ESPN: Tubby Smith has depth to win in March

[BleedGopher]

per Myron:

This might be the team Smith thought he’d recruited in past years but eventually lost because of legal drama, injuries and transfers. This might be the team he’d vowed to assemble when he arrived in 2007. And it might be the squad that is -- for the first time -- potentially as good as his preseason vision.

But this is not the same Smith. He is laid back and loose. He stomps less and claps more. He opens up the locker room to the media now. He tells funny stories, like the one about his growing mustache, which his wife, Donna, apparently hates.

Smith, it seems, is comfortable.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...d/69203/tubby-smith-has-depth-to-win-in-march

Go Gophers!!

 

[SelectionSunday]

I like this team, a lot. It has a chance to be a special season, not Final Four special, but special nonetheless. But first things first. I want to see this team win in late January/February (contending time) before I worry about whether they can win in March.

I'll become sold things are gonna' be different when I see the Gophers beat Michigan State to open the Big Ten season. A statement game right out of the chute, on your home court. This is that rare year when I look at the Gophers' top 4-5 players and then I take a look at Sparty's top 4-5 players, and I say to myself, "We're better than them," not to mention we have guys with a ton of playing experience. Not just experience, talented experience.

Except for (perhaps) the USC game, everything now until New Year's Eve is simply window dressing.

 

[matt]

per Myron:

This might be the team Smith thought he’d recruited in past years but eventually lost because of legal drama, injuries and transfers. This might be the team he’d vowed to assemble when he arrived in 2007. And it might be the squad that is -- for the first time -- potentially as good as his preseason vision.

But this is not the same Smith. He is laid back and loose. He stomps less and claps more. He opens up the locker room to the media now. He tells funny stories, like the one about his growing mustache, which his wife, Donna, apparently hates.

Smith, it seems, is comfortable.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...d/69203/tubby-smith-has-depth-to-win-in-march

Go Gophers!!

GopherLady, did he tell this story at a press conference or in the locker room? If it was in the locker room, I guess that means Myron is still lurking around these parts...

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

I like this team, a lot. It has a chance to be a special season, not Final Four special, but special nonetheless. But first things first. I want to see this team win in late January/February (contending time) before I worry about whether they can win in March.

I'll become sold things are gonna' be different when I see the Gophers beat Michigan State to open the Big Ten season. A statement game right out of the chute, on your home court. This is that rare year when I look at the Gophers' top 4-5 players and then I take a look at Sparty's top 4-5 players, and I say to myself, "We're better than them," not to mention we have guys with a ton of playing experience. Not just experience, talented experience.

Except for (perhaps) the USC game, everything now until New Year's Eve is simply window dressing.

One thing that does make me nervous is Michigan State having a game with Texas prior to playing the Gophers. Seems like it would be some good competition before opening conference play. But.....that being said, it's home court, Gophers have talent and as you mentioned, experienced talent.

I realize it was South Dakota State and they were without Wolters, but I was thinking this isn't the year to come into the Barn without your squad in full health, you'll end up leaving the arena with an L. I'd like to see the rest of the year be drama free, injury free and the Gophers hold home court against everyone and one last thing, get better as the year goes on.

 

[MadtownGopher]

GopherLady, did he tell this story at a press conference or in the locker room? If it was in the locker room, I guess that means Myron is still lurking around these parts...

Myron was in the building last night.

 

[Cayman]

One thing that does make me nervous is Michigan State having a game with Texas prior to playing the Gophers. Seems like it would be some good competition before opening conference play.

Texas doesn't look very good so far this year. They are 5-3, losing last night to #15 Georgetown, and they also have a loss to DII Chaminade, an overtime loss to USC, and a two point win over Fresno State. They did get a win over Mississippi State to take 7th place at the Maui Invitational, but other than that, they don't seem to have shown much. They still have games against UCLA and North Carolina in addition to the aforementioned Michigan State game before they begin conference play.

I don't think playing Texas will help prepare the Spartans for us any more than playing USC will prepare us for Michigan State.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Texas doesn't look very good so far this year. They are 5-3, losing last night to #15 Georgetown, and they also have a loss to DII Chaminade, an overtime loss to USC, and a two point win over Fresno State. They did get a win over Mississippi State to take 7th place at the Maui Invitational, but other than that, they don't seem to have shown much. They still have games against UCLA and North Carolina in addition to the aforementioned Michigan State game before they begin conference play.

I don't think playing Texas will help prepare the Spartans for us any more than playing USC will prepare us for Michigan State.

Thanks for the insight Cayman.

 

[brucekaupa]

I got excited when I saw it was an ESPN article.

Then I saw who wrote it.

 

[march madness]

texas is down

One thing that does make me nervous is Michigan State having a game with Texas prior to playing the Gophers. Seems like it would be some good competition before opening conference play. But.....that being said, it's home court, Gophers have talent and as you mentioned, experienced talent. QUOTE]

I normally would agree that Michigan State's brutal non-confererence schedule vs our normal cupcake shedule better prepares them. But hit year the gophers have played a top notch non-conference. Texas is usually a top 25 type team but they are playing without mcdonalds all american so myck kabongo who is under investigation by the ncaa. No team in the big ten scares me. We can compete with them all. We just need to take care of the ball and make shots and we should be in every game.