Some Perspective

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howeda7

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This has certainly been a disappointing start to the season, and I've already seen the 'this team is dead to me' and 'season over' comments flowing. There is cause for significant alarm, but if you're already bailing, you're not much of a fan. I don't know how many here are Twins fans, but if you could follow them this year and not learn never to quit fighting then you'll never learn. The Gophers are now like a team that's 10 games out on Memorial Day. It's terribly disappointing, but there's way to much season left to give up.

Certainly this team misses the presence that White and Mbakwe would provide inside. Teams like Portland and Miami should not be able to out-rebound us this way. I'm disappointed that we don't see more strength out of Iverson and especially Sampson. They both appear to have bulked up, but haven't added the aggressivness to own the boards that we desperately need without the other two.

This team also lacks a go-to scorer. Realistically this needs to come from the back-court. Nolan is not capable of it, so that basically leaves Westbrook and Joseph. One or both of them need to step up into this role.

The free-throw shooting is one of the most disappointing things, because it may have cost us all 3 games and certainly did at least one. It would seem to be the most easily fixed flaw, but I don't see it yet.

Finally, while I see some good defenense in stretches, we haven't been able to just lock anyone down the way we did at times last year. The Illinois game at the Barn comes to mind. If we could do it then, we should be able to do it now.

Also, to those who are now saying Tubby can't coach, is coasting, etc. give me a break. He didn't suddenly lose the ability to coach he spent the last 30 years building. No coach looks very sharp in a loss. Certainly it's part of his job to help correct these flaws, I'm not absolving him of his role in the current record. But let's not go overboard.

In conclusion, I think many of our flaws can be at least partially resolved over these remaining non-conference games. Especially if we can get one or both of the missing players back. If so, we now probably need 10 and maybe 11 Big Ten wins to ensure a spot in the Dance. That is certainly very possible if we play the way I still believe we are capable of. It may not happen, but I for one am not anywhere near ready to give up.
 

howeda7....there are a lot of us that feel the same as you. But to make it official, so far, you and I make 2 that are not ready to bail.

Go Gophers!
 

howeda7 said:
Also, to those who are now saying Tubby can't coach, is coasting, etc. give me a break. He didn't suddenly lose the ability to coach he spent the last 30 years building.
Click to expand...

Only football coaches forget how to coach.
 

Dr.Don said:
howeda7....there are a lot of us that feel the same as you. But to make it official, so far, you and I make 2 that are not ready to bail.

Go Gophers!
Click to expand...

Don, it's bad on here, but really not much worse then the Star Tribune Twins boards after a run-of-the-mill loss to Detroit in June, right?

:confused:
 



Dr.Don said:
howeda7....there are a lot of us that feel the same as you. But to make it official, so far, you and I make 2 that are not ready to bail.

Go Gophers!
Click to expand...

+1, This site is a downer though.
 

Good stuff Howeda. I thought going into the year that we were short the go to scorer-just as you say. I was hoping Joseph was that guy and maybe he will be but his shot seems too inconsistent. Losing all those players has hurt badly becasue we were going to be a deep team that could rebound run and press with those 12-13 players. What concerns me most is that I don't really see one player that looks like they improved their game over the summer. And we have almost the whole team back from a 20+ win team and they look like they've never met each other before. We look like a pick up squad on offense. There's time for them to improve but these next several games will prove nothing. We'll go back to pounding teams that we have vastly superior athletes to and we'll get a ton of run out dunks.

I hope Bostick and perhaps even Bryant Allen can help with the outside shooting- which is horrid.
 





We have too many Junior High type posters on this board. We are all world and NCAA final four bound all the way when we are winning and we are not even going to make the NIT when we are losing. It gets old. We lost some games that we could have won or should have won, whatever, but we have a solid squad. Lots to work on, things to improve. Legal distractions to deal with. But I have faith that we will be in the mix when the regular season ends.
 

Plinnius said:
What do you mean? Didn't Mike Dunbar and Tim Davis forget how to coach?
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Dunbar didn't. I'm not sure what Davis knew, so I can't say if he forgot it. But thier boss, never really knew how. He's supposed to be learning on the job...I guess. We'll see how that goes. So far, not great.
 

Dr.Don said:
howeda7....there are a lot of us that feel the same as you. But to make it official, so far, you and I make 2 that are not ready to bail.

Go Gophers!
Click to expand...

Come on! The people that are bailing are in the minority. Their just noisier then the rest of us. Everyone is disappointed. But few are giving up. There is plenty of time left. For my money, I would enjoy this team even if all hope were gone.

