And told them what? You won't play much because I'm recruiting better players from the Patriot League? I don't buy that they left because they were nudged out save 1 or 2 at most.
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Brandon Johnson enters the Transfer Portal
- Thread starter BleedGopher
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To have 7 healthy players right now, with around a month until the team is on campus for summer workouts, blows my mind (and I say that as someone who is very pro-Ben and staff). I know a lot of teams are still trying to figure out the final pieces of their rosters, but 7 players! And we’re hearing only one name as a potential transfer?
The lack of good news is unfortunate. Have to wonder if they are not planning to fill 13 scholarships. Or they have a good idea on players yet to come that decide to either leave now that schools are finishing up or won’t stay in the Draft, which explains the lack of urgency. Either way - Ihnen seems like he’s bought in (I think) and there’s nobody else left to announce they are leaving, Fox ACL news is public, all 2022s except King are still uncommitted —-only way to go is up.
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Ya sure, Ben nudged out all these guys in the morning. Then in the afternoon he got on the phone and said come to Minnesota
to prospects.
“Coach, why are all those guys leaving?”
Ben, “They didn’t fit our culture, or our standard of excellence so I encouraged them to transfer.”
He ain’t saying that!!! Come on people!!!!
“Well, thanks but I’m going to look for an established culture. Little worried we might not be a good fit if nobody wants to be there.”
Give me a break. No coach wants to try and find 13 new guys by choice, especially at a Big Ten school, in his first year as head coach, anywhere.
Nobody wants to answer questions or have people wondering what the heck is wrong with Minnesota. Why is everybody leaving?
Kids text. They know what’s going on.
You guys can bad mouth the coach and the guys who left but have we seen anything to suggest somebody better is replacing them?
Not so far...
to prospects.
“Coach, why are all those guys leaving?”
Ben, “They didn’t fit our culture, or our standard of excellence so I encouraged them to transfer.”
He ain’t saying that!!! Come on people!!!!
“Well, thanks but I’m going to look for an established culture. Little worried we might not be a good fit if nobody wants to be there.”
Give me a break. No coach wants to try and find 13 new guys by choice, especially at a Big Ten school, in his first year as head coach, anywhere.
Nobody wants to answer questions or have people wondering what the heck is wrong with Minnesota. Why is everybody leaving?
Kids text. They know what’s going on.
You guys can bad mouth the coach and the guys who left but have we seen anything to suggest somebody better is replacing them?
Not so far...
The good news is that this should be interesting all summer. If we sign an additional guy every two weeks for three months we will have ourselves a roster by mid August. Crazy.To have 7 healthy players right now, with around a month until the team is on campus for summer workouts, blows my mind (and I say that as someone who is very pro-Ben and staff). I know a lot of teams are still trying to figure out the final pieces of their rosters, but 7 players! And we’re hearing only one name as a potential transfer?
Ihnen seems like he’s bought in (I think) and there’s nobody else left to announce they are leaving, Fox ACL news is public, all 2022s except King are still uncommitted —-only way to go is up.
Ben last announced a commit over a month ago, on 4/16. Crazy indeed.
PhiloVance
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Being a life long Gopher fan I've never lost faith that they could become consistent winners. Every year I've bought the hype and would announce to anyone who would listen, this is the year. But so far this year feels so much different. At this time I have no sense of excitement or optimism. BJ still has several months to right the ship but with each day it seems less likely. Perhaps others were right saying this was not the year to change coaches. But as my grandfather used to say "you can't go back and do something you should have done, you can only go forward with the lessons you've learned."To have 7 healthy players right now, with around a month until the team is on campus for summer workouts, blows my mind (and I say that as someone who is very pro-Ben and staff). I know a lot of teams are still trying to figure out the final pieces of their rosters, but 7 players! And we’re hearing only one name as a potential transfer?
Ihnen seems like he’s bought in (I think) and there’s nobody else left to announce they are leaving, Fox ACL news is public, all 2022s except King are still uncommitted —-only way to go is up.
GopherOhana
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Coach can only announce a signing, right? cant Talk about recruits
No, they were not. Whether Johnson succeeds or fails is not the issue. If Johnson fails, he will be fired like most coaches eventually. The fact of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of fans around here just couldn't stand to watch Pitino for another season. Keeping someone like Pitino around for more than 8 years just in order to avoid potential short-term pain or uncertainty would be a far more dispiriting move than taking a chance with an untested coach and failing (assuming, of course, they wouldn't also keep a new coach who fails around for 8 years).
I would have loved to keep Brandon Johnson, but his decision is understandable. We are rebuilding.
DePaul and Minnesota both have new coaches. He does not have any ties here other than playing one season without fans -- and now everybody he played with is gone besides Ihnen. Realistically he is not an NBA player so proving himself against B10 guys is pointless.
So if you are gonna come back for a swan song of a 6th year, why not play at home for a mid major where you can maybe average 18/10 and be a true difference maker?
