Gophers men’s basketball team airs frustration in players-led meeting after loss at Wisconsin

[formerlybis]

Not only are they poorly coached, it is a group that is poorly assembled- a mismatched group.
Overall team speed and shooting is terrible

The team is loaded with one dimensional players. A lot of these guys could be good pieces on a more well asembled team. It is just hard to put together 5 guys who can play offense and defense together out of this group.

Garcia- great offense, minimal defense
Frank M - can rebound, nothing else, can't shoot
Edmonds- can rebound and defend some, limited offensively, can't shoot
Betts- lost puppy with some raw ability
Rigsby- see Betts
Odukale- great defense, can't shoot
Asuma- good potential at the point- Ben sticks him in the corner on offense
M Mitchell- he is the closest thing this team has to a two way player
Patterson- inconsistent shooting ball hog, tough kid who lacks some speed and loves to dribble
Cochran- will he ever play here?
Fox- Ultimate hustle guy with no position at this level, athletic but can't shoot
Williams- I don't know if he can defend at this level but can really shoot it

I don't disagree with any of this at the individual level.

However, defense is much more about 5 guys playing as a team. Being a good one-on-one defender doesn't help you with the other 80% of offensive players on the floor - having a defensive system/rules is a great equalizer for talent deficiency. Players who can't figure it out see their PT plummet.

I think a good coach could get this team with this roster to have a clue on that end.

 

[golf]

Yes.

(There's info but I don't think anyone knows how accurate it is.) The last I saw the Gophers are like 15th out of 18 in the B1G (overall). It's not good, but it's not as awful as some of the "Poor Ben" crowd make it seem. PJ and Coach P seem to manage.

I knew of this one but wondered if there was a different report. Purdue should be doing a lot worse and Ohio St a lot better.
(Private schools USC and NW don't report.)
16. 3.6 mill. Rutgers
15. 3.7. Maryland
14. 5.5. Purdue
13. 5.9. UCLA
12. 7.1. Minnesota
11. 8.0. Nebraska
10. 9.0. Wisconsin
9. 9.3. Illinois
8. 9.4. Washington
7. 9.6. Iowa
6. 10.6. Oregon
5. 13.0 Michigan State
4. 13.6. Indiana
3. 13.8. Penn State
2. 16.3. Michigan
1. 20.0. Ohio State

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

 

[bga1]

I knew of this one but wondered if there was a different report. Purdue should be doing a lot worse and Ohio St a lot better.
(Private schools USC and NW don't report.)
16. 3.6 mill. Rutgers
15. 3.7. Maryland
14. 5.5. Purdue
13. 5.9. UCLA
12. 7.1. Minnesota
11. 8.0. Nebraska
10. 9.0. Wisconsin
9. 9.3. Illinois
8. 9.4. Washington
7. 9.6. Iowa
6. 10.6. Oregon
5. 13.0 Michigan State
4. 13.6. Indiana
3. 13.8. Penn State
2. 16.3. Michigan
1. 20.0. Ohio State

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

Great info. If we want a good basketball program- there is zero excuse starting next year. We will have as much revenue sharing as anyone in the league ($20.5 million) and more than 95 percent of teams in the country. They should give basketball a one time surge. I know football is more important at the U but basketball needs a one time shot in the arm.

 

[howeda7]

I knew of this one but wondered if there was a different report. Purdue should be doing a lot worse and Ohio St a lot better.
(Private schools USC and NW don't report.)
16. 3.6 mill. Rutgers
15. 3.7. Maryland
14. 5.5. Purdue
13. 5.9. UCLA
12. 7.1. Minnesota
11. 8.0. Nebraska
10. 9.0. Wisconsin
9. 9.3. Illinois
8. 9.4. Washington
7. 9.6. Iowa
6. 10.6. Oregon
5. 13.0 Michigan State
4. 13.6. Indiana
3. 13.8. Penn State
2. 16.3. Michigan
1. 20.0. Ohio State

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

Poor Matt Painter. Has @EasyThere Pilgrim told him how impossible his job is?

 

[jamiche]

Agree to disagree - not about the talent so much, but that coaching matters. It’s all speculation, but if this group were coached by any of the top ten coaches in this conference, it’d look a lot better. They look like a group of disconnected individual players for a reason.

Izzo and Painter would have started Asuma weeks ago. Otherwise, I'm not sure they could do much more with this group than what Johnson has done. They are that bad.

When Ben took the job the program was under resourced, but no worse than it had always been. They had a new practice facility but so did every other school. The Barn was a recruiting negative unless Ben found an 80 year old with remaining skills and eligibility. Subsequent to that time, Johnson got crushed by the NIL boulder rolling downhill. NIL is Coyle's job and he was busy working on employee handbooks.

I put fault allocation for this mess at 60% Coyle and 40% Johnson. I know it's an unpopular sentiment on this board but I still think Johnson has shown himself to be a pretty good recruiter and a decent coach. However, it's 100% about the money and Johnson is way, way behind. In retrospect, he never really had a chance.

Johnson needs to go at the end of the year. So should Coyle.

 

[formerlybis]

Izzo and Painter would have started Asuma weeks ago. Otherwise, I'm not sure they could do much more with this group than what Johnson has done. They are that bad.

Well, I won't argue that they're bad, but we'll disagree that those coaches wouldn't have been able to get them to play together.

I know it's an unpopular sentiment on this board but I still think Johnson has shown himself to be a pretty good recruiter and a decent coach.

