Elijah Hawkins Commits to Gophers!

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Mulligan said:
Yep, I really liked what I saw in that Ohio State game. But then you had the Wisconsin game. The Badgers just kept giving the ball to Wahl or Crowl down low and I don't remember one double team. It was almost a sure basket every time and no adjustment. A game was right there for us and we didn't grab it. If an old guy who played hockey sitting on his ass can see that something different needs to done; why can't a guy who has played and coached at a high college level see it? And I'm sure Johnson could see it, but why he let them keep doing it still bugs me.
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Exactly right! We could/should have beat Bucky that night. 🤬
 


MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
Everyone knows your opinion, it's getting old. CBJ is the guy going into the year and the players are all in. That's a good thing.
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I actually don't think you do. I think you believe anyone who points to a rain cloud is hoping it rains. I've given Ben tons of credit for bringing in certain guys and I am rooting for Ben. So no, I don't thnk you do know my opinion on Ben.

However, no one, should ever stop pointing out how idiotic it is to defend Ben the coach because Ben the recruiter was terrible last year. The two things - recruiting and coaching - are baked in together

This was a bizarre thing that the Pitino apologists did as well.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Oh yeah, I'm hoping we're better too.

However, I will not stop pointing out how idiotic it is to "defend" CBJ by saying we didn't have the talent. That's part 1(a) or part 1(b) of his job.
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I have not been a big Ben Johnson defender- except that I think he is a solid guy who if given a chance may be a real good coach long term. I have repeatedly said that I don't think we should have hired him at this stage in his career (no experience). That said- it is a fact that he had a combination of limited experienced talent, poor roster balance and youth last year. Roster balance is his fault.
Attracting older talent? That's very difficult with no track record except one bad season. I like the 9 recruits he has been able to sign so far (not able to keep Evans and Henley left but I liked them as well for their long term potential).

I like the youth from last year and think they have are likely to be a lot better. I like the adds- guards Mitchell and Hawkins. I think we have a shot at a pretty big improvement in wins.
 

bga1 said:
I like the youth from last year and think they have are likely to be a lot better. I like the adds- guards Mitchell and Hawkins. I think we have a shot at a pretty big improvement in wins.
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Agree, but excuse me for being a broken record….one more addition. Please. There has to be someone out there that can be a big help to this squad for this upcoming season.
 


bga1 said:
I have not been a big Ben Johnson defender- except that I think he is a solid guy who if given a chance may be a real good coach long term. I have repeatedly said that I don't think we should have hired him at this stage in his career (no experience). That said- it is a fact that he had a combination of limited experienced talent, poor roster balance and youth last year. Roster balance is his fault.
Attracting older talent? That's very difficult with no track record except one bad season. I like the 9 recruits he has been able to sign so far (not able to keep Evans and Henley left but I liked them as well for their long term potential).

I like the youth from last year and think they have are likely to be a lot better. I like the adds- guards Mitchell and Hawkins. I think we have a shot at a pretty big improvement in wins.
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Sure, I understand that there are reasons why it might have been difficult to bring in talent. Being a head basketball coach for a Big 10 school is a difficult job.

All of those things are under his control and as you pointed out they all have varying degrees of difficulty and various different reasons why they weren't accomplished last season. All of that said, all of them are part of his job. It all flows under the job description of being a college basketball coach.

Do I agree with your reasons? Not really. I see no reason why Ben could attract veteran talent in year 1 and year 3 (after terrible results) but not in year 2. It's okay, if year 3 is better and we actually win, it's water under the bridge.

But we need to start winning regardless and it's Ben's fault if we don't regardless of whether it's a coaching or a talent issue.

(You also committed my second least favorite defense of a head coach - patting their back for recruiting "wins" that didn't help us win basketball games.)
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Sure, I understand that there are reasons why it might have been difficult to bring in talent. Being a head basketball coach for a Big 10 school is a difficult job.