The reality is the portal is a double edged sword this year. Yeah BJ has a chance to grab way more transfers than normal. But he also lost way more than he would have in a normal coaching change. And since he can't sell his resume or a storied program (e.g. Indiana) the deck is stacked against him.
I'm still optimistic for the future with BJ but the reality is this spring has not gone very well. At least he will have tons of playing time to sell this year.
DePaul and Minnesota both have new coaches. He does not have any ties here other than playing one season without fans -- and now everybody he played with is gone besides Ihnen. Realistically he is not an NBA player so proving himself against B10 guys is pointless.
So if you are gonna come back for a swan song of a 6th year, why not play at home for a mid major where you can maybe average 18/10 and be a true difference maker?
The reality is the portal is a double edged sword this year. Yeah BJ has a chance to grab way more transfers than normal. But he also lost way more than he would have in a normal coaching change. And since he can't sell his resume or a storied program (e.g. Indiana) the deck is stacked against him.
I'm still optimistic for the future with BJ but the reality is this spring has not gone very well. At least he will have tons of playing time to sell this year.
MNVCGUY
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Vegas odds for the 21-22 season?....not sure why anyone would want to bet on a team that is almost 100% new faces so nobody will have any clue what to expect when they take the floor for the first time together.
They will fill the roster out but in all likelihood next year is going to be ugly. As for Brandon Johnson, makes perfect sense to drop down a little and play his last year of college ball close to home.
His being here would have added a little familiarity with the roster for the fans but wasn't going to have a massive impact on the record one way or the other. Seemed like a decent dude, hopefully it works out for him next season.
Taken individually- each player departure is understandable. Taken in full- the departures are tough to swallow and some cause for concern. I am surprised that Ben could not convince any of these guys that the combination of the guys he has coming and the culture and the new systems they will run would give them a chance to be competitive. That's what concerns me for now. Get a great class this Fall and show a real sense of hustle and defense this winter and a lot of minds will change, even if the wins are not there.
GoodasGold
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I want the new team to be gritty.
I should clarify - announced a commit with his Denzel boom gif. Last one was April 16th.
Carr-was gone either way. No concern
Gabe: Was apparently gone if Pitino stayed, but a bit concerning Ben couldn't change his mind.
Tre Williams: Not from MN. No real reason to stay. Oregon State looking up. Not too conerning.
Brandon Johnson: Said he liked it here, wanted to experience a full Barn etc. Also said he wanted to win. Then went to DePaul. Seems like we should have been able to keep him. Concerning.
Liam: Probably could have kept him if Conroy was 3rd assistant. I would have done that, but we "didn't want two old white guys." We made our choice.
Mashburn: Probably no chance to keep him no matter who the new coach was. Not concerning.
Gach: MN kid. Unlimited minutes here for him. Very concerning.
Ihnen: Our one keeper so far.
Curry: May end up playing yet.
Freeman: We desperately need a center. He leaves to go to Pacific? Pretty concerning unless they were convinced he couldn't play at all.
Thompson: Our other keeper
Pohto: From Kansas, committed to Wichita. Understandable.
Gabe: Was apparently gone if Pitino stayed, but a bit concerning Ben couldn't change his mind.
Tre Williams: Not from MN. No real reason to stay. Oregon State looking up. Not too conerning.
Brandon Johnson: Said he liked it here, wanted to experience a full Barn etc. Also said he wanted to win. Then went to DePaul. Seems like we should have been able to keep him. Concerning.
Liam: Probably could have kept him if Conroy was 3rd assistant. I would have done that, but we "didn't want two old white guys." We made our choice.
Mashburn: Probably no chance to keep him no matter who the new coach was. Not concerning.
Gach: MN kid. Unlimited minutes here for him. Very concerning.
Ihnen: Our one keeper so far.
Curry: May end up playing yet.
Freeman: We desperately need a center. He leaves to go to Pacific? Pretty concerning unless they were convinced he couldn't play at all.
Thompson: Our other keeper
Pohto: From Kansas, committed to Wichita. Understandable.
Absolutely. As much as I like this coaching staff and think the potential is there and am impressed with what Ben has done to prepare for this job, this spring has been really disappointing and not what I was expecting. I can say that even with wearing maroon and gold colored glasses. At this point, it’s just seeing who they can find to fill 5! more spots on a Big Ten roster and really turning the attention to 2022 recruiting.
So wait to be honest with those players as it relates to how you see them, style of play, etc? That’s how you end up losing credibility among high school coaches, AAU programs, and it’s not fair to the player. He didn’t run them off. It was their choice of fit after getting an honest assessment of their skills, needed development, and likely style of play. Better to be honest with them so they can move now while they can, and maintain meaningful eligibility.
You can believe what you want. Coach tells you what you need to work on, how he sees your skills fit or not in what he wants to do, etc. Player decides from there if it’s a fit. Better to move on now if it’s not. And, likely are better players he recruited than most of who left.
