Niko’s roster construction

Donate To GopherHole
Bad Gopher said:
PJ has had the Gophers in the top 10. Medved has had CSU in the top 15. Those are a couple of really good coaches.

Minnesota is better situated for basketball success than football success for various reasons. I have always liked our potential. We have more alumni than almost any other institution in the country, and the school exists in a major metropolitan area filled with potential casual fans. Anyone who doesn't see the potential in that or chooses to focus on disadvantages is intentionally being a wet blanket.

This town went ape shit for the Gophers in the 90s, and it can happen again. This state is now 29 years more starved for a champion than it was in 1996-97.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
So why am I reading "patience" and "moderate your expectations" and "NIL this and that?"
Is Medved the guy, or not? If the idea js "build for 2028' he's already a failure.
 

bga1 said:
There’s not much room for patience anymore when everyone is a free agent every year. I trust Niko to do this fast if he is properly funded. That’s a big if around here
Click to expand...
I hear you, but it's not like making an order from Amazon or in the McDonald's drive-through. You have to have athletes willing to take a leap of faith that Minnesota will truly turn the thing around. We're kinda damaged goods.

Of course, I'm going to debate myself by referencing what Coach O pulled off at Iowa State. They were coming off a disastrous year, and that didn't seem to matter.

To quote Fiddler on the Roof, on the other hand...it IS a different deal to overcome YEARS of doldrums and decline, which has people like Seth Davis badmouthing the program, the school, the community, and all the horses we rode in on. Let's face it: this is a stubborn horse to break.
 
Last edited:

USAF said:
Exactly.
So why am I reading "patience" and "moderate your expectations" and "NIL this and that?"
Is Medved the guy, or not? If the idea js "build for 2028' he's already a failure.
Click to expand...
Niko should be fired anything short of natty his first year, in fact his seat should start warming after his first losd
 

salzie said:
Niko should be fired anything short of natty his first year, in fact his seat should start warming after his first losd
Click to expand...
Well thanks for the nuanced response.

Shouldn't we expect a top 6 B1G finish and a decent tourney seed?
 

USAF said:
Exactly.
So why am I reading "patience" and "moderate your expectations" and "NIL this and that?"
Is Medved the guy, or not? If the idea js "build for 2028' he's already a failure.
Click to expand...
Because most adults in the room know that reconstruction does not happen right away. Process takes time. Medved is expanding the University of Minnesota process. He is pushing that rock uphill everyday.
 


goldenboy said:
Once, for a joke (even if it’s not funny), I can put up with. Keeping it up is too much like the idiot that called Pitino “little Ricky” for his entire time at MN. That was just being a jerk.
Click to expand...
"You can call him Ray...or you can call him Jay...but you don't have to call him Nacho Johnson."

People must lock you in the shitter at parties on a regular basis.
 


What I want from Niko is a full roster. I would be happy with a full roster of people who can play the game. My next higher goal is winning games without looking like five chairs on the court. I don't have modest expectations. I just start with the basics and move the goal as each are met. It may be that many are met after the first exhibition game. I said that last line for the posters who want to criticize every nitpicky point and want to project their nonsense onto others. I have more expectations, but I think you get the progression. If not, use your imaginations.
 

Bad Gopher said:
This state is now 29 years more starved for a champion than it was in 1996-97.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? Maybe it's just 29 years more apathetic.

I am not burdened by nostalgia since I've been a Gopher fan only since 2013 and, since I've been a Gopher fan, the football team has been pretty competitive and reasonably consistent while the basketball program has been only occasionally successful. Of course, there is also hockey but I'm not much of a fan of that sport since I didn't grow up with it and never really warmed to it.
 



TwistingMyMelon said:
Are you sure? Maybe it's just 29 years more apathetic.

