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

[DietCokeFan]

Glenn has been adequate coming off the bench, but she is not starting material. I agree that the recruiting has to improve, drastically.

Coach P style of play will simply keep some recruits from coming here (unless she changes her approach) Got to find the right kids. Kids that can defend and also get to the rim and finish. Girls who want to score and have an offense that shares the ball will stay away. The fact she can’t draw plays to open Christian for shots is evidence. Next year we have two 5000 point scorers coming, but will they be able to showcase that?
I’m at a loss what needs to happen for this program to succeed. I watch every game and see other coaches drawing up plays to get shooters open. It’s frustrating.

 

[GringaGopher]

Coach P style of play will simply keep some recruits from coming here (unless she changes her approach) Got to find the right kids. Kids that can defend and also get to the rim and finish. Girls who want to score and have an offense that shares the ball will stay away. The fact she can’t draw plays to open Christian for shots is evidence. Next year we have two 5000 point scorers coming, but will they be able to showcase that?
I’m at a loss what needs to happen for this program to succeed. I watch every game and see other coaches drawing up plays to get shooters open. It’s frustrating.

Agreed. At this point in the season with the veteran players we have we should be winning more games. The Big is way too talented to win games by playing tenacious D but struggle to consistently score. Coach P needs to develop a more consistent offensive game plan.

 

[okok1974]

2 athletic bigs that can rebound would be a good start. Same problem with mens basketball no rebounders.

 

[DietCokeFan]

Agreed. At this point in the season with the veteran players we have we should be winning more games. The Big is way too talented to win games by playing tenacious D but struggle to consistently score. Coach P needs to develop a more consistent offensive game plan.

I’m also extremely concerned we will lose GG and Christian in the offseason. I think McKinney stays as this is the type of program that fits her style of play.
Also wouldn’t shock me to see Braun head to Oregon to play with her good friend Heyer.
I HOPE I’m wrong.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

UCLA loads up on talent like Gianna Kneepkins from Duluth, Minnesota, formerly of Utah.

AD Mark Coyle and Coach Dawn P couldn't find a way to critically keep Mallory Heyer. You have to get that done. Take it.out of your own paycheck via someone else.

The whole Fab Four era is turning into a tragedy quickly. That was the best recruiting haul in program history and maybe not one Fab Four season will dance. Battle is a senior now. And Fab Four was broken up.

What could have been...

Braun should get out of dodge if they don't make the tournament this season.

There is still a lot of basketball to play. Stay tumed.

And some things like injuries were uncontrollable. The truth sometimes is some of this and some of that, not one sided blame. Not anyone's fault.

Oregon up next. Winning solves a lot of problems.

[End with clifffhanger]

 

[drewhaus7]

2 athletic bigs that can rebound would be a good start. Same problem with mens basketball no rebounders.

Holloway is an athletic with long reach, but coaches haven't been able to develop or give her enough opportunities in 3 years. Soon as a couple of these players make 1 mistake, coach pulls them, but coach doesn't pull others for making mistakes.

Beginning of the year, I thought we were going into the year with nearly as much talent as Iowa and hoped we would do just as well if not better then them this year. Watch both us and Iowa and as of right now it is night and day who is more consistent and better. Iowa moves the ball in and out and around and isn't afraid to shoot the 3 right away off a pass or break. They don't always need 20 seconds to ponders some offense. MN team is full of espn top 100 recruits and they have lots of experience.

Right now I would be starting Christian over Glenn in simple to give driving Amaya and GG another outside shooter to guard. By the time she gets an opportunity to shoot in the 4th is back cold from sitting all game. Glenn would make a great 6th player to sub in and work the D.

Coach better figure out some adjustments before we fall off the bubble again. Lots of time and games to make a run, but also could fall off the bubble fast. Still get a lot of top teams at the barn.

