Is this year's team better than 2001- 2002?

[Winnipegopher]

2001-2002 was Monson's third year and really was the last year that a large majority of us still had faith that Dan was going to be successful. Addtionally most of the talent on the team were recruited by Monson (Bennett and Holman were both JUCOs). As far as I remember only Dusty was a Clem hold-over.

FWIW, if you go to Eric Thrall's excellent site www.ericthrall.com, I think you could make the argument that Monson's 2001-2002 team (his third year) had a better year than this year's team (at least up to now). That was the year Illinois beat us in the Barn to miss the NCAA.

Certainly there is no Rickert (Big Ten Freshman of the year, second team All Big Ten) on this year's team. Add in Rychart (3rd team All Big Ten), Burleson (maligned but played a year of NBA), Bennett (Big Ten D player of year, Honorable mention All Big Ten) Holman (was touted possible NBA) and Bauer and you have a solid nucleus. Bench had promise in Hagen, Hargrow (pre-transfer out and back) and Esselink (funny how many of us thought he was the 3 point answer).

Of course this team also had Kerwin Fleming.

Schilling was a returning starter who was going to have a big year but we all know how that worked out.

Non-conference schedule included @Wake Forest (ACC challenge), @ Georgia, @Texas Tech and home against Oregon and Nebraska.

Season also included Gopherhole memorable meltdown loss to NC-Wilmington.

 

[josh087]

Considering that team blew four second-half double digit leads in BT play, (two of those games they allowed the opponent to score on their last 10 possessions to win), blew a 9 point-lead to Illinois with under 3 minutes to go (also led by 4 with :20 to go w/the ball), a 4 point lead to NW with under 2 minutes to go, and STILL finished only 2 games behind in the BT standings - yeah, I would probably say they were better. That team also won MAYBE one close BT game that year, so its not like they had a ton of close wins to balance the ridiculous collapses.

Also had a late lead @ Wake Forest that they lost - and the loss to UNC-Wilmington looked bad at the time but in retrospect maybe not that damning. That team would make the tourney in 2 straight years and should have beaten defending champ Maryland in the first round in 2003.

For those of you who can stomach this clip - here is Fleming/Burleson literally throwing away an NCAA bid
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[bga1]

2001-2002 was Monson's third year and really was the last year that a large majority of us still had faith that Dan was going to be successful. Addtionally most of the talent on the team were recruited by Monson (Bennett and Holman were both JUCOs). As far as I remember only Dusty was a Clem hold-over.

FWIW, if you go to Eric Thrall's excellent site www.ericthrall.com, I think you could make the argument that Monson's 2001-2002 team (his third year) had a better year than this year's team (at least up to now). That was the year Illinois beat us in the Barn to miss the NCAA.

Certainly there is no Rickert (Big Ten Freshman of the year, second team All Big Ten) on this year's team. Add in Rychart (3rd team All Big Ten), Burleson (maligned but played a year of NBA), Bennett (Big Ten D player of year, Honorable mention All Big Ten) Holman (was touted possible NBA) and Bauer and you have a solid nucleus. Bench had promise in Hagen, Hargrow (pre-transfer out and back) and Esselink (funny how many of us thought he was the 3 point answer).

Of course this team also had Kerwin Fleming.

Schilling was a returning starter who was going to have a big year but we all know how that worked out.

Non-conference schedule included @Wake Forest (ACC challenge), @ Georgia, @Texas Tech and home against Oregon and Nebraska.

Season also included Gopherhole memorable meltdown loss to NC-Wilmington.[/QUO


The way it stands now the 2001-2002 team was better. If Tubby had gotten everyone on the court and eligible I'd say this year's team would have been a good bit better. That year killed any momentum Monson was building- I hope this year is not heading us in the same direction.

 

[march madness]

talent

That team is more talented than this one, especially without our two pf's. But of more importance, it was more experienced in the frontcourt, than we are now. The only player on our roster TODAY who I could see getting to be an all-Big ten player is Sampson.

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

If Tubby was coaching the 01-02 team we would have won the Big Ten and probably made the Sweet 16.

 

[Maximus]

ESPN Classic is showing the Minnesota-Michigan game from January 2002 today at 11 a.m. Gophs lost 71-69.

 

[josh087]

That was one of the ridiculous collapses. Michigan scored on its final 10 posessions to come back from double digits with under 6 min left. Bernard Robinson Jr hits a running bank shot with 2.1 seconds to go to win it. Burleson misses at the buzzer.

 

[josh087]

If Tubby was coaching the 01-02 team we would have won the Big Ten and probably made the Sweet 16.

I'm not so sure - definitely the defense would have been better - but Tubby's weird substitutions and stagnant offense would have slowed down Rickert & Co. - they were a pretty free-wheeling bunch, especially at home.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Based on how the current Gopher team is constructed (no Mbakwe or White, Nolen for half a season), the 2001-02 team was better. Talent-wise, '01-02 easily was Monson's best team. That's a Monson team that, if they got there, I think they could have won a game or two in the NCAAs.

 

[anticallihan]

Considering that team blew four second-half double digit leads in BT play, (two of those games they allowed the opponent to score on their last 10 possessions to win), blew a 9 point-lead to Illinois with under 3 minutes to go (also led by 4 with :20 to go w/the ball), a 4 point lead to NW with under 2 minutes to go, and STILL finished only 2 games behind in the BT standings - yeah, I would probably say they were better. That team also won MAYBE one close BT game that year, so its not like they had a ton of close wins to balance the ridiculous collapses.

Also had a late lead @ Wake Forest that they lost - and the loss to UNC-Wilmington looked bad at the time but in retrospect maybe not that damning. That team would make the tourney in 2 straight years and should have beaten defending champ Maryland in the first round in 2003.

For those of you who can stomach this clip - here is Fleming/Burleson literally throwing away an NCAA bid
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I was a student during this game and I had won a mini basketball. The Aussie on Illini came over and taunted the student section. I missed his face by about an inch. Till this day I am not sure if I it was good/bad that I missed.