Reusse Gopher Basketball Insights - Transfer Gossip, NIL Money, Facilities, Dutcher, Musselman ETC

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Interesting. This is the first time I've ever heard Reusse's voice.

Thoughts-

1. Man is he getting old! I still picture him from back in the '80s when he was young and spritely and full of piss, and I was shocked to see this quite elderly man, though I shouldn't have been. :unsure:

2. If what he's saying regarding the NIL situation (NO money at ALL) at the U is true, then man, we're f*cked, seriously. I hate to say that or think it and hate to drop an F-bomb like that, but wow. What an absolute travesty.

3. At least to me, he came across in this interview as being far more likable than the crabby old bastard he so often portrays in his columns. He cares about the U, and he cares very much about its basketball team.
 


Seany said:
Interesting. This is the first time I've ever heard Reusse's voice.

Thoughts-

1. Man is he getting old! I still picture him from back in the '80s when he was young and spritely and full of piss, and I was shocked to see this quite elderly man, though I shouldn't have been. :unsure:

2. If what he's saying regarding the NIL situation (NO money at ALL) at the U is true, then man, we're f*cked, seriously. I hate to say that or think it and hate to drop an F-bomb like that, but wow. What an absolute travesty.

3. At least to me, he came across in this interview as being far more likable than the crabby old bastard he so often portrays in his columns. He cares about the U, and he cares very much about its basketball team.
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They have some NIL money and they could get more. Their strategy is the problem.

One thing he mentioned- Eric Musselman would have rounded up NIL money, that you can be sure of. In this era, especially in this era- that's the guy we should have broken the bank for IMO.

I really think the whole basketball situation is less about Ben Johnson than people think.
 


With everything on his plate just being a basketball coach, is it really Ben's job to be out there hustling for money too? That's a serious question, as to me it seems a whole hell of a lot to be asking or expecting from such a young and inexperienced coach.

And I agree, it's way less about Ben than it is about Coyle (where the hell is he and what on Earth is he doing?) and the institution as a whole. It appears as if they're being willingly neglectful of their basketball program, but why? Why don't they show it more care and make it a far higher priority?
 

Seany said:
With everything on his plate just being a basketball coach, is it really Ben's job to be out there hustling for money too? That's a serious question, as to me it seems a whole hell of a lot to be asking or expecting from such a young and inexperienced coach.

And I agree, it's way less about Ben than it is about Coyle (where the hell is he and what on Earth is he doing?) and the institution as a whole. It appears as if they're being willingly neglectful of their basketball program, but why? Why don't they show it more care and make it a far higher priority?
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It's the name and the buzz among the money guys. Ben is a nice guy but has no pull with that crowd. Musselman- there would have been a lot of money coming in just on the name and the buzz. I don't know if the coach can solicit the money directly or not.
 

I found it very interesting, his statement that Cory Provus told him six weeks ago that there was no way Jamison Battle would be coming back next season, as he was already planning on testing the waters to try and find some NIL $$$ out there that he wasn't receiving here.
 

bga1 said:
They have some NIL money and they could get more. Their strategy is the problem.
I really think the whole basketball situation is less about Ben Johnson than people think.
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I’m sorry, this is such a lazy, tired take. If NIL were the biggest issue, how are football, volleyball, men’s and women’s hockey successful? Because they’re swimming in NIL and basketball is left to start their own lemonade stand? No- those other sports have good coaches. Is it easier to be a coach at a place like Oregon where there is an almost unlimited amount of cash from an overly zealous benefactor? Probably. But the money was flowing into schools like that before NIL to give them an unfair advantage already. This is just in a different form.

Does Fairleigh Dickinson have a robust NIL collective? I have no idea, but I’m willing to bet they don’t. Yet somehow they were able to beat Purdue and we only managed to score 39 points against them. NIL is a pretty easy excuse when your coach can’t coach or build a team.
 



