Settle the @$#% down, please.

We lost by 18 at home, and many felt like that game was a positive change in the effort level of the team. If that is where we are at, it seems fair for fans to have some level of apprehension with respect to how things are going with the second year coach.
 


Dean Smith, Red Auerbach, Chuck Daly, Jerry Sloan are all dead. I guess people can’t say they know anything about basketball if we are to follow your logic.

Also, in your mind Ben doesn’t care about fans or attendance…only the four freshmen.
The Four Freshmen are playing at Crooners on the 28th, by the way.
 


I'm not angry nor frustrated. I'm indifferent to the point that the loss last night had zero emotional attachment.

That might be worse.
After being a season ticket holder for almost all of the Pitino era and only giving them up due to not being able to attend as much—and even last year watching every game possible. And for all of my life being a huge fan—I’m with you. I think I just don’t care anymore. When I watch other teams I care about I feel happy or sad or excited or nervous. With Gopher basketball I feel nothing.
 


On the PG, it looks like they are really going all-out on recruiting Isaac Asuma from Cherry. (a 2024 recruit)

there was a big showcase event in the Twin Cities last weekend. Johnson was there with his entire coaching staff and about 5 players to watch Asuma.

the kid is one heck of an athlete. looked really good at last year's State Tournament.
If the plan is to wait for him to be ready to contribute (assuming he comes here) that is a major issue.
 

"Someone broke into my car the other day, they didn't take anything but I found Gopher tickets on the dashboard."
A Season Ticket holder friend of mine (circa 10-15 years ago) whenever he asked his kids to go, they would lie about having excessive homework or an upcoming test to avoid having to accompany him to the Barn.

He didn't catch on until they claimed it for a game over Winter Break.
 

Most of you would have ran Clem Haskins out of town before his Sweet-16 and Final-8. Making all the exact same arguments & complaints.

I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or not. But he's giving our 4 freshmen a lot of playing-time, and he has 3 good recruits on the way. The plan seems to be on-track. If our freshmen don't have some good games at the end of the year...then I'll start worrying.
 

Most of you would have ran Clem Haskins out of town before his Sweet-16 and Final-8. Making all the exact same arguments & complaints.

I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or not. But he's giving our 4 freshmen a lot of playing-time, and he has 3 good recruits on the way. The plan seems to be on-track. If our freshmen don't have some good games at the end of the year...then I'll start worrying.
🥱
 



Most of you would have ran Clem Haskins out of town before his Sweet-16 and Final-8. Making all the exact same arguments & complaints.

I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or not. But he's giving our 4 freshmen a lot of playing-time, and he has 3 good recruits on the way. The plan seems to be on-track. If our freshmen don't have some good games at the end of the year...then I'll start worrying.
Different eras. Different circumstances. Bad comparison. And probably not true anyway.
 


Most of you would have ran Clem Haskins out of town before his Sweet-16 and Final-8. Making all the exact same arguments & complaints.

I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or not. But he's giving our 4 freshmen a lot of playing-time, and he has 3 good recruits on the way. The plan seems to be on-track. If our freshmen don't have some good games at the end of the year...then I'll start worrying.
I was in college back then, and believe me you, there was grumbling. There was also ridicule. The Minnesota Daily did a parody issue set 25 years in the future, and the article about the basketball team was that they were still on the verge of turning the corner, but by that time Clem's daughter Clemette was coaching the team. They'd come back to make their most recent game closer when Todd Alexander II made a 25-point field goal from the top of the opposite key.

They actually had standards back then. It had only been five years since their last conference championship, and the fans had been used to high-level recruits and competitive teams. The initial losing under Haskins was astonishing and not well tolerated.
 

Most of you would have ran Clem Haskins out of town before his Sweet-16 and Final-8. Making all the exact same arguments & complaints.

I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or not. But he's giving our 4 freshmen a lot of playing-time, and he has 3 good recruits on the way. The plan seems to be on-track. If our freshmen don't have some good games at the end of the year...then I'll start worrying.