That happens everywhere there's a coaching change, doesn't it? But only here did the entire roster flee, save for one guy.
I am not surprised in the least. He hasn't coached yet. Not even a high school team. This was a monster reach and all these players know it.
The Utah State guy was the hire. We could have had him for little to nothing. We flopped and picked up a JV coach. Once again this University chooses something for one of its top revenue sports teams that has zero to do with the sport itself.
LOL LOL LOL
There isn't a coach out there that will run off players when they are in trouble of even having enough on the roster to play a season. Brandon Johnson was also the kind of hard working, blue collar guy that every program wants. You give him a scholarship even if you don't plan to play him at all. The work ethic alone is worth the scholly.
Johnnyboy18
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You should go look at Utah is doing this off-season and see if the savior Craig Smith would be doing better here.
GopherNuts
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Brandon Johnson's originally from Chicago, so he's returning home and Pohto's actually Swedish, he just went to prep school in Kansas.
Losing Gabe is a headscratcher regardless of whether he wanted a fresh start or not, fits the culture and has a previous relationship with two of the coaches on staff, that's a guy you should be able to keep but otherwise I can't understand the bellyaching about losing the rest of these guys. Ben's spoken multiple times about the importance of floor spacing and overall skill, I don't think we should be investing three years into Sam Freeman just because he's 7 foot tall...he's at Pacific now for a reason. Pohto's a much bigger loss than Freeman, Kenny fits exactly what this staff wants in a big but the familiarity wasn't there. I would have assumed that Gach would have stuck around but he doesn't fit the mold of what the staff is trying to build toward either.
Reality is that the majority of players Pitino recruited do not fit with what the new staff is looking for. Not a surprise that all those guys are filing out, we didn't and weren't going to ever win with those guys. They've all taken side steps in where they've gone or steps down.
PhiloVance
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After as many years that I've hoped for a consistent winner that lights is burning dimmer and dimmer. I should tune out for a couple of years and then see what's happened but being the fan I am I'll continue to put up with friends and families who support team that continually beat the Gophers.
Seen a number of coaches come and go from the U and then generally they've lasted longer than they should have.
Agree with all your points. The Gabe to ISU one is baffling, I would think if he wants a fresh start somewhere he would not go to ISU who is rebuilding. Hell go to St. Thomas if it is important to stay local, or go to an Ivy, or go to a good basketball school etc. It's the only one I don't understand at all.
I will never understand Gabe to ISU either. With Ben and especially Thorson coming on board, I thought he was a given. Oh well.
I don't see it that way. If you want a fresh start, a rebuilding program with some historical stature is the ideal place to go. You don't have much in the way of entrenched starters and most players are relatively equal on the first day of practice. I would say that staying local may have been the opposite of what he wanted and, although I'm not a big Gabe fan, St. Thomas would have been a big step down for him even if he were willing to stay local.
Lots of Minnesota students attend ISU (2,741 undergraduates according to a Fall 2019 enrollment report). It's an easy and reasonably short trip up I35 to the Twin Cities. He may even know people at ISU.
MNVCGUY
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It is always tough as a fan to turn off expectations when there is a coaching change. We all want things to happen right away but it is very rare when a coaching change doesn't lead to a couple of rough years during the transition.
As a long suffering football fan, it has been awesome to see the program finally showing signs of turning that corner that has seemed to elude the program for decades. Hopefully Johnson is able to do the same for basketball but it is going to take time and patience.
LOL. LOL. LOL. You have no idea what you are talking about.
alchemy2u
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A complete reshuffle of the roster in this strange portal situation and coaching change is not anything to be alarmed about.
Obviously, if the player leaves to a non-P5 program than either nobody wanted them or they did not want to stay at that level. This is a good indication that they may have been a marginal P5 player and not a critical to part of a reboot. Coach Johnson said he did a major dive into all of the players that were on the roster. Gabe looks to be a natural fit in the new mold, but remember what was Gabe’s major flaw? Shooting! Ben has repeatedly said that shooting is a fundamental requirement in his players. Another point is that even if Ben wanted some of the younger players to stay, he would not keep them if they had any doubt about the new direction.
Obviously, if the player leaves to a non-P5 program than either nobody wanted them or they did not want to stay at that level. This is a good indication that they may have been a marginal P5 player and not a critical to part of a reboot. Coach Johnson said he did a major dive into all of the players that were on the roster. Gabe looks to be a natural fit in the new mold, but remember what was Gabe’s major flaw? Shooting! Ben has repeatedly said that shooting is a fundamental requirement in his players. Another point is that even if Ben wanted some of the younger players to stay, he would not keep them if they had any doubt about the new direction.
I don't care what he does in the offseason. I care that he knows how to coach. Coach defense, coach smart play. Beat teams they shouldn't with lesser talent than they have.