BIG Game 6: Gophers travel to Washington 1-18-26

Typical Gopher game, not a Gimmie game but winnable but again failing in the brightest moments. Do we ever win on BTN?
I'm not going to bother to double check, but since the start of Big Ten play in 2019-2020 (after the Gophers beat Arizona St and down-year Notre Dame non-conference then their season fell apart), the Gophers are something like 10-40 when on National TV (including Peacock) including 2-18 on games when Sloane Martin is on the call
 
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Game thoughts:

Braun battled hard. Battle had moments. Hart was decent at times. Like that Coach P will fight for her team.

Another quad 1 game loss. Not helping NCAA resume. Best win is an injured USC team.

Probably the worse second half of basketball all year.

Coach P is going to have to change her philosophy on how she coaches. Relying on defense is not going to cut it in the BIG. This program is not going to improve otherwise. It’s that simple.

Now we head to Oregon who is coming off two losses. Even with Heyer not playing, we all know they are not going to lose to Minnesota. I would be shocked if we came out with a win. Happy to eat my words if proven wrong.

Yes the schedule gets a little easier but also doesn’t build your resume.

A frustrated fan.
 


We lack a player like Sellers who can bring the juice and take over a game. Washington was more athletic and a better team
Just better coached, move the ball on offense. Look at the Gopher men's team. down to 7 players and lost 2-3 key starters/players in their rotation and coach still has them playing fun entertaining basketball on both ends of the floor and making games close and won 2 ranked teams. Even in there last loses I still enjoyed watching the game and how they move the ball. Can't keep making excuses. Every year we don't have an offense to be a top 8 team in the big 10.
 

Just better coached, move the ball on offense. Look at the Gopher men's team. down to 7 players and lost 2-3 key starters/players in their rotation and coach still has them playing fun entertaining basketball on both ends of the floor and making games close and won 2 ranked teams. Even in there last loses I still enjoyed watching the game and how they move the ball. Can't keep making excuses. Every year we don't have an offense to be a top 8 team in the big 10.
You're right. There's no comparison to what Niko has done in one year vs where the women are in year three.
 



They missed McKinney. Their team work was out of sorts. I think Heyer, Battle, and Braun were like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The stable bread is gone and the remainder is soft and amorphous.
 

You're right. There's no comparison to what Niko has done in one year vs where the women are in year three.
And keep in mind. Before Niko, CBJ had 3 years of stale offense that struggled in big 10 play. Sound familiar?
 





They missed McKinney. Their team work was out of sorts. I think Heyer, Battle, and Braun were like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The stable bread is gone and the remainder is soft and amorphous.
Definitely miss Heyer. But, not as much if Woodson was healthy.
 

Definitely miss Heyer. But, not as much if Woodson was healthy.
Injuries happen it is part of the game. Sorry. I hope all injured players get healthy but that is not an excuse. Last two years I heard if we only had Mara we would have won. Let's get real if this team can't handle Injuries it is not a good team sorry to be cold but this is the Big Ten players are getting paid. Let's stop the excuses and take accountability.
 

Injuries happen it is part of the game. Sorry. I hope all injured players get healthy but that is not an excuse. Last two years I heard if we only had Mara we would have won. Let's get real if this team can't handle Injuries it is not a good team sorry to be cold but this is the Big Ten players are getting paid. Let's stop the excuses and take accountability.
Right! Robyn Fralick sure done ok at Michigan State since same time coach P was hired.
 

During tonight’s game the announcers made a comment how Washington used to be a defensive team but the coach had to adjust to more offense. She turned it around very quickly.
 


The season is slipping away.
Not yet, but certainly not ahead of schedule. Given how tough the Gophers first 8 conference games are, 3-5 is the minimum needed to be on track for the tourney. But if the Gophers win at Oregon, they will be 4-4, and in good shape to attack the last 10 conference games.
 

Not yet, but certainly not ahead of schedule. Given how tough the Gophers first 8 conference games are, 3-5 is the minimum needed to be on track for the tourney. But if the Gophers win at Oregon, they will be 4-4, and in good shape to attack the last 10 conference games.
We will need to score more than 60 points in most games! In all our loses besides Maryland we have only scored 60 or less.
 

