Ben Johnson is a Disaster

[Gophers7633]

False. No tenure is decided in year two. None. His future...whether it be with the Gophers or somewhere else will be determined in the next two years.



He's an above average defender and a big upgrade over Henley at this point in time. Not to mention that he'd be playing some of Samuels minutes as well. Yes....he's a loss regardless of whether you choose to believe so or not.



I don't think anybody is denying that there are issues. But people are letting their emotions overrule rationality. Losing your best player along with several depth players would hurt any team. Even a bad team.



No idea. Have to wait and see what the offseason brings and what the roster looks like heading into the season. Avoid season ending injuries....get a good or even decent transfer guard and we could be quite a bit better. As I brought up prior (maybe in another thread)....the Big Ten is incredibly deep this year due to experienced teams. Northwestern, Rutgers, and Maryland in these past three games have had a combined TEN Seniors, FOUR Juniors, and ONE Sophomore in their starting lineups. Far cry from the inexperience we've been playing. Quite a few teams are going to take big steps backwards.

You think programs like Rutgers and MD arent going to get players in the portal? Rutgers lost Harper and Baker and are better than they were last year. They have a class coming in similar to ours. MD has a top 15 class, PLUS have proven Head Coaches. Sure NW, will likely take a dip, so I guess we'll be fighting with them for last place. Counting on teams to be worse in the portal era is disingenuous. Rutgers is gonna be good again next year, Pikiell has a track record of them being tournament caliber going on 4 years now.

 

[Gopherfan84]

CBJ must’ve had deep relationships with Loewe.

No he didn’t, but an assistant did and he loves fishing.

At this point I’m ok finding the best point in the portal and telling him, I’ll hire your dad as an assistant (worked for the Mobley family and USC)

That’s not how it works either but good try. Very rare those occurrences happen and typically they are just shortcuts that don’t work.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

No he didn’t, but an assistant did and he loves fishing.


That’s not how it works either but good try. Very rare those occurrences happen and typically they are just shortcuts that don’t work.

Might as well try at this point, it literally can’t get worse. Well I guess they could have 1 less B10 win

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Unfortunately....for some....coaches shouldn't get a reasonable amount of time to turn a program around. Pikiell needed several years to get his footing at Stony Brook. Same thing at Rutgers. These posters would have been calling for Pikiell's head same as they are Johnson's. Because they have no patience or foresight. Immediate results or bust.

And what is being replaced? Pitino had talent, but showed he was a poor coach- that’s what Ben was following.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Just a reminder, these back and forths about CBJ and the team are quite enjoyable. Definitely better than the days coming of everyone on one side is a racist and everyone on the other side is blind. Good work from everyone here for the insightful pro and con Ben posts.

 

[skiumah1]

That is not a good b10 roster. It’s a 1-19 team this year (most likely) and you’re adding Evan who may contribute 7/7/3 (but takes Payne off the court)…but our guards are still incredibly below B10 standards and it’s hard to count on CBJ’s portal ability as he hasn’t really done anything guard related (Willis was an outlier as he was a boomerang player and maybe he just wanted to come back).

That’s like a four win roster

Disagreed. Good coaches win with that roster.

Unless we don’t get a solid guard or 2 in the portal. Then it will be challenging.

 

[bc2211]

You think programs like Rutgers and MD arent going to get players in the portal? Rutgers lost Harper and Baker and are better than they were last year. They have a class coming in similar to ours. MD has a top 15 class, PLUS have proven Head Coaches. Sure NW, will likely take a dip, so I guess we'll be fighting with them for last place. Counting on teams to be worse in the portal era is disingenuous. Rutgers is gonna be good again next year, Pikiell has a track record of them being tournament caliber going on 4 years now.

This gets at one other fear of mine. Step 1 is convincing adequate big 10 talent and assembling a balanced roster. Step 2 is developing/integrating it. Step 3 is gameplanning and out coaching the others who have proven they are really f’ing good at their jobs. We aren’t building in void - everyone is trying to do the same thing better than everyone else.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Might as well try at this point, it literally can’t get worse. Well I guess they could have 1 less B10 win

It’s against the rules to just hire a parent that’s unqualified. So no they will not try it here.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

Disagreed. Good coaches win with that roster.

Unless we don’t get a solid guard or 2 in the portal. Then it will be challenging.

