BREAKING!!!! Dennis Evans ask for release….

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Mountaineer Gopher said:
Did I read that right? Evan's team this year is 17-14? Is that correct?
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yep, and he's averaging 14 points per game as a savior.

I'm starting to sour on this guy. Let's see how it all plays out.
 

kg21 said:
yep, and he's averaging 14 points per game as a savior.

I'm starting to sour on this guy. Let's see how it all plays out.
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FWIW - a lot of the evaluators put more stock in AAU play than they do in HS play. In AAU, a top recruit is typically surrounded by better talent. AAU play is also a little more individually-based.

haven't seen his HS team play, so I can't say how good the rest of the team is or what type of style they play.

in Evans' case, enough people saw enough of him in AAU to make him a top-20 level national recruit. could they be wrong? sure. but I really don't think they're all wrong. there has to be something there.
 





howeda7 said:
If he tries to go to Illinois or anywhere in the B1G, I hope the Gophers reject his request and make him appeal.
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Um, I reckon the timetable for his decision might have some relation to whenever Minnesota graciously releases him from his commitment. Seeing this out-in-the-open tampering, if I'm the Gophers, I drag my feet on this. Facilitating his treachery ain't my priority. I've got more pressing things to do today than respond to his and his bagmen's request.
 

Henry Lake on WCCO Radio tonight argued that Evans bolting is a good thing. Because he's not that good and everyone had ridiculous expectations for him and would have been screaming for Ben's head if they didn't finish in the upper half of the B1G.

I agree that he wasn't going to be a program changer at least in year one. But the rest of that is bunk. The only ones over-hyping him were one or two folks on here who we all know. I think 90% of the tiny remaining fan base knew he was a bit of a project. It hurts because of what it says about Ben and the program. Not because it drastically alters our record next season.

And it's pretty telling that he tried to take calls/texts on this and there were none. That is the issue here.
 

howeda7 said:
Henry Lake on WCCO Radio tonight argued that Evans bolting is a good thing. Because he's not that good and everyone had ridiculous expectations for him and would have been screaming for Ben's head if they didn't finish in the upper half of the B1G.

I agree that he wasn't going to be a program changer at least in year one. But the rest of that is bunk. The only ones over-hyping him were one or two folks on here who we all know. I think 90% of the tiny remaining fan base knew he was a bit of a project. It hurts because of what it says about Ben and the program. Not because it drastically alters our record next season.

And it's pretty telling that he tried to take calls/texts on this and there were none. That is the issue here.
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Agreed on the bolded. It is the ultimate firable offense. It is unwatchable basketball. This has the very possible outcome of destroying an entire generation of future Gopher fans.
 

howeda7 said:
If he tries to go to Illinois or anywhere in the B1G, I hope the Gophers reject his request and make him appeal.
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The Big Ten should have a conference rule, in all sports, that any transfer within the conference is an automatic sit-out for the next season.

The NCAA can't prevent it. I doubt even the Supreme Court could prevent that, unless some states make state laws against it I suppose.
 



with Evans, there are two separate issues that are being conflated by some.

1. his on-court contributions to the team. impossible to say, but he would have - at least - brought more of a shot-blocking presence.

2. what he represented for the future of the program. the very notion that MN could sign a high 4* or even 5* player to a letter of intent was seen as a ray of hope. when that player backs out, it is seen as an omen of bad tidings.

I could argue that Evans was potentially more important for #2 - what he represented - than for #1 - his actual on-court contributions. and now the Gophers have lost both. that's what makes this situation seem worse.
 

Gophers_4life said:
The Big Ten should have a conference rule, in all sports, that any transfer within the conference is an automatic sit-out for the next season.
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I believe they used to have a rule you had to sit out TWO years to transfer in conference, effectively banning it. I'm not sure they can do anything in the new wild, wild west.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
with Evans, there are two separate issues that are being conflated by some.

1. his on-court contributions to the team. impossible to say, but he would have - at least - brought more of a shot-blocking presence.

2. what he represented for the future of the program. the very notion that MN could sign a high 4* or even 5* player to a letter of intent was seen as a ray of hope. when that player backs out, it is seen as an omen of bad tidings.