All of those things are under his control and as you pointed out they all have varying degrees of difficulty and various different reasons why they weren't accomplished last season. All of that said, all of them are part of his job. It all flows under the job description of being a college basketball coach.

Do I agree with your reasons? Not really. I see no reason why Ben could attract veteran talent in year 1 and year 3 (after terrible results) but not in year 2. It's okay, if year 3 is better and we actually win, it's water under the bridge.

But we need to start winning regardless and it's Ben's fault if we don't regardless of whether it's a coaching or a talent issue.

(You also committed my second least favorite defense of a head coach - patting their back for recruiting "wins" that didn't help us win basketball games.)
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Your problem really isn’t CBJ, it is who hired him. Never a word about that. In other words you aren’t tracking.
 

Rockraven said:
Your problem really isn’t CBJ, it is who hired him. Never a word about that. In other words you aren’t tracking.
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The administration's fumbling of this hire has been discussed ad nauseum. But as many have also stated, Ben is our coach now and we have to live with that, therefore criticism of the administration at this point is moot unless you want more complaints of them not firing Ben fast enough.
 

GopherBlood666 said:
The administration's fumbling of this hire has been discussed ad nauseum. But as many have also stated, Ben is our coach now and we have to live with that, therefore criticism of the administration at this point is moot unless you want more complaints of them not firing Ben fast enough.
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Yes, don’t take the focus off firing a black diversity hire. Minnesota culture showing. Not a big fan of your Mark of the Beast username.
 
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Bob_Loblaw said:
I actually don't think you do. I think you believe anyone who points to a rain cloud is hoping it rains. I've given Ben tons of credit for bringing in certain guys and I am rooting for Ben. So no, I don't thnk you do know my opinion on Ben.

However, no one, should ever stop pointing out how idiotic it is to defend Ben the coach because Ben the recruiter was terrible last year. The two things - recruiting and coaching - are baked in together

This was a bizarre thing that the Pitino apologists did as well.
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It's not the negativity, I don't care about that. I just don't think an "Elijah Hawkins commits" thread needs to be clouded with the same tired "fire the coach" takes. This guy seems like a solid player with a great attitude about our current situation.
 

MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
It's not the negativity, I don't care about that. I just don't think an "Elijah Hawkins commits" thread needs to be clouded with the same tired "fire the coach" takes. This guy seems like a solid player with a great attitude about our current situation.
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That's an astute post! Well said.
 

MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
It's not the negativity, I don't care about that. I just don't think an "Elijah Hawkins commits" thread needs to be clouded with the same tired "fire the coach" takes. This guy seems like a solid player with a great attitude about our current situation.
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No offense, but it feels you're pretending to be concerned about the purity of the thread because someone typed something you didn't like.

I had several posts about Elijah Hawkins and I agree with your assessment of him. I just rode the waves of this thread (like everyone else) and replied to bga whose post was not about Hawkins.
 

Mulligan said:
Yep, I really liked what I saw in that Ohio State game. But then you had the Wisconsin game. The Badgers just kept giving the ball to Wahl or Crowl down low and I don't remember one double team. It was almost a sure basket every time and no adjustment. A game was right there for us and we didn't grab it. If an old guy who played hockey sitting on his ass can see that something different needs to done; why can't a guy who has played and coached at a high college level see it? And I'm sure Johnson could see it, but why he let them keep doing it still bugs me.
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I agree that they could have doubled more in that game with Wahl and Crowl. And it's also true that you have to pick your poison, because when you double team the post you give up open 3's, and that is often much worse. I'm not saying the game plan was perfect, but these guys are not idiots who know nothing about basketball.

I've seen teams get destroyed double teaming the posts by providing open shots, but every situation is different. In both games the Badgers scored 68 and 66 points, and while that team isn't a high scoring group, that's not exactly giving up sure baskets at a high rate. I just wanted to give a bit of perspective on that, and I understand the frustration in watching it.
 



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