The three-game stretch: What will Minnesota's record be?

What will the Gophers record be in their next 3?

  • Total voters
    80
Donate To GopherHole
Gopher07

Gopher07

Captain of Awesome
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
9,008
Reaction score
15
Points
38
Three games that will likely decide how much of a factor our Gophers can be in the B1G title race this year, all in a row - @ Illinois, @ Indiana, vs Michigan. What will Minnesota's record be in those three games?
 

I'm going with win at Illinois. Loss at Indiana and a win at home over Michigan.
 

Tonight will be a wakeup call as the Illini will blow us out of the Building...Hopefully, that will be a turning point as Tubby will finally be able to get thru to them on the importance of taking care of the ball.

Saturday will be another loss, but much closer and while most coaches will never tell you they DON'T believe in moral victories, that's exactly what it will be.

Next week, they will use what they learned on the road to upset #1 Michigan, who will rise to that spot with Duke's loss at NC State.
 

Moses87 said:
Tonight will be a wakeup call as the Illini will blow us out of the Building...Hopefully, that will be a turning point as Tubby will finally be able to get thru to them on the importance of taking care of the ball.

Saturday will be another loss, but much closer and while most coaches will never tell you they believe in a moral victory, that's exactly what it will be.

Next week, they will use what they learned on the road to upset #1 Michigan, who will rise to that spot with Duke's loss at NC State.
Click to expand...

I see it almost exactly the same way, except I think we lose a close one tonight and then get blown out at Indiana. Lose a little confidence tonight, get railroaded in Bloomington, then have a gut-check game at home against #1 Michigan and we're back in this thing.
 

Moses87 said:
Tonight will be a wakeup call as the Illini will blow us out of the Building...Hopefully, that will be a turning point as Tubby will finally be able to get thru to them on the importance of taking care of the ball.

Saturday will be another loss, but much closer and while most coaches will never tell you they DON'T believe in moral victories, that's exactly what it will be.

Next week, they will use what they learned on the road to upset #1 Michigan, who will rise to that spot with Duke's loss at NC State.
Click to expand...

I sense you are hoping for 0-3 so that you can start a massive bitching campaign about how this team was fools gold which will lead into a fire Tubby tirade.
 


MadtownGopher said:
I sense you are hoping for 0-3 so that you can start a massive bitching campaign about how this team was fools gold which will lead into a fire Tubby tirade.
Click to expand...


As much as I wanted Tubby gone in the past, I am giving him some slack this year because he has held this team together thru the turmoil and injuries of the past few seasons and our chemistry is better than its been since???? Maybe since that Monson team that went to the Dance in 05.

Of course I want us to go 3-0 and run the table, get a top seed in the tourney and win it all. But logic tells me we still have some major deficiencies that need correcting. Namely, ball-handling and offensive execution in the half court sets. We are a great defensive and rebounding team. We are exceptional in transition. But our half court offense still STINKS. The main reason is that we don't have a player who can blow by defenders at will, like a Pressey or Burke...Not many do...I am realistic about our chances moving forward because we are limited in the ball-handling area.

The main thing we can do to improve is value the basketball and limit turnovers. Try to make sure we get shots on the iron before making risky, ill-advised passes. I'd rather see us shoot 35% with 5 turnovers a game than shoot 48% with 20 turnovers. Why? Because we can clean up the misses with our most dominent trait...Offensive rebounding. I wish Tubby would just instruct our Guards to shoot more before trying those risky ally-oops or tricky entry passes.
 

MadtownGopher said:
I sense you are hoping for 0-3 so that you can start a massive bitching campaign about how this team was fools gold which will lead into a fire Tubby tirade.
Click to expand...

I am not hoping for 0-3, but I expect it. I hope I am wrong, but as I predictied at the beginning of the B10 season, I thought MN was a 10 win team or so, still do. I think that Michigan, Indiana, OSU, Illinois, and MSU have more talent than the Gophs, although I do agree that Tubby has his squad playing very well. I just dont think they have that go-to dominant scorer that can take over a game. Maybe Dre CAN be that guy, but right now is is not that guy, IMO.
 

