***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA AT NORTHWESTERN IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

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Okay--gotta admit, I didn't watch the game. I hope to catch the replay on BTN 60 minute replay. I've only read the GH game thread to see how people felt about the win.

I love the Niko hire by the way, but I'm amazed at all the comments about finally seeing a back door cut and how refreshing it was that a coach here can teach players a simple play that most learn in junior high basketball. I mean really? So Ben and Richard somehow couldn't figure that out? Even though teams used it against us for years, it took a Niko Medved hire to finally get it done here?

Hopefully optimistic that better times lie ahead.
 


leib0039 said:
Its a fluid ranking. So yes while they were 74th at the time, the loss pushed them to 83rd. Its based off the current rankings not what they were at the time of the game.
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It seems more logical to base the results on the rankings going into the game. Thanks for the clarification.
 




I wasn't sure where to put this, so I'll put it here, but if you look at CSU's team from last year, they were 8-6 headed into the New Year, and proceeded to make the R32 (a buzzer beater away from the S16). It seems like over the course of the season, that team got a lot better. I'm not saying this team will do that, but I do think, given the track record, this team will be much improved from where they were in November and early December.
 

GopherJack said:
Okay--gotta admit, I didn't watch the game. I hope to catch the replay on BTN 60 minute replay. I've only read the GH game thread to see how people felt about the win.

I love the Niko hire by the way, but I'm amazed at all the comments about finally seeing a back door cut and how refreshing it was that a coach here can teach players a simple play that most learn in junior high basketball. I mean really? So Ben and Richard somehow couldn't figure that out? Even though teams used it against us for years, it took a Niko Medved hire to finally get it done here?

Hopefully optimistic that better times lie ahead.
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To be honest, it takes a commitment to the offense in a way that can be frustrating when you don't have the pieces. If you have a good guard (Willis, Carr, Mason, etc.) it can be tempting to go with a weave and a high pick and roll. That kind of offense is needed in moments, but when it's all you do, there is going to be an astronomical amount of dribbling. It also makes cutting difficult, because if you're a wing and you cut, you might get in the way of the PNR action.
 


Gophers7633 said:
I wasn't sure where to put this, so I'll put it here, but if you look at CSU's team from last year, they were 8-6 headed into the New Year, and proceeded to make the R32 (a buzzer beater away from the S16). It seems like over the course of the season, that team got a lot better. I'm not saying this team will do that, but I do think, given the track record, this team will be much improved from where they were in November and early December.
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Team is up to a staggering 75.9% of baskets being assisted on. 88.8% over the last 3 games. Only 1 team over the last 10 years has even been over 69% baskets assisted, that was 15-16 Mich St.

We are up to 74th in KP defense and 35th in def reb %. The defense didn't sound great, but considering we have lost our only C with any college experience and have no rim protection that is very good.

Hop on board early folks, if we can find a little NIL watch out. I feel good about finally finding our coach!!
 



I thought Tyson would be good, but he's a better player than I thought he'd be. When I first saw him play, I thought "big guy who is a good shooter on the perimeter that will make him difficult to guard" and not much beyond that. He's a lot better than that and thus, my career as a basketball scout ends prematurely.
 

50PoundHead said:
I thought Tyson would be good, but he's a better player than I thought he'd be. When I first saw him play, I thought "big guy who is a good shooter on the perimeter that will make him difficult to guard" and not much beyond that. He's a lot better than that and thus, my career as a basketball scout ends prematurely.
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Yep, I was hoping for a shooter who wouldn't be a massive liability elsewhere. He is actually just a good basketball player who happens to be a good shooter.
 


Roland Brooks said:
Fun game everyone contributed.. lol all 7 of them… let’s keep it rolling winnable games coming up
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This season may turn out a bit like Johnson's first (although the brand of basketball will be much improved) in that the team will likely wear down due to a lack of depth. The difference (as obliquely referenced above), Medved has an idea of what he wants the team to do and has them playing in a manner that should maximize their talent.
 



