Nice long read about the B10 this upcoming year

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Thoughts...

I'm excited for most of the gophers coming into this next season, but the gophers I'm most interested in seeing are Devoe, Cobbs and Royce. If we can improve our outside shooting and turn the ball over less often, I'm looking forward to a finish around 3-4 in the big 10 and around a 5-6 seed in the tourney. If we don't improve in those areas, I see a 5-6 finish and a seed around 8-9.

The buckeyes' perimeter attack is going to be scary with Turner, Bufford, Diebler and a healthy Lighty. I had Turner pegged as the best player in the conference last year, and even if the guy can be a bit of a jackass, I'm interested in the Wolves drafting him after this season if he plays the way I think he will

Talor Battle is a fantastic player, but his supporting cast is going to be much weaker this season.

I'm curious how big a step Indiana can take in just 1 season

Kalin Lucas is my favorite non-gopher in the conference, and I have a ton of respect for that whole program. I like their backcourt more this year than last, but we'll see how they deal with the loss of Suton. Hopefully we can at least put up a fight against them at some point this year, maybe even win one!

I always want to underrate the badgers, and I know they reload very quickly from what always seems like crippling graduating class. But at some point, B10 teams need to figure out how to defend that offense, as it's not terribly complex. Here's to hoping we don't have to rely on more last-minute heroics to push our win-streak over them to 2 full years.
 

"Minnesota is a trendy pick to get back to the Dance"
"If he [RSIII] can then they may not be on the NCAA tournament bubble again. They may just be in."

Really? Really? I'm not exactly expecting a Final Four birth but a bubble team... trendy pick to make the dance? Come on, all I need is a little respect.
 



This article may be a testament to the Gopher depth this year.

5. Hey, Mr. Carter: Paul Carter played only 16 minutes a game for upstart Minnesota last season. He averaged just 5.3 points a game and shot a measly 21.1 percent. But Carter made a name for himself this summer when he went on a traveling team called Sports Reach to an event in China. While it's hard to get a read on the competition, Carter did lead the squad in scoring and rebounding. He then returned to a much more intense summer competition in Minneapolis, the Howard Pulley League, and was named the co-MVP. The Gophers were at times offensively challenged last season. So having someone like the 6-8 Carter emerge as a threat is a must.
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Can Paul challenge for a starting spot ... will he even be on the Gopher's second five unit? He'll be battling Damian Johnson, Devron Bostick, Rodney Williams and maybe even Royce White for minutes at SF.

• Ralph Sampson III, So., Minnesota: Gophers coach Tubby Smith said Minnesota landed Sampson over ACC and SEC schools because he could make a name for himself without the tall shadow of his father, Ralph, smothering him at the Mid-Atlantic or southern schools. There were times last season when he was still finding his way. That stretched into the summer when Sampson III didn't play well during the Under-19 USA Basketball trials in Colorado Springs. But he has had a summer to think about how he can be effective. Scoring in the low post and blocking shots should be his forte. The natural progression from his freshman to sophomore season should benefit Sampson III. The Gophers expect to see him shine in his second season as a more effective and efficient post scorer. If he can then they may not be on the NCAA tournament bubble again. They may just be in.
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RSII had a solid freshman campaign. So did the other freshman center Colt Iverson. Together these guys should give the Gophers their best post play in years. It's a toss up on who starts between them. And it's even possible that the Gopher's best lineup may feature Trevor Mbakwe in the post.
 


Saber said:
Thoughts...

I'm excited for most of the gophers coming into this next season, but the gophers I'm most interested in seeing are Devoe, Cobbs and Royce. If we can improve our outside shooting and turn the ball over less often, I'm looking forward to a finish around 3-4 in the big 10 and around a 5-6 seed in the tourney. If we don't improve in those areas, I see a 5-6 finish and a seed around 8-9.

The buckeyes' perimeter attack is going to be scary with Turner, Bufford, Diebler and a healthy Lighty. I had Turner pegged as the best player in the conference last year, and even if the guy can be a bit of a jackass, I'm interested in the Wolves drafting him after this season if he plays the way I think he will

Talor Battle is a fantastic player, but his supporting cast is going to be much weaker this season.

I'm curious how big a step Indiana can take in just 1 season

Kalin Lucas is my favorite non-gopher in the conference, and I have a ton of respect for that whole program. I like their backcourt more this year than last, but we'll see how they deal with the loss of Suton. Hopefully we can at least put up a fight against them at some point this year, maybe even win one!

I always want to underrate the badgers, and I know they reload very quickly from what always seems like crippling graduating class. But at some point, B10 teams need to figure out how to defend that offense, as it's not terribly complex. Here's to hoping we don't have to rely on more last-minute heroics to push our win-streak over them to 2 full years.
Click to expand...

I think Minnesota will finish sixth in the conference with Ohio State being the sleeper to win the league. The addition of Lighty after a season missed due to injury is paramount. This guy is a proven leader and a certain difference maker on an already super-talented squad. OSU's starting 5 is simply going to be scary.

Other teams that should finish ahead of the Gophers are Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Illinois.

If the Gophers upgrade shooting from the perimeter and Mbakwe is cleared to play, they could jump into the top 5 discussion.

Worst case scenario for this team is 7th. You never know how good Wisconsin and Indiana is going to be. I think the only locks to finish below Minnesota are Iowa and maybe Penn State.
 

Big 10 Will Be Tough, All 11 Teams

That's why the 18 game B10 schedule really adds to SOS for the entire schedule.
 



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