 

[Gopheritnow]

They so need to get Cristian some extended regular minutes. It was harder to do with McKinney available, but it’s unacceptable now. I have noticed that Cristian will pass up an open 3 to give up the ball. This after coming in here and filling up the stat sheet. I admit these were weaker teams, but an open 3 is an open 3. P did give both Cristian and Klick a little more floor time the other night, but one does not become comfortable in one night of ten minutes. Shooting a BB is a confidence thing. Nothing destroys that more than a coach who does t have your back!

 

[masswood]

UCLA loads up on talent like Gianna Kneepkins from Duluth, Minnesota, formerly of Utah.

AD Mark Coyle and Coach Dawn P couldn't find a way to critically keep Mallory Heyer. You have to get that done. Take it.out of your own paycheck via someone else.

The whole Fab Four era is turning into a tragedy quickly. That was the best recruiting haul in program history and maybe not one Fab Four season will dance. Battle is a senior now. And Fab Four was broken up.

What could have been...

Braun should get out of dodge if they don't make the tournament this season.

There is still a lot of basketball to play. Stay tumed.

And some things like injuries were uncontrollable. The truth sometimes is some of this and some of that, not one sided blame. Not anyone's fault.

Oregon up next. Winning solves a lot of problems.

[End with clifffhanger]

View attachment 41688

Dawn P. Is not a good coach.

 

[BBJones]

I’m also extremely concerned we will lose GG and Christian in the offseason. I think McKinney stays as this is the type of program that fits her style of play.
Also wouldn’t shock me to see Braun head to Oregon to play with her good friend Heyer.
I HOPE I’m wrong.

Why worry about the portal so far in advance? It just puts everything under cloud. While I'm unhappy with the season so far, there are legitimate reasons (injuries to Woodson and Tori) for the way the team has performed. My only criticism is the lack of playing time for Christian. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but there's still time to right the ship.

 

[DietCokeFan]

Why worry about the portal so far in advance? It just puts everything under cloud. While I'm unhappy with the season so far, there are legitimate reasons (injuries to Woodson and Tori) for the way the team has performed. My only criticism is the lack of playing time for Christian. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but there's still time to right the ship.

Valid points. However, in my opinion we have to stop with the injury excuse. Injuries or not does not change some of the biggest problems.

 

[fanfromthevalley]

Dawn P. Is not a good coach.

Will we ever really know why Mallory left? And, Dawn is a very good coach - best we've had since Brenda.

Yes, we need some big bucks donor on NIL....but that's not likely based on what we've seen here since NIL started. I don't put that on Coyle - it is just a fact of life in the Twin Cities business community where there are deep pockets - it isn't where they are going to put their money.

 

[Gopher Mac]

Will we ever really know why Mallory left? And, Dawn is a very good coach - best we've had since Brenda.

Yes, we need some big bucks donor on NIL....but that's not likely based on what we've seen here since NIL started. I don't put that on Coyle - it is just a fact of life in the Twin Cities business community where there are deep pockets - it isn't where they are going to put their money.

I think Pam Burton would disagree! Maybe 2004 season was not good enough. I quess they lost their final four game.
Edit I forgot 7 ncaa tournament appearances and 236 wins! But I quess you think coach P is a better coach. Well that is understandable.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Dawn P. Is not a good coach.

She's a poor coach. We've had enough time to see what she can do, and it's not much.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

Will we ever really know why Mallory left?

She got grad school and valued at Oregon. I have a grapevine at Chaska. She didn't get what she deserved from Gophers. Probably wasn't enough budget to go around.

Athletic department probably calculated correctly that Heyer was the easiest to cover if she did walk with the other talent they had, if you just can't afford them all. Braun (potential star selling tickets) and Battle (starting point guard running the offense from Hopkins and usually very good but occasionally onconsistent) were harder to risk losing.

If I was her I'd say, "Stick it" to Minnesota too.

The Fab Four's peak season is this season. This was the year they were to arrive. Really tragic to break them up. Some of us fans wanted that. FAILURE by athletic department to know how important this is and then FAILURE to someone get this done. I'd like to be watching Heyer right now in her senior year as the Fab Four peak season. This was the senior year -- never to be.

