Official roster updated: we have 8 players




Am I reading SONs math wrong? He says you play 7-8 guys (which is true and what we have), plus add a couple scholarship guys and walk ons. That’s 12 guys and more than enough to get through a year.

that is my point exactly. when people on this board questioned the team's depth under Pitino, we were told that "most teams only play 7 or 8 guys on a regular basis." we were told that the guys on the end of the bench really don't matter.

but apparently now, it is essential to the future of the program that the Gophers have 13 guys who are all capable of playing............
 

that is my point exactly. when people on this board questioned the team's depth under Pitino, we were told that "most teams only play 7 or 8 guys on a regular basis." we were told that the guys on the end of the bench really don't matter.

but apparently now, it is essential to the future of the program that the Gophers have 13 guys who are all capable of playing............
I feel like a majority of GH was never satisfied with Pitino's depth, rightfully so. Last year he had plenty of bodies, but still poorly managed rotations anyway. People using that rationale were just trying to make excuses for the heavy minutes he put on his starters, which was another huge complaint by most of GH.
 


that is my point exactly. when people on this board questioned the team's depth under Pitino, we were told that "most teams only play 7 or 8 guys on a regular basis." we were told that the guys on the end of the bench really don't matter.

but apparently now, it is essential to the future of the program that the Gophers have 13 guys who are all capable of playing............
We're basically buying lottery tickets hoping they pay. If we need 7 or 8 to pay, I hope we buy 13 and not 8.
 

We're basically buying lottery tickets hoping they pay. If we need 7 or 8 to pay, I hope we buy 13 and not 8.
Honestly really great analogy, the more the merrier if the idea is each player needs to compete and earn every minute. Surely one coal or more can be worked into a diamond.
 

Honestly really great analogy, the more the merrier if the idea is each player needs to compete and earn every minute. Surely one coal or more can be worked into a diamond.
Someone has to be our leading scorer and in our BTN promos.
 





I personally did not like his quote. To me that is admitting defeat already. Things happen where you might not use all 13, I get that, but in May to essentially say "we won't find 6 more guys that will even come here for a year" is not good news on the recruiting trail and is putting expectations very low. I fully understand we aren't getting 6 all Americans, but we can't find some 6'10 kid to pull some rebounds in, or a 5'9 kid who shoots 42% from 3 to come in and fill even a tiny role? I hope I'm wrong as Ben seems like a great dude but this start is an utter disaster
I mean BJ must have been listening to me 🤣 we got our 6'9 center who can't do much and a guy who's specialty is shooting 3s
 


Ihnen played 7% of our total minutes?
I've heard that it is currently very hard for a foreign student to change schools. Is that true?
Maybe the main reason that Ihnen is back is because of this.
 



The Gophers are going to be historically bad next season. Like lose to Bemidji State in a preseason tuneup bad. This is basically a pick up team of random mid and low major guys who have never played together. If you put together a team on Craigslist it would have more continuity.

I think BJ can be a good coach here, but it's gonna be a hard start.
 

The Gophers are going to be historically bad next season. Like lose to Bemidji State in a preseason tuneup bad. This is basically a pick up team of random mid and low major guys who have never played together. If you put together a team on Craigslist it would have more continuity.

I think BJ can be a good coach here, but it's gonna be a hard start.
I sincerely doubt it.
 

I've heard that it is currently very hard for a foreign student to change schools. Is that true?
Maybe the main reason that Ihnen is back is because of this.

Well, there are plenty of foreign players who have switched schools this off-season so I'm guessing it's not that hard. We did have Alihan and Matz transfer here in the past.
 

that is my point exactly. when people on this board questioned the team's depth under Pitino, we were told that "most teams only play 7 or 8 guys on a regular basis." we were told that the guys on the end of the bench really don't matter.

Why does it matter what we were told by "some people around here?" The correct frame of reference at this point is to view Pitino's history. For most of his tenure, no matter how many active scholarship players he had on the roster, he never seemed to have enough. An injury, a suspension, a player or coach induced termination, or simply a lack of player development/ability usually seemed to step in and make the roster shorter than what it appeared to be at the beginning of the season.

I think Ben should recruit 12 scholarship players and leave the 13th for Fox. Many of the available players are for one year only so they don't pose a long-term risk. Even a two-year player doesn't pose that much risk.
 

Well, there are plenty of foreign players who have switched schools this off-season so I'm guessing it's not that hard. We did have Alihan and Matz transfer here in the past.
Alihan, Matz, and Matz. Matz was so good we got him twice, after Matz found trying to enroll at cal too difficult
 

As far as 13 or 8, Fleck would say you need competition. If you are guaranteed a starting role why work hard? In addition, running practices with fewer than 10 is a pain. You have some development guys, some grad transfers, some role players, some stars....and some bench players who are ready to play when there is an injury, foul trouble or just simply to give guys a rest. I can't imagine a team of 8....and whomever we have, I hope that Johnson does a better job than Pitino in managing his roster. So far letting the entire team leave was not good roster management IMHO but I hope this improves going forward. Willing to give a pass this year and glad we have 10 scholarship players so far...hoping we have 13 and walk-ons before practices get underway.
 

As far as 13 or 8, Fleck would say you need competition. If you are guaranteed a starting role why work hard? In addition, running practices with fewer than 10 is a pain. You have some development guys, some grad transfers, some role players, some stars....and some bench players who are ready to play when there is an injury, foul trouble or just simply to give guys a rest. I can't imagine a team of 8....and whomever we have, I hope that Johnson does a better job than Pitino in managing his roster. So far letting the entire team leave was not good roster management IMHO but I hope this improves going forward. Willing to give a pass this year and glad we have 10 scholarship players so far...hoping we have 13 and walk-ons before practices get underway.

I agree with everything you've said except the following:

"So far letting the entire team leave was not good roster management IMHO but I hope this improves going forward."

This is called freedom of choice and there is nothing Ben can do about it if players really want to leave. Furthermore, if I were coach, I wouldn't want players who wanted to leave anyway so if that was the situation, I don't blame him for not begging them to stay.
 

I agree with everything you've said except the following:

"So far letting the entire team leave was not good roster management IMHO but I hope this improves going forward."

This is called freedom of choice and there is nothing Ben can do about it if players really want to leave. Furthermore, if I were coach, I wouldn't want players who wanted to leave anyway so if that was the situation, I don't blame him for not begging them to stay.
I understand what you are saying. Part of that is recruiting though. Unless he wanted all of these players to leave, or they were determined to leave the U with 100% certainty, I am sure he tried to sell them on his vision, coaching staff, etc. and they rejected the message. I assume he did not want to gut the roster (he said as much in early interviews) and I doubt that they ALL were determined to leave regardless of who was hired as the coach, so this does concern me a bit.
 

that is my point exactly. when people on this board questioned the team's depth under Pitino, we were told that "most teams only play 7 or 8 guys on a regular basis." we were told that the guys on the end of the bench really don't matter.

but apparently now, it is essential to the future of the program that the Gophers have 13 guys who are all capable of playing............
You act as if the people who wanted Pitino gone and the people who think we are in a lot of trouble are two different groups.

I wanted Pitino gone because he never developed a team. He threw together rosters from year to year that usually lacked depth. We fire him and appear to be getting worse from that standpoint not better.



saying the roster looks awful is not the same thing as saying we should have kept pitino
 

Ihnen played 7% of our total minutes?
29 games
5 players
40 minutes per game

5800 minutes

7% of that is 406 minutes
/29 games is 14 minutes per game.

Basketball reference says he played 14.3 minutes per game. I don’t remember them but if basketball reference is correct...yea he did


Which is why I don’t get people who say we had the depth to be top 4 in the conference last year
 

FWIW - Doogie was on with Mackey and Judd. He said the Gophers "hope* to add 2 or 3 more big men, but said one or two may not be announced until after Memorial Day. Also said Johnson's offense will not operate with a traditional point guard. And he noted that so far, every new player is 6'4" or taller by design. Final "scoop" - Johnson was not upset about some of the transfers because "they were not B1G players." Doogie mentioned Mitchell and Freeman in this category.
 

I don’t know how anyone can have optimism for this season. If this were European Football we’d probably be relegated after this upcoming season.
 


I understand what you are saying. Part of that is recruiting though. Unless he wanted all of these players to leave, or they were determined to leave the U with 100% certainty, I am sure he tried to sell them on his vision, coaching staff, etc. and they rejected the message. I assume he did not want to gut the roster (he said as much in early interviews) and I doubt that they ALL were determined to leave regardless of who was hired as the coach, so this does concern me a bit.
Right!? I read from SON I think that Gabe decided to leave in January. It could be that the team was such a dumpster fire (they certainly played that way after a strong start) that when the NCAA said they could all leave, they gladly got the heck out of Minnesota. Only one followed Pitino....and when a bunch decided to leave, why stick around if your teammates aren't there anymore? But still, I think he surely could have lost fewer players...
 

Current roster

6'4 200lbs guard
6'7 225lbs forward
6'4 185lbs guard
6'3 175lbs guard
6'5 200lbs guard
6'9 220lbs forward
6'11 190lbs center

We are skinnnnnny
 

Current roster

6'4 200lbs guard
6'7 225lbs forward
6'4 185lbs guard
6'3 175lbs guard
6'5 200lbs guard
6'9 220lbs forward
6'11 190lbs center

We are skinnnnnny
They can come to my house...everyone who does gets plenty fat.
 





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