- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,173
- Reaction score
- 1,388
- Points
- 113
The Good, The Bad and The Interesting: The RPI Is Rising As the Season Progresses Edition
By zipsofakron
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/342512?referrer_id=388419
It seems like every year the Gophers have a gauntlet during the conference season where they face a handful of dangerous teams consecutively, which both tests their mettle but generally seems to end up derailing what had been a previously successful season. Last year it was three straight top-15 teams. Two years ago it was five ranked teams in six games. This year, while the team isn’t expected to achieve what last year’s squad was capable of, the story is still the same, and the Gophers were treated to a four-game stretch of the conference’s best – a true test for a young team.
But unlike past years, the gauntlet of games did not derail momentum that the team had previously gathered. Instead, it may have given Minnesota a shot in the arm, and prepared them to go on a run that could keep them in the top half of the Big Ten standings. A winnable OT game against Michigan State and actual wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin moved the Gophers from the “we’ll see how they do” column to the “looks like we’ll need to take these guys seriously” side of things.
Tubby Smith’s teams had the notorious February swoon that usually led to bubble talk and missed opportunities. And with February right around the corner, we’ll soon see how Richard Pitino’s team does in the second month of the calendar. But with the team showing that it’s capable of playing with the conference’s best, a softer February schedule looks like the Gophers might be in control of their own March destiny.
GOOD: Deandre Mathieu is the real deal
Little Dre, Dre, Drizzy, DRRRIZZZYYYY … whatever you want to call the guy, Mathieu has evolved from Morehead State transfer, to JUCO All-American to an explosive player that can not only hang around in the Big Ten, but utterly dominate opposing defenses.
It was really difficult to know exactly what we were getting with Mathieu prior to the season. He was a great guard at Central Arizona, a JUCO, but those type of performances don’t always translate to Division I ball, much less the Big Ten. And with Richard Pitino behind the 8-ball in trying to recruit, he had to roll with some guys who could come in and play right away. Mathieu was one of those guys.
Even in the beginning of the season, when Mathieu took over games and lived the style that we’d hoped Pitino would bring, it was unclear if he was just toying with lesser opponents or could actually hang with better teams. Against Syracuse and Arkansas he looked overmatched, and often played out of control to make up for it. So with the Big Ten season quickly approaching, the jury was still out on just how effective he could and would be.
Instead of regressing to a mean that we might associate with a JUCO point guard in the Big Ten, Mathieu has instead solidified himself as perhaps the most explosive player on the roster, and has shaken the signs of being overmatched that bubbled early in the season. Lightning quick, he gets down the court and through the lane with ease, and even though he’s often the shortest guy on the court, he somehow gets his shots to fall while going through traffic. Seriously, I have no idea how his circus shots continue to fall, but the fact that they keep going in tells me that it’s less about luck and more about his ability to make things happen. He can still be turnover-prone, but the skills he brings to the table make him indispensable. Plus the guy can shoot threes.
BAD: #Hollinsanity needs some #consistency
Austin and Andre Hollins are technically the two highest scoring players on the team, and both sport a double figure scoring average. At least, that’s what the stat sheet says. But as the two highest scoring players on the team, it’s concerning that the two have only reached their scoring averages in same game twice in conference play. Andre has been the more consistent of the two, and his scoring average is currently the highest of his career. But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like something’s just … off. He just doesn’t seem as dominating.
Austin, on the other hand, is a walking grab bag offensively. Defensively, the guy is a stud. But after an impressive non-conference season his scoring has gone from consistent to almost worrisome. Sure, he still has his highlight dunks that make SportsCenter, but he’s now shooting less than 30% from the three-point line and has finished with 7 or less points in four conference games already. For a senior that is expected to contribute on a consistent basis, and shown the ability to do so, the disappearance is strange.
We saw him go through a similar down period under Tubby last year, who had the hare-brained idea to bench the kid when he went through a bit of a slump. That did nothing to rejuvenate his confidence, so it’s nice to see Richard letting him play through his struggles. And with the bench doing an admirable job in filling in, Hollins is being allowed to play through what will hopefully be a blip in the radar. In fact, he’s shown a bit more consistency in the past two games,
The Gophers got a major save from the bench in the Wisconsin game, and they’ve shown great depth at times when the front line needs help, but in order to win consistently the team needs its top scorers and best players to come to play at the same time.
INTERESTING: Gophers steadily climbing the RPI
Success on the court breeds success in rankings and perception, but the Gophers are overachieving to the point that they’re sporting a pretty snappy RPI – 19, to be exact, according to ESPN. Playing in a good conference helps the strength of schedule, which currently sits at 4, but the Gophers also played some good non-conference opponents, and the Richmond and Florida State wins continue to look better and better. And five total wins against the RPI top 100 is a hefty achievement.
More importantly, though, the Gophers haven’t taken a bad loss. In fact, their worst loss came in Maui against Arkansas, a team who currently sits at #66 in ESPN’s RPI. And with the gauntlet of the schedule now in the rearview mirror, Minnesota is in a great position to cement their tournament hopes.