Imagine what it could have been for the Michigan, UCLA, and Washington games.

You can say there just wasn't the budget. I say you have to get that done.

 

[drewhaus7]

She got grad school and valued at Oregon. I have a grapevine at Chaska. She didn't get what she deserved from Gophers. Probably wasn't enough budget to go around.

Athletic department probably calculated correctly that Heyer was the easiest to cover if she did walk with the other talent they had, if you just can't afford them all. Braun (potential star selling tickets) and Battle (starting point guard running the offense from Hopkins and usually very good but occasionally onconsistent) were harder to risk losing.

If I was her I'd say, "Stick it" to Minnesota too.

The Fab Four's peak season is this season. This was the year they were to arrive. Really tragic to break them up. Some of us fans wanted that. FAILURE by athletic department to know how important this is and then FAILURE to someone get this done. I'd like to be watching Heyer right now in her senior year as the Fab Four peak season. This was the senior year -- never to be.

Imagine what it could have been for the Michigan, UCLA, and Washington games.

You can say there just wasn't the budget. I say you have to get that done.

Part the of the reason I got started watching Gopher Women's basketball was rooting for Fab 4 staying home. Not sure it was about money though as that (i would have thought) would have taken place more than just 2 weeks before the season started and multiple interviews valued how NIL was shared with teammates. It might be a little of Nike(Oregon), but she also didn't thank anyone really in her out statement. Would like to know if she started the last scrimmage they had before she left? Anyhow was bummed, but this stuff happens everywhere. Would have liked to see coach P develop her at the 5 role too for the Gophers and really use her like Iowa does with Stuelke and Heiden.

Still rooting for us to get going and get some key W's. Really hard to keep watching our offense score 50-60 points only in big 10 games though. Tomorrow game @Oregon going to be interesting.

Rah!

 

[drewhaus7]

Will we ever really know why Mallory left? And, Dawn is a very good coach - best we've had since Brenda.

Yes, we need some big bucks donor on NIL....but that's not likely based on what we've seen here since NIL started. I don't put that on Coyle - it is just a fact of life in the Twin Cities business community where there are deep pockets - it isn't where they are going to put their money.

So whooping up on cupcake teams and winning WBIT Championship is our standard now for very good coach? Meanwhile @ MSU in same time with coach Robyn Fralick (yes they had injuries too) since 2023 has got them to 1st round, then 2nd round of NCAA, and so far looking strong this year.

Coyle made the move from stale offense CBJ to Niko for the Men's and can tell you they are much more fun to watch. And yes, he has them playing some defense too and they also have less recruited players and many injuries. He has had to develop a true freshman and redshirt freshman. Allows all to play offense and shoot when it is there.

 

[BBJones]

Local four, yes. Fab Four? Not even close

 

[Gopher Mac]

So whooping up on cupcake teams and winning WBIT Championship is our standard now for very good coach? Meanwhile @ MSU in same time with coach Robyn Fralick (yes they had injuries too) since 2023 has got them to 1st round, then 2nd round of NCAA, and so far looking strong this year.

Coyle made the move from stale offense CBJ to Niko for the Men's and can tell you they are much more fun to watch. And yes, he has them playing some defense too and they also have less recruited players and many injuries. He has had to develop a true freshman and redshirt freshman. Allows all to play offense and shoot when it is there.

I agree. Dawn can turn this around. I don't know about this year but with a couple of good recuiting classes things can change. That said what she has done in three years is not impressive. I know all about injuries. That gets brought up to the point of making me sick! She has the team playing good defense. But how can anybody say she is a very good coach when facts don't back that up. She has a senior team with one of the greatest recuiting classes as part of it and they are having trouble scoring more than 60 points against good teams. That is unacceptable. Never made the NCAA tournament. She finnish 13th place in the big ten and people want to build a statue of her outside the barn. This team has not improved offensively in the 3 years she has been here. Next two years will tell the story. Hope she proves me wrong but so far I am not impressed.