I don't think Iverson has been soft around the basket. He has improved this year and is very aggressive. A lot of opponents have tasted his elbow. Double doubles don't grow on trees.
 

bga1 said:
Good stuff Howeda. I thought going into the year that we were short the go to scorer-just as you say. I was hoping Joseph was that guy and maybe he will be but his shot seems too inconsistent. Losing all those players has hurt badly becasue we were going to be a deep team that could rebound run and press with those 12-13 players. What concerns me most is that I don't really see one player that looks like they improved their game over the summer. And we have almost the whole team back from a 20+ win team and they look like they've never met each other before. We look like a pick up squad on offense. There's time for them to improve but these next several games will prove nothing. We'll go back to pounding teams that we have vastly superior athletes to and we'll get a ton of run out dunks.

I hope Bostick and perhaps even Bryant Allen can help with the outside shooting- which is horrid.
Click to expand...

I agree, I expected bigger strides from all 3 sophmores. By all accounts the two big guys bulked up, they just need to get mean and show it. As for Joseph, maybe he'll come along as the season goes. No one on this team is truly a go-to scorer, but Westbrook and Joseph are the closest things we have and they'll have to setp up. This team really could use Cory Joseph next year.
 



I haven't given up but, damn, rebounding and free throws! I think we win at least 2 out of the 3 losses if we're just average in those. I think we'll figure it out, but the margin for error just got a lot smaller.
 

From Schnauzer a while ago on the Football Forum. I thought of it after Texas A & M and now it's been bumped back up. Nothing like losing to change perceptions.

"On the football board, after every tough loss it can be guaranteed to be flooded with "fire everyone in sight and bench all the starters" posts. The Gopher basketball team has had its own issues with suspended players but the discussions on the GH basketball board have been much more civil, and logical about those situations.

Interestingly, if I ever do see a whack-job post on the basketball board - more often than not it has been posted by a regular from the football board.

Quite honestly... I find myself spending less time on the football board due to all the drama."

There's always the Other Sports Forum, Schnauzer.
 


Mulligan said:
From Schnauzer a while ago on the Football Forum. I thought of it after Texas A & M and now it's been bumped back up. Nothing like losing to change perceptions.

"On the football board, after every tough loss it can be guaranteed to be flooded with "fire everyone in sight and bench all the starters" posts. The Gopher basketball team has had its own issues with suspended players but the discussions on the GH basketball board have been much more civil, and logical about those situations.

Interestingly, if I ever do see a whack-job post on the basketball board - more often than not it has been posted by a regular from the football board.

Quite honestly... I find myself spending less time on the football board due to all the drama."

There's always the Other Sports Forum, Schnauzer.
Click to expand...

It is much worse on the basketball board this year. Last year it was mainly GopherManic and everyone else could stay rational. But this year you have TubbyTime, CGGopher and a few others who need to show us how smart they were with thier gloom and doom predictions. I guess it would be wise to stay away for 24 hours after every game, but that's not so easy with basketball.
 

Newsflash: The basketball team struggling has no relation, positive or negative, to Tim Brewster in any way, shape or form.
 

MRJ said:
Newsflash: The basketball team struggling has no relation, positive or negative, to Tim Brewster in any way, shape or form.
Click to expand...

I agree. Pillinius, I'll let your questions die on this thread, but I'm not disregarding them.
 

It really is just a few posters who are saying that crap on here. I just recently found out the ignore feature works pretty well. Being critical is one thing, but just saying this player sucks or the season is over is very childish and adds nothing to the conversations.
 

I haven't given up on the team but what is there to hold on to?
Are we a good shooting team that's just cold? Nope we're just a bad shooting team
Do we have a post game to lean on? Nope
Are we at least rebounding the ball? Nope
Well we're an experienced team so we should be playing with composure, right? Nope. Offense is erratic and we're not hitting FTs

What makes you think the team will Improve? These are the same guys as last year and the offense is still putrid. The B10 is improved this year and so far it looks like we're worse. This team has the makings of a 7-11 conference team IMO
 

There is a lot of neurosis on this board tonight. I don't think I want to get involved in it. Just a remkinder. We have a good coach and alot of talent. The season is just starting. I am looking forward to how it plays out. Gotta love the Gophers, even on the not so good days.
 

