Now that most people have gotten off the ledge...

[gopherbadgerman]

MN is #8 in the RPI, 15-3 overall. Still not too bad of a spot.

Not a perfect team by any means, but a good one without a doubt.

If in November you knew what MN would be ranked in the top 15, have a top 10 RPI, and be forecasted for at least a top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, I doubt most people would complain.

Although the last two losses hurt, it is not the end of the season by any means, there is a lot of time left to do a lot of good things.

I thought at the beginning of the year this was a 10-8 Big ten team that would end up getting in with a 8-10 seed, and I am pleasently suprised with the team. Not perfect, but certainly a good performance this far.

 

[Gopher07]

It's hard for me to tell with this team if sloppy, uninspired play for stretches is the norm, or if it is more a result of the quality of teams we've lost to. Probably some combination of both at this point.

Honestly I think playing some poorer/mid-level teams will help us get a better read on where we stand. Right now I think we know we're not on the same level as Michigan and Indiana, but are we the 3rd best team, or the 6th best team? That's what I think we get to find out over the next month as we play Wisconsin twice and MSU.

 

[MNGreatest]

It's hard for me to tell with this team if sloppy, uninspired play for stretches is the norm, or if it is more a result of the quality of teams we've lost to. Probably some combination of both at this point.

Honestly I think playing some poorer/mid-level teams will help us get a better read on where we stand. Right now I think we know we're not on the same level as Michigan and Indiana, but are we the 3rd best team, or the 6th best team? That's what I think we get to find out over the next month as we play Wisconsin twice and MSU.

Yup, second that.

 

[station19]

It's hard for me to tell with this team if sloppy, uninspired play for stretches is the norm, or if it is more a result of the quality of teams we've lost to. Probably some combination of both at this point.

Honestly I think playing some poorer/mid-level teams will help us get a better read on where we stand. Right now I think we know we're not on the same level as Michigan and Indiana, but are we the 3rd best team, or the 6th best team? That's what I think we get to find out over the next month as we play Wisconsin twice and MSU.

Yup, second that.

And a third.

 

[tmvander]

We literally killed every team we have played that wasn't ranked in the top 5 with the exception of Stanford. Some of the scores are misleading (NDSU) as they got some garbage points down the stretch when we had bench players in.

Memphis and Florida State we still won pretty comfortably as well.

I mentioned on another thread that the teams that have beaten us have had to play pretty amazing basketball to do so. Duke shot 8-10 from 3, Indiana would have beaten anyone they played with that first half, and Michigan played very well last night as well.

Minnesota is a good team, and unless they slip up and lose to the Nebraska's and Penn State's of the world coming up we will have a find season.

 

[BarnBoy]

We have three losses. Each of the losses is to a team that is currently in the Top 5.

We are a good team.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

Don't know that I can remember the last time I read a thread of more than 2 posts where I agreed with everything everyone posted, until now.

 

[freshtrout]

If the next two games (on the road) are losses .. the ledge could become a cliff.

 

[book]

We can not become another Illinois... NW is a big game - if we don't bring it we could lose... Win and start a winning streak!!!!

 

[Jeshurun]

We can not become another Illinois... NW is a big game - if we don't bring it we could lose... Win and start a winning streak!!!!

This. Gophers need to put the hammer down in Evanston.

 

[Jeshurun]

Also interesting fact, we have lost to the #5 ranked team 3 times this season. Numbers are crazy. I wonder if we end up playing the #5 ranked team again this season.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/135/minnesota-golden-gophers

 

[mcal24]

I mentioned on another thread that the teams that have beaten us have had to play pretty amazing basketball to do so. Duke shot 8-10 from 3, Indiana would have beaten anyone they played with that first half, and Michigan played very well last night as well.

Yes they played well against us, but I think it has more to do with us not playing defense then them playing well. You don't see top 5 teams shooting lights out against most other teams. If we keep leaving Division 1 players open for shots, its pretty obvious they are going to play "amazing basketball."

 

[stocker08]

Seems like a good time to bump this thread......with constructive additions.

We have always had trouble with the 1-3-1 zone under Tubby. Seems odd that we simply cannot figure it out. Blame lands on Tubby here. On the other hand, we won't see another game where we shoot like this. The game was close despite the fact that we lost Hollins halfway through the second half and we couldn't buy a basket. Free throw shooting shouldn't look like that either. The turnovers have been a constant problem and they continued today in excess.

A reaction to this three game skid is warranted, but there is a point in which the overreaction is not. The season is by no means over. We will have games that are ugly, like the game tonight, and we will have games in which everything goes right. Step back from the ledge and let's see if this skid continues before losing our collective minds.