If this is true then the whole system set up for basketball is a giant CF. Might as well give Ben Johnson a lifetime contract because no one worth anything as a coach is taking this job.

Though I think it is more about who they hired or who Coyle was told to hire.
 

bga1 said:
They have some NIL money and they could get more. Their strategy is the problem.

One thing he mentioned- Eric Musselman would have rounded up NIL money, that you can be sure of. In this era, especially in this era- that's the guy we should have broken the bank for IMO.

I really think the whole basketball situation is less about Ben Johnson than people think.
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Sid Hartman would occasionally say there is something wrong over there. Meaning administration.
 
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Seany said:
With everything on his plate just being a basketball coach, is it really Ben's job to be out there hustling for money too? That's a serious question, as to me it seems a whole hell of a lot to be asking or expecting from such a young and inexperienced coach.

And I agree, it's way less about Ben than it is about Coyle (where the hell is he and what on Earth is he doing?) and the institution as a whole. It appears as if they're being willingly neglectful of their basketball program, but why? Why don't they show it more care and make it a far higher priority?
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I would really cast this on the administration and previous ones. They like having athletics under their thumb. They tilt the table so athletics has to be Sisiphus(sp?) and roll their proverbial rock up hill. Then when one AD retires, they take measurements and make it harder for the next AD.
 




Seany said:
Interesting. This is the first time I've ever heard Reusse's voice.

Thoughts-

1. Man is he getting old! I still picture him from back in the '80s when he was young and spritely and full of piss, and I was shocked to see this quite elderly man, though I shouldn't have been. :unsure:

2. If what he's saying regarding the NIL situation (NO money at ALL) at the U is true, then man, we're f*cked, seriously. I hate to say that or think it and hate to drop an F-bomb like that, but wow. What an absolute travesty.

3. At least to me, he came across in this interview as being far more likable than the crabby old bastard he so often portrays in his columns. He cares about the U, and he cares very much about its basketball team.
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Well he is like 76.

They don't have "no" $$. But it doesn't seem like the Dinkeytown thing is even in the same universe as most of the rest of the power 6. They need a single/small group of rich donors to step up and it doesn't appear they exist.

The curmudgeon thing is mostly schtick. He just likes to troll Gopherholers for laughs.
 

Seany said:
With everything on his plate just being a basketball coach, is it really Ben's job to be out there hustling for money too? That's a serious question, as to me it seems a whole hell of a lot to be asking or expecting from such a young and inexperienced coach.

And I agree, it's way less about Ben than it is about Coyle (where the hell is he and what on Earth is he doing?) and the institution as a whole. It appears as if they're being willingly neglectful of their basketball program, but why? Why don't they show it more care and make it a far higher priority?
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This is what I have been saying. Follow the money because that's what the players are doing. It's Coyle's job to go find it, not Johnson's. Until the U gets real NIL money we won't know if Johnson can coach because the roster will be a revolving door of mediocre to sub mediocre talent.

Coyle is like Maturi. Earnest, non dynamic and organized. A perfect number two in the department. The U needs someone who can raise money and provide leadership, not remind people to fill out forms and answer surveys.
 


Seany said:
2. If what he's saying regarding the NIL situation (NO money at ALL) at the U is true, then man, we're f*cked, seriously. I hate to say that or think it and hate to drop an F-bomb like that, but wow. What an absolute travesty.
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This is complete BS and a lie that Reusse continues to repeat. But the Strib likely wants to keep making excuses for Ben considering they helped him get hired.

Besides the fact that Minnesota does have NIL money, 3/4 of the schools in the tournament have little to no NIL money. They seem to be doing alright.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
This is complete BS and a lie that Reusse continues to repeat. But the Strib likely wants to keep making excuses for Ben considering they helped him get hired.

Besides the fact that Minnesota does have NIL money, 3/4 of the schools in the tournament have little to no NIL money. They seem to be doing alright.
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Why do you say that it's complete BS? Is there any evidence (beyond hearsay or supposition) that exists either way, like a database of which schools are playing which players how much? If there's not, there sure as heck should be!