I agree with everything up until the improving part. You're right, these are the same guys as last year, and last year we made it to the tournament. It makes sense that most people would think we would make it again considering we didn't lose anyone. Obviously most people didn't expect to lose 3 in a row, but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money we go better than 7-11. The B10 looks more overrated than improved this year. I still think we do well enough in conference to make the tournament, especially if we get Trevor or White back.



oleboy41 said:
I haven't given up on the team but what is there to hold on to?
Are we a good shooting team that's just cold? Nope we're just a bad shooting team
Do we have a post game to lean on? Nope
Are we at least rebounding the ball? Nope
Well we're an experienced team so we should be playing with composure, right? Nope. Offense is erratic and we're not hitting FTs

What makes you think the team will Improve? These are the same guys as last year and the offense is still putrid. The B10 is improved this year and so far it looks like we're worse. This team has the makings of a 7-11 conference team IMO
Click to expand...
 

I certainly haven't given up on the team. We've lost three close games away from home to good teams. With only slightly improved shooting we could be 7-0 and ranked in the upper eschlons of the top 25.
 

howeda7 said:
This has certainly been a disappointing start to the season, and I've already seen the 'this team is dead to me' and 'season over' comments flowing. There is cause for significant alarm, but if you're already bailing, you're not much of a fan. I don't know how many here are Twins fans, but if you could follow them this year and not learn never to quit fighting then you'll never learn. The Gophers are now like a team that's 10 games out on Memorial Day. It's terribly disappointing, but there's way to much season left to give up.

Certainly this team misses the presence that White and Mbakwe would provide inside. Teams like Portland and Miami should not be able to out-rebound us this way. I'm disappointed that we don't see more strength out of Iverson and especially Sampson. They both appear to have bulked up, but haven't added the aggressivness to own the boards that we desperately need without the other two.

This team also lacks a go-to scorer. Realistically this needs to come from the back-court. Nolan is not capable of it, so that basically leaves Westbrook and Joseph. One or both of them need to step up into this role.

The free-throw shooting is one of the most disappointing things, because it may have cost us all 3 games and certainly did at least one. It would seem to be the most easily fixed flaw, but I don't see it yet.

Finally, while I see some good defenense in stretches, we haven't been able to just lock anyone down the way we did at times last year. The Illinois game at the Barn comes to mind. If we could do it then, we should be able to do it now.

Also, to those who are now saying Tubby can't coach, is coasting, etc. give me a break. He didn't suddenly lose the ability to coach he spent the last 30 years building. No coach looks very sharp in a loss. Certainly it's part of his job to help correct these flaws, I'm not absolving him of his role in the current record. But let's not go overboard.

In conclusion, I think many of our flaws can be at least partially resolved over these remaining non-conference games. Especially if we can get one or both of the missing players back. If so, we now probably need 10 and maybe 11 Big Ten wins to ensure a spot in the Dance. That is certainly very possible if we play the way I still believe we are capable of. It may not happen, but I for one am not anywhere near ready to give up.
Click to expand...

You can't miss something you never had.
I agree in most part though. This team certainly put itself in a tough spot heading into the rest of the season. There is still a handful of nonconference games that should help shore some things up. A tough schedule could make this team stronger, or it could kill them. I guess we'll all find out.
The lofty expectations combined with a victory over Butler has everyone's head spinning at this point. No one saw this coming.
It perplexes me that a team with virtually its entire rotation back from a season ago can look so lost. A few weeks ago people where saying this team didn't even need White and Mbakwe.
 

oleboy41 said:
I haven't given up on the team but what is there to hold on to?
Are we a good shooting team that's just cold? Nope we're just a bad shooting team
Do we have a post game to lean on? Nope
Are we at least rebounding the ball? Nope
Well we're an experienced team so we should be playing with composure, right? Nope. Offense is erratic and we're not hitting FTs

What makes you think the team will Improve? These are the same guys as last year and the offense is still putrid. The B10 is improved this year and so far it looks like we're worse. This team has the makings of a 7-11 conference team IMO
Click to expand...

think this post is right on. this isn't that talented of a team as it is currently made up. even with the players missing there is no way of knowing if they could improve the shooting or even improve the rebounding though I think rebounding would be better.

the team was last year and as currently made up is a .500 team in the B10. tougher schedule brought out the major flaws that were not seen in last year'ss non-conference schedule. gophers caught louisville in a bad scheduling game last year and played well and won. if they would have done better at the classic and lost to miami that would have been a bad scheduling situation and miami winning wouldn't have been a "bad" loss but they did need this miami game in the win column.

looks like they will need at least 10 wins in conference at this point. also at this point 10 wins in conference looks rather tough.
 

"We have too many Junior High type posters on this board. We are all world and NCAA final four bound all the way when we are winning and we are not even going to make the NIT when we are losing. It gets old."

Perfect summation.
 

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