They could also explore pro options and come back to Minnesota if they want. But they don't want to.Per Marcus’ article, Battle has the same plan as Cooper, look for pro opportunities and go into the portal as well -
Gophers' Jamison Battle, Ta'Lon Cooper enter transfer portal while exploring pro options
Battle and Cooper were both honored on Senior Night and expected to leave the program.m.startribune.com
Jamison Battle to enter the Transfer Portal
- Thread starter TonyLiebert
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Spaulding!No!
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Why doesn’t battle wanna be a gopher?Per Marcus’ article, Battle has the same plan as Cooper, look for pro opportunities and go into the portal as well -
Gophers' Jamison Battle, Ta'Lon Cooper enter transfer portal while exploring pro options
Battle and Cooper were both honored on Senior Night and expected to leave the program.
Hometown hero? We're talking about Ben, not Lindsey. He's an OK player who played 2 years here when the team wasn't good. Not a hometown hero.
The job is what it is. It will not be made better by giving Ben another year. It won't be made that much worse, but the hole to dig out of with the fan base and recruits will just be that much deeper.
If Ben is an honest guy- and I think he is, he sits down with Cooper and says, we love you, and want you back but we are going to need more speed at the guard position. So we are looking to bring in a PG or 2 to split time with you. Cooper didn't want that and I can't blame him.
I don't think these guys are abandoning ship here, but I do think there are discussions with Ben that are leaving the two of them to believe that it is best for all parties if they move on.
The most untenable position after going 2-17 is to stand pat. We need speed at the point and at the 3 spot. We have all been talking about this all season.
It's fair that you are not confident. I'm not confident either- I am hopeful but I realize its a tough sell.
Let's see what he can do.
Off-GridTNgopher
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Ben Johnson is now a hometown hero??? He couldn't win here as a player, as an assistant coach, now as head coach... Some hero
Gopher_In_NYC
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You’re missing my point.
Yes, I realize that, but if you look at how each of threads were posted, Cooper’s mentions testing the NBA draft waters, while Battle only says he’s entering the portal.
Why two different headlines, when a paid reporter covering the team reports they are doing the same exact thing????
Lackadaisical posting by Tony?
Gaslighting? Getting people upset as evidenced in the thread and creating more clicks/screen time?
Shoddy work IMO.
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16-56 B1G record as a player and coach at Minnesota. Hero. Hometown hero.
CentralGopher
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Then why did he say he expected everyone back? If he’s being honest then he knows there’s a real chance one of those guys says see ya.
The cons of firing a newly hired coach after Year 2 (minus just cause) are greater than the pros, IMO. Coaches stick together and the word would be out to avoid MN and Coyle at all costs. Plus, there was no way Year 2 was going to lead to more than a handful of wins given the status of the roster. I believe next year's team will be better than this year's team if the remaining players return, improve, and are bolstered by a quality transfer-in point guard. The transfer out of Battle, Henley, and the PG do not much change the calculus.
Gopher_In_NYC
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Does everything you expect to happen go that way? It doesn't for me.
I think it is fair for people to think that Ben has failed (so far he has) and will fail (he may in the end) but for people to start questioning his integrity- I think that's kind of low. He's a good guy, I still hope he succeeds.
He's 5-35. His star recruit backed out and 4/12 of the remaining players (so far) have hit the portal. No coach who otherwise wants the job is going to say no because poor Ben didn't get a fair shot. Come on. We gave Tubby 6 years and Pitino 8. It's not like we're Cal and have a history of quick triggers.
CentralGopher
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Nope and it makes me think Ben doesn’t have a clue what’s going on in his locker room. Obviously if he was expecting everyone back and now 4 guys are leaving they are jumping ship without him having a clue. That’s concerning no matter if they would have been contributors next year or not.
Gopher_In_NYC
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He may have thought he could convince some of them to stay?
What was he supposed to say instead?
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Jamison always seemed angry, never happy. Even when he made his big shot to beat Rutgers, he looked more angry than anything else. Whether he was or wasn’t, he seemed selfish, not much of a team player. So all of that said, I don’t get this kid. First, he was playing close to home, and he had a green light to shoot any shot and was logging almost 35 minutes a game. Where is he going to get a better opportunity than that? On the other hand, losing can get old.
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Oh no! Clearly the world is collapsing. No one has a clue. The University is about to declare bankruptcy!
Lol ok. Was just responding. You said top 6 seeds so was responding to that
No, two years is not long enough. There are more than a few examples in history where patience with a struggling, early-career (insert profession here) individual paid off in the long run. By rights, Chris Collins should probably not be coaching Northwestern this weekend, but he is.
Ben Johnson is going to get a third year. After that it will be well beyond time to end the giving a job to someone who didn’t deserve it experiment.
This is the fact we should get adjusted to. As a Gopher fan, I am all in on pulling for him to have a great offseason, an excellent fall signing and a surprising 23-24 season. In March of 2024 we will deal with a new set of facts.