I don't know, but I find it pretty dubious to believe that Reusse is out there willfully lying in order to support a company line (the Strib wanting Johnson hired) that we don't even know exists, again, beyond rumor, innuendo, or supposition. Is there any evidence that the Strib pushed for Johnson to be hired above the likes of Smith or Medved or Dutcher or Musselman or any of the other names floating around back then?
 

Seany said:
Why do you say that it's complete BS? Is there any evidence (beyond hearsay or supposition) that exists either way, like a database of which schools are playing which players how much? If there's not, there sure as heck should be!

I don't know, but I find it pretty dubious to believe that Reusse is out there willfully lying in order to support a company line (the Strib wanting Johnson hired) that we don't even know exists, again, beyond rumor, innuendo, or supposition. Is there any evidence that the Strib pushed for Johnson to be hired above the likes of Smith or Medved or Dutcher or Musselman or any of the other names floating around back then?
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There's no database, but basketball players are getting some NIL deals here, that's a fact. Is it as much as some schools? No. But there's still some money. Ruesse is lying.

The Strib pushing for a black coach in the hiring process has been well documented on here, and is still being discussed on the front page of this forum.
 

Blackhammer said:
Sid Hartman would occasionally say there is something wrong over there. Meaning administration.
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I've said many times that "administration" is a convenient boogeyman under the bed to blame, but I've yet to see anyone get specific about who, what and why. Maybe you can tell me. Exactly who are we talking about, what do they do or not do that's the problem, and what is their motive, either collectively or individually? Again, start with names, and go from there.
 

forever a gopher said:
I’m sorry, this is such a lazy, tired take. If NIL were the biggest issue, how are football, volleyball, men’s and women’s hockey successful? Because they’re swimming in NIL and basketball is left to start their own lemonade stand? No- those other sports have good coaches. Is it easier to be a coach at a place like Oregon where there is an almost unlimited amount of cash from an overly zealous benefactor? Probably. But the money was flowing into schools like that before NIL to give them an unfair advantage already. This is just in a different form.

Does Fairleigh Dickinson have a robust NIL collective? I have no idea, but I’m willing to bet they don’t. Yet somehow they were able to beat Purdue and we only managed to score 39 points against them. NIL is a pretty easy excuse when your coach can’t coach or build a team.
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Is NIL the biggest issue? No. It is a symptom. It is a general lack of interest in winning in major sports. Look how many years football languished and despite nice success by historical standards, still no championships. You can affect basketball in a big way with NIL- much more so than football where it is impossible to spread big money around to every impact player.

The selection of the coach is actually indicative of what I am saying. They were more concerned about checking a diversity box than winning. If it so happened that he won- all the better but that was secondary. They put Johnson in a terrible spot I have said so from the beginning- it was not the hire I wanted. Was he ready to be a Big Ten coach? No. Now he is our coach and if he is going to win they had better pull out all the stops to help him. Otherwise they will be right back at it in a year or so hiring another coach to start over.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I've said many times that "administration" is a convenient boogeyman under the bed to blame, but I've yet to see anyone get specific about who, what and why. Maybe you can tell me. Exactly who are we talking about, what do they do or not do that's the problem, and what is their motive, either collectively or individually? Again, start with names, and go from there.
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The name is culture. It starts at Gabel. The culture runs from there down and when she is gone they will likely bring in another one to continue it on.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
There's no database, but basketball players are getting some NIL deals here, that's a fact. Is it as much as some schools? No. But there's still some money. Ruesse is lying.
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Correct! Reusse is wrong and correct it isn't enough. Right now, what the U should be doing is supporting the current coach with a few million in NIL. They can do that or hire another one and spend a few million more that way- only to be told by that coach that they need more NIL money to compete.

