***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA AT VIRGINIA TECH BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

[howeda7]

But it’s to be expected when you’re relying on this many freshmen to play big roles. Not the Fab Five

Battle is not a freshman. Garcia is not a freshman. Cooper is not a freshman. They're doing nothing. JOJ and Payne are the only ones showing a pulse.

 

[upnorthkid]

Yep that’s all for me for the year. Bens seat will be warmer heading into next year. Team has greatly regressed

 

[Gophers7633]

This game has me just about out on Johnson. Mike Young is a really good comparison to what Johnson could be. By year two, he basically had to flip the entire VT roster and had them as a 10 seed in the '21 tournament and then last year, in year 3 won the ACC Tournament. Johnson has missed on too many guys in the portal, and this FR class isn't contributing(outside Payne).

I don't like calling for someones job, but he needs to be on the hot seat entering next year. A lot of coaches have done better in similar situations than he has.

 

[howeda7]

Still not enough time to fully judge an entire coaching tenure.

But boy is Johnson worthless as a game coach so far.

I thought X's and O's was why Thorson was on the staff? Either way, very unimpressive.

 

[stocker08]

Freshman are getting tons of playing time. There are going to be some growing pains.

 

[cjbfbp]

I missed a good bit of the second half because of a phone call. One thing I do like seeing here at the end: Johnson removed all the vets and filled the lineup with freshmen and Samuels. Why not?

 

[Gopherbbdude]

BC...will be good

 

[howeda7]

Yep that’s all for me for the year. Bens seat will be warmer heading into next year. Team has greatly regressed

"It's not your fault kid, it's the guy that hired you" would apply here.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I missed a good bit of the second half because of a phone call. One thing I do like seeing here at the end: Johnson removed all the vets and filled the lineup with freshman and Samuels. Why not?

Samuels shouldn't play but I agree with the rest.

 

[howeda7]

If you can't be good, at least be interesting. PP and Carrington should start going forward. And JOJ should play a ton, especially if Garcia keeps this up.

 

[DanvilleGopher]

The biggest problem to me to date is the 2 guys they thought they'd be able to rely on, have not come to play; Garcia and Battle.

If these guys don't improve, this will indeed be a horrible season.

 

[Spottedmuskie]

we might cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[upnorthkid]

"It's not your fault kid, it's the guy that hired you" would apply here.

Ben looks over his head right now. Hoping it’s a start of the season thing, but you can coach effort, motion, etc and it’s sorely lacking

 

[Spottedmuskie]

The biggest problem to me to date is the 2 guys they thought they'd be able to rely on, have not come to play; Garcia and Battle.

If these guys don't improve, this will indeed be a horrible season.

I'll give Battle a few more games to warm up, but Garcia.... come on

 

[scools12]

BC...will be good

Only 7 games into their freshmen season so not giving up on them but other than Payne who looks like he will be a beast and Ola-J the others don’t look too impressive.

 

[leib0039]

That was one of the worst coached games I have ever witnessed
Ben should be embarrassed. Offense was terrible, shooting terrible, defense terrible, effort terrible. Good some people can ignore the obvious and just hide behind "well freshman and transfers!" Like we are the only team in the country with that situation.

 

[cjbfbp]

Samuels finally did something near the end - drove to the bucket (sort of) and took a shot. It was unsuccessful but he did something!

 

[howeda7]

Furious rally to cover the spread. Ski U Mah!

 

[stocker08]

Only 7 games into their freshmen season so not giving up on them but other than Payne who looks like he will be a beast and Ola-J the others don’t look too impressive.

They're freshman on a very young team. Silly to start drawing conclusions.

 

[scools12]

They're freshman on a very young team. Silly to start drawing conclusions.

I said not giving up on them so no conclusions drawn. Just commenting on what I’ve seen so far.

 

[LongLiveMilesTarver]

You mean the same teams Ben Johnson played on?

Apparently so.

 

[GO4INLALALAND]

I didn't watch the game, but based on the comments, the outcome is as I expected. I am fearful that if this season really stinks, it will have a devastating effect on fan excitement, which will turn around and have a negative impact on recruiting and overall sentiment of the b-ball program. I agree with some of the posters who stated that Ben needs to have a short leash. We cannot let this program sink too far down as it could takes years to recover.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

That was one of the worst coached games I have ever witnessed
Ben should be embarrassed. Offense was terrible, shooting terrible, defense terrible, effort terrible. Good some people can ignore the obvious and just hide behind "well freshman and transfers!" Like we are the only team in the country with that situation.

No. Ill passed on him.

 

[LongLiveMilesTarver]

But it’s to be expected when you’re relying on this many freshmen to play big roles. Not the Fab Five

Are they that young though? Battle, Garcia, and Cooper are upper classmen and they were supposed to be our stalwarts.

 

[PhiloVance]

I skipped out on watching the game tonight. Was it more of the same Pitino street ball?

You wish!

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Why all the negativity? VT is the best team we played so far this season and we covered!

 

[cjbfbp]

That was one of the worst coached games I have ever witnessed
Ben should be embarrassed. Offense was terrible, shooting terrible, defense terrible, effort terrible. Good some people can ignore the obvious and just hide behind "well freshman and transfers!" Like we are the only team in the country with that situation.

Look, this is a bad team and it's going to be a long season. My advice to you is to have no expectations at all, view this season as a real life version of a Bad News Bears type developmental comedy, and take the good things whenever they come. Another way of saying this: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!"

Otherwise, you're just going to be miserable for many weeks and drive yourself into high blood pressure if you don't already have it.

 

[howeda7]

I didn't watch the game, but based on the comments, the outcome is as I expected. I am fearful that if this season really stinks, it will have a devastating effect on fan excitement, which will turn around and have a negative impact on recruiting and overall sentiment of the b-ball program. I agree with some of the posters who stated that Ben needs to have a short leash. We cannot let this program sink too far down as it could takes years to recover.

I'm not sure fan interest/excitement can get any lower. It's already at the bottom. Look at the crowds. Listen to local sports talk. Gopher basketball don't even warrant a mention except to mock them for not playing St. Thomas.

 

[T-Bonegopher]

I'll give Battle a few more games to warm up, but Garcia.... come on

I listened to the game on the radio and at the beginning Mike Grimm was saying Garcia was playing ill.

 

[Spottedmuskie]

I listened to the game on the radio and at the beginning Mike Grimm was saying Garcia was playing ill.

okay makes sense, lot of sick folks around right now.