 

[Outsider]

I agree. Dawn can turn this around. I don't know about this year but with a couple of good recuiting classes things can change. That said what she has done in three years is not impressive. I know all about injuries. That gets brought up to the point of making me sick! She has the team playing good defense. But how can anybody say she is a very good coach when facts don't back that up. She has a senior team with one of the greatest recuiting classes as part of it and they are having trouble scoring more than 60 points against good teams. That is unacceptable. Never made the NCAA tournament. She finnish 13th place in the big ten and people want to build a statue of her outside the barn. This team has not improved offensively in the 3 years she has been her. Next two years will tell the story. Hope she proves me wrong but so far I am not impressed.

They have no shooters except GG. Both Braun and Battle you can leave alone at the 3 point line. They will not hurt you at this point. They are not athletic enough to beat good teams off the dribble on a consistent basis. Teams that are athletic are a very difficult matchup for them. You call them the Fab Four and that is such a misnomer. They were a good get but I’m not convinced they fit Coach P’s offensive preference. They may have been a Fab Four for Minnesota but nationwide talent wise, not even close. Braun was but her injuries have made her a shell of her former self. I like Coach P but she does need to up her game but you have to realize she doesn’t miss shots, make foolish turnovers etc. At some point they need to shoot better and stop turning the ball over, especially the unforced bad passes. They have one shooter who makes wide open threes on a consistent basis. The rest it’s pretty much a hope that it goes in.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

What and then why is unclear.

Why did Mallory Heyer's 3 point shooting at the 4 regress from .325 in 2023-24 to .299 in 2024-25?

FYI, her field goal.percent in 2024-25 was .428.


Braun shot .500 on 3's in the Washington game. Go ahead and let her shoot that is fine by me assuming she's back.from injury.

I don't expect that from point guard Battle. Really need it from Braun.

The injuries to Braun are a major variable making assessment of this situation difficult.

 

[Gopher Mac]

They have no shooters except GG. Both Braun and Battle you can leave alone at the 3 point line. They will not hurt you at this point. They are not athletic enough to beat good teams off the dribble on a consistent basis. Teams that are athletic are a very difficult matchup for them. You call them the Fab Four and that is such a misnomer. They were a good get but I’m not convinced they fit Coach P’s offensive preference. They may have been a Fab Four for Minnesota but nationwide talent wise, not even close. Braun was but her injuries have made her a shell of her former self. I like Coach P but she does need to up her game but you have to realize she doesn’t miss shots, make foolish turnovers etc. At some point they need to shoot better and stop turning the ball over, especially the unforced bad passes. They have one shooter who makes wide open threes on a consistent basis. The rest it’s pretty much a hope that it goes in.

I agree with you that GG is their only reliable scorer, but this is year 3. That problem falls on Dawn's shoulders now. Like I said see what the next two years bring but she needs to recuit like her job depends on it.

 

[GringaGopher]

Part the of the reason I got started watching Gopher Women's basketball was rooting for Fab 4 staying home. Not sure it was about money though as that (i would have thought) would have taken place more than just 2 weeks before the season started and multiple interviews valued how NIL was shared with teammates. It might be a little of Nike(Oregon), but she also didn't thank anyone really in her out statement. Would like to know if she started the last scrimmage they had before she left? Anyhow was bummed, but this stuff happens everywhere. Would have liked to see coach P develop her at the 5 role too for the Gophers and really use her like Iowa does with Stuelke and Heiden.

Still rooting for us to get going and get some key W's. Really hard to keep watching our offense score 50-60 points only in big 10 games though. Tomorrow game @Oregon going to be interesting.

Rah!

Most Gopher fans saw the Heyer transfer as a loss for the program. We will never know all the reasons but we we do know that the open check book of Phil Knight is way deeper than any MN NIL.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Braun shot 36% from the floor her healthy freshman year… this year shell of herself year 37%… she is not a great shooter it’s simple.. most of her numbers this year are similar to her career numbers and freshman numbers..