I am not burdened by nostalgia since I've been a Gopher fan only since 2013 and, since I've been a Gopher fan, the football team has been pretty competitive and reasonably consistent while the basketball program has been only occasionally successful. Of course, there is also hockey but I'm not much of a fan of that sport since I didn't grow up with it and never really warmed to it.
Click to expand...
...or 29 years more hopeless? Or simply unaccustomed to the idea that success is possible? You get the feeling that, as the years have gone by, we feel like we're flying too close to the sun when a local men's team is in contention for a championship. It's become the impossible dream. 110+ straight seasons without a men's pro team even advancing to the championship round will do that to a person. People just kind of accept the inevitability. They even start arguing against the possibility. You see that here.

I've had the idea to make a timeline graphic going back to the beginning of pro and big-time college sports here showing the major accomplishments: league championships, conference championships, conference runners-up, NCAA runs, etc. Things really thin out in the last couple, three decades. Gopher men's hockey's NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003 and basketball's Big Ten championship and Final Four in 1997 are the last real big deals (for men's major sports) in this town. The Vikings have come closest to equaling that on the pro side. Gopher hockey in the title game recently is the most significant recent blip. This is truly where hope goes to die. It's easy to forget that there used to be much more success here and on a fairly regular basis. Now it's accepted that it just doesn't happen anymore.

People here will fight you fiercely to insist that everything is impossible. Most of them are younger and have only known wandering in the wilderness.
 


USAF said:
Exactly.
So why am I reading "patience" and "moderate your expectations" and "NIL this and that?"
Is Medved the guy, or not? If the idea js "build for 2028' he's already a failure.
Click to expand...
Well you've already given up on this season when the roster isn't even finished.

How the fuck do you know what is going to happen this coming year?
 

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Well you've already given up on this season when the roster isn't even finished.

How the fuck do you know what is going to happen this coming year?
Click to expand...
Shouldn't you be addressing this to all the folks telling us we.shouldnt expect to compete if. 25-26?
 










Bad Gopher said:
...or 29 years more hopeless? Or simply unaccustomed to the idea that success is possible? You get the feeling that, as the years have gone by, we feel like we're flying too close to the sun when a local men's team is in contention for a championship. It's become the impossible dream. 110+ straight seasons without a men's pro team even advancing to the championship round will do that to a person. People just kind of accept the inevitability. They even start arguing against the possibility. You see that here.

I've had the idea to make a timeline graphic going back to the beginning of pro and big-time college sports here showing the major accomplishments: league championships, conference championships, conference runners-up, NCAA runs, etc. Things really thin out in the last couple, three decades. Gopher men's hockey's NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003 and basketball's Big Ten championship and Final Four in 1997 are the last real big deals (for men's major sports) in this town. The Vikings have come closest to equaling that on the pro side. Gopher hockey in the title game recently is the most significant recent blip. This is truly where hope goes to die. It's easy to forget that there used to be much more success here and on a fairly regular basis. Now it's accepted that it just doesn't happen anymore.

People here will fight you fiercely to insist that everything is impossible. Most of them are younger and have only known wandering in the wilderness.
Click to expand...

I agree with that although nothing is impossible, just unlikely. After all, Indiana, a team that had been to five bowls since 1993, just had 11 wins and a college football playoff appearance.

The reason I come to this board is that I don't know anyone in my non-cyber life who cares about gopher basketball. The closest was a work colleague who did discuss and watch the Gophers during their 2019 postseason. The only times I've ever seen the Gopher basketball team on the TV while at a restaurant or bar was during the early years of Tubby's tenure and that was only a couple of times. In contrast, I've seen the Gopher hockey team on TV at those places many times during my 20+ years here.
 

Bad Gopher said:
PJ has had the Gophers in the top 10. Medved has had CSU in the top 15. Those are a couple of really good coaches.

Minnesota is better situated for basketball success than football success for various reasons. I have always liked our potential. We have more alumni than almost any other institution in the country, and the school exists in a major metropolitan area filled with potential casual fans. Anyone who doesn't see the potential in that or chooses to focus on disadvantages is intentionally being a wet blanket.