Moses87 said:
Of course I want us to go 3-0 and run the table, get a top seed in the tourney and win it all. But logic tells me we still have some major deficiencies that need correcting. Namely, ball-handling and offensive execution in the half court sets. We are a great defensive and rebounding team. We are exceptional in transition. But our half court offense still STINKS. The main reason is that we don't have a player who can blow by defenders at will, like a Pressey or Burke...Not many do...I am realistic about our chances moving forward because we are limited in the ball-handling area.
Click to expand...

How are you not satisfied with our ability to get to the hoop? Dre has excelled at getting to the basket and I'd say Joe Coleman is one of the best in the conference at attacking the rim. Rodney and Austin are also above average in this regard.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
I am not hoping for 0-3, but I expect it. I hope I am wrong, but as I predictied at the beginning of the B10 season, I thought MN was a 10 win team or so, still do. I think that Michigan, Indiana, OSU, Illinois, and MSU have more talent than the Gophs, although I do agree that Tubby has his squad playing very well. I just dont think they have that go-to dominant scorer that can take over a game. Maybe Dre CAN be that guy, but right now is is not that guy, IMO.
Click to expand...

What is your prediction for the Badgers next 7 games? You always seem to favor them over the Gophers so I'm curious to compare your predictions between the two. If you think the Gophers are going to go 0-3, I don't know how you could predict anything but 0-7 for the Badgers in their ridiculously difficult stretch, especially given their lackluster performance to date.

Also, what does Dre have to do to prove that he is a go-to type player? Drop 42 points against a ranked team instead of 41? You are delusional and a fringe Gopher fan at best.
 



gopherbadgerman said:
I am not hoping for 0-3, but I expect it. I hope I am wrong, but as I predictied at the beginning of the B10 season, I thought MN was a 10 win team or so, still do. I think that Michigan, Indiana, OSU, Illinois, and MSU have more talent than the Gophs, although I do agree that Tubby has his squad playing very well. I just dont think they have that go-to dominant scorer that can take over a game. Maybe Dre CAN be that guy, but right now is is not that guy, IMO.
Click to expand...

MSU and (even more hilarious) Illinois have more talent than the Gophers? Pass the Juice.

How many points would Dre have to score to convince you he's a dominant scorer. 41? Or maybe put up 20+ at halftime? Ya, that would convince me too. O wait... He's done both of those...this season.
 

MadtownGopher said:
What is your prediction for the Badgers next 7 games? You always seem to favor them over the Gophers so I'm curious to compare your predictions between the two. If you think the Gophers are going to go 0-3, I don't know how you could predict anything but 0-7 for the Badgers in their ridiculously difficult stretch, especially given their lackluster performance to date.

Also, what does Dre have to do to prove that he is a go-to type player? Drop 42 points against a ranked team instead of 41? You are delusional and a fringe Gopher fan at best.
Click to expand...

2-5 for Wisconsin at best. As I have replied to you before, I think that MN is better than Wisconsin. Lets revisit this after the Michigan game and see how Dre performs and how MN has done. If I am incorrect, I will gladly eat crow on it.
 

afurry91 said:
MSU and (even more hilarious) Illinois have more talent than the Gophers? Pass the Juice.

How many points would Dre have to score to convince you he's a dominant scorer. 41? Or maybe put up 20+ at halftime? Ya, that would convince me too. O wait... He's done both of those...this season.
Click to expand...

I will stand corrected on Hollins in the big games, he is clutch. I mis read his MSU game with the Layfette game. I am wrong.
 

MadtownGopher said:
How are you not satisfied with our ability to get to the hoop? Dre has excelled at getting to the basket and I'd say Joe Coleman is one of the best in the conference at attacking the rim. Rodney and Austin are also above average in this regard.
Click to expand...

