So then we’re just stuck with shit soup and move on to next year.
Coach Dawn Plitzuweit's First Season
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Gopheritnow
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Well for one thing she is playing less minutes at PG in all likelihood. But as to your point that she can’t stay sitting because Sanders is a human TO factory, it’s correct. But don’t forget that the same applies the other way. Every time Sanders sits down, Battle coughs one up. IIRC Battle had 6 last night and Sanders 4? Coach P shuffled them in and out faster than the lady at the DMV says NEXT! It didn’t help. You seriously cannot say that either one of these players can lead a competitive BiG team?
Unfortunately her shooting percentages have regressed and she has said in numerous articles she worked on that over the summer. Am sure that is frustrating for her.
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gopherdudepart2
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You guys want to complain about a point guard not distributing the ball it is Jazmine Powell on ESPN right now with Tennessee. Looks just like Sanders on putting head down and driving. Even the announcers are saying they do not understand Jazmine Powell's shot selection right now. Powell has more scorers and people to distribute the ball to and she melted down and tried to play hero ball. Then pouted about her missed shots. Battle does none of this pouting or hero stuff. Sometimes things are not what they seem. We do not have many that can create own shot or confidence in scoring.
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Gophers112233
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THIS THIS THIS THIS... I will take Amaya over Powell..
Amaya doesn't melt down or pout or not hustle back..
we just don't have the options right now with Mara hurt.. Mara got hurt and GG and Mal all MOVED up the scouting reports for teams.
yes Amaya turns the ball over but she isn't making some wild crazy passes like she did last year.. another offseason with this coaching staff will help her.. remember she's still a So..
look at Powell a 5th year player and is still making the same mistakes and plays like she is a freshman for Tenn..
Gopheritnow
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Powell rings a bell? One of the valuable players Whalen "let leave"?
Whalen wouldn't put up with her pouting & disrespect, among other things
We seem to be bashing Sanders and Battle pretty good here? Coach P recruited Sanders.
I'd say Coach P is responsible for how both point guards run the offense? As a coach if you can't teach the point guard to play without dribbling to no where or for no purpose....to me that's not the players fault.
Our offense was problematic when Braun was healthy. Braun had to desperately hunt open shots and rarely found open looks with no help from the coach....that's scheme. That's also the horrible screening fundamentals mentioned earlier above about the team's execution.
Nothing is going to change without some portal additions....which means some people have to move on. Another Grace clone as a freshmen may help score some points on occasion but it's going to be tough to defend with both of them on the floor.
I'd say Coach P is responsible for how both point guards run the offense? As a coach if you can't teach the point guard to play without dribbling to no where or for no purpose....to me that's not the players fault.
Our offense was problematic when Braun was healthy. Braun had to desperately hunt open shots and rarely found open looks with no help from the coach....that's scheme. That's also the horrible screening fundamentals mentioned earlier above about the team's execution.
Nothing is going to change without some portal additions....which means some people have to move on. Another Grace clone as a freshmen may help score some points on occasion but it's going to be tough to defend with both of them on the floor.
Your point about offense is a good one to keep in mind through the haze created by the Braun and Hart injuries.
Pre-Braun injury, the team was more organized, somewhat (but not massively) better on defense in conference play, and better at not turning the ball over. But the offense was still a work in progress. The Gophers simply do not put a lot of pressure on the other team and force them into bad matchups. As a result, together with pace of play, the Gophers are last in free throw attempts in BIG play. Gopher opponents also shoot the fewest free throws in league play (Gophers are net minus 20, 11th in conference free-throw differential).
Next season, hopefully with a couple of portal additions, Coach P needs to do more to get better looks and some easy baskets. Field-goal percentage in the low 40s makes it really hard (not impossible, i.e. Nebraska this year) to get to the top half of the league.
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MaxyJR1
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Coach P will be fine in my opinion. Team has been pretty consistent all year and without Braun is only down 2.5 points per game in conference play in their level of play. However, on defense we are giving up 4 more points per conference game without Braun.
Now sure if Baun's injury was coming or if it was simply a one-time game thing that caused it. She was basically the leading scorer once since conference play started and that was Jan. 3. Didn't lead the team in any of her last 6 games. However, her stats across the board are better than last year.
Defense is where she tied the team together and hopefully, she fully recovers and is ready to go next season.
Now sure if Baun's injury was coming or if it was simply a one-time game thing that caused it. She was basically the leading scorer once since conference play started and that was Jan. 3. Didn't lead the team in any of her last 6 games. However, her stats across the board are better than last year.