I could argue that Evans was potentially more important for #2 - what he represented - than for #1 - his actual on-court contributions. and now the Gophers have lost both. that's what makes this situation seem worse.
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I think almost everyone is on board for 2. Very few have sounded the alarm because we lost a perceived immediate impact player. A helpful defensive presence for 10-15 minutes a game? Yes.

It's the optics of him backing out combined with a brutal season that did not meet ground level expectations that has us living at the ledge.
 




Any chance Ben could hire former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis to join his staff. Ole Miss just lost a 4* guard and a 4* center because of the firing.

I believe they would slot in nicely here!
 


Gophers_4life said:
The Big Ten should have a conference rule, in all sports, that any transfer within the conference is an automatic sit-out for the next season.

The NCAA can't prevent it. I doubt even the Supreme Court could prevent that, unless some states make state laws against it I suppose.
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Didn't there used to be? I swear Willie Mitchell tried to transfer here from Michigan but ended up at Mizzou. Of course that could have been Michigan preventing that as okey and recker transferred in conference around the same era.
 

howeda7 said:
I believe they used to have a rule you had to sit out TWO years to transfer in conference, effectively banning it. I'm not sure they can do anything in the new wild, wild west.
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This sounds accurate and perhaps that's why Willie Mitchell didn't end up here in my previous message.
 

Otis said:
Any chance Ben could hire former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis to join his staff. Ole Miss just lost a 4* guard and a 4* center because of the firing.

I believe they would slot in nicely here!
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Something needs to change next year, and that something is probably the assistant coaches. Ben will still be here.
 


howeda7 said:
Henry Lake on WCCO Radio tonight argued that Evans bolting is a good thing. Because he's not that good and everyone had ridiculous expectations for him and would have been screaming for Ben's head if they didn't finish in the upper half of the B1G.

I agree that he wasn't going to be a program changer at least in year one. But the rest of that is bunk. The only ones over-hyping him were one or two folks on here who we all know. I think 90% of the tiny remaining fan base knew he was a bit of a project. It hurts because of what it says about Ben and the program. Not because it drastically alters our record next season.

And it's pretty telling that he tried to take calls/texts on this and there were none. That is the issue here.
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The apologists are hilarious! First Evans was the most incredible recruit in Gopher history, next it’s good riddance he is terrible. What ever narrative is needed to protect Ben. It’s hilarious because posters have been posting that people need to settle down on Evans because he would be a freshman and he wasn’t even the top scorer on a near .500 high school team, but the nonsense didn’t stop, but now he bails and suddenly revelation comes and people stating these facts like it’s new insight; it’s not it’s just that people wanted to ignore it.

So does Lake now think Ben gets a reprieve from any accountability because he lost his best recruit? He now has a one person recruiting class that may be rated the worst class in the B1G, but that is good so now people won’t be “calling for Ben’s head”?

Now they are saying Christie is going to start and be a big upgrade. If Christie is starting next year we are in trouble, he is not B1G ready, but people are going to Evans him too, unless he bails, then I suppose we’ll have dodged a bullet because he wasn’t ready.
 
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howeda7 said:
I believe they used to have a rule you had to sit out TWO years to transfer in conference, effectively banning it. I'm not sure they can do anything in the new wild, wild west.
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Two would be excessive, I think one is an acceptable cost for transferring schools.

I don't see what would prevent them.


Each school would be just as likely to benefit from such a rule as it would suffer. Think about Ohio State and Michigan -- probably more likely to lose players in the portal, and no doubt will face some former players on the other team. They might lose out on a transfer here or there, but I don't see the Mich or Ohio state legislatures passing laws or suing the conference to prevent it.
 

howeda7 said:
Henry Lake on WCCO Radio tonight argued that Evans bolting is a good thing. Because he's not that good and everyone had ridiculous expectations for him and would have been screaming for Ben's head if they didn't finish in the upper half of the B1G.
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So the fact he lost his prized recruit now allows Ben to "meet expectations" in the lower half of the Big Ten next year and THAT is a good thing for the Gophers in some way??
 

