Marcus blog: Gophers basketball: Should Elliott Eliason or Mo Walker start at center?

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

Walker, who is a better offensive presence, had a career-best 11 points and eight rebounds replacing Eliason in the starting lineup Saturday in a win against New Orleans. But Eliason leads the team in rebounding (8.0) and blocks (2.6) in nine starts this season for the Gophers (8-2).

“I don’t want to say he has to earn it back because he didn’t intentionally get hurt,” Pitino said of Eliason. “I don’t want to punish him for getting hurt. But I don’t want to name who the starter is because what if he comes out today and has an awful practice. I’m not going to start him. I would anticipate Elliott starting because he didn’t do anything wrong to lose that spot. But it means more to those guys than it does to me.”

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...elliott-eliason-or-mo-walker-start-at-center/

Go Gophers!!

 

[AZGopher]

EE deserves to be the starter, if Walker gave us more consistent offense I might change my mind but i feel Eliason is a much better defensive presences in the middle.

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

I'm not necessarily convinced that Walker is the better offensive presence. There's more to offense than scoring, and EE is a solid passer, especially from the high post. EE should start.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

EE until Mo can show he is better all around player. Neither are good finishers around the basket.

 

[bga1]

Pitino knows that EE is the better player. But he wants EE to want to be better than the current EE. And he wants Mo to think he can be better than EE and do what it takes to prove it.

If Elliot could learn to go strong to the bucket- he could be a very good big man. Good passer and good defensively- the rest is within his reach.

 

[matt]

Walker, who is a better offensive presence, had a career-best 11 points

Marcus claims that Mo is a better offensive presence, and then points out that he just scored a career high of 11 points...

Does not compute. He very well may be a better offensive presence in the long run, but he hasn't proven it. Marcus is pushing a center controversy that isn't there just like he was trying to push the QB controversy on the football side of the house.

 

[BarnBoy]

I'm more concerned with who finishes the game at center. Hopefully not Joey King too many more times.

 

[60's Guy]

Marcus claims that Mo is a better offensive presence, and then points out that he just scored a career high of 11 points...

Does not compute. He very well may be a better offensive presence in the long run, but he hasn't proven it. Marcus is pushing a center controversy that isn't there just like he was trying to push the QB controversy on the football side of the house.

Mo pretty clearly has more offensive talent. Mo has not played hardly any minutes in his career due to many other reasons than offensive ability.

Presently, it is more complicated than that. Does playing EE on a gimpy ankle vs SDST make any sense long term? He is more important long term
than tonight, right? Should he get 100% healthy before he plays? "EE didn't intentionally get hurt...don't want to punish him for that" Mo, on the other hand was ineligible of his own doing. Is continuing to start Mo this quickly following his suspension fair to the team/EE if EE can play? What message does it send? Easy to argue that both ways...no doghouse....forgiveness/unconditional love etc. But, discipline is pretty important for example on the football team and guys don't play for a while typically who screw up. And those transgressions are typically not serious enough to be UofM enforced but a instead a coaches decision.

Seems like philosophies are different...maybe Jerry is more life/long term lessons while Pitino is more win today? Pitino does not have 120 guys to go next man up either. Your thoughts overall?

 

[jaymil]

Marcus claims that Mo is a better offensive presence, and then points out that he just scored a career high of 11 points...

Does not compute. He very well may be a better offensive presence in the long run, but he hasn't proven it. Marcus is pushing a center controversy that isn't there just like he was trying to push the QB controversy on the football side of the house.

Yep. Marcus loves to try and stir up a "starter" controversy. The starting QB didn't really matter for the football team just like it doesn't make that big of a difference who starts at center for the basketball team.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

I'm more concerned with who finishes the game at center. Hopefully not Joey King too many more times.

There is a huge difference being on the floor during crunch time because of good play versus the only available player at that position. Both EE and Mo have a problem with that mainly due to fouls. EE's competitive spirit has a lot to do with the number of fouls he picks up.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

Eliason is an upper-middle class Jeff Hagen. He's more athletic than Hagen, but he's not quite the brute that Hagen could be. Hagen didn't do much until he was a senior, though. If Eliason works hard at his game, he could be better than Hagen was on offense his senior year. I think he's already better on defense.

 

[Dr.Don]

Yep. Marcus loves to try and stir up a "starter" controversy. The starting QB didn't really matter for the football team just like it doesn't make that big of a difference who starts at center for the basketball team.

When I read this column by Marcus, all I could think of was he was addressing with his knowledge of who is important when during a game, the knowledge of lots and lots of commentors on GH whose only concern is who is a starter, not who gets the playing time during key points during the game.

That is the Coach's job, yet we have every right to tell Coach Pitino what is best.

 

[march madness]

Hagen is a decent comparison

EE is more athletic and a better defender already then Hagen was. Rebounding probably pretty even. Hagen became a very reliable low post scorer. He improved as much as anyone between his jr and sr years. EE has ok touch on his shot but he has bad strength, balance, when near the basket. It would take a big commitment for EE to ever be a 10pt scorer, but I would love if he proved me wrong!

Eliason is an upper-middle class Jeff Hagen. He's more athletic than Hagen, but he's not quite the brute that Hagen could be. Hagen didn't do much until he was a senior, though. If Eliason works hard at his game, he could be better than Hagen was on offense his senior year. I think he's already better on defense.

 

[LongTimeGopher]

The slimmed-down Mo gets up and down the court better but his lack of bulk seems to be hurting his game around the rim. He has no ups and is getting his shot altered or blocked by shorter guys way too often. EE is not smooth by any means but he bring much more to team on both ends of the court. Both guys, especially Mo with more playing and practice time, should improve as the season goes on. Both need to get stronger and at least a little explosive. The South Dakota State inside guys were pushing both Mo and EE around during most of the game. The SDSU center should not be able to back Mo down to within 5 feet of the basket and then turn around and get a good shot off.