Fox 9: Ben Johnson preaching chemistry as Gophers open season with 10 new players

BleedGopher

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per Fox 9:

After eight weeks of summer workouts, the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team held its first official day of practice for the 2021-22 season on Tuesday.

It’s the first season for Minnesota alum Ben Johnson as a head coach, and he has a huge task ahead. Johnson was hired on March 22 to replace Richard Pitino after a 14-15 season, and the Gophers will feature as many as 10 new players for the upcoming season.

Johnson’s top priority for the program in his first season is building chemistry, and a foundation. He wants the Gophers’ identity to be built around player development, toughness and being about the team.

"That’s going to be a constant. We have to be the team of all teams, we have to lead the league in high-fives and butt slaps. I think with this team it’s going to be somebody different every night," Johnson said. "Everybody has got to feel like they’re a part of it."


Go Gophers!!
 


I like him more with each interview he conducts. Going to be a rough first season, but I'm starting to come around a bit more to the hire (not that I was as negative as some on here 😉)
 

I think the more we see of Ben we can see how he won the interview, but it is still an incredible reach to think it will result in a winning program.
Depending who fills out the rest of the incoming class for next year it could be year three, pretty easily, before we flirt with winning 15 games. Or these coaches are amazing and we surprise every one, including me and do it sooner.
 

I think the more we see of Ben we can see how he won the interview, but it is still an incredible reach to think it will result in a winning program.
Depending who fills out the rest of the incoming class for next year it could be year three, pretty easily, before we flirt with winning 15 games. Or these coaches are amazing and we surprise every one, including me and do it sooner.
In the new era of college basketball projecting anything beyond the current season is a fool's errand, IMO. I know it's an extreme case, but we have literally 2/13 players from one year ago. We still don't know what 40% of next year's roster will look like.
 


stating the obvious - basketball is one sport where one or two players can change a program very quickly.

in football, you need numbers. one recruit really can't transform a program, no matter how talented they are.

but in basketball, if you can find one or two really talented players, AND put a complimentary team around them, you can achieve a very quick turn-around.

So, it doesn't have to be as grim as some people are predicting.
 

stating the obvious - basketball is one sport where one or two players can change a program very quickly.

in football, you need numbers. one recruit really can't transform a program, no matter how talented they are.

but in basketball, if you can find one or two really talented players, AND put a complimentary team around them, you can achieve a very quick turn-around.

So, it doesn't have to be as grim as some people are predicting.
I dunno man, Alabama got the #1 recruit in the nation a couple years in a row. It's only one player, but they've done ok the last few years. 🤷‍♂️
 




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