 

[WinMinGophers!]

Braun still made the Big Ten All freshmen team. Shooting out by the perimeter was more her thing that season, vs driving to the basket, the B1G being kind of big and rough for her then.

Injuries complicate her story.

Mara Braun - Minnesota Golden Gophers Guard - ESPN

View the profile of Minnesota Golden Gophers Guard Mara Braun on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.

www.espn.com

 

[Outsider]

What and then why is unclear.

Why did Mallory Heyer's 3 point shooting at the 4 regress from .325 in 2023-24 to .299 in 2024-25?

FYI, her field goal.percent in 2024-25 was .428.


Braun shot .500 on 3's in the Washington game. Go ahead and let her shoot that is fine by me assuming she's back.from injury.

I don't expect that from point guard Battle. Really need it from Braun.

The injuries to Braun are a major variable making assessment of this situation difficult.

When did the three point line move back? I’ve said it before, when the line moved it requires more strength for that extra distance. Form suffers and thus made percentages if you aren’t strong enough to maintain your form. Caitlin Clark excels because she was shooting from way downtown before they moved the line. It didn’t affect her as much cause she was already there. I grew up with no 3 point line but lived beyond the arc where it originally was. Start moving back and it becomes a tough shot if you aren’t strong enough. That line has moved during these recruits freshman year to this year.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

When did the three point line move back? I’ve said it before, when the line moved it requires more strength for that extra distance. Form suffers and thus made percentages if you aren’t strong enough to maintain your form. Caitlin Clark excels because she was shooting from way downtown before they moved the line. It didn’t affect her as much cause she was already there. I grew up with no 3 point line but lived beyond the arc where it originally was. Start moving back and it becomes a tough shot if you aren’t strong enough. That line has moved during these recruits freshman year to this year.

2021-2022.

 

[Goldy44]

I see alot of criticism of players shooting %s and rightfully so but no talk about the offensive system. Dawn hates turnovers so she runs a system to limit them. Its either throw the ball down low to Hart or Tonga or one of the guards iso's theres little ball movement, player movement, or screens set. Pretty much every player shoots better off a pass but this system generates most of its looks off the dribble. This works well when you have the best 2 players in the conference like she did at USD but wont work well when you dont have top tier talent and she will never have that in the big ten.

 

[Mnwhiteshoes]

I see alot of criticism of players shooting %s and rightfully so but no talk about the offensive system. Dawn hates turnovers so she runs a system to limit them. Its either throw the ball down low to Hart or Tonga or one of the guards iso's theres little ball movement, player movement, or screens set. Pretty much every player shoots better off a pass but this system generates most of its looks off the dribble. This works well when you have the best 2 players in the conference like she did at USD but wont work well when you dont have top tier talent and she will never have that in the big ten.

The ball dies in our point guards hands. Both Glenn and Battle like to dribble rather than passing it quickly. I'm almost certain that's not part of the coach's plan.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

I see alot of criticism of players shooting %s and rightfully so but no talk about the offensive system. Dawn hates turnovers so she runs a system to limit them...

Pretty much every player shoots better off a pass but this system generates most of its looks off the dribble. This works well when you have the best 2 players in the conference like she did at USD but wont work well when you dont have top tier talent and she will never have that in the big ten.

I want to use them for what I am going to write. I'm not necessarily commenting on them.

One of the philosophies behind this system is to allow players creatively as a team and individuals to find shots and be versatile at that. Potentially that's superior.

Rachel Banham was terrific off the dribble. Some players love that.

That offense flavor is certainly influencing what you see on the court. Dribble, dribble, dribble.

I don't have enough basketball learning or know why they are doing what they are doing. Players are players. How much is the coach vs player, I wouldn't know. It could be a few things having little to do with what I just wrote.

I'm just adding an FYI.

Now this is a fact: Shooting percentages are lower than expected, could be lots of things. What and why, maybe the dots connect and maybe they don't. I don't know.