The issue is Garcia, Evans, Payne are the best players on that roster and all play the same position. In order for Garcia to cook he needs to play the 5. He pulls the opposing 5 away from the hoop (since he can shoot), but then he can use his mobility to blow by and finish at the rim. If you shift him to the PF that ability is gone and then you have a lane clogger down low (either Payne or Evans).

That roster completely lacks talent at positions 1-3. JOJ is showing signs, but he is too small for a PF, and not skilled enough for a SF. Christie I’m intrigued with, but I wouldn’t count to much on him as he seem frail and this is a grown man’s league. (The frail issue will issue be tested with Evans). But with Christie, he will get tested doubly based on the portal guards / ball handlers we bring in…and the track record is not great.

The gophers do not have a roster meant to bang. They should play at a faster tempo, assuming a major change of the guard at the guard position.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

It’s against the rules to just hire a parent that’s unqualified. So no they will not try it here.

Thank god Ben Johnson doesn’t have kids!!

*THIS IS A JOKE I FOUND FUNNY—I am all for Ben getting to coach another two years*

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

It’s against the rules to just hire a parent that’s unqualified. So no they will not try it here.

But you can hire a head coach? Florida golf coast hired Andy enfield…he was a hedge fund guy…worked out well for him.

You can justify anything in today’s world

Evan Mobley's Dad Coached Him at USC Before the Cleveland Star's Breakout Season

American basketball fans have been hearing about Evan Mobley for a long time. They've heard he's like the best players in the world, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but all stuffed into one big man. There are at least three people in Evan Mobley's life...

fanbuzz.com

 

[Gopherfan84]

But you can hire a head coach? Florida golf coast hired Andy enfield…he was a hedge fund guy…worked out well for him.

You can justify anything in today’s world

Evan Mobley's Dad Coached Him at USC Before the Cleveland Star's Breakout Season

American basketball fans have been hearing about Evan Mobley for a long time. They've heard he's like the best players in the world, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but all stuffed into one big man. There are at least three people in Evan Mobley's life...

fanbuzz.com

The dad would have to fit all of the requirements (college degree, etc…). The U of MN is a public institution and has rules to follow. The NCAA also has rules to hire parents. USC benefits and is able to bend a little due to them being a private institution. Mobley also wasn’t some random guy. He ran an AAU program and was a head high school coach. Again you just can’t go find the portals best PG and go offer his dad unless he has the qualifications.

Enfield was an assistant in the NBA and FSU before becoming a HC for FGCU. He took a break and was a hedge fund guy inbetween that.

 

[Gophers7633]

This gets at one other fear of mine. Step 1 is convincing adequate big 10 talent and assembling a balanced roster. Step 2 is developing/integrating it. Step 3 is gameplanning and out coaching the others who have proven they are really f’ing good at their jobs. We aren’t building in void - everyone is trying to do the same thing better than everyone else.

Yeah, banking on others teams being worse because of graduation, doesn't understand the era. Rutgers landed a grad transfer we were hoping to get(Spencer) and has been really good for them(hit the GW against Purdue).

We need to be better in the portal. What we got this year, just isn't enough.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Yeah, banking on others teams being worse because of graduation, doesn't understand the era. Rutgers landed a grad transfer we were hoping to get(Spencer) and has been really good for them(hit the GW against Purdue).

Correct, rosters are more fluid.

We need to be better in the portal. What we got this year, just isn't enough.

We did get Garcia who’s our best player in the portal this year. We need our guards to be better though.

 

[topos]

I think what's frustrating for us fans is that last year was painful AND pointless. The timing of the Johnson hire and the new era transfer portal forced the staff to string together a piecemeal roster of upperclassmen transfers that added nothing to the program's long-term stability (Yes, I know some of his "comps" have faired much better).

I've been a pretty adamant Johnson sympathizer. I still believe he deserves more time, but it is unreasonable to ignore some of his glaring mistakes thus far (roster construction and portal decisions loom large).

While this year is a colossal failure, It could be used as a building block. I think five glaring questions must be addressed.

#1. Are Payne, JOJ, Henley, and Carrington bought into the vision?

These guys got thrown into the fire, and this year will be for nothing if they take their experience, transfer, and apply it elsewhere. If I'm coach, I'm playing all these guys 20+ minutes, even with a healthy Garcia, and reminding them daily that they are the nucleus.

I'm assuming Garcia and Betts are bought in. The plan was always to redshirt Betts, and Garcia is home after multiple transfers. Betts has more upside than Henley/Carrington only because we haven't seen him play (sans exhibition), and he has a year to prepare his body and learn the system (unlike the other two freshmen guards).