Defense is where she tied the team together and hopefully, she fully recovers and is ready to go next season.
Maybe the
Maybe her 4 teammates are starring at her and not moving because they've learned that no matter how open they are or how much they cut to the basket, they are not going to receive a pass. Once she puts her head down and starts her dribbling routine, her teammates may as well go down to the other end and set up their defense. She and Sanders can not be much fun to play with.
Good point about her last 6 games, meaning 6 of her 9 BIG games this season. With her slump in conference play, Braun's conference-game shooting numbers were materially worse this year, and they weren't good last year:
It is a mystery to me how someone with Braun's obvious offensive skills has yet to get anywhere close to shooting 40% from 2. Still, even with her struggles, her absence was a big blow to the team.
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You do know that Coach P was a point guard right. My son plays hockey and he has several kids on his team that don’t pass the puck, they have their heads down while going up ice. They don’t see anyone else because of it. It’s called fundamentals and if you can’t dribble while keeping your head up that’s not the coaches fault. That should have been learned in pony league ball. That’s on the player.
What I remember about this year at the start is good effort, better defense.
Ignatius mentioned Coach P on the radio talking about wanting to install the motion offense, whatever they intended with that. I remember Ignatious another time saying how well Maryland moved the ball.
And Minnesota never got to that. It just is what it is. Minnesota is not Maryland.
I don't think anything after the Braun injury can make sense. I pay no attention to it.
What will the offense look like, no idea. Probably a lot of players doing what they can.
Ignatius mentioned Coach P on the radio talking about wanting to install the motion offense, whatever they intended with that. I remember Ignatious another time saying how well Maryland moved the ball.
And Minnesota never got to that. It just is what it is. Minnesota is not Maryland.
I don't think anything after the Braun injury can make sense. I pay no attention to it.
What will the offense look like, no idea. Probably a lot of players doing what they can.
We are just going to have to disagree... (1) you get what you emphasize in coaching. Battle absolutely has the ability to dribble a basketball with her head up. She absolutely is coachable.
Dribbling without purpose is lack of coaching emphasis.
(2) You are telling me Battle can't dribble with her head up?? Okay, let's say that is true. I disagree.
But, we seem to agree it is an important fundamental aspect of being a point guard...correct?
So, you are saying that after 8 months of practice these college point guards are incapable of conquering that basic fundamental in daily point guard drills over 200 plus days?
It is a lack of attention to detail. It is not a point of emphasis. So, evidently there is a different philosophy...the point guard is dribbling and waiting for cutters or screens or some action that is constantly late or doesn't happen. But the fact there is no change in the Gopher offense point guard play is 100% not the responsibility of the players after 8 months.
High school basketball and coaching girls who do not play summer basketball. You have 10 days to figure out who your ball handler is. In that time you drill a between the legs dribble so they can crossover without getting it stolen/turning it over so you can run offense on both sides of the floor or to get a passing angle. You teach your cutters how to set up the entry pass, the point guard passes to the hand target away from the defense. Receiver learns to pivot and squareup. Your offense is initiated in less than 3 dribbles by someone learning for two weeks. It is an emphasis, it's drilled daily and often.
It's critical and very teachable. Timing is paramount. Over played and you coordinate back doors. Too hard you work on dribble handoffs. 100% there is a solution kids can learn in a few weeks time.
Not on the player. It's up to coaches to teach the fundamentals at all levels. You want kids to just somehow discover these needs? It's not on the kids for skating with their heads down...it's on the coaches. They need direction....awareness of what they are doing wrong. Constant emphasis.
What makes you think Coach P. Isn’t coaching the point guards up in practice? Are you there to see what she does? Do you think she’s ok with all those turnovers in the games? I know Battle can play better because she had some good games (played under control and was real smooth) when Braun was playing. I’m thinking she gets rattled for some reason. She needs to calm down.
Whoops! Should be coachs.
I guess coaches was right after all.
Speaking of coaching...Gopherhole has an edit function.
I wasn’t aware of it. I’m sorry I’m not perfect. Maybe I’d be better if I was younger. Will be 80 in August.
007gopherfan
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A lot of changes and a lot to learn in a year. This team has a lot of potential going forward!
Gophers112233
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before Mara got hurt.. we were PROJECTED to make the tournament.. let's remember that folks
Maya_aflakpi
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Gophers Fall to Iowa Hawkeyes: Reporter Maya Aflakpi Witnesses Historic Hoops by Caitlin Clark - GopherHole.com
MINNEAPOLIS—On February 28, there was a cold wind in the air over Minnesota with cloudy skies. It was the type of weather where you just hope your body somehow gets warm, teeth clenching as you try to keep yourself distracted. Two hours before game time, hundreds of bundled-up fans were outside...