I always thought a coach’s technical fires up a team. Gophers sank like a rock after that sequence
Coach Techs are a 50/50 deal. Sometimes it can fire up a team that is unable to motivate themselves. Sometimes, you realize that you just dug yourself a 4-point hole. I prefer a coach who can let the ref know they don't agree with the call(s), but not go over the line. Most refs have about the same general line. If it's a culminating situation, almost all will give the coach a warning or two about approaching said line. Of course, I didn't hear any official word that it was a T against Coach P, or just a general bench T, which should never happen.
 

Insult 2 injury. The announcers were brutal
I didn't really notice the announcers much until very late in the game, when the Huskies post got matched up against Braun on a switch down near the low, right block. McGaughy made a spin and step through and the announcers were gushing about her footwork. As they were pointing out the great footwork, I noticed that her pivot foot came up or moved twice; traveling could have been called twice. I thought that was ironic. :) Otherwise, I didn't see too many egregious calls or no calls. I do know that we fouled them way more than they fouled us. Overall, we looked kinda slow and a half-step behind for much of the game.

I'm not complaining about the no-call because our players do it too. Everybody's players do it all the time. Feels like our posts( well Hart anyway) lose that pivot foot on a regular basis if they have to do more than one change of direction on a shot, so I can't complain when everybody gets away with it. I just thought it was funny to play up the great footwork on national TV in slow motion when you can clearly see the player traveled twice.

I'd say that at least 50% of the time, when a perimeter shooter catches a pass and squares up for a shot, they shuffle both of their feet too. Not to mention the 2-3 pitter patter steps you see guards take out front when they receive a pass. Of course, nobody really wants to call traveling anymore, because everybody has been conditioned to ignore those little bitty steps. Technically, you could probably call an extra 30 or so travels per game and nobody wants that.
 


Nothing has happened to her shooting! Therein lies the problem!
Early in the season she was making a lot of floaters in the lane but against better competition she hasn’t really had those same opportunities. I’m not sure she ever was that good of an outside shooter but I honestly haven’t looked up her previous stats.
 

Not yet, but certainly not ahead of schedule. Given how tough the Gophers first 8 conference games are, 3-5 is the minimum needed to be on track for the tourney. But if the Gophers win at Oregon, they will be 4-4, and in good shape to attack the last 10 conference games.
But they are playing themselves back on the bubble. Kansas is turning into not a bad loss but not a good loss either. Alabama is falling out of a quad 1 loss and a win against Marquette not looking that impressive. Eventually you gotta go earn it. Yes Wisconsin got some bad losses including to Marquette but they have more impressive wins too. I wouldn’t count 2 wins against the Badgers for the Gophers just yet.
 

Early in the season she was making a lot of floaters in the lane but against better competition she hasn’t really had those same opportunities. I’m not sure she ever was that good of an outside shooter but I honestly haven’t looked up her previous stats.
Those underhand floaters from 6’ aren’t really high percentage shots. Frankly can’t remember anyone else who has made that move a staple. Lately it seems she is frustrated that she can’t get any shots and you can almost tell when she is going to shoot no matter what. The one yesterday where she threw an overhand fastball off the backboard was indicative of that frustration. Luckily right after that attempt Coach P sat her down. I think for Klick.
 


The reality is its year 3 for Dawn and shes only brought in 2 big ten players, outside of GG and Mckinney shes missed on all her other recruits. That needs to turn around going forward. Glenn is 13/52 25% from the field and 1/12 8% from 3 in big ten games.
 

The reality is its year 3 for Dawn and shes only brought in 2 big ten players, outside of GG and Mckinney shes missed on all her other recruits. That needs to turn around going forward. Glenn is 13/52 25% from the field and 1/12 8% from 3 in big ten games.
Glenn has been adequate coming off the bench, but she is not starting material. I agree that the recruiting has to improve, drastically.
 

Washington moved to #25 in the AP poll.

Minnesota clings to one vote. Some things have gone awry that can correct, mixed with concerning signals.

 




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