Ben being green is a problem. The lack of a will to help him win is another. If you hire a rookie you better get in with a lot of support and the U has shown its typical weak approach.
 

bga1 said:
The name is culture. It starts at Gabel. The culture runs from there down and when she is gone they will likely bring in another one to continue it on.
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People have been talking about "administration" being the problem for decades, long before Gabel was hired. Again, she's just a convenient boogeyman, but I'll play. Exactly, exactly what is she doing wrong (I need specifics, because if you're so certain, as you appear to be, you must have inside information with receipts or you couldn't be so certain), exactly who are her co-conspirators (I need names so I can go over there and kick their asses for you)--because one person can't ruin everything no matter how powerful they are--and what is the motive and end game? Nobody will take you seriously (as if anyone here does in the first place) if you won't be specific about your charges.
 

bga1 said:
Correct! Reusse is wrong and correct it isn't enough. Right now, what the U should be doing is supporting the current coach with a few million in NIL. They can do that or hire another one and spend a few million more that way- only to be told by that coach that they need more NIL money to compete.

Ben being green is a problem. The lack of a will to help him win is another. If you hire a rookie you better get in with a lot of support and the U has shown its typical weak approach.
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It's not the university's job to get Ben NIL money. Many other coaches are winning without NIL. Hire the right coach and you will win regardless of how much NIL there is.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I've said many times that "administration" is a convenient boogeyman under the bed to blame, but I've yet to see anyone get specific about who, what and why. Maybe you can tell me. Exactly who are we talking about, what do they do or not do that's the problem, and what is their motive, either collectively or individually? Again, start with names, and go from there.
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Well, the administration approved the hiring of the last two head coaches. If they truly wanted the best for the program, they would have insisted on a proven coach and funded the necessary $$.
 

Crappie said:
Well, the administration approved the hiring of the last two head coaches. If they truly wanted the best for the program, they would have insisted on a proven coach and funded the necessary $$.
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Names, please. Exactly who should have done what?
 

bga1 said:
They have some NIL money and they could get more. Their strategy is the problem.

One thing he mentioned- Eric Musselman would have rounded up NIL money, that you can be sure of. In this era, especially in this era- that's the guy we should have broken the bank for IMO.

I really think the whole basketball situation is less about Ben Johnson than people think.
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Is somebody other than Johnson coaching the team to the 14th ranked offense and defense - not to mention a 14th place finish by a large margin - in the B1G? If there were ample NIL, what good would keeping these last-place collection of players from entering the portal do? Blaming the administration for Johnson’s performance is disingenuous. They’re both to blame.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
There's no database, but basketball players are getting some NIL deals here, that's a fact. Is it as much as some schools? No. But there's still some money. Ruesse is lying.

The Strib pushing for a black coach in the hiring process has been well documented on here, and is still being discussed on the front page of this forum.
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You think the Strib's analysis of the lack of black coaches in the Big Ten and NCAA as a whole, when there is and has been a high percentage black players, is the reason the program is bad? I know it's easy to blame the "media elite" and the deep administrative state, but come on.

Was there pressure to consider minority candidates? Probably, especially when the coaches in the department are largely white and same throughout the sport.

Let's not forget that the athletic department was in the financial ringer and Ben was the cheapest option. Also since recruiting locally was an issue, Ben was most clearly qualified to jump right in. Would it been better to pick someone else who would've taken a bit of time to build local relationships? Maybe.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
This is complete BS and a lie that Reusse continues to repeat. But the Strib likely wants to keep making excuses for Ben considering they helped him get hired.

Besides the fact that Minnesota does have NIL money, 3/4 of the schools in the tournament have little to no NIL money. They seem to be doing alright.
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Insinuating that Reusse is just echoing a Strib minority hiring narrative is beyond ridiculous. At this stage of his career you think he gives a rip about toeing a company line about any topic? He barely pulls any punches either (print or pod) when the topic is Glen Taylor/Timberwolves, who also owns the paper.

Furthermore the video is on his SkorNorth platform. It not affiliated with the StarTribune.
 

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