Once in a while, an opposing defender will give Joe Coleman the baseline and he'll make them pay if the bigs dont get over in time. Aside from that, our guards don't get nearly enough dribble penetration. Most of our "getting to the hoop" is a direct result of offensive rebounding.

Again, I'm not complaining about our transition plays...I'm talking about half court sets when the opposing defense is able to set up. I'm not blaming Andre...he's simply miscast as a PG...He doesn't get to the rim or even the paint nearly as much as PG's on other top teams do. He usually settles for step back jumpers because he doesn't have the burst or ball-handling skills to get by his man. When he doesn't take his own shot, he normally just passes the ball off to Austin or Joe and they usually try to feed the post.

What we don't see enough of, is Andre beating his man off the dribble in the half court sets, and then creating an open shot for a team mate. If we had a little more of that...maybe 2 or 3 more of those kinda plays per half, we'd be an elite team in my estimation. For now, I'm afraid we'll just have to settle for being a good but not great team.
 



Let's not forget that after this 3 game stretch we go on the road for two more games. Any road game in the Big Ten is tough yet alone playing a pissed off Northwestern team and Wisonsin who is always tough at home. The Illinois game is a winnable game and with our upcomming schedule we could really use a W.
 

tmvander said:
Let's not forget that after this 3 game stretch we go on the road for two more games. Any road game in the Big Ten is tough yet alone playing a pissed off Northwestern team and Wisonsin who is always tough at home. The Illinois game is a winnable game and with our upcomming schedule we could really use a W.
Click to expand...

Winning at NW and WI will be much easier than winning at Illinois, but I agree the Illinois game is a great shot at a road win.
 

I flipped a coin between 0-3 and 3-0. The winner is..........TBD.

GO GOPHERS!!!
 

I think we have to win at least one game and I think that win has to come tonight against Illinois. If we really want to compete for the B1G title we have to be able to win on the road. 0-2 on the road over the next three games would be unacceptable in my mind. A win at Champaign, I think, is going to be easier than a win at Bloomington. Therefore, pick up a win tonight, lose against Indiana, and play tough against Michigan. Ultimately I think we lose to Michigan, even though its at home, because they are just so good. 1-2 over the next three has to be seen as a slight victory, where as 0-3 would be a complete failure, 2-1 would be outstanding, and 3-0 would make us an elite team.
 

If we go 3-0 in our next 3 I think we have a strong case as the best team in the country.

2-1 and I think we're a serious B1G title contender

1-2 and we're probably about who we think we are, toward the top of that second pack of teams (behind IU and Mich)

0-3 and we're probably a bit worse than we think we are, toward the middle of that second pack of teams (fighting with OSU/MSU/Illinois)
 

barnanimal said:
I think we have to win at least one game and I think that win has to come tonight against Illinois. If we really want to compete for the B1G title we have to be able to win on the road. 0-2 on the road over the next three games would be unacceptable in my mind. A win at Champaign, I think, is going to be easier than a win at Bloomington. Therefore, pick up a win tonight, lose against Indiana, and play tough against Michigan. Ultimately I think we lose to Michigan, even though its at home, because they are just so good. 1-2 over the next three has to be seen as a slight victory, where as 0-3 would be a complete failure, 2-1 would be outstanding, and 3-0 would make us an elite team.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better. I concur whole heartedly.
 

Gopher07 said:
If we go 3-0 in our next 3 I think we have a strong case as the best team in the country.

2-1 and I think we're a serious B1G title contender

1-2 and we're probably about who we think we are, toward the top of that second pack of teams (behind IU and Mich)

0-3 and we're probably a bit worse than we think we are, toward the middle of that second pack of teams (fighting with OSU/MSU/Illinois)
Click to expand...

I think that is fair and accurate.
 

