BleedGopher
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This is going to be an interesting year for the Gophers
By Myron Medcalf
October 20, 2009
This is my third year covering Gophers basketball. I don't feel like a veteran yet. But I’m no rookie, either.
So I anticipated a stern reaction from Gophers officials, players and coaches during the team's media day Friday morning, since it was held a day after I wrote a story about the numerous questions marks surrounding the squad entering the upcoming year.
In years past, the Gophers let reporters roam around Williams Arena to interview any player or assistant coach. Kind of a free-for-all.
Before this year’s media day began, however, Tubby Smith delivered a message (via a team spokesman) to the assembled reporters: "No questions about players' pasts, legal situations or academic issues."
Translation: "Don't ask Trevor Mbakwe about the great, big elephant in the room also known as a felony assault charge that threatens to disrupt the season of a potential starter.”
After a brief team meeting, coaches and officials placed 13 chairs along the Barn sideline. Each player took a seat and team officials/coaches stood nearby to make sure we didn't violate their rules for the interviews.
As soon I walked up to Mbakwe, one of Minnesota's communications reps ran over to monitor the exchange.
It's clear that the Gophers have instituted extreme quality control over the Mbakwe situation.
As long as athletic director Joel Maturi continues to keep us all in limbo about Mbakwe's playing status, we will continue to ask questions.
Even if Maturi allows Mbakwe to play, the junior's trial is still scheduled for Dec. 14, 2009, and will certainly affect his inaugural year with the Gophers if the trial date does not change.
No one’s going to ignore the fact that a major contributor might not suit up for the Gophers this season.
In spite of the extra security, players were open and forthcoming with their thoughts about the upcoming season. They also displayed a chemistry that I haven't seen over the last two years.
During the last two media days, players joined their respective cliques before and after interviews. But Friday, the young guys and vets stood together. They joked. They laughed. They talked.
Regardless of what happens with Mbakwe, I think he’ll get a lot of support from his teammates. Mbakwe was one of the biggest jokesters Friday. It seems like the rest of the team has really embraced him, while he navigates his current circumstances.
I think a lot of it has to do with the leadership of seniors Damian Johnson and Lawrence Westbrook. When they were sophomores, the Gophers didn't have that chemistry in part because of the age gap between the team's vets and young players.
I think Johnson and Westbrook are determined to keep this team together during what could be a special year for Gophers basketball.
At this point, I’m convinced it will certainly be an interesting one.
Here are some of my other observations from player interviews during Friday's media day:
-Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson have certainly bulked up. Sampson said Dexter Pittman's dominance against him in last season's NCAA tournament loss against Texas inspired him to focus on building up his legs over the summer.
-Westbrook really lost 40 pounds over the summer. He told me that he weighed in at 182 pounds Friday morning but doesn’t think he’s lost any strength.
-Even though the team has 12 small forwards, 15 shooting guards and about 10 guys who think they can play both positions, no one seems to be concerned about playing time. It’s as if they all look at their minutes the same way Allen Iverson thinks about practice: “Minutes. We talkin’ ‘bout minutes. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. Minutes.”
-Royce White sported a new “TC” tattoo, which he said he got recently to affirm his allegiance to the Twin Cities. A year ago, he put an “M” in his hair to rep the University of Minnesota. The former Hopkins forward loves being home. But he’s running out of ways to prove it.
-Justin Cobbs and Paul Carter, both from L.A., are excited about a chance to go back to the West Coast for the 76 Classic in Anaheim over Thanksgiving weekend.
-Al Nolen said carrying the load got to him last season and affected the way he played down the stretch. He said he believes things will be different this season. He said he sat down with Smith over the summer to get a better sense of the coach’s expectations. He also watched a lot of NBA point guards on film.
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/65...EyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUgOy9cP3DieyckcUsI
Go Gophers!!
By Myron Medcalf
October 20, 2009
This is my third year covering Gophers basketball. I don't feel like a veteran yet. But I’m no rookie, either.
So I anticipated a stern reaction from Gophers officials, players and coaches during the team's media day Friday morning, since it was held a day after I wrote a story about the numerous questions marks surrounding the squad entering the upcoming year.
In years past, the Gophers let reporters roam around Williams Arena to interview any player or assistant coach. Kind of a free-for-all.
Before this year’s media day began, however, Tubby Smith delivered a message (via a team spokesman) to the assembled reporters: "No questions about players' pasts, legal situations or academic issues."
Translation: "Don't ask Trevor Mbakwe about the great, big elephant in the room also known as a felony assault charge that threatens to disrupt the season of a potential starter.”
After a brief team meeting, coaches and officials placed 13 chairs along the Barn sideline. Each player took a seat and team officials/coaches stood nearby to make sure we didn't violate their rules for the interviews.
As soon I walked up to Mbakwe, one of Minnesota's communications reps ran over to monitor the exchange.
It's clear that the Gophers have instituted extreme quality control over the Mbakwe situation.
As long as athletic director Joel Maturi continues to keep us all in limbo about Mbakwe's playing status, we will continue to ask questions.
Even if Maturi allows Mbakwe to play, the junior's trial is still scheduled for Dec. 14, 2009, and will certainly affect his inaugural year with the Gophers if the trial date does not change.
No one’s going to ignore the fact that a major contributor might not suit up for the Gophers this season.
In spite of the extra security, players were open and forthcoming with their thoughts about the upcoming season. They also displayed a chemistry that I haven't seen over the last two years.
During the last two media days, players joined their respective cliques before and after interviews. But Friday, the young guys and vets stood together. They joked. They laughed. They talked.
Regardless of what happens with Mbakwe, I think he’ll get a lot of support from his teammates. Mbakwe was one of the biggest jokesters Friday. It seems like the rest of the team has really embraced him, while he navigates his current circumstances.
I think a lot of it has to do with the leadership of seniors Damian Johnson and Lawrence Westbrook. When they were sophomores, the Gophers didn't have that chemistry in part because of the age gap between the team's vets and young players.
I think Johnson and Westbrook are determined to keep this team together during what could be a special year for Gophers basketball.
At this point, I’m convinced it will certainly be an interesting one.
Here are some of my other observations from player interviews during Friday's media day:
-Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson have certainly bulked up. Sampson said Dexter Pittman's dominance against him in last season's NCAA tournament loss against Texas inspired him to focus on building up his legs over the summer.
-Westbrook really lost 40 pounds over the summer. He told me that he weighed in at 182 pounds Friday morning but doesn’t think he’s lost any strength.
-Even though the team has 12 small forwards, 15 shooting guards and about 10 guys who think they can play both positions, no one seems to be concerned about playing time. It’s as if they all look at their minutes the same way Allen Iverson thinks about practice: “Minutes. We talkin’ ‘bout minutes. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. Minutes.”
-Royce White sported a new “TC” tattoo, which he said he got recently to affirm his allegiance to the Twin Cities. A year ago, he put an “M” in his hair to rep the University of Minnesota. The former Hopkins forward loves being home. But he’s running out of ways to prove it.
-Justin Cobbs and Paul Carter, both from L.A., are excited about a chance to go back to the West Coast for the 76 Classic in Anaheim over Thanksgiving weekend.
-Al Nolen said carrying the load got to him last season and affected the way he played down the stretch. He said he believes things will be different this season. He said he sat down with Smith over the summer to get a better sense of the coach’s expectations. He also watched a lot of NBA point guards on film.
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/65...EyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUgOy9cP3DieyckcUsI
Go Gophers!!
