Maybe I'm wrong about how bad the future looks

[Mikie S]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

After posting a 3-13 Big-10 record in the 2003-04 season, the Gophers lost their top 6 scorers. Kris Humphries turned pro (the last 1st round NBA pick the Gophers have had), Ben Johnson & Mike Bauer graduated, Stan Gaines transferred and Mo Hargrow & Adam Boone went down with season ending injuries.

Oh well. Three seniors with minimal playing time their first three years needed to be elevated into starting roles (Jeff Hagen, Aaron Robinson & Brent Lawson). Gophers picked up a couple JUCOs (Vincent Grier & J'son Stamper) and sprinkled in some freshman (Dan Coleman, Spenser Tollackson & Rico Tucker).

Incredibly, this cast of mostly misfits went 10-6 in conference and was one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever watched. Gophers have had only one winning conference record since.

Cue Jim Carrey .....

 

[BarnBurner]

Agreed. Loved that team.

 

[Duker]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

After posting a 3-13 Big-10 record in the 2003-04 season, the Gophers lost their top 6 scorers. Kris Humphries turned pro (the last 1st round NBA pick the Gophers have had), Ben Johnson & Mike Bauer graduated, Stan Gaines transferred and Mo Hargrow & Adam Boone went down with season ending injuries.

Oh well. Three seniors with minimal playing time their first three years needed to be elevated into starting roles (Jeff Hagen, Aaron Robinson & Brent Lawson). Gophers picked up a couple JUCOs (Vincent Grier & J'son Stamper) and sprinkled in some freshman (Dan Coleman, Spenser Tollackson & Rico Tucker).

Incredibly, this cast of mostly misfits went 10-6 in conference and was one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever watched. Gophers have had only one winning conference record since.

Cue Jim Carrey .....

That season was the most enjoyable for me since the run to the final four. It was great to watch the team play solid defense and really work together.

 

[MennoSota]

What we need is an "All Things Debbie Downer" thread where all the Chicken Littles can voice their woe is me complaints about a program that is months from competing. All haters of Ben Johnson and the hire can go there to prognosticate their inferiority complex and generally suck all the energy out of their lives. In this way, all person's who actually care to support the present program won't have to wade through all this bullshit that keeps being posted by the Chicken Littles of the GH.
One thread. "All Things Debbie Downer."

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

What we need is an "All Things Debbie Downer" thread where all the Chicken Littles can voice their woe is me complaints about a program that is months from competing. All haters of Ben Johnson and the hire can go there to prognosticate their inferiority complex and generally suck all the energy out of their lives. In this way, all person's who actually care to support the present program won't have to wade through all this bullshit that keeps being posted by the Chicken Littles of the GH.
One thread. "All Things Debbie Downer."

It's Gopher Sports, we should just rename the entire forum.

 

[cjbfbp]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

Well, I suppose anything is possible. I'd feel a lot better about this team if Fox and Ihnen hadn't been injured. I feel pretty good about the guards and Battle but the rest of the team leaves me with trepidation.

 

[MNVCGUY]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

After posting a 3-13 Big-10 record in the 2003-04 season, the Gophers lost their top 6 scorers. Kris Humphries turned pro (the last 1st round NBA pick the Gophers have had), Ben Johnson & Mike Bauer graduated, Stan Gaines transferred and Mo Hargrow & Adam Boone went down with season ending injuries.

Oh well. Three seniors with minimal playing time their first three years needed to be elevated into starting roles (Jeff Hagen, Aaron Robinson & Brent Lawson). Gophers picked up a couple JUCOs (Vincent Grier & J'son Stamper) and sprinkled in some freshman (Dan Coleman, Spenser Tollackson & Rico Tucker).

Incredibly, this cast of mostly misfits went 10-6 in conference and was one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever watched. Gophers have had only one winning conference record since.

Cue Jim Carrey .....

With the injuries to Fox and Ihnen it is tough to not have a pretty negative view on the short term prospects for the team. It was already going to be an uphill battle but losing two key pieces of the remade squad before the first game is probably too much for this group to overcome and stay at least somewhat competitive in 21-22. But there is so much unknown with all the new faces I guess anything is possible.

The frustrating part is seeing the fans that have given up on the long term future of the program just because the short term prospects are not great. The two don't have to be connected.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

With the injuries to Fox and Ihnen it is tough to not have a pretty negative view on the short term prospects for the team. It was already going to be an uphill battle but losing two key pieces of the remade squad before the first game is probably too much for this group to overcome and stay at least somewhat competitive in 21-22. But there is so much unknown with all the new faces I guess anything is possible.

The frustrating part is seeing the fans that have given up on the long term future of the program just because the short term prospects are not great. The two don't have to be connected.

They don't have to be connected, but they CAN be connected. To say "the short term doesn't matter because the long term outlook is what we care about" is just as naive as saying the long term outlook is screwed because the short term looks so bad.

I've come to peace with where 21-22 will be. Subscribing to HALE and will welcome a surprise. As for the long term I think we'll know a lot more around January as recruiting will have solidified (for better or worse) and we'll have an idea of the team is playing, being coached, etc. It also helps that I don't have a financial stake in this team for the upcoming season.

 

[bga1]

With the injuries to Fox and Ihnen it is tough to not have a pretty negative view on the short term prospects for the team. It was already going to be an uphill battle but losing two key pieces of the remade squad before the first game is probably too much for this group to overcome and stay at least somewhat competitive in 21-22. But there is so much unknown with all the new faces I guess anything is possible.

The frustrating part is seeing the fans that have given up on the long term future of the program just because the short term prospects are not great. The two don't have to be connected.

Very few are giving up on supporting the Gophers. The reality is that this is as bleak as things have looked since the year Clem started- which was also the year I got restarted on buying season tickets for the Gophers (I had been off and on prior as a student and also adult season ticket holder) and have had them ever since and will continue.

There was no scandal this time and it didn't need to get this bad. Pitino was correctly fired. I just saw no need to melt the thing down as I believe it makes it all that much tougher to retain fans and get recruits excited about the program. I think things will look a lot brighter if we can get a few 2022 guys committed in the next couple weeks.

 

[MennoSota]

Very few are giving up on supporting the Gophers. The reality is that this is as bleak as things have looked since the year Clem started- which was also the year I got restarted on buying season tickets for the Gophers (I had been off and on prior as a student and also adult season ticket holder) and have had them ever since and will continue.

There was no scandal this time and it didn't need to get this bad. Pitino was correctly fired. I just saw no need to melt the thing down as I believe it makes it all that much tougher to retain fans and get recruits excited about the program. I think things will look a lot brighter if we can get a few 2022 guys committed in the next couple weeks.

What we don't know is how bad the locker room was fragmented over the past couple years. With everyone going elsewhere we might surmise that few people actually got along or enjoyed hanging out. This may have been compounded in the pandemic. That all would fall on the previous coaching staff and the players who were here.

We are in a period of unknown. It is easy for some here to panic because of the unknown. But, it's just basketball. It's on the low end of the spectrum in life. Instead, I am interested to see what comes out of this lump of clay. Can Ben create a masterpiece or will it be yet another ash tray? I'm hoping it's a masterpiece. I will wait to see what happens.

 

[Gophers7633]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

After posting a 3-13 Big-10 record in the 2003-04 season, the Gophers lost their top 6 scorers. Kris Humphries turned pro (the last 1st round NBA pick the Gophers have had), Ben Johnson & Mike Bauer graduated, Stan Gaines transferred and Mo Hargrow & Adam Boone went down with season ending injuries.

Oh well. Three seniors with minimal playing time their first three years needed to be elevated into starting roles (Jeff Hagen, Aaron Robinson & Brent Lawson). Gophers picked up a couple JUCOs (Vincent Grier & J'son Stamper) and sprinkled in some freshman (Dan Coleman, Spenser Tollackson & Rico Tucker).

Incredibly, this cast of mostly misfits went 10-6 in conference and was one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever watched. Gophers have had only one winning conference record since.

Cue Jim Carrey .....

I think the 04-05 team is my favorite team of all-time.

 

[cjbfbp]

What we don't know is how bad the locker room was fragmented over the past couple years. With everyone going elsewhere we might surmise that few people actually got along or enjoyed hanging out. This may have been compounded in the pandemic. That all would fall on the previous coaching staff and the players who were here.

Well said! Add in the unprecedented opportunity to start fresh somewhere else immediately and that might be most of it.

Ultimately, the decision to leave was on the players, not Johnson.

 

[stocker08]

Love it. All signs point to a poor season....but we are piecing together an entirely new roster. Betting odds say it's going to be rough. But the Gophers are a huge question mark going into this next season.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

The last time I was so down on a Gopher team's future, I got a nice surprise.

After posting a 3-13 Big-10 record in the 2003-04 season, the Gophers lost their top 6 scorers. Kris Humphries turned pro (the last 1st round NBA pick the Gophers have had), Ben Johnson & Mike Bauer graduated, Stan Gaines transferred and Mo Hargrow & Adam Boone went down with season ending injuries.

Oh well. Three seniors with minimal playing time their first three years needed to be elevated into starting roles (Jeff Hagen, Aaron Robinson & Brent Lawson). Gophers picked up a couple JUCOs (Vincent Grier & J'son Stamper) and sprinkled in some freshman (Dan Coleman, Spenser Tollackson & Rico Tucker).

Incredibly, this cast of mostly misfits went 10-6 in conference and was one of the most enjoyable teams I've ever watched. Gophers have had only one winning conference record since.

Cue Jim Carrey .....

Recently on BTN they were doing "Gopher Classics" and had a replay of a game from that 03-04 season. Most of the players I remembered, but Stan Gaines hit a bucket and I was going "who the bleep is that?" absolutely did not remember him. FWIW, the game they showed was one where Humphries went off for (I think) 36 points and 12 rebounds, or something like that, and the Gophers came from behind to beat Indiana.

 

[cjbfbp]

Recently on BTN they were doing "Gopher Classics" and had a replay of a game from that 03-04 season. Most of the players I remembered, but Stan Gaines hit a bucket and I was going "who the bleep is that?" absolutely did not remember him. FWIW, the game they showed was one where Humphries went off for (I think) 36 points and 12 rebounds, or something like that, and the Gophers came from behind to beat Indiana.

I wasn't a Gopher fan then but I do enjoy looking up these things.

If you watched a lot, you must have noticed Stan Gaines then because he averaged 26.4 minutes a game that year (not a lot of points though).

He transferred to Seton Hall after that season and, after sitting out a year, posted about the same averages there as here.

 

[alchemy2u]

Blah, blah, blah.......