With a decimated roster, Gophers beat Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament.
mndaily.com
Next season the gang gets together. McKenna Johnson and Tori McKinney are coming in. Both have some unknowns to their games.
The expectation is that Johnson is a shooter and will load on the points. But the sample size of her work is not very large. Can she be a scorching shooting guard at the college level? How much can she do in her first season? How long until she can play defense well in the tough Big Ten? What will she look like in a couple seasons?
McKinney is stout at defense. How much can she score? She's been doing well later in her high school season, scoring into double-digits but not a high-20's type player at this time. Gotta a love a strong defender with perhaps upside to her scoring.
In another thread, BigTenGuy posted this:
Johnson is #61 at ESPN.
So the gang gets together next season. Braun will be back. The team has a high number of freshmen a season older. Kennedy back from injury will be a redshirt freshman. I don't know what to expect from the last wave of Whalen recruits Dalan, Madol... The sophomore starters will become juniors.
G-Money will be a sophomore.
What can be expected from post player depth? It's unclear. Johnson? Holloway? I don't know.
Last off-season the Gophers had a hard time attracting a much-wanted transfer portal player. It looked like they especially wanted a guard-perimeter shooter type. Can they land one good player from the portal this offseason??
It takes a little time to build a roster. Top goal is to first keep what they have.
People need to be supportive with Battle's development. She's not a perimeter wing flinging it up. If she's expected to manufacture points in medium-range space while at the same time moving the ball...
The team hasn't been consistent at moving the ball around yet. That's more the holy grail of women's basketball. Not everyone can move it around like South Carolina. Maybe we'll see that in two seasons.
This team then follows "win the best way we can with what we got." Fans complain they're not doing this or that, but at some point you find a way until you are further along in development or just not going to be great at something. It's refreshing to see them bring their best.
And then the season after next, Coach P has highly-regarded (94 grade) Makena Christian coming in.
Gophers women’s basketball defeats Rutgers, loses to Michigan in Big Ten Tournament
The Gophers women’s basketball team earned their first tournament victory in four years.
mndaily.com
Next season the gang gets together. McKenna Johnson and Tori McKinney are coming in. Both have some unknowns to their games.
The expectation is that Johnson is a shooter and will load on the points. But the sample size of her work is not very large. Can she be a scorching shooting guard at the college level? How much can she do in her first season? How long until she can play defense well in the tough Big Ten? What will she look like in a couple seasons?
McKinney is stout at defense. How much can she score? She's been doing well later in her high school season, scoring into double-digits but not a high-20's type player at this time. Gotta a love a strong defender with perhaps upside to her scoring.
In another thread, BigTenGuy posted this:
Johnson is #61 at ESPN.
So the gang gets together next season. Braun will be back. The team has a high number of freshmen a season older. Kennedy back from injury will be a redshirt freshman. I don't know what to expect from the last wave of Whalen recruits Dalan, Madol... The sophomore starters will become juniors.
G-Money will be a sophomore.
What can be expected from post player depth? It's unclear. Johnson? Holloway? I don't know.
Last off-season the Gophers had a hard time attracting a much-wanted transfer portal player. It looked like they especially wanted a guard-perimeter shooter type. Can they land one good player from the portal this offseason??
It takes a little time to build a roster. Top goal is to first keep what they have.
People need to be supportive with Battle's development. She's not a perimeter wing flinging it up. If she's expected to manufacture points in medium-range space while at the same time moving the ball...
The team hasn't been consistent at moving the ball around yet. That's more the holy grail of women's basketball. Not everyone can move it around like South Carolina. Maybe we'll see that in two seasons.
This team then follows "win the best way we can with what we got." Fans complain they're not doing this or that, but at some point you find a way until you are further along in development or just not going to be great at something. It's refreshing to see them bring their best.
And then the season after next, Coach P has highly-regarded (94 grade) Makena Christian coming in.
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Mnwhiteshoes
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I like Coach P! The last 2 games demonstrated her ability to coach. She took the team by the ears and made them step up.
We were the youngest team in the B1G. Coach had to learn how to play in this conference. Then teach the team her style. Then lead them out of the quagmire back into performers.
I'm excited for the possible play in the NIT. But most of all, next year's team!
We were the youngest team in the B1G. Coach had to learn how to play in this conference. Then teach the team her style. Then lead them out of the quagmire back into performers.
I'm excited for the possible play in the NIT. But most of all, next year's team!