Ignatius L Hoops
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Game 3: Gophers host UMass Lowell (11-12-24)
- Thread starter Ignatius L Hoops
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Longtimegopherfan
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Thanks for the insight. A chance for some of the deeper bench players to get some playing time?
I would really like to see more of Johnson.
It is going to be a tough long big ten schedule again this year, so it hopefully would be great to see some deeper bench players get some action. They are going to need many to contribute at times in the long season.
dog mustard
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EDIT:
Held them to 2 in the first Q, 41-14 at the half
Held them to 2 in the first Q, 41-14 at the half
Really hard to extrapolate any conclusions from this one. I am not kidding when I say a decent 5th or 6th grade boys travel team could beat this UMass Lowell squad.
41-14 at halftime and one could argue that the Gophers should be up by quite a bit more.
Completely agreed. I just told my dad we should have at least 50. I'm not of the mindset that you shouldn't have cupcakes on your schedule but this is really bad
DietCokeFan
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Free Johnson already!
I don't mean to be negative but this is really really poor basketball on both ends tonight. Hard to watch.
The positive is that Mckinney is really asserting herself. She looks like she'll be an active playmaker for the Gophers for many seasons.
The positive is that Mckinney is really asserting herself. She looks like she'll be an active playmaker for the Gophers for many seasons.
Yeah tough game to play for both teams. Hard to take it serious and full throttle for the gophers and hard to compete for Umass. Surprised Coach P didn't go deeper into the bench earlier. I know you want to get conditioned, but unless some are going to redshirt, would have liked to see them get some minutes earlier.
Going forward Coach P will need to look to keep these teams off the schedule.
Not the less. It is a W and move on!
I do NOT get to see practice, and I’m Not positive if she can run a PG position, but from what I’ve seen so far. Johnson may be better than Rose. However….i have not seen Johnson pass the ball much. Will be interesting to keep following.
This year’s schedule is Coach P’s schedule. She is playing the level of teams she wants to play.
Yes, I understand but each year will need to step up some competition as the gophers hopefully continue to get deeper and more competitive.
1) Fans buying season tickets will want competitive games
2) Top players want to play top competition.
I hear what you are saying but why/how at this point in Coach P's career would you think that she would think this year's schedule would be appropriate no matter what?
You are in the Big Ten. (Say that for point emphasis for like the first 25 points) By far the best way for your players to improve individually and as a team is to be challenged.
100% your points #1 and #2.
Coaching: At what level do you not demand you pressure the ball handler? We do not.
At what level do you encourage the live ball defender to jump up and down?? We do that!
So many things I don't see how she has the resume she is credited with including scheduling philosophy, sideline demeanor (scowling/yelling) defensive philosophy and offensive philosophy. I like that Sophie buries her defender deep and we look for her. I agree shooting and making threes should be a team strength. Everybody dribbling to no where is not cool. How many Gopher one dribble drives to the hoop has anyone seen? (You can easily get to the rim on one dribble from the three point line if you practice it.) Move the defense with passing, attack quickly, before the help defense can react.
If they cheat and get there to cut you off, you dump to who they were defending on the slash and they shoot the layup. Not going to happen for Coach P. Attacking the basket is how you get to the easiest place to score...the free throw line.
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Johnson is certainly making a case for more minutes..13 points in 9 minutes ... not sure she has missed from 3...she gets to the free throw line and hasn't missed from there.
Woodson, Stewart, McKinney need solid consistent minutes and Johnson needs Rose's minutes.
Ah, there she is. 4 minutes, never mind.
DietCokeFan
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Yeah Johnson definitely needs more minutes. This is a head scratcher for me; now we don't see her passing much, so I wonder if that is the reason. Her shot is beautiful. He can get to the rim too! Excited to see how the rest of the games play out!
After seeing people commenting that Johnson needed more time, I watched her last night. Yes she can shoot, (albeit against the level of talent that we saw last night), but she does not consistently help create for others. And she lost her person on defense several times in the limited minutes that she played. Both of those things will keep you on the bench in a Coach P system. Rose has very quick, active hands, and while she doesn’t score much, she does create for others.
My guess is they brought Rose into be the back up PG, but also a senior leader. I’m guessing she is doing some good things at practice. I trust Coach P. I think there are things Johnson needs to improve on. (passing and defense) As a coach I’m guessing coach P is trying to make her “earn” it by improving on those two things before she gets in a lineup, as in fix them early. However I’m also guessing Coach P expected more contributions from Rose and didn’t expect Johnson to make such an impediment impact all 3 times she is going in. I am definitely getting onto the Johnson train though. 1st game I thought maybe luck, but after last night….she can flat out shoot!
I count 4-21 versus D-1 teams. Gophers currentky ranked 284 for non-con strength of schedule per Warren Nolan (believe this is RPI basis not NET).
Minnesota Women's Basketball Schedule Scores & Stats | WarrenNolan.com
The 2025 Women's Basketball Schedule for the Minnesota Golden Gophers with today’s scores plus records, conference records, post season records, strength of schedule, streaks and statistics.
The level of competition definitely makes a difference how many points someone scores. More specifically, what defender on the other team do you draw? Braun and Battle will likely draw the other team's two best defenders. If you can shoot, you can shoot! I'm not seeing practice but in games every stroke Johnson shoots is smooth and confident....nobody on the team has a better stroke including Braun this year. (Not the same stroke each shot.)
Again, I don't know but from my observation she's a gunner...she's thinking nothing but scoring.
That's who she is and what she does. You knew that when you recruited her. You try to make her a facilitator and she ends up hesitant and ineffective all around. I think we seem to be seeing that with Braun....trying to make her an all around team player at the expense of having her a number one offensive threat....Braun doesn't recognize shots she needs to take. Then she'll throw up something that's ill advised because she's restless about not shooting. When she played in the 3 on 3 tournament she made great decisions with the ball....I don't see that happening more and more as a Gopher.. We get no shots for Braun. Stewart comes out and sets a screen for Braun...Braun has a split second window for an in rhythm three but they are doing this for her to pass to somebody so she is not looking to shoot and ends up forcing a questionable pass or an ill advised 2. I want my scorers thinking SCORE! Create that mentality. To me that is team basketball. Scoring is what Braun and Johnson do best. Encourage them to do it. Caitlin Clark is a great natural passer...whole different thing. Teammates know and understand those two shoot the best because you chart this stuff and they always win...so the team wants to win and the team wants Johnson and Braun to shoot because it gives you the best chance to win. That's how I see it.
Defense, yes Johnson doesn't defend well. That's why you have team defense...to cover up her weakness as a defender and let her score her 20 points. Naturally, you help her become a better defender through drills, design and encouragement. We are going to win more games by scoring more points than we are by shutting people down. We don't have the athletes to shut people down on defense and win holding Big Ten teams under 50. We gotta score to win. Again, that's how I see what we have for talent.
About Rose: She has 5 or 6 years of experience...so she is savvy. But she cannot keep anyone in front of her. She does not pressure the ball but she does sometimes surprise the offensive player with quick hands, I agree. To your point, will that aspect happen versus better competition? Otherwise people are just going to blow by her and Rose isn't going to balance it by scoring 20 of her own..
And as coaches: we know how hard it is to make somebody a shooter. Trust me, it is much harder to turn someone who isn't a natural passer into one.
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