This looks like a 2 or 3 conference wins team this year. If that doesn't change and he is sitting with a record of 6-36 or 7-35 against conference foes, what is the record we should all expect in year three if the "plan seems to be on-track"? Serious question.
 



This looks like a 2 or 3 conference wins team this year. If that doesn't change and he is sitting with a record of 6-36 or 7-35 against conference foes, what is the record we should all expect in year three if the "plan seems to be on-track"? Serious question.
Very good question. It probably doesn’t have a precise answer but it deserves some answer. My standard from the gate was competing for NCAA tournament in season 3, which feels like an impossible dream now.
 

Different eras. Different circumstances. Bad comparison. And probably not true anyway.
The era doesn't matter. The circumstances are the same. The comparison is spot-on. And it is definitely true...zero question about it.
 

I was in college back then, and believe me you, there was grumbling. There was also ridicule. The Minnesota Daily did a parody issue set 25 years in the future, and the article about the basketball team was that they were still on the verge of turning the corner, but by that time Clem's daughter Clemette was coaching the team. They'd come back to make their most recent game closer when Todd Alexander II made a 25-point field goal from the top of the opposite key.

They actually had standards back then. It had only been five years since their last conference championship, and the fans had been used to high-level recruits and competitive teams. The initial losing under Haskins was astonishing and not well tolerated.
Exactly. Despite inheriting a dumpster fire...despite Haskins' playing freshmen and good recruiting...most wanted to run him out of town in year-2. This never changes.
 

Very good question. It probably doesn’t have a precise answer but it deserves some answer. My standard from the gate was competing for NCAA tournament in season 3, which feels like an impossible dream now.
I actually think it is very possible. I think that by next year Payne will be as good or better than Oturu was in year 2. We have Battle and Garcia. Fox and Ihnen coming back. Ola Joseph. The young guards will get better. He needs a high end transfer PG and perhaps one more guard. He has to be able to go get those pieces and then put together an offense and defense that works with that group. There is no reason that, with the addition of one key guy and good coaching, we can't be in the NCAAs next year. There should be no excuses next year and anyone that just says- "stop complaining until 2025" - is really part of the problem.
 


This looks like a 2 or 3 conference wins team this year. If that doesn't change and he is sitting with a record of 6-36 or 7-35 against conference foes, what is the record we should all expect in year three if the "plan seems to be on-track"? Serious question.
Make the NCAAs.
 

Very good question. It probably doesn’t have a precise answer but it deserves some answer. My standard from the gate was competing for NCAA tournament in season 3, which feels like an impossible dream now.
We should see progress in our freshmen next year. But our best recruits will be freshmen. You have to give it 1 more year.

Like with Haskins...he didn't win until his recruits were juniors.
 

I actually think it is very possible. I think that by next year Payne will be as good or better than Oturu was in year 2. We have Battle and Garcia. Fox and Ihnen coming back. Ola Joseph. The young guards will get better. He needs a high end transfer PG and perhaps one more guard. He has to be able to go get those pieces and then put together an offense and defense that works with that group. There is no reason that, with the addition of one key guy and good coaching, we can't be in the NCAAs next year. There should be no excuses next year and anyone that just says- "stop complaining until 2025" - is really part of the problem.
Your list of ifs just seems too long to me. Assuming healthy returns from injury is at the top of the list for me. Big if.
 

Your unquestioned confidence suggests absolute brilliance or simply a modified con game. I vote for the first, because it benefits us as fans much more.
I've said that I don't know if Coach Johnson will succeed or fail. But we have to give him the same opportunity as Clem. We have to let him develop his first recruits until they're juniors.
 

