Dennis’s name one more time, he’ll appear in a mirror for you.
 

Bfan said:
When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

1. This program has been crap for a long time and then the complainers dish up false claims Johnson ruined this crap program for years.

2. Johnson has recruited a rare talent that almost no other Minnesota regime has been able to do.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

This is a school that has never been able to recruit.

Enough of your bull about Johnson somehow ruining a perennial loser program.

The complainers refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse refuse to give Johnson credit for recruiting Dennis Evans which is one of the greatest highpoint in this history of this crap program.

Minnesota may actually outperform and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

When was the last time you saw a talent like Dennis Evans on this team?

Crickets sound from the complainers. They will never give Johnson credit for getting Evans. All we hear from them is how Johnson ruined this Duke-like amazing program.
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I think you need to change your batteries.
 

Gopher Teeth said:
We all agree, but honestly from what you are seeing now in regards to scheme, player development, the makeup of the roster for next year, compared to all the other teams in the B1G and what they do for scheme, player development and their roster makeup do you honestly see "significant improvement" for next year?
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No.
Hope I’m wrong but I think this team is awful again next year too
 

Ben Johnson has delivered a rare and amazing feat.

Dennis Evans is the real deal.

Ben Johnson is entering the realm of Gopher greats.

Meanwhile, the gaslighters cry, "This program could have been Duke or ISU had Johnson not ruined it. Look at this sacred history of greatness at Minnesota that Johnson has ruined!"

This Minnesota program for decades has been horrible at recruiting and frankly bad. Clem was great but otherwise Johnson has WAY surpassed Gophers past history.

This program had a crap hand and now it has a strong hand.

This is unfolding in the next couple years. Don't let the gaslighters tell you again and again that this program has no future -- the ones who refuse to give credit where credit is due.

Johnson has delivered the goods like almost never before.

Only one former prospect tops Evans, Kris Humphries of Minnesota, and Evans may yet surpass him.



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