Panic Time: Payne or JOJ transfers or both Carrington and Henley transfer.

#2. Can we find a true PG in the portal with two years to play?

We need a veteran, sure-handed PG that can defend. No more explanation is needed.

Panic Time: Roll with Cooper in 2023/2024 as the 40 mpg PG.

#3. Will there be an honest assessment of Ihnen and Fox?

Johnson needs to be realistic about what these guys can bring. They've been incredibly unlucky and have done nothing but support the team. I know it's cutthroat and bad optics potentially moving on from them, but I'd venture a bet that there's a portal player that hasn't had two ACLs tears that is a proven shooting guard.

I would love a story of redemption and seeing both of these guys contribute meaningfully. They deserve it. Only our staff knows what they are capable of.

Panic Time: They take up two scholarships and aren't contributors.

#4. Will there be an honest assessment of Cooper and Battle?

I'd guess one of these guys will not be back next year (likely Cooper). When committing, it was reported he wouldn't use his Covid year. I would welcome a redo at a portal PG. Cooper could be much more effective off the ball, but he'd need to buy into that.

Battle's regression isn't all that surprising. Payton Willis was a huge asset for Battle. We need more dynamic guards to take the pressure off him.

Battle isn't the future. He is potentially a nice bridge piece that makes the rebuilding transition smoother. I would love to have him back next year with a different roster makeup, but I won't be upset if he decides to play elsewhere. He could carve out a solid role on a competitive team as the 3rd scoring option.

Panic Time: Cooper/Battle in the same role next year.

#5. Can Johnson make difficult, unpopular decisions?

Johnson will have some difficult conversations and ultimately make tough decisions this offseason with certain players. Does he have it in him to move in a different direction and ruffle some feathers?

Panic Time: Johnson tries to keep everyone happy.

There are brighter days ahead, Gopher fans. I would love to have everyone healthy in Chicago for the Big Ten tourney and make some noise!

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Yeah, banking on others teams being worse because of graduation, doesn't understand the era. Rutgers landed a grad transfer we were hoping to get(Spencer) and has been really good for them(hit the GW against Purdue).

We need to be better in the portal. What we got this year, just isn't enough.

This is what Ben's defenders argued all offseason about. "We're far more talented than last year", "Our freshman class is underrated due to Covid", "The B1G will be down this year because so much talent left"... etc.

Yet here we are, significantly worse than last season.

 

[Gophers7633]

Correct, rosters are more fluid.


We did get Garcia who’s our best player in the portal this year. We need our guards to be better though.

Yeah, getting Garcia was good, but we still need to be better, especially when we can offer so much playing time.

 

[Gopherfan84]

This is what Ben's defenders argued all offseason about. "We're far more talented than last year", "Our freshman class is underrated due to Covid", "The B1G will be down this year because so much talent left"... etc.

Yet here we are, significantly worse than last season.

Is the B1G not worse this year? Is Payne and JOJ playing better than their ranking? Those parts are true and it wasn’t unreasonable to think we could take a jump. Not everyone was Nostradamus like you and knew Carrington would be hurt and not able to contribute and Cooper wouldn’t be a good solution at PG.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Yeah, getting Garcia was good, but we still need to be better, especially when we can offer so much playing time.

Playing time is great, NIL money would be better.

 

[bga1]

Is the B1G not worse this year? Is Payne and JOJ playing better than their ranking? Those parts are true and it wasn’t unreasonable to think we could take a jump. Not everyone was Nostradamus like you and knew Carrington would be hurt and not able to contribute and Cooper wouldn’t be a good solution at PG.

What they should have known from their scouting work is the Cooper piece.

 

[Gophers7633]

This is what Ben's defenders argued all offseason about. "We're far more talented than last year", "Our freshman class is underrated due to Covid", "The B1G will be down this year because so much talent left"... etc.

Yet here we are, significantly worse than last season.

I do think the B1G is worse than last year, but the floor is better(outside of the gophers, obviously). The B1G only has two ranked teams at the moment. Still a good league(top 2/3 nationally), but this team just has no chance.

 

[Gophers7633]

Playing time is great, NIL money would be better.

I agree. I just have no idea where things stand on our NIL stuff.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

I think what's frustrating for us fans is that last year was painful AND pointless. The timing of the Johnson hire and the new era transfer portal forced the staff to string together a piecemeal roster of upperclassmen transfers that added nothing to the program's long-term stability (Yes, I know some of his "comps" have faired much better).

