www.startribune.com
Definitely his take is based more on hope than experience. This was a bad year, it was worse than the year before, she is five years in, the general trend has been downwards, and there is no good season to point to.
She went 21-11 (9-9) in year one, so she knows how to coach. That team was a veteran team. Her only option is to develop and improve young talent. There isn't a JR on this year's squad.
Here's the thing. She was made coach overnight with absolutely little to no connections in the MN basketball community as a coach. She had to develop those connections. She was actually behind Johnson in those local connections. She developed those connections and now has a plethora of local talent in the program. I agree with Scoggins that next season has to show extensive improvement or it will be time to move on. Johnson should have a shorter leash due to his prior local recruiting and being in the same spot Whalen is in now with comparable age of roster. Both should get next year as a prove it season.
That's like saying look at any Blue Blood. Frese is that level of coach. MN was her stepping stone.
So the team she inherited had a good season… to date she has not shown she knows how to coach.. not saying it can’t happen
Does she? Year one team was run by assistants as Lindsay played for the Lynx. And as you stated it was a veteran team.
And yet they still beat us down the floor and contested the shot such that it was a miss from the moment it left Battle’s hand. If they had given up an uncontested layup, then you have something, but that’s not what happened.
When you say "prove it", are you talking about a legitimately good season? Or just a return to the mediocrity of around. 500 in conference and a bubble team that doesn't get out of the first weekend?
Yes good thing her assistant made her aware or no one would have been back.
But maybe that was the point all along, the assistant’s job was to watch the free throw and make sure they were warned.
Ahh no. Did you see the head coach and players reaction…
Everything has been updated for practice facilities. Just game courts are old. I don't know how much they practice at Williams arena. If they start to win, the arena discussion will go back to the back burner.
With 5-6 top 25 programs in the Conference, I'll take beating some of them and being a bubble team next season with the current roster. Depending on what other lose, the jump could be higher. I think being in the discussion for ranked 20-30 and tournament team is the baseline.
You also have a backcourt of all freshman. Their senior Cayton did not play. All of the girls have commented on the physicality in the big ten. It’s a massive jump from hs. Caitlin Clark still talks about it. She put on muscle weight in the off season to help her with the physicality. The Gophers played Penn state two other times in the regular season. They knew the game plan.
The Big Ten media picked Minnesota to finish 3rd in year one (2018-19), and they finished t6th (9-9). Some others picked them 4th-5th.
Definitely cause for concern and I agree with Scoggins.The Big Ten media picked Minnesota to finish 3rd in year one (2018-19), and they finished t6th (9-9). Some others picked them 4th-5th.
