Toledo’s Tyler Cochran commits to Minnesota.

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cheeseheadgophfan said:
WOW......did not see this one coming!!! Great job Ben!!!!
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The Gophers after keeping mitcgell, addibg Asuma, PAT
cheeseheadgