STrib article on former Gopher Jim Petersen; says he thinks "what if" about Duke

[BleedGopher]

STrib article on former Gopher Jim Petersen; says he thinks "what if" about Duke

per Youngblood:

With Lynx and Wolves, Jim Petersen sees basketball inside and out

For Petersen, 51, it’s a continuation of a basketball life. He played in three state tournaments at St. Louis Park High. He was the state’s first McDonald’s All-America selection. In four years at the University of Minnesota, Petersen helped win the Gophers’ last official Big Ten Conference championship in 1982. During his eight-year NBA career with the Rockets, Kings and Warriors from 1984 to ’92, Petersen reached the NBA Finals in 1986 while backing up Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson in Houston.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/224173121.html

Chart: Jim Petersen at a glance

• Originally signed to play at Duke before coach Bill Foster left and was replaced by Mike Krzyzewski. “Coach K came here, to the Thunderbird Hotel, to ask me to honor my letter of intent,” Petersen said. “I said no, I was going to stay at the University of Minnesota. I always think about that. That’s the only thing I can look back on and say, ‘What if?’ ”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/lynx/224172961.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[WanderingGopher]

“Coach K came here, to the Thunderbird Hotel, to ask me to honor my letter of intent,” Petersen said. “I said no, I was going to stay at the University of Minnesota. I always think about that. That’s the only thing I can look back on and say, ‘What if?’ ”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/lynx/224172961.html

Go Gophers!!

Come on, man, now is not the time to be saying that. And yeah, "what if"? Well how about this ... maybe you don't become an NBA first round draft pick and play 8 years in the league. Maybe instead you flame out, or get hurt, or simply languish on the bench behind Alarie or whoever it was they had at F at the time.

 

[Pewterschmidt]

The old Sid line of "You'll never get a job in this town" if you leave the state mighta/kinda/sorta have applied in his case. If he wasn't a 'U' grad, he's likely not hired by FSN to do play-by-play. There would just be a lesser connection to Jim and the state of Minnesota. Who knows what he would have done otherwise but still...

 

[jmag21]

The old Sid line of "You'll never get a job in this town" if you leave the state mighta/kinda/sorta have applied in his case. If he wasn't a 'U' grad, he's likely not hired by FSN to do play-by-play. There would just be a lesser connection to Jim and the state of Minnesota. Who knows what he would have done otherwise but still...

This is exactly correct. Peterson has made something of himself in this town because he was the hometown hero. He goes to Duke, he probably rides the pine on a more successful team, and then becomes an unsuccessful real estate broker in Durham, wishing he'd stayed in Minnesota.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

per Youngblood:

With Lynx and Wolves, Jim Petersen sees basketball inside and out

For Petersen, 51, it’s a continuation of a basketball life. He played in three state tournaments at St. Louis Park High. He was the state’s first McDonald’s All-America selection. In four years at the University of Minnesota, Petersen helped win the Gophers’ last official Big Ten Conference championship in 1982. During his eight-year NBA career with the Rockets, Kings and Warriors from 1984 to ’92, Petersen reached the NBA Finals in 1986 while backing up Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson in Houston.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/224173121.html

Chart: Jim Petersen at a glance

• Originally signed to play at Duke before coach Bill Foster left and was replaced by Mike Krzyzewski. “Coach K came here, to the Thunderbird Hotel, to ask me to honor my letter of intent,” Petersen said. “I said no, I was going to stay at the University of Minnesota. I always think about that. That’s the only thing I can look back on and say, ‘What if?’ ”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/lynx/224172961.html

Go Gophers!!

"What if?". If he had gone to Duke he might have won a lot of college games & had a long career in the NBA.

 

[scher215]

"What if?". If he had gone to Duke he might have won a lot of college games & had a long career in the NBA.

He also might have broken his leg only to never play basketball again with an ill advised flop during his first game. He then refuses to give up his scholarship so new coach Mike Krzyzewski can replace him. This causes Mike's first 4 seasons at Duke to be even worse than they actually were. Duke then fires Coach K who takes up acting. This leads then to Reid Travis and Tyus Jones being Gopher commits already. Darn you Jim Peterson!!!

I do like the idea of him wondering about if he had committed to a first year head coach though

Seriously, the amount of answers to this "what if" question are numerous and is why it makes more sense just not to ask what if about past decisions.

 

[BieberHole69]

Normally you'd say "what if" if there was a huge flameout in a career and future prospects look bleak. WTF?

