Clipped-
The Gophers also need a big game from junior forward Trevor Mbakwe who, despite still leading the Big Ten in rebounding at 10.3 per game, has struggled of late. In the last two games, Mbakwe has averaged just 7.5 points and eight rebounds. Smith said Mbakwe has been trying too hard to draw fouls instead of playing the rugged, hard-nosed brand of basketball he showed earlier this season.
“He can’t be flopping around,” Smith said. “This is not drama school. We want to go in and play fundamental basketball.”
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All the talk surrounding the Gophers men’s basketball team’s loss of Al Nolen has become repetitive.
How do you replace a starting point guard? How do you account for his defense? Is senior Blake Hoffarber enough of a leader — or a good enough all-around player — to carry Minnesota to its third straight NCAA tournament bid?
In four games without Nolen, the Gophers are 1-3, so they’re certainly still looking for the answers to those questions.
But if they can fix the problems — turnovers, poor rebounding and lack of energy — that have surfaced without Nolen for tonight’s game against Illinois, the Gophers have a soft enough schedule remaining to enter the postseason on a hot streak.
“Stakes are high going into this game,” said junior forward Ralph Sampson who has been one of the Gophers’ steadiest scorers of late, averaging 12.2 points over the last six games.
Both teams are currently in the driver’s seat for an NCAA tourney bid, but the Illini (15-8 overall, 5-5 Big Ten) have lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven after being ranked as high as No. 12 earlier this season.
http://www.mndaily.com/2011/02/10/shot-momentum-starts-illini
The Gophers also need a big game from junior forward Trevor Mbakwe who, despite still leading the Big Ten in rebounding at 10.3 per game, has struggled of late. In the last two games, Mbakwe has averaged just 7.5 points and eight rebounds. Smith said Mbakwe has been trying too hard to draw fouls instead of playing the rugged, hard-nosed brand of basketball he showed earlier this season.
“He can’t be flopping around,” Smith said. “This is not drama school. We want to go in and play fundamental basketball.”
______
All the talk surrounding the Gophers men’s basketball team’s loss of Al Nolen has become repetitive.
How do you replace a starting point guard? How do you account for his defense? Is senior Blake Hoffarber enough of a leader — or a good enough all-around player — to carry Minnesota to its third straight NCAA tournament bid?
In four games without Nolen, the Gophers are 1-3, so they’re certainly still looking for the answers to those questions.
But if they can fix the problems — turnovers, poor rebounding and lack of energy — that have surfaced without Nolen for tonight’s game against Illinois, the Gophers have a soft enough schedule remaining to enter the postseason on a hot streak.
“Stakes are high going into this game,” said junior forward Ralph Sampson who has been one of the Gophers’ steadiest scorers of late, averaging 12.2 points over the last six games.
Both teams are currently in the driver’s seat for an NCAA tourney bid, but the Illini (15-8 overall, 5-5 Big Ten) have lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven after being ranked as high as No. 12 earlier this season.
http://www.mndaily.com/2011/02/10/shot-momentum-starts-illini