BleedGopher
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per Depue:
The gap between these factions was supposed to be bridged by forward Eric Curry, who would have served as Richard Pitino’s sixth man this season. Curry, redshirting this year after tearing his ACL in August, had a strong freshman campaign last season. In 20 minutes per game, he averaged 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, played solid defense, and ranked sixth on the team—after the five starters—in player efficiency rating (PER). He’s a versatile big man who can rebound, knock down 15-footers, and defend without fouling. As a freshman, he showed he wasn’t afraid of playing critical minutes. He scored seven points in overtime in a win at No. 15 Purdue. After Reggie Lynch fouled out against Iowa, Curry played all five minutes of double-overtime, scoring three of his nine points in the final two minutes as the Gophers pulled away. In an overtime win over Michigan, with Lynch in foul trouble all game, Curry played 35 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 5 boards.
Curry and Akeem Springs were reliable players off the bench for Richard Pitino. They could be counted on to keep the engine running smoothly and play big minutes if the situation dictated. Right now, the Gophers just don’t have anyone like that in the second unit.
Curry’s absence has pushed Davonte Fitzgerald, Michael Hurt and Bakary Konate into larger roles. Those three, along with freshmen Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris, are the primary reinforcements used by Pitino when a starter goes to the bench (or is injured, in the case of Dupree McBrayer against Miami).
In the Gophers’ five competitive games, the bench is averaging 42.4 minutes/game, and producing 9.8 points and 6 rebounds per game, while tallying nearly the same number of fouls as rebounds. If you take away the 15 points that came in the wacky 5-on-3 against Alabama, they’re averaging 6.8 points/game as a unit.
Without consistent bench play, Minnesota just doesn’t have much margin for error. Their starters have to stay on the court, play big minutes, and be productive for them to win. In the Gophers’ two losses, that didn’t happen. Against Miami, the absence of McBrayer forced Washington into the starting lineup and the reserves into larger roles, and they struggled in a close loss. Against Nebraska, foul trouble and a rare poor shooting night from Murphy helped doom Minnesota.
Minnesota’s starting five is so talented that they won’t ever come into a game overmatched, even if they make it deep into March. After a tough game against Miami, Washington’s played better, and he’s likely to continue to improve as he gets deeper into the season. But until the bench becomes more productive, Minnesota’s fate, to a large extent, will be dependent on the starters not having an off-night and the officials not blowing the whistle too often. Speaking of the officials…
https://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/12/eric-curry-effect/
Go Gophers!!
The gap between these factions was supposed to be bridged by forward Eric Curry, who would have served as Richard Pitino’s sixth man this season. Curry, redshirting this year after tearing his ACL in August, had a strong freshman campaign last season. In 20 minutes per game, he averaged 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, played solid defense, and ranked sixth on the team—after the five starters—in player efficiency rating (PER). He’s a versatile big man who can rebound, knock down 15-footers, and defend without fouling. As a freshman, he showed he wasn’t afraid of playing critical minutes. He scored seven points in overtime in a win at No. 15 Purdue. After Reggie Lynch fouled out against Iowa, Curry played all five minutes of double-overtime, scoring three of his nine points in the final two minutes as the Gophers pulled away. In an overtime win over Michigan, with Lynch in foul trouble all game, Curry played 35 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 5 boards.
Curry and Akeem Springs were reliable players off the bench for Richard Pitino. They could be counted on to keep the engine running smoothly and play big minutes if the situation dictated. Right now, the Gophers just don’t have anyone like that in the second unit.
Curry’s absence has pushed Davonte Fitzgerald, Michael Hurt and Bakary Konate into larger roles. Those three, along with freshmen Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris, are the primary reinforcements used by Pitino when a starter goes to the bench (or is injured, in the case of Dupree McBrayer against Miami).
In the Gophers’ five competitive games, the bench is averaging 42.4 minutes/game, and producing 9.8 points and 6 rebounds per game, while tallying nearly the same number of fouls as rebounds. If you take away the 15 points that came in the wacky 5-on-3 against Alabama, they’re averaging 6.8 points/game as a unit.
Without consistent bench play, Minnesota just doesn’t have much margin for error. Their starters have to stay on the court, play big minutes, and be productive for them to win. In the Gophers’ two losses, that didn’t happen. Against Miami, the absence of McBrayer forced Washington into the starting lineup and the reserves into larger roles, and they struggled in a close loss. Against Nebraska, foul trouble and a rare poor shooting night from Murphy helped doom Minnesota.
Minnesota’s starting five is so talented that they won’t ever come into a game overmatched, even if they make it deep into March. After a tough game against Miami, Washington’s played better, and he’s likely to continue to improve as he gets deeper into the season. But until the bench becomes more productive, Minnesota’s fate, to a large extent, will be dependent on the starters not having an off-night and the officials not blowing the whistle too often. Speaking of the officials…
https://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/12/eric-curry-effect/
Go Gophers!!