50PoundHead said:
This season may turn out a bit like Johnson's first (although the brand of basketball will be much improved) in that the team will likely wear down due to a lack of depth. The difference (as obliquely referenced above), Medved has an idea of what he wants the team to do and has them playing in a manner that should maximize their talent.
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Definite similarity in lack of depth and size and an injury or two to any of the 7 key guys could derail things quickly but hopefully record wise this team is able to surpass the win total of Johnson's first couple teams.

Can definitely see what Medved is trying to do and hopefully he can keep roster together and keep building on it for the future. Have to avoid the constant resets we had under Johnson.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Definite similarity in lack of depth and size and an injury or two to any of the 7 key guys could derail things quickly but hopefully record wise this team is able to surpass the win total of Johnson's first couple teams.

Can definitely see what Medved is trying to do and hopefully he can keep roster together and keep building on it for the future. Have to avoid the constant resets we had under Johnson.
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It could really be a blessing in disguise for next year that Kai and Grayson are getting all these minutes, when realistically, the plan was for upperclassmen to be in the rotation.

I hope Niko is a bit cutthroat when negotiating NIL with Vaihola, Willis, and Omot. NIL should cut both ways... I thought Vaihola was a great system player with his big frame, screening, and rebounding prowess. Willis never seemed to gel, although that foot could have been bothering him long before.

Would rather roll the dice on new transfers with all three of those guys unless they are willing to take a pay cut. If we have to pay one, pay the big man.
 

leib0039 said:
Team is up to a staggering 75.9% of baskets being assisted on. 88.8% over the last 3 games. Only 1 team over the last 10 years has even been over 69% baskets assisted, that was 15-16 Mich St.
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This really is an incredibly impressive statistic. That doesn't happen without a ton of practice reps, great execution and guys really trusting their teammates to be where they're supposed to be within the framework of the offense.

I'm quite certain that Spaulding will give all the credit to Thorson.
 

50PoundHead said:
This season may turn out a bit like Johnson's first (although the brand of basketball will be much improved) in that the team will likely wear down due to a lack of depth. The difference (as obliquely referenced above), Medved has an idea of what he wants the team to do and has them playing in a manner that should maximize their talent.
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Believe i read an article someplace that Medved not only has an idea of what he wants, he basically demands one way, his way. Story told story of CSU practices where if somebody did any little thing wrong (cut, screen, back door), they stopped and started over. Little room for doing it your way.
 


Zeppelin Gopher said:
Ben's first 2 teams combined for 6 B1G wins.

We should definitely be aiming to top that number in Niko's first season.
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If this group is able to stay healthy I think the odds are very good that they will surpass that combined total this year. Maybe not by much but pushing out close to .500 in conference play might be doable.

But it will get real scary real quick if Tyson goes down at any point this season. Need the 7 man rotation to stay healthy, and if they do they have shown an ability to function really well together.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
Ben's first 2 teams combined for 6 B1G wins.

We should definitely be aiming to top that number in Niko's first season.
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To equal that number, we'd have to go 4-13 the rest of the way. I think we'll do better than that but I do have some concerns about running out of gas in February and March.
 

TwistingMyMelon said:
To equal that number, we'd have to go 4-13 the rest of the way. I think we'll do better than that but I do have some concerns about running out of gas in February and March.
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"Just pacing ourselves Sarg."
Boom shaka lacka lacka boom shaka boom!"
 

50PoundHead said:
This season may turn out a bit like Johnson's first (although the brand of basketball will be much improved) in that the team will likely wear down due to a lack of depth. The difference (as obliquely referenced above), Medved has an idea of what he wants the team to do and has them playing in a manner that should maximize their talent.
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The Gophers are likely going to get pounded a few more times by bigger/more talented teams throughout the season, but people vastly overrate college kids 'wearing down'.

The majority of teams have 7-8 man rotations. Iowa only played 8 in the last game and Stirtz is averaging slightly more minutes per game than Tyson. 18-22 year olds playing 25-35 mpg and then getting several days off in between games is not difficult to recover from at that age. Especially when the season is only ~30 games.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
The Gophers are likely going to get pounded a few more times by bigger/more talented teams throughout the season, but people vastly overrate college kids 'wearing down'.

The majority of teams have 7-8 man rotations. Iowa only played 8 in the last game and Stirtz is averaging slightly more minutes per game than Tyson. 18-22 year olds playing 25-35 mpg and then getting several days off in between games is not difficult to recover from at that age. Especially when the season is only ~30 games.
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Yep, just less room for injury loss.
 



Winning record is all I care about-ncaa tournament is to tough difficult-to much pressure and don’t care if we make it or not
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
The Gophers are likely going to get pounded a few more times by bigger/more talented teams throughout the season, but people vastly overrate college kids 'wearing down'.

The majority of teams have 7-8 man rotations. Iowa only played 8 in the last game and Stirtz is averaging slightly more minutes per game than Tyson. 18-22 year olds playing 25-35 mpg and then getting several days off in between games is not difficult to recover from at that age. Especially when the season is only ~30 games.
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Teams often do cut down to 7-8 in Feb and March, but the concern for us we have been playing that amount since Thanksgiving. Thinking of the 16-17 team for example that team played nine and there were times were we needed bench guys to step up. Hurt hit a big three against NW that year, Curry had the overtime at Purdue and a clutch box out on Akeem Springgs winning bucket for Indiana. In 97 there were games where Charles Thomas would come off the bench and hit three or four threes or in Tubbys first year, Hoff, Nolan and Damian Johnson gave essential bench minutes. It's just not sustainable to play three guys 38-40 minutes a night for three months
 

The Deliberate Stranger said:
Teams often do cut down to 7-8 in Feb and March, but the concern for us we have been playing that amount since Thanksgiving. Thinking of the 16-17 team for example that team played nine and there were times were we needed bench guys to step up. Hurt hit a big three against NW that year, Curry had the overtime at Purdue and a clutch box out on Akeem Springgs winning bucket for Indiana. In 97 there were games where Charles Thomas would come off the bench and hit three or four threes or in Tubbys first year, Hoff, Nolan and Damian Johnson gave essential bench minutes. It's just not sustainable to play three guys 38-40 minutes a night for three months
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You should argue that with a lot of college basketball coaches then. Texas Tech's PG, who is one of the best in the country plays 38+ mpg. When they beat Duke he and another guard played 40 min. In last nights Nebraska - Ohio State game, Nebraska had 3 guys play 35+ mpg. Ohio St had 4 guys play 36+ mpg. I already mentioned Iowa.

In highly competitive basketball games it is normal for teams to play their best players most, if not the entire game. They're college kids, they don't wear down. The only time that might happen is during conference tournaments when they are playing 3-4 days in a row.

More depth would be nice, but when the Gophers lose games this season, it will be because they are overmatched, not because because they are 'worn out'.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
You should argue that with a lot of college basketball coaches then. Texas Tech's PG, who is one of the best in the country plays 38+ mpg. When they beat Duke he and another guard played 40 min. In last nights Nebraska - Ohio State game, Nebraska had 3 guys play 35+ mpg. Ohio St had 4 guys play 36+ mpg. I already mentioned Iowa.

In highly competitive basketball games it is normal for teams to play their best players most, if not the entire game. They're college kids, they don't wear down. The only time that might happen is during conference tournaments when they are playing 3-4 days in a row.

More depth would be nice, but when the Gophers lose games this season, it will be because they are overmatched, not because because they are 'worn out'.
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I agree with you 100%. These guys literally need to play hard for four-minute stretches, and they get a break.

Three to four days before the games is plenty of time to recover (I assume Niko isn't having them run suicides at practice).

That said, just to be safe, I wish the obnoxious end-of-game out-of-bounds reviews were still a thing until next year, to give our boys a few extra blows in the waning minutes :ROFLMAO: .
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
The Gophers are likely going to get pounded a few more times by bigger/more talented teams throughout the season, but people vastly overrate college kids 'wearing down'.

The majority of teams have 7-8 man rotations. Iowa only played 8 in the last game and Stirtz is averaging slightly more minutes per game than Tyson. 18-22 year olds playing 25-35 mpg and then getting several days off in between games is not difficult to recover from at that age. Especially when the season is only ~30 games.
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Yeah I think the short bench comes more into play in games where there's foul trouble and/or a more fast paced, up & down type of game. As long as the guys playing are largely healthy, they should be fine most games playing 35+.

Iowa of last year and years past might be a problem. This year not as much.
 

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