Nobody will agree with me...so there is no need to read this until some time in the future.
We had two conference wins, 3 starters and our top recruit have chosen not to be part of the program. That means we need to recruit 4 guys at least as good as the departed to be in the win two games range.
But we got Fox Ihnen and Christie so they could help us...but we truly don't know if they will....but okay...recruit just 4 guys as good as three starters and we are somewhat optimistic it could be a little better.
Recruit 3 more for a total of 7 new guys better than we had and we should be 500 good, right?
I hope it happens
I don't agree with anybody here about Battle. He was our best player. I do believe some coach some where will see that and put him in positions to succeed and hide his weaknesses. Battle was really poorly coached this past season. 100% he should leave. Tell me as an opponent game planning who you were worried about from the Gopher team offensively this year? Top 2:
1. For me is Battle. Clearly best shooter. Never got looks he excels at...floundered and embarrassed himself. That's coaching....the positions he was put in to and the mistakes he was allowed to repeat over and over...that's coaching. Did we pay any attention to what he excelled at last year? Bet somebody else did.
2. Payne on the block. But just like I don't have to worry about Battle...I don't have to worry about Payne either because he is at top of the circle.
The chances Ben can start over three years in a row and do better the third time? Be nice but success leaves clues.
We had two conference wins, 3 starters and our top recruit have chosen not to be part of the program. That means we need to recruit 4 guys at least as good as the departed to be in the win two games range.
But we got Fox Ihnen and Christie so they could help us...but we truly don't know if they will....but okay...recruit just 4 guys as good as three starters and we are somewhat optimistic it could be a little better.
Recruit 3 more for a total of 7 new guys better than we had and we should be 500 good, right?
I hope it happens
I don't agree with anybody here about Battle. He was our best player. I do believe some coach some where will see that and put him in positions to succeed and hide his weaknesses. Battle was really poorly coached this past season. 100% he should leave. Tell me as an opponent game planning who you were worried about from the Gopher team offensively this year? Top 2:
1. For me is Battle. Clearly best shooter. Never got looks he excels at...floundered and embarrassed himself. That's coaching....the positions he was put in to and the mistakes he was allowed to repeat over and over...that's coaching. Did we pay any attention to what he excelled at last year? Bet somebody else did.
2. Payne on the block. But just like I don't have to worry about Battle...I don't have to worry about Payne either because he is at top of the circle.
The chances Ben can start over three years in a row and do better the third time? Be nice but success leaves clues.
For everyone one of those examples, there's 20 where the coach was canned after year 3 or 4 because things were exactly what they seemed.
Northwestern had never made the NCAA tournament when the hired Chris Collins. Never. That is not a comparable situation.
When did Ben say he expected everyone back? I didn’t see that. What I read is that the Cooper and Battle news was expected for a while from the staff.
The new set of facts is unfolding now, and will continue through portal signings. That may tell the story.
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this one is very much a yikes. Going pro would've been one thing but transferring is another. Clearly he wants to win and doesn't think it's going to happen here next year. Ain't like Ben would've pushed him out.
Again, I expected him likely to jump, just not this way. Don't think it changes much for next year but it's sending a bad message. Regardless, still the same calculus for next year. It's minimum of a NCAA bubble or he's gone imo. Problem is, right now the roster looks easily slotted for 14th again.
Again, I expected him likely to jump, just not this way. Don't think it changes much for next year but it's sending a bad message. Regardless, still the same calculus for next year. It's minimum of a NCAA bubble or he's gone imo. Problem is, right now the roster looks easily slotted for 14th again.
We can still be much better than last year- much.
Battle's biggest problem is that Garcia is a better player and is at the position that Battle also plays.
So, yes, some coach is going to put Battle at the 4 with 3 quick guards and Battle will be fine. He is the type of player who doesn't make his own shots and when he does- he misses too often. But if you can get him open because of the play of others- Battle is tough. Ben put Battle out there with Garcia because he had to.
Payne spent a lot more time on the block in his last 10 games. I think the coach learned a little there and Payne himself got better.
march madness
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I wonder how much of it is Payne is our best player has to start next yr and has to play the 5, Garcia 2nd best has to play the 4.
Battle isn’t good playing the 3 on offense or defense. Could go mid major and play the 4. With his Ego he will go to another power 5 school thinking he will get major minutes while he becomes an 8th man 3pt shooter off the bench. Would have loved him off the bench here as a scorer.
Battle isn’t good playing the 3 on offense or defense. Could go mid major and play the 4. With his Ego he will go to another power 5 school thinking he will get major minutes while he becomes an 8th man 3pt shooter off the bench. Would have loved him off the bench here as a scorer.
beavergopher
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He might like to win a game or two?
Come on...you can't possibly think this is good. I get you want to believe he will bring in decent portal players but this is not going to be even an NIT team next year and if you look at it objectively you would see that.
I defended the hire, but this is a disaster and no amount of lipstick helps.