I actually think it is very possible. I think that by next year Payne will be as good or better than Oturu was in year 2. We have Battle and Garcia. Fox and Ihnen coming back. Ola Joseph. The young guards will get better. He needs a high end transfer PG and perhaps one more guard. He has to be able to go get those pieces and then put together an offense and defense that works with that group. There is no reason that, with the addition of one key guy and good coaching, we can't be in the NCAAs next year. There should be no excuses next year and anyone that just says- "stop complaining until 2025" - is really part of the problem.
I keep reading this fox and ihnen thing. II was/is full of potential, that is all. Fox, while garnering a lot of offers, has never played major conf bb. Both of those are "bigs".

I agree with ncaa next season, otherwise any luster will have worn off cbj.
 

Exactly. Despite inheriting a dumpster fire...despite Haskins' playing freshmen and good recruiting...most wanted to run him out of town in year-2. This never changes.
Actually Haskins' recruiting was not that great in those early years. Ben's has been much better.
Clem was given Newbern, Burton and Shick- all part of Dutch's last recruiting class. The team that he got to the elite 8 was essentially those three plus Lynch and Coffey who Clem did recruit along with Bond and Bob Martin.

What Clem did do, was get them all to add muscle and play their hearts out- which they did.
 

I keep reading this fox and ihnen thing. II was/is full of potential, that is all. Fox, while garnering a lot of offers, has never played major conf bb. Both of those are "bigs".

I agree with ncaa next season, otherwise any luster will have worn off cbj.
It's true that we don't know on Fox and Ihnen, but with them in the fold -whether or not they are starters, we know they would be good depth and the front court would be plenty deep with guys that can contribute. The issue with Fox an Ihnen is that it points to very poor roster construction that we are that heavy with bigs and minimal guard play.
 

I keep reading this fox and ihnen thing. II was/is full of potential, that is all. Fox, while garnering a lot of offers, has never played major conf bb. Both of those are "bigs".

I agree with ncaa next season, otherwise any luster will have worn off cbj.
I highly disagree with counting on Fox, Ihnen, and judging CBJ on next-year's won-loss record.

Clem won when his recruits were juniors. Ben has a 5-star C and other good recruits on the way. Let's develop them and see what they can do as sophomores (and current guys as juniors.
 

Actually Haskins' recruiting was not that great in those early years. Ben's has been much better.
Clem was given Newbern, Burton and Shick- all part of Dutch's last recruiting class. The team that he got to the elite 8 was essentially those three plus Lynch and Coffey who Clem did recruit along with Bond and Bob Martin.

What Clem did do, was get them all to add muscle and play their hearts out- which they did.
Good point.

And that's why I'm saying that CBJ should be given until year-4...when our first real recruits are juniors. Clem was able to win in year-3 because he inherited those juniors.
 

Good point.

And that's why I'm saying that CBJ should be given until year-4...when our first real recruits are juniors. Clem was able to win in year-3 because he inherited those juniors.
So in your opinion every single coach (barring some huge scandal) should get through year 4 no matter the results is that correct? So say 4-14. 1-17, 2-16 in conf the first 3 years and you would still feel that they are owed a 4th year?
 

Good point.

And that's why I'm saying that CBJ should be given until year-4...when our first real recruits are juniors. Clem was able to win in year-3 because he inherited those juniors.
This is a different age of basketball. These kids play non-stop basketball, travel the country with AAU teams and are far more ready than the kids of Clem's days. If they aren't ready to go by the time they are sophomores, chances are they never will be. The arena is already half empty. We need success by next year- badly. The fan base is tired of losing and the Barn (an arena I love) looks like a total dump when it isn't mostly full, the parking is a mess and its a cold walk. Right now, we have a group of 6 tickets and it is hard to give the tickets away. This is as bad as it has been.
 

I highly disagree with counting on Fox, Ihnen, and judging CBJ on next-year's won-loss record.

Clem won when his recruits were juniors. Ben has a 5-star C and other good recruits on the way. Let's develop them and see what they can do as sophomores (and current guys as juniors.
Clem comparison is one comparison. 2022 has the portal, and things are dramatically changed. No need to watch and wait for 4 years to see winning. No need.
 




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