I've been a pretty adamant Johnson sympathizer. I still believe he deserves more time, but it is unreasonable to ignore some of his glaring mistakes thus far (roster construction and portal decisions loom large).

While this year is a colossal failure, It could be used as a building block. I think five glaring questions must be addressed.

#1. Are Payne, JOJ, Henley, and Carrington bought into the vision?

These guys got thrown into the fire, and this year will be for nothing if they take their experience, transfer, and apply it elsewhere. If I'm coach, I'm playing all these guys 20+ minutes, even with a healthy Garcia, and reminding them daily that they are the nucleus.

I'm assuming Garcia and Betts are bought in. The plan was always to redshirt Betts, and Garcia is home after multiple transfers. Betts has more upside than Henley/Carrington only because we haven't seen him play (sans exhibition), and he has a year to prepare his body and learn the system (unlike the other two freshmen guards).

Panic Time: Payne or JOJ transfers or both Carrington and Henley transfer.

#2. Can we find a true PG in the portal with two years to play?

We need a veteran, sure-handed PG that can defend. No more explanation is needed.

Panic Time: Roll with Cooper in 2023/2024 as the 40 mpg PG.

#3. Will there be an honest assessment of Ihnen and Fox?

Johnson needs to be realistic about what these guys can bring. They've been incredibly unlucky and have done nothing but support the team. I know it's cutthroat and bad optics potentially moving on from them, but I'd venture a bet that there's a portal player that hasn't had two ACLs tears that is a proven shooting guard.

I would love a story of redemption and seeing both of these guys contribute meaningfully. They deserve it. Only our staff knows what they are capable of.

Panic Time: They take up two scholarships and aren't contributors.

#4. Will there be an honest assessment of Cooper and Battle?

I'd guess one of these guys will not be back next year (likely Cooper). When committing, it was reported he wouldn't use his Covid year. I would welcome a redo at a portal PG. Cooper could be much more effective off the ball, but he'd need to buy into that.

Battle's regression isn't all that surprising. Payton Willis was a huge asset for Battle. We need more dynamic guards to take the pressure off him.

Battle isn't the future. He is potentially a nice bridge piece that makes the rebuilding transition smoother. I would love to have him back next year with a different roster makeup, but I won't be upset if he decides to play elsewhere. He could carve out a solid role on a competitive team as the 3rd scoring option.

Panic Time: Cooper/Battle in the same role next year.

#5. Can Johnson make difficult, unpopular decisions?

Johnson will have some difficult conversations and ultimately make tough decisions this offseason with certain players. Does he have it in him to move in a different direction and ruffle some feathers?

Panic Time: Johnson tries to keep everyone happy.

There are brighter days ahead, Gopher fans. I would love to have everyone healthy in Chicago for the Big Ten tourney and make some noise!

As a hard anti-CBJ (fire him now) guy, I appreciate this post and the thoughtfulness of it. I like how you laid it out, specifically calling out / classifying panic times.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

I agree. I just have no idea where things stand on our NIL stuff.

Only a matter a of time before ‘reasons’ are bandied about.

 

[bga1]

I think what's frustrating for us fans is that last year was painful AND pointless. The timing of the Johnson hire and the new era transfer portal forced the staff to string together a piecemeal roster of upperclassmen transfers that added nothing to the program's long-term stability (Yes, I know some of his "comps" have faired much better).

I've been a pretty adamant Johnson sympathizer. I still believe he deserves more time, but it is unreasonable to ignore some of his glaring mistakes thus far (roster construction and portal decisions loom large).

While this year is a colossal failure, It could be used as a building block. I think five glaring questions must be addressed.

#1. Are Payne, JOJ, Henley, and Carrington bought into the vision?

These guys got thrown into the fire, and this year will be for nothing if they take their experience, transfer, and apply it elsewhere. If I'm coach, I'm playing all these guys 20+ minutes, even with a healthy Garcia, and reminding them daily that they are the nucleus.

I'm assuming Garcia and Betts are bought in. The plan was always to redshirt Betts, and Garcia is home after multiple transfers. Betts has more upside than Henley/Carrington only because we haven't seen him play (sans exhibition), and he has a year to prepare his body and learn the system (unlike the other two freshmen guards).

Panic Time: Payne or JOJ transfers or both Carrington and Henley transfer.

#2. Can we find a true PG in the portal with two years to play?

We need a veteran, sure-handed PG that can defend. No more explanation is needed.

Panic Time: Roll with Cooper in 2023/2024 as the 40 mpg PG.

