BleedGopher
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per Jake:
A lot can change in two weeks. On December 1, the Gophers were 7-1, ranked No. 12 in the nation, and being talked about as a dark horse Final Four team. They had wins at Providence and over a ranked Alabama team, and were coming off a close loss to a top-10 team in a game they played short-handed. It sure seemed like the Gophers were legit.
By that, I don’t mean a team that was going to simply make the tournament, but one that was getting significant national buzz and had a chance to be a force in the Big Ten. That still might happen, but the last two weeks haven’t been pretty.
After a home win against Rutgers, the Gophers got beat handily at Nebraska. The 10-point loss in Lincoln was a bit misleading; the Gophers were down big the entire second half, closing the gap from 17 to 10 in garbage time. Next came a 16-point loss at Arkansas, in which the Razorbacks shot 57% from the field, carving up Minnesota’s defense on their way to 95 points. Finally, Monday, came the worst of the bunch. Yes, the Gophers won, beating Drake by 1 point at home. Drake went 7-24 last year, is picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley conference, and lost earlier this year to 1-10 Nebraska-Omaha, a team that only transitioned to Division I six years ago. It was as ugly as a win can get, with the Gophers playing uninspired basketball from start to finish. Had Drake not shot poorly from the field (37%), the Gophers very likely would have lost.
So, what’s gone wrong? Let’s take a look.
Defending and shooting the three
Foul trouble and its defensive impact
The bench
https://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/12/gophers-notebook-whats-gone-wrong-minnesota/
Go Gophers!!
A lot can change in two weeks. On December 1, the Gophers were 7-1, ranked No. 12 in the nation, and being talked about as a dark horse Final Four team. They had wins at Providence and over a ranked Alabama team, and were coming off a close loss to a top-10 team in a game they played short-handed. It sure seemed like the Gophers were legit.
By that, I don’t mean a team that was going to simply make the tournament, but one that was getting significant national buzz and had a chance to be a force in the Big Ten. That still might happen, but the last two weeks haven’t been pretty.
After a home win against Rutgers, the Gophers got beat handily at Nebraska. The 10-point loss in Lincoln was a bit misleading; the Gophers were down big the entire second half, closing the gap from 17 to 10 in garbage time. Next came a 16-point loss at Arkansas, in which the Razorbacks shot 57% from the field, carving up Minnesota’s defense on their way to 95 points. Finally, Monday, came the worst of the bunch. Yes, the Gophers won, beating Drake by 1 point at home. Drake went 7-24 last year, is picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley conference, and lost earlier this year to 1-10 Nebraska-Omaha, a team that only transitioned to Division I six years ago. It was as ugly as a win can get, with the Gophers playing uninspired basketball from start to finish. Had Drake not shot poorly from the field (37%), the Gophers very likely would have lost.
So, what’s gone wrong? Let’s take a look.
Defending and shooting the three
Foul trouble and its defensive impact
The bench
https://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/12/gophers-notebook-whats-gone-wrong-minnesota/
Go Gophers!!