Yes, it is unpopular. Also unsupported by evidence. But, it's fine to have a dissenting view.

However, it's 100% about the money and Johnson is way, way behind. In retrospect, he never really had a chance.

SMH. You've bought into "poor Ben" and that personnel is the only thing that matters. There are dozens of examples of what a coach can do with similar or inferior talent.

Johnson needs to go at the end of the year. So should Coyle.

Well, you came to the right conclusion. I'm not sure on Coyle, actually, but whatever.

 

[jamiche]

Well, I won't argue that they're bad, but we'll disagree that those coaches wouldn't have been able to get them to play together.

Yes, it is unpopular. Also unsupported by evidence. But, it's fine to have a dissenting view.


SMH. You've bought into "poor Ben" and that personnel is the only thing that matters. There are dozens of examples of what a coach can do with similar or inferior talent.

Well, you came to the right conclusion. I'm not sure on Coyle, actually, but whatever.

Ah, yes. The whole "coach 'em up" thing. Not with this group.

I don't feel sorry for Johnson. The gig has paid him very well.

He is a decent recruiter. Didn't have the $ to keep any of them except Garcia.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

NIL is Coyle's job and he was busy working on employee handbooks.

I put fault allocation for this mess at 60% Coyle and 40% Johnson.

Remember that Coyle is responsible for an entire athletic department, not just one sport. I don't agree that coaches have no responsibility for fundraising these days. We've read about Fleck speaking to donors and begging for money and the football program seems in better NIL shape these days. Maybe Johnson has done that too but I don't remember reading about it anywhere.

 

[formerlybis]

Ah, yes. The whole "coach 'em up" thing. Not with this group.

I don't feel sorry for Johnson. The gig has paid him very well.

He is a decent recruiter. Didn't have the $ to keep any of them except Garcia.

Yep, I am in the coaching matters group. Can you explain how Northwestern has remained competitive? Or Wisconsin, who got hit just as hard (probably more) by portal losses? Even PSU manages to be a hard team to play against. Oh, they all whine about their disadvantages with NIL, too, but there is a difference.

 

[jamiche]

Yep, I am in the coaching matters group. Can you explain how Northwestern has remained competitive? Or Wisconsin, who got hit just as hard (probably more) by portal losses? Even PSU manages to be a hard team to play against. Oh, they all whine about their disadvantages with NIL, too, but there is a difference.

NU and WI have coaches who were well established before NIL. We don't know how much NIL money Northwestern has because it's private. WI has more NIL money and more total support than the gophers. I don't know anything about the PSU situation other than they have almost twice as much NIL money as the U.

Portal losses don't hurt as much if you have the money to bring in good players.

I'm not saying CBJ is the greatest coach in the world. I am saying that we'll never know if he is any good because he never had the money to operate a winning program under the current rules. What's he got to sell to an 18-22 year old? Tough climate, lousy arena, no tradition and no money. Tough climb to get (and keep) decent talent.

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

I commend the players for wanting to take responsibility, but it’s not them. Yes, they are facing a talent deficit in most games, but they are getting poor coaching.

After what happened this off-season...so clearly...I thought no one could possibly be dumb enough to blame the coaching.

 

[GopherBlood777]

NU and WI have coaches who were well established before NIL. We don't know how much NIL money Northwestern has because it's private. WI has more NIL money and more total support than the gophers. I don't know anything about the PSU situation other than they have almost twice as much NIL money as the U.

Portal losses don't hurt as much if you have the money to bring in good players.

I'm not saying CBJ is the greatest coach in the world. I am saying that we'll never know if he is any good because he never had the money to operate a winning program under the current rules. What's he got to sell to an 18-22 year old? Tough climate, lousy arena, no tradition and no money. Tough climb to get (and keep) decent talent.

Nah, sure pretty we know how good he is at this point.

 

[Off-GridTNgopher]

NU and WI have coaches who were well established before NIL. We don't know how much NIL money Northwestern has because it's private. WI has more NIL money and more total support than the gophers. I don't know anything about the PSU situation other than they have almost twice as much NIL money as the U.

Portal losses don't hurt as much if you have the money to bring in good players.

I'm not saying CBJ is the greatest coach in the world. I am saying that we'll never know if he is any good because he never had the money to operate a winning program under the current rules. What's he got to sell to an 18-22 year old? Tough climate, lousy arena, no tradition and no money. Tough climb to get (and keep) decent talent.

When the gophers win. The barn is one of the best environments ever. And u put a coach in here who will build excitement imedietly tue $$ will come

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

Nah, sure pretty we know how good he is at this point.

He inherited nothing. Built a team from scratch. When his first recruiting class became sophomores, they improved by 7 conference wins. They were set to return everyone.

But 3 of the top 4 players entered the portal and left for BIG money.

 

[bga1]

He inherited nothing. Built a team from scratch. When his first recruiting class became sophomores, they improved by 7 conference wins. They were set to return everyone.

But 3 of the top 4 players entered the portal and left for BIG money.

No. One went to the NBA. How are you going to stop that. That is part of the game and not part of the NIL issue.

Anyone can bake a bad cake from scratch. That's what we have here. I supported him last year. No more.

 

[USAF]

. I am saying that we'll never know if he is any good because he never had the money to operate a winning program under the current rules.

"We'll" never know?

No.

YOU might not know. Pilgrim might not know.

The rest of us know with certainty.
Absolute certainty.