I always think it's extremely important for a team to get its first road win before getting their first home setback (if eventually one is to follow). Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin have already accomplished that. Doing it early in the season gives a team some immediate margin for error.

Tonight provides the Gophers with a golden opportunity to do just that.
 

Gopher07 said:
If we go 3-0 in our next 3 I think we have a strong case as the best team in the country.

2-1 and I think we're a serious B1G title contender

1-2 and we're probably about who we think we are, toward the top of that second pack of teams (behind IU and Mich)

0-3 and we're probably a bit worse than we think we are, toward the middle of that second pack of teams (fighting with OSU/MSU/Illinois)
Click to expand...


Absolutely what I am thinking too. I voted 1-2, because I think we're the 3-4th best team in the BIG. I wouldn't be shocked if we went 2-1, but I don't see anything in the cards that shows we could beat Indiana in Assembly Hall. I'd be thrilled with 2-1. We're still okay if we go 0-3 too. But 0-3 means we're probably looking at 11-7 ish, not competing for a BIG title.
 

Is that most people's feeleings on this, that if MN goes 0-3 the next three that they are out of the running for the B10 title? More or less?
 

Moses87 said:
Tonight will be a wakeup call as the Illini will blow us out of the Building...Hopefully, that will be a turning point as Tubby will finally be able to get thru to them on the importance of taking care of the ball..
Click to expand...

I'm surprised by this. You are usually so optimistic.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Is that most people's feeleings on this, that if MN goes 0-3 the next three that they are out of the running for the B10 title? More or less?
Click to expand...

Yes. If we lose to the top teams in the conference we can't expect to finish better than them at the end of the season.
 

Is that most people's feeleings on this, that if MN goes 0-3 the next three that they are out of the running for the B10 title? More or less?
Click to expand...

Probably for the title, yes. However, I believe we could go 0-3 and still have a very good year if they play well in those games and the guys don't get too down about it. This is a tough three games for any tean in the coutry.
 

2011-12:
@Illinois - 2OT Loss
@Indiana - WIN
Michigan (neutral court) - OT Loss

We know that the Gophers growth from last season has been exponential. With the return of Mbakwe, and the emergence of some key role players the team is COMPLETELY different.

I look at Illinois and see a team that hasn't done much growing since last year and has a loss to Purdue. I look at Indiana and can't be sure how much better they are this season from last. I notice that Michigan doesn't really have a signature win to hang their hat on this year, are they great? Probably, but will they have faced an opponent like the Gophers? no.

If the Gophers (the actual team, not the fans) aren't going into every one of these games expecting to win they are fools.

Realistically I expect that they'll drop one of these games, but I believe that this TEAM is tough. They play as a team, and you can tell that they respect each other, that is half the battle. I hope that they deal with the adversity by coming from behind to win a couple of these games, rather than losing the games.
 

Jason King of ESPN has us beating Illinois and losing to Indiana:

Minnesota 65, at Illinois 61: The Illini continue to be one of the toughest teams in the country to gauge. John Groce's squad can look unbeatable one night (just ask Ohio State) and incredibly mediocre the next. Minnesota, meanwhile, has played with consistency and fire all season.
Click to expand...

Indiana 76, vs. Minnesota 69: The game of the week in the Big Ten -- and, heck, it could be the game of the year -- is between two top-10 teams. Indiana leads the country in scoring with 87 points per game, but it hasn't faced a team as physically tough as the Gophers, whose only loss is against top-ranked Duke.

"They've got an extremely experienced team," Crean told me Monday night. "The Big Ten schedule for them last year was good, but their NIT run was much better. It gave them a ton of confidence and they carried that over at a high level.

"They're moving the ball really well. They're a great rebounding team. They're averaging over 16 offensive rebounds a game. That's really strong stuff. They're also really long. It's one thing to be athletic and jump, but they're really long, too. It's going to be a great game."
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8826886/larry-brown-return-college-look-all-latest-country-college-basketball
 



You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom