While I agree with most of this, win % doesn't mean anything with the terrible schedule they had this year. Win conference games, win tier 2 and some tier 1 games. That gets you into the tournament.
Plitzuweit
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To answer your question (and move it from the recruiting thread), I would say a number of things from last season mark Coach P as a good coach. First, leading the BIG in turnover rate in conference play is the mark of an organized and disciplined team. Turnover rate is not everything, but when you are trying to overcome some talent gaps (and shooting inefficiency), not turning the ball over is a really good thing. Second, GG and McKinney in back-to-back years are proof of a very good recruiting eye. Neither player was heavily recruited, but both made a post-season list (below) of top 40 players in the league last year, which is impressive for under recruited underclassmen. Third, fourth and fifth, game planning, organization and resilience. Coach P's Gophers are well organized, usually with a good game plan, e.g. at UCLA, and a resilient bunch, witness the late comebacks at Maryland and Ohio State. Even in a disappointing year where the Gophers went 2-10 in the league against teams with a pulse, the coaching acumen of Coach P was evident.
Ultimately, however, as your post indicates, results matter, and the results weren't there in the BIG. I agree with those who give Coach P slack for the injuries to Braun and Woodson. My biggest concern with Coach P is can she produce an efficient high-major offense? Her West Virginia (NCAA tournament) team and her two Gopher teams have all had relatively poor effective field goal percentages. Coming into last season, Coach P had identified improved offensive efficiency as the # 1 goal for the season. With a healthy Braun (who has had her own shooting woes) and Woodson, Coach P needs to deliver a better offense next season, with a solid NCAA tournament team.
Hoopla 40: 2024-25 End-Of-Season Rankings
The 40 best players in the Big Ten last season, according to uhhh me I guess!
hooplanewsletter.substack.com
It would be hard to imagine how poor this team would be today if Coyle hadn't fired Whalen and hired Plitzuweit. Plitzuweit has made all the difference and as fans we should all be happy that she leads this program and has made great strides in just two years. She has done a remarkable job.
samloupete
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Especially since Dawn is playing primarily with Whalen recruits.
bball_craz_31
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You mean like beating Illinois and Indiana?
You mean like Grace, Tori, Stewart, Rose, and Woodson?
Clearly not enough. But you knew that.
GringaGopher
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Given the dramatically changing landscape in college sports with the portal n NIL Coach P needs to be commended for keeping her talented roster intact for next season. Time will tell if she can continue to improve , recruit @ a high level and win big games.
Just Gopher It!!
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Post more please, your comedy is always welcome!!!
I'm not sure 8 and 10 in the Big Ten is a remarkable accomplishment. Whalen was 7 and 11 in 21-22 in the Big Ten. Her recruits are the core of the team.
Are you confident once Whalen's recruits graduate we will not backslide? Or maybe better question...How is that going to happen that we continue to improve? Tori and Grace alone are not going to get us to 8 and 10 '26-27.
FinnGopher
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I like Dawn's recruiting and she is clearly a better coach than Lindsey was. Also, Dawn has kept the recruits while Lindsey was losing players. I am happily confident that our trend is upward.
Won't Mara Braun also be back in '26-27? Of course, we'll need more than those three (Mara, Grace, & Tori) to keep an upward trajectory.
adamj95
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Are we forgetting about another Tori that will be playing in 26-27?
www.mngirlsbasketballhub.com
For anyone questioning Dawn’s recruiting, do you think Whalen would have gotten Tori Oehrlein? This young woman is going to be a difference maker once she arrives on campus. She has already broken the state record for rebounds as a junior.
Crosby-Ironton’s Tori Oehrlein becomes third Minnesota girls player to reach 4,000 points
The official home of Minnesota girls' high school basketball.
www.mngirlsbasketballhub.com
For anyone questioning Dawn’s recruiting, do you think Whalen would have gotten Tori Oehrlein? This young woman is going to be a difference maker once she arrives on campus. She has already broken the state record for rebounds as a junior.
Ya, I'll agree with that.
I don't know if Mara has another year...the rules are a moving target. Be awesome if she does!
Well, Whalen got the Minnesota girls she got...so I don't think you can say she wouldn't.Are we forgetting about another Tori that will be playing in 26-27?
Crosby-Ironton’s Tori Oehrlein becomes third Minnesota girls player to reach 4,000 points
The official home of Minnesota girls' high school basketball.
For anyone questioning Dawn’s recruiting, do you think Whalen would have gotten Tori Oehrlein? This young woman is going to be a difference maker once she arrives on campus. She has already broken the state record for rebounds as a junior.
Happy she is going to be a Gopher! She should be an asset, no doubt!
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thatjanelpick
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On all the charts (Raoul, etc.) I've seen, she does.
Awesome! Great news! Should be good the next two years...I'm leaning optimistic versus not sure at all for the future.
bball_craz_31
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To Clarify a few things
-Yes Mara has two years left. She only played 5 games and one of the reasons she didn't rush back this last season was she didn't want to risk losing a full year of eligibility. Now if she has a breakout year and the team has a good year, she could see herself going to the WNBA draft but yes she has two years she could play left.
-In terms of Tori Oehrlein, while we may never know, i'd say there woul have been a good chance Whalen could of gotten her to stay home. She likely wanted to stay close for family and friends so it's not out of the relm of possibility.
-Yes Mara has two years left. She only played 5 games and one of the reasons she didn't rush back this last season was she didn't want to risk losing a full year of eligibility. Now if she has a breakout year and the team has a good year, she could see herself going to the WNBA draft but yes she has two years she could play left.
-In terms of Tori Oehrlein, while we may never know, i'd say there woul have been a good chance Whalen could of gotten her to stay home. She likely wanted to stay close for family and friends so it's not out of the relm of possibility.
MaroonMagic
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Not that we needed another piece of evidence, but the Gopher Athletics website has her listed as a redshirt junior, so it's official.
As I travel this summer on the top AAU circuits, I am constantly reminded of how poor a coach Whalen was. She is the joke of many tenured D1 coaches that came up through the ranks and earned the right to coach at a high level. Countless of times I have been told that Whalen's players knew how bad she was, that's why they all fled to better programs.
tripledouble
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JD, at some point in time you're going to have to let the Whalen thing go. You've already beaten it into ground. She's no longer the Gophers' coach.
GringaGopher
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Exactly ! Not to mention I wonder with his moniker why he feels the need to denigrate other coaches ?
bball_craz_31
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This is by far the dumbest thing I've ever read on here.
Should she call them "her bitches" or "little girls" nooo they are YOUNG LADIES. A Young Lady is defined as an individual in early adulthood age. What would 18-22 be?!
Unless this is that Piece of Shit Patrick Reusse coming on the board cause he bitched about it as well.
I've spoken with both parents and the players... they have zero issue with it. So shut up.
Agree. Talk about yelling at clouds.
Overreact much?
WAGopher
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It's changed a bit, but for a long time, young women athletes at many colleges were called Lady, like Lady Gophers, Lady Hawks, etc. It's fine if the women athletes don't like it, but it always sounded classy to me.