 

[Minnesconsin fan]

Coach K's first four years at Duke- 17-13. Nit Quarterfinals
10-17 no postseason, 11-17 no postseason, 24-10 NCAA 2nd round. They probably could have used him

 

[Winasota Gopher]

are we being negative by assuming he's saying "what if" I had gone there and gotten better rather than "what if" I wouldn't have stayed here and had a great career that set me up for success?

(I didn't read the whole article)

 

[bga1]

This is exactly correct. Peterson has made something of himself in this town because he was the hometown hero. He goes to Duke, he probably rides the pine on a more successful team, and then becomes an unsuccessful real estate broker in Durham, wishing he'd stayed in Minnesota.

Jim Peterson was expected to be a big star here and had a fair amount of difficulty his first few years adjusting to the college game. In the end he became a good college player, a third round draft choice and had a pretty decent pro career. I doubt things could have turned out much better for him at Duke and in fact it might have not worked out as well.

 

[Blackhammer]

"What if?". If he had gone to Duke he might have won a lot of college games & had a long career in the NBA.

Why would his NBA career been longer? Why open his big mouth about what ifs? Looking at his college career he wasn't that good. He should ask ,what if I never got off the bench at Duke. Peterson actually was a skinny weak college player who matured into a decent NBA role player. Seems like his life worked out pretty well. Thank God I went to the U seems to make more sense.

 

[XMan]

Duke wasn't a power house during those years back then, while the gophers won the big ten. He made the right choice.

 

[brucekaupa]

Duke wasn't a power house during those years back then, while the gophers won the big ten. He made the right choice.

Duke records:
80-81: 17-13, 5th in conference, NIT quarterfinals
81-82: 10-17, 6th in conference, no postseason
82-83: 11-17, 7th in conference, no postseason
83-84: 24-10, 3rd in conference, lost in first game of NCAA

What if???

 

[brucekaupa]

Jim Peterson was expected to be a big star here and had a fair amount of difficulty his first few years adjusting to the college game.

Yes. As I recall, for his first three years he was the most frustrating player the program had seen. Of course, I was only 12...but I remember a lot of yelling and a lot of mistakes. I can't remember if it was coordination or what.

 

[Ope3]

Dukie

Maybe Peterson wanted the career arc of Jay Bilas.

 

[brucekaupa]

If he'd gone to Duke, then he never would've flattened Michael Cooper with that awesome screen at half court in the Western Conference finals.

 

[brucekaupa]

Petersen: Being a [Bill] Russell fan and a fan of Dave Cowens, I grew up appreciating those teams. I was drafted with Olajuwon; Dream and I were pretty close. I remember both of us walking into the Boston Garden for the first time. You've got to walk into the building from the street and you get off the elevator and it smells like stale beer. When we walked in the first time into the entrance of the bowl with all the banners and — I was a huge hockey fan, too, being from Minnesota — it took my breath away. But I'm standing next to Dream and not saying a word and he looks at me and says, "What a dump."

 

[corcoran1]

No offense to Jim, but going to duke would not have made his inability to hit wide open jump shots any better.

 

[Buttcheeks McGaffigan]

are we being negative by assuming he's saying "what if" I had gone there and gotten better rather than "what if" I wouldn't have stayed here and had a great career that set me up for success?

(I didn't read the whole article)

They don't let you read the articles and I had the same thought. Even though Duke wasn't Kansas or Duke at the time, it sounds like he might be telling some of the local recruits you can make the NBA if you stay home.

 

[50PoundHead]

Jim Peterson was expected to be a big star here and had a fair amount of difficulty his first few years adjusting to the college game. In the end he became a good college player, a third round draft choice and had a pretty decent pro career. I doubt things could have turned out much better for him at Duke and in fact it might have not worked out as well.

Agree with this. I've met Jim. Good guy and all, but if he would have been as inconsistent at Duke as he was here his first two seasons, he would have never seen the court at Duke.

I'll always give Jim props for playing through the boo-birds his first couple of seasons. I don't think I've ever seen a player ridden as hard by fans--especially seeing this is his hometown--in my long history of Gopher fandom.

 

[XMan]

Agree with this. I've met Jim. Good guy and all, but if he would have been as inconsistent at Duke as he was here his first two seasons, he would have never seen the court at Duke.

I'll always give Jim props for playing through the boo-birds his first couple of seasons. I don't think I've ever seen a player ridden as hard by fans--especially seeing this is his hometown--in my long history of Gopher fandom.

Not sure i agree with you on not seeing the court at Duke. When Jim signed here the gophers current team at the time was stronger than duke.

 

[WanderingGopher]

Maybe Peterson wanted the career arc of Jay Bilas.

I doubt Peterson wishes he was making a complete *ss out of himself every day.