By zipsofakron
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/342512?referrer_id=388419
It seems like every year the Gophers have a gauntlet during the conference season where they face a handful of dangerous teams consecutively, which both tests their mettle but generally seems to end up derailing what had been a previously successful season. Last year it was three straight top-15 teams. Two years ago it was five ranked teams in six games. This year, while the team isn’t expected to achieve what last year’s squad was capable of, the story is still the same, and the Gophers were treated to a four-game stretch of the conference’s best – a true test for a young team.
But unlike past years, the gauntlet of games did not derail momentum that the team had previously gathered. Instead, it may have given Minnesota a shot in the arm, and prepared them to go on a run that could keep them in the top half of the Big Ten standings. A winnable OT game against Michigan State and actual wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin moved the Gophers from the “we’ll see how they do” column to the “looks like we’ll need to take these guys seriously” side of things.
Tubby Smith’s teams had the notorious February swoon that usually led to bubble talk and missed opportunities. And with February right around the corner, we’ll soon see how Richard Pitino’s team does in the second month of the calendar. But with the team showing that it’s capable of playing with the conference’s best, a softer February schedule looks like the Gophers might be in control of their own March destiny.
GOOD: Deandre Mathieu is the real deal
Little Dre, Dre, Drizzy, DRRRIZZZYYYY … whatever you want to call the guy, Mathieu has evolved from Morehead State transfer, to JUCO All-American to an explosive player that can not only hang around in the Big Ten, but utterly dominate opposing defenses.
It was really difficult to know exactly what we were getting with Mathieu prior to the season. He was a great guard at Central Arizona, a JUCO, but those type of performances don’t always translate to Division I ball, much less the Big Ten. And with Richard Pitino behind the 8-ball in trying to recruit, he had to roll with some guys who could come in and play right away. Mathieu was one of those guys.
Even in the beginning of the season, when Mathieu took over games and lived the style that we’d hoped Pitino would bring, it was unclear if he was just toying with lesser opponents or could actually hang with better teams. Against Syracuse and Arkansas he looked overmatched, and often played out of control to make up for it. So with the Big Ten season quickly approaching, the jury was still out on just how effective he could and would be.
Instead of regressing to a mean that we might associate with a JUCO point guard in the Big Ten, Mathieu has instead solidified himself as perhaps the most explosive player on the roster, and has shaken the signs of being overmatched that bubbled early in the season. Lightning quick, he gets down the court and through the lane with ease, and even though he’s often the shortest guy on the court, he somehow gets his shots to fall while going through traffic. Seriously, I have no idea how his circus shots continue to fall, but the fact that they keep going in tells me that it’s less about luck and more about his ability to make things happen. He can still be turnover-prone, but the skills he brings to the table make him indispensable. Plus the guy can shoot threes.
BAD: #Hollinsanity needs some #consistency
Austin and Andre Hollins are technically the two highest scoring players on the team, and both sport a double figure scoring average. At least, that’s what the stat sheet says. But as the two highest scoring players on the team, it’s concerning that the two have only reached their scoring averages in same game twice in conference play. Andre has been the more consistent of the two, and his scoring average is currently the highest of his career. But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like something’s just … off. He just doesn’t seem as dominating.
Austin, on the other hand, is a walking grab bag offensively. Defensively, the guy is a stud. But after an impressive non-conference season his scoring has gone from consistent to almost worrisome. Sure, he still has his highlight dunks that make SportsCenter, but he’s now shooting less than 30% from the three-point line and has finished with 7 or less points in four conference games already. For a senior that is expected to contribute on a consistent basis, and shown the ability to do so, the disappearance is strange.
We saw him go through a similar down period under Tubby last year, who had the hare-brained idea to bench the kid when he went through a bit of a slump. That did nothing to rejuvenate his confidence, so it’s nice to see Richard letting him play through his struggles. And with the bench doing an admirable job in filling in, Hollins is being allowed to play through what will hopefully be a blip in the radar. In fact, he’s shown a bit more consistency in the past two games,
The Gophers got a major save from the bench in the Wisconsin game, and they’ve shown great depth at times when the front line needs help, but in order to win consistently the team needs its top scorers and best players to come to play at the same time.
INTERESTING: Gophers steadily climbing the RPI
Success on the court breeds success in rankings and perception, but the Gophers are overachieving to the point that they’re sporting a pretty snappy RPI – 19, to be exact, according to ESPN. Playing in a good conference helps the strength of schedule, which currently sits at 4, but the Gophers also played some good non-conference opponents, and the Richmond and Florida State wins continue to look better and better. And five total wins against the RPI top 100 is a hefty achievement.
More importantly, though, the Gophers haven’t taken a bad loss. In fact, their worst loss came in Maui against Arkansas, a team who currently sits at #66 in ESPN’s RPI. And with the gauntlet of the schedule now in the rearview mirror, Minnesota is in a great position to cement their tournament hopes.