Gopher Teeth said:
The apologists are hilarious! First Evans was the most incredible recruit in Gopher history, next it’s good riddance he is terrible. What ever narrative is needed to protect Ben. It’s hilarious because posters have been posting that people need to settle down on Evans because he would be a freshman and he wasn’t even the top scorer on a near .500 high school team, but the nonsense didn’t stop, but now he bails and suddenly revelation comes and people stating these facts like it’s new insight; it’s not it’s just that people wanted to ignore it.

So does Lake now think Ben gets a reprieve from any accountability because he lost his best recruit? He now has a one person recruiting class that may be rated the worst class in the B1G, but that is good so now people won’t be “calling for Ben’s head”?

Now they are saying Christie is going to start and be a big upgrade. If Christie is starting next year we are in trouble, he is not B1G ready, but people are going to Evans him too unless he bails, then I suppose we’ll have dodged a bullet because he wasn’t ready.
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All of this shit rests on the slippery slope down to "Minnesota can't compete in the Big Ten, and that's not Ben's fault," which is right down the slope from "why would anyone ever want to come and play or live here?" Feeling sorry for Ben for...what is it, again? Being a victim of the circumstance of being hired here, I guess?...just folds neatly into that larger narrative.
 

tjgopher said:
So the fact he lost his prized recruit now allows Ben to "meet expectations" in the lower half of the Big Ten next year and THAT is a good thing for the Gophers in some way??
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Apparently. Lake and Ben are friends though.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Two would be excessive, I think one is an acceptable cost for transferring schools.

I don't see what would prevent them.


Each school would be just as likely to benefit from such a rule as it would suffer. Think about Ohio State and Michigan -- probably more likely to lose players in the portal, and no doubt will face some former players on the other team. They might lose out on a transfer here or there, but I don't see the Mich or Ohio state legislatures passing laws or suing the conference to prevent it.
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That was back when you had to sit out a year regardless. The point was to discourage transferring within the conference.
 

Otis said:
Any chance Ben could hire former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis to join his staff. Ole Miss just lost a 4* guard and a 4* center because of the firing.

I believe they would slot in nicely here!
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And I think Kermit is pretty highly regarded as a coach. A twofer. Who does he send packing?
 

Bad Gopher said:
All of this shit rests on the slippery slope down to "Minnesota can't compete in the Big Ten, and that's not Ben's fault," which is right down the slope from "why would anyone ever want to come and play or live here?" Feeling sorry for Ben for...what is it, again? Being a victim of the circumstance of being hired here, I guess?...just folds neatly into that larger narrative.
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I’m shocked the crappy winter hasn’t been brought up more frequently.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
with Evans, there are two separate issues that are being conflated by some.

1. his on-court contributions to the team. impossible to say, but he would have - at least - brought more of a shot-blocking presence.

2. what he represented for the future of the program. the very notion that MN could sign a high 4* or even 5* player to a letter of intent was seen as a ray of hope. when that player backs out, it is seen as an omen of bad tidings.

I could argue that Evans was potentially more important for #2 - what he represented - than for #1 - his actual on-court contributions. and now the Gophers have lost both. that's what makes this situation seem worse.
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exactly! from the get go #2 was always a huge thing......

now you have a 5 star kid who backs out of a commitment (which rarely ever happens unless the coach is fired) from a team that has sucked all year and from the gophers stand point looks really bad now!
 

Holy Man said:
And I think Kermit is pretty highly regarded as a coach. A twofer. Who does he send packing?
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would it matter if it means we got kermit?....odds are good 1 or 2 of them will be looking to get out of this situation anyway!
 

Holy Man said:
I’m shocked the crappy winter hasn’t been brought up more frequently.
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Isn't every winter crappy to a degree? I'd rather be here than Seattle. The Corps of Discovery made it fine through the upper midwest winter at Fort Mandan (except for only one frostbite amputation!) but nearly went buggy at Fort Clatsop.

I've enjoyed that it hasn't been too bitterly cold very often. The snow? It helps to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise, and would I even do that if I didn't have to shovel?
 

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