Can we please, please, PLEASE find one more guard for next year

[HOOP DREAMS]

Lockett a pg?

That was in response to who would be our emergency back up question if Dre were to get hurt. We would be covered with Welch and Lockett (if he comes).

Dre will be our primary PG next year.

What if Dre gets hurt? What if he's in foul trouble? What if...what if? 30 minutes a game is a lot if everything goes perfect & it won't. Welch is serviceable but he's no star. Next years team could be special, our weak link is the lack of a 2nd PG.

 

[Bad Gopher]

I think the problem with blowing leads comes from the top down. Tubby's mentality is to milk the clock 30 seconds and try to find an open shot late in the shot clock. You could see Tubby saying "no-no-no" when Austin shot that quick 3 with about 3 minutes left. I had no problem with it because it was an open look and he was in rhythm...the result was a rimout that time, but keep shooting those Austin or Welch have proved they can hit 40% or better. They will fall and the pressure will subside. The slowing it down strategy might work if the Gophers had more experienced and better ball-handlers. We don't have the personnel to play the Wisconsin, milking-the-shot-clock way effectively. The Gophers built up their lead by playing the transition game and getting good shots off transition chances.

For once, I would like to see Tubby tell them to keep pushing it all the way til the last 60 seconds of the game. I'd rather go down doing what got us there then change things up, stagnate and gradually see our lead evaporate. I'd rather lose the lead 3 minutes left than in the last minute.

Couldn't agree more. When they went into the prevent offense with 20 minutes to play, you could see this train wreck coming from a mile away. If they just kept doing what they had been doing, they win by 15. The prevent makes good players look bad by putting them in a bad position. The opposing defenses know to play passing lanes because there's no way the Gophers are going to make a play for the goal with more than 10 seconds left on the shot clock.

As for the topic at hand, Welch just needs to get better. He needs to be the second ball handler, and he needs to work on it in the off season. After the game, I had a mental image of the last scenes of The Polar Express where the conductor is punching messages into the passengers' tickets. The words you punch into Welch's ticket are "ballhandling" and "decisionmaking." You also get him into hypnotherapy to cure that mental block sitting on the foul line with a chance to ice the game.

 

[MadtownGopher]

Say what?

PiPress Gophers Now ‏ @GophersNow
Andre Hollins is a "true point guard" now, Tubby said. You agree?

Sorry I'll take the opinion of a National Champion head coach over anyone on here. Andre is a PG, if you haven't seen it the last 6 games, you either are an idiot or go to too many of your wife's hockey games, or both.

 

[NurumbiCongo]

He needs to be the second ball handler, and he needs to work on it in the off season. After the game, I had a mental image of the last scenes of The Polar Express where the conductor is punching messages into the passengers' tickets. The words you punch into Welch's ticket are "ballhandling" and "decisionmaking." You also get him into hypnotherapy to cure that mental block sitting on the foul line with a chance to ice the game.

Is what bothers me the most about Welch. Austin has really improved his handeling form last year, hope he keeps working on it for next season.

Quote from Moses87- You could see Tubby saying "no-no-no" when Austin shot that quick 3 with about 3 minutes left. I had no problem with it because it was an open look and he was in rhythm...the result was a rimout that time, but keep shooting those Austin

Completely agree.

 

[SelectionSunday]

MSu lost because of lack of floor general in my opinion.

On that we agree. Sparty was at its best when Appling played well (and before Dawson got hurt). When Appling didn't play well -- which was the case vs. Louisville -- they usually struggled. Such is life when you have a career SG transitioning to his first full season as a PG. Appling will get better at the 1, so will Andre.

 

[Juicer]

If Tyus Jones comes in 2014 to MSU, Appling will blow up at the 2. MSu lost because of lack of floor general in my opinion.

Appling is a sophomore. So is Tyus (in high school). They would not overlap at MSU.

 

[leftyslefty]

This confirms that minngg was banned for stupidity!

 

[Holy Man]

On that we agree. Sparty was at its best when Appling played well (and before Dawson got hurt). When Appling didn't play well -- which was the case vs. Louisville -- they usually struggled. Such is life when you have a career SG transitioning to his first full season as a PG. Appling will get better at the 1, so will Andre.

Andre really needs to work on the left hand, though. I saw the second half last night and appreciated for the first time with the help of Fraschilla, how right dominant Andre is. He needs to get a little more versatile going to the basket to be more successful in the B1G. It's nice to see how good these guys are when they are completely healthy. I think I underestimated the significance of Andre's ankle injury in the preseason because he didn't lose any full games.

 

[freshtrout]

Watching last nights game reminded me of many times during the season our guards did dribble right into double teams that created TO's. Last night the TO total was what .. 20? Really lucky to win that game last night. I'd send Joe Coleman and Julian Welch to a dribbling/passing school in the off season, that is if anything like that exists. Frustrating as a viewer to say the least, let alone how the coaching staff must feel.

 

[GophersInIowa]

he'll never get 20-25 minutes anymore unless one or both of Rodney/Trevor don't play next year. No space for him: Dre 30+, Austin 25+, Coleman 20+, Rodney 35+, Trevor 25-30+, EE 20+, then there's Mo and maybe Chip, Oto with 10+, Ingram with 10+ and by the time you're done with all there really isn't much time left.

I'm guessing Rodney will split time between the 3 and 4 next year. Therefore, you have essentially 3 players player for two positions: Andre Hollins, Coleman, and Welch. Unless they decide to use Williams exclusively at the 3, Welch will get his minutes and should.

 

[EG#9]

You've got to have a PG at the end of the game that can absolutely knock down FTs to close out tight games and that's where Andre is excellent. Still gets himself in trouble picking up the ball or dribbling into double-teams, but he'll mature and learn. But if he gets in foul trouble, we're toast. Coleman is not a ball handler, Welch is turnover prone and Austin is much better as a catch & shoot 2 guard. Definitely need to find someone else who can handle the point in our reconfigured team for next season. And I don't see that including Chip or Mav.

This is what I was suggesting. I think an argument can be had on whether or not Andre is a "true" pg, but I don't think that's particularly important at this time. I just feel like the need for a second guard who is comfortable handling the ball (and ideally has some quickness) is glaring. A second option at the point (who can then play with 'Dre as needed) would make a major impact on this team.

 

[freshtrout]

Yes, another true pt guard that can handle double teams is imperative. I wish that Julian (if he drops a few pounds) would be the guy, but I just don't see it.