#3. Will there be an honest assessment of Ihnen and Fox?

Johnson needs to be realistic about what these guys can bring. They've been incredibly unlucky and have done nothing but support the team. I know it's cutthroat and bad optics potentially moving on from them, but I'd venture a bet that there's a portal player that hasn't had two ACLs tears that is a proven shooting guard.

I would love a story of redemption and seeing both of these guys contribute meaningfully. They deserve it. Only our staff knows what they are capable of.

Panic Time: They take up two scholarships and aren't contributors.

#4. Will there be an honest assessment of Cooper and Battle?

I'd guess one of these guys will not be back next year (likely Cooper). When committing, it was reported he wouldn't use his Covid year. I would welcome a redo at a portal PG. Cooper could be much more effective off the ball, but he'd need to buy into that.

Battle's regression isn't all that surprising. Payton Willis was a huge asset for Battle. We need more dynamic guards to take the pressure off him.

Battle isn't the future. He is potentially a nice bridge piece that makes the rebuilding transition smoother. I would love to have him back next year with a different roster makeup, but I won't be upset if he decides to play elsewhere. He could carve out a solid role on a competitive team as the 3rd scoring option.

Panic Time: Cooper/Battle in the same role next year.

#5. Can Johnson make difficult, unpopular decisions?

Johnson will have some difficult conversations and ultimately make tough decisions this offseason with certain players. Does he have it in him to move in a different direction and ruffle some feathers?

Panic Time: Johnson tries to keep everyone happy.

There are brighter days ahead, Gopher fans. I would love to have everyone healthy in Chicago for the Big Ten tourney and make some noise!

Excellent! You should write sports articles- that was well done. You would be an upgrade at the Strib.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Is that Coach Johnsons fault? No. He got hired by Mark Coyle. Have you started a AD Coyle is a disaster thread yet?
He's our coach. He's learning on the job in a major conference. Give him time.

I don't blame Ben Johnson for being hired, I blame whoever made the choice to hire him.

If we are supposed to be patient because of the bold, the fans should riot. If we need him to learn on the job, we should can Ben Johnson immediately and hire a coach who is ready or closer to ready. We have just lost back-to-back games by over 35 points. This "fixer upper" could not be in worse shape.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Not comparing the programs, I compared the coaches from when they started their HC career and at no point in my comparison did I make an excuse for Coach Johnson. Who's the one who started this thread a month into his second season. That is a new low.

Learning on the job at Stony Brook is acceptable, in fact, it's the right way to do things. We should not be hiring anyone who is at that level. In fact, if we are stuck with someone who compares to some coach learning how to coach while at Stony Brook, we should fire that coach immediately.

 

[bga1]

The issue is Garcia, Evans, Payne are the best players on that roster and all play the same position. In order for Garcia to cook he needs to play the 5. He pulls the opposing 5 away from the hoop (since he can shoot), but then he can use his mobility to blow by and finish at the rim. If you shift him to the PF that ability is gone and then you have a lane clogger down low (either Payne or Evans).

Garcia can't defend at the 5

That roster completely lacks talent at positions 1-3. JOJ is showing signs, but he is too small for a PF, and not skilled enough for a SF. Christie I’m intrigued with, but I wouldn’t count to much on him as he seem frail and this is a grown man’s league. (The frail issue will issue be tested with Evans). But with Christie, he will get tested doubly based on the portal guards / ball handlers we bring in…and the track record is not great.

The gophers do not have a roster meant to bang. They should play at a faster tempo, assuming a major change of the guard at the guard position.

Good thought there. Payne could run, so could Garcia, JOJ, Henley and Christie. Need a couple of guards to get out and run with them. You have to get stops, steals and rebounds though to get out and run.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

Garcia can't defend at the 5

Good thought there. Payne could run, so could Garcia, JOJ, Henley and Christie. Need a couple of guards to get out and run with them. You have to get stops, steals and rebounds though to get out and run.

Garcia not being able to guard 5’s is an issue.

Either get really good at zone this off-season or make sure your offense runs (if Garcia a PF) by having the post on the opposing block as Garcia (if he’s on the wing with the ball). He needs to be able to drive and if he gets past his defender he needs that part of the lane open. Payne or Evans man will need to shift over and it should be a lob or handoff for a flush.

 

[Gopherfan84]

What they should have known from their scouting work is the Cooper piece.

Totally fair argument. I don’t know the other alternatives were for people who would even entertain coming here.