This town went ape shit for the Gophers in the 90s, and it can happen again. This state is now 29 years more starved for a champion than it was in 1996-97.
Click to expand...
Top 10 of what?
 

Bad Gopher said:
...or 29 years more hopeless? Or simply unaccustomed to the idea that success is possible? You get the feeling that, as the years have gone by, we feel like we're flying too close to the sun when a local men's team is in contention for a championship. It's become the impossible dream. 110+ straight seasons without a men's pro team even advancing to the championship round will do that to a person. People just kind of accept the inevitability. They even start arguing against the possibility. You see that here.

I've had the idea to make a timeline graphic going back to the beginning of pro and big-time college sports here showing the major accomplishments: league championships, conference championships, conference runners-up, NCAA runs, etc. Things really thin out in the last couple, three decades. Gopher men's hockey's NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003 and basketball's Big Ten championship and Final Four in 1997 are the last real big deals (for men's major sports) in this town. The Vikings have come closest to equaling that on the pro side. Gopher hockey in the title game recently is the most significant recent blip. This is truly where hope goes to die. It's easy to forget that there used to be much more success here and on a fairly regular basis. Now it's accepted that it just doesn't happen anymore.

People here will fight you fiercely to insist that everything is impossible. Most of them are younger and have only known wandering in the wilderness.
Click to expand...
We have had an amazing run of poor choices for basketball coaches following a scandal. It’s as easy as that. I have referenced this before but wen the Voshon led team dropped 100 on Bobby Knight and almost 19,000 people were going completely apeshit all was right in the world.It’s gonna take Nico a bit here but all we can do is hope that he’s the right guy.
 

ShushPush said:
What I want from Niko is a full roster. I would be happy with a full roster of people who can play the game. My next higher goal is winning games without looking like five chairs on the court. I don't have modest expectations. I just start with the basics and move the goal as each are met. It may be that many are met after the first exhibition game. I said that last line for the posters who want to criticize every nitpicky point and want to project their nonsense onto others. I have more expectations, but I think you get the progression. If not, use your imaginations.
Click to expand...
I think the biggest danger with Niko is if he goes out and fills up a roster with multi year players that are middling. Right now, he’s kind of on that tack but it’s too early to say.I would rather struggle more next year and have him save his bullets for when he has his program in place and NIL is maximized.
 


Gopherchase said:
I think the biggest danger with Niko is if he goes out and fills up a roster with multi year players that are middling. Right now, he’s kind of on that tack but it’s too early to say.I would rather struggle more next year and have him save his bullets for when he has his program in place and NIL is maximized.
Click to expand...
With every new hoops and football coach I have always said that winning often and big will be a huge challenge. Niko is no exception
 

GophersInIowa said:
The one big difference to me between this roster so far and a lot of Ben's is that there's a good amount of guys that have more than 1 year of eligibility left. There's at least some room for development.

I also think people are underestimating Durkin.
Click to expand...
That only matters if they stay :(
 



TwistingMyMelon said:
I agree with that although nothing is impossible, just unlikely. After all, Indiana, a team that had been to five bowls since 1993, just had 11 wins and a college football playoff appearance.

The reason I come to this board is that I don't know anyone in my non-cyber life who cares about gopher basketball. The closest was a work colleague who did discuss and watch the Gophers during their 2019 postseason. The only times I've ever seen the Gopher basketball team on the TV while at a restaurant or bar was during the early years of Tubby's tenure and that was only a couple of times. In contrast, I've seen the Gopher hockey team on TV at those places many times during my 20+ years here.
Click to expand...
In 1997, Gopher basketball is all anyone wanted to talk about with me because they knew we had season tickets. My work colleague and her husband--NDSU alumni from Minnesota--were living and dying with the team's games. I don't remember now much scalped tickets were going for, but getting ahold of any was a coup.

They were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Once they got into the top 10, the local media was all over the story, including even MPR. The whole city was in a hangover the night and next day after they lost to Kentucky. It was a phenomenon.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom