coolhandgopher
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Obviously, Reid Travis' decision to go to Stanford was a big kick in the teeth to the Gopher fan collective and sent a large segment of us, if not all (momentarily, at least) into the spin cycle of self-pity that fits Minnesota sports fans like a tattered old sweatshirt. Beyond Travis' decision, a larger question has been posed-Why aren't MN kids dreaming and jumping at the chance to play for the hometown Gophers? I struggle with the question myself, but increasingly understand, for a variety of reasons-a lackluster stretch of achievement since Gangelgate, the influence of AAU ball & prep schools which has had a national effect on players seeking opportunities away from home are certainly contributing factors.
I also wonder about the fishbowl of MN preps playing for the only D-1 university in the state-if you look at our top 100 recruits who have stayed at home or returned to the "U" since Sam Jacobson, it hasn't been a very rosy path; in fact, the phrase "eat your young" comes to mind. Here are those players, off the top of my head:
Joel Pryzbilla-Was positioning himself as an all-time Gopher great until he decided he wasn't going to go to class anymore, at probably the most possible time to make that decision in Gopher basketball history. Lots of negativity towards Pryz amongst the MN fan base ever since.
Michael Bauer-Great promise, career marred by injuries and inconsistency. A favorite of mine, due to hustle, his hair, and that memorable buzzer beater against Georgia, but often criticized for his failure to live up to expectations.
Rick Rickert-Very promising freshman season followed by disappointing sophomore campaign, followed by early entrance into NBA draft which fizzled into an overseas career and a punch in the chops from KG. Treatment from fans and local media from sophomore year onward was pretty brutal and he became a punchline.
Kris Humphries-Unfairly or not, blamed for the nadir of Gopher hoops under Dan Monson's tenure. Put up great stats, but if 20-10 can't get Northwestern to fall, did anyone give a $#%? Another punchline in Gopher hoops.
Shane Schilling-Major flame-out with huge self destructive tendencies.
Moe Hargrow-Gophers, Arkansas, back to Gophers-probably the poster boy for that sad period of time where MN preps left for greener pastures only to come back when things didn't work out very well. In a confusing time for Gopher hoops, Hargrow was the essence of that confusion
Brandon Smith-time with Gophers equivalent to a tire fire
Adam Boone, Larry McKenzie Jr, Ben Johnson-All left Minnesota highly acclaimed, returned to MN optimistically acclaimed, finished at the “U” with acclaim no longer part of the dialogue
Spencer Tollackson-solid four year contributor for Gophers, but oft-mocked and another who seemed to fall sort of expectations, in his case, probably unrealistic
Bryce Webster-remember when he was a Gopher? A top 100 recruit from STA?
Blake Hoffarber-very solid run with Gophers, provided one of the great shots in Gopher history (BTT tournament vs. Indiana, freshman year), generally given positive treatment by fans/media
Trevor Mbawke-took him awhile to arrive at the “U” and there was drama from the get-go, but on the court, he was a deserved fan favorite
Royce White-let’s just keep moving. . .
Rodney Williams-so much promise, so many unrealized expectations. Seemingly a very likeable, good citizen who as a freshman showed flashes of becoming an all-time Gopher great, but never came all together on a consistent basis. Absorbed a fair amount of Gopher fan frustration and negative media.
From my memory, those are the MN Preps, roughly ranked nationally in the top 100, who matriculated to the “U” at some point in the Monson and Tubby eras of basketball. Outside of Hoffarber and Mbawke, it seems a great deal of dissatisfaction surrounded their play for the Gophers, for a wide variety of reasons.
While the scrappy, underdog MN Prep to Gopher (Al Nolen, Dusty Rychart, Jeff Hagen, Brent Lawson, Jamal Abu Shamala, Zach Puchtel) has generally been well received, those who came with press clippings seemed to struggle or never match expectations under the microscope, whether from fans, media or both.
So, the last 15 years have seen a correlation between mediocre results for the Gophers basketball program and local boys not making good when donning the Gopher jersey. One wonders if much of the lukewarm response from the Big 3 has itself rooted in this recent history. Rene Pulley has garnered significant criticism from Gopher fans lately in his tepid comments towards the “U”, but I’m guessing he’s not the local basketball guy rehashing this tale of woe. And I’m pretty certain that college coaches recruiting from outside the state would have been hammering home this narrative.
The good news? I do believe the Gophers have a coach in Pitino who will change the perception and energy of the “U” back to a positive for the locals, and his hiring of Ben Johnson seems all the more savvy in this context-while Johnson’s time on the court with the Gophers wasn’t legendary, he is heading into gyms and living rooms expressing his love for the hometown university. Although hope still springs for Vaughn (seems to have the type of makeup where he’d enjoy turning the tide), it seems likely that Jarvis Johnson and Alex Illikainen are going to be the litmus test; there’s a lot to like about coach Pitino and the future certainly appears bright-will those two talented preps in the class of ‘15 jump on board and ignore/refute the tenuous relationship between top ranked MN preps and production at the “U” in our recent history?
I also wonder about the fishbowl of MN preps playing for the only D-1 university in the state-if you look at our top 100 recruits who have stayed at home or returned to the "U" since Sam Jacobson, it hasn't been a very rosy path; in fact, the phrase "eat your young" comes to mind. Here are those players, off the top of my head:
Joel Pryzbilla-Was positioning himself as an all-time Gopher great until he decided he wasn't going to go to class anymore, at probably the most possible time to make that decision in Gopher basketball history. Lots of negativity towards Pryz amongst the MN fan base ever since.
Michael Bauer-Great promise, career marred by injuries and inconsistency. A favorite of mine, due to hustle, his hair, and that memorable buzzer beater against Georgia, but often criticized for his failure to live up to expectations.
Rick Rickert-Very promising freshman season followed by disappointing sophomore campaign, followed by early entrance into NBA draft which fizzled into an overseas career and a punch in the chops from KG. Treatment from fans and local media from sophomore year onward was pretty brutal and he became a punchline.
Kris Humphries-Unfairly or not, blamed for the nadir of Gopher hoops under Dan Monson's tenure. Put up great stats, but if 20-10 can't get Northwestern to fall, did anyone give a $#%? Another punchline in Gopher hoops.
Shane Schilling-Major flame-out with huge self destructive tendencies.
Moe Hargrow-Gophers, Arkansas, back to Gophers-probably the poster boy for that sad period of time where MN preps left for greener pastures only to come back when things didn't work out very well. In a confusing time for Gopher hoops, Hargrow was the essence of that confusion
Brandon Smith-time with Gophers equivalent to a tire fire
Adam Boone, Larry McKenzie Jr, Ben Johnson-All left Minnesota highly acclaimed, returned to MN optimistically acclaimed, finished at the “U” with acclaim no longer part of the dialogue
Spencer Tollackson-solid four year contributor for Gophers, but oft-mocked and another who seemed to fall sort of expectations, in his case, probably unrealistic
Bryce Webster-remember when he was a Gopher? A top 100 recruit from STA?
Blake Hoffarber-very solid run with Gophers, provided one of the great shots in Gopher history (BTT tournament vs. Indiana, freshman year), generally given positive treatment by fans/media
Trevor Mbawke-took him awhile to arrive at the “U” and there was drama from the get-go, but on the court, he was a deserved fan favorite
Royce White-let’s just keep moving. . .
Rodney Williams-so much promise, so many unrealized expectations. Seemingly a very likeable, good citizen who as a freshman showed flashes of becoming an all-time Gopher great, but never came all together on a consistent basis. Absorbed a fair amount of Gopher fan frustration and negative media.
From my memory, those are the MN Preps, roughly ranked nationally in the top 100, who matriculated to the “U” at some point in the Monson and Tubby eras of basketball. Outside of Hoffarber and Mbawke, it seems a great deal of dissatisfaction surrounded their play for the Gophers, for a wide variety of reasons.
While the scrappy, underdog MN Prep to Gopher (Al Nolen, Dusty Rychart, Jeff Hagen, Brent Lawson, Jamal Abu Shamala, Zach Puchtel) has generally been well received, those who came with press clippings seemed to struggle or never match expectations under the microscope, whether from fans, media or both.
So, the last 15 years have seen a correlation between mediocre results for the Gophers basketball program and local boys not making good when donning the Gopher jersey. One wonders if much of the lukewarm response from the Big 3 has itself rooted in this recent history. Rene Pulley has garnered significant criticism from Gopher fans lately in his tepid comments towards the “U”, but I’m guessing he’s not the local basketball guy rehashing this tale of woe. And I’m pretty certain that college coaches recruiting from outside the state would have been hammering home this narrative.
The good news? I do believe the Gophers have a coach in Pitino who will change the perception and energy of the “U” back to a positive for the locals, and his hiring of Ben Johnson seems all the more savvy in this context-while Johnson’s time on the court with the Gophers wasn’t legendary, he is heading into gyms and living rooms expressing his love for the hometown university. Although hope still springs for Vaughn (seems to have the type of makeup where he’d enjoy turning the tide), it seems likely that Jarvis Johnson and Alex Illikainen are going to be the litmus test; there’s a lot to like about coach Pitino and the future certainly appears bright-will those two talented preps in the class of ‘15 jump on board and ignore/refute the tenuous relationship between top ranked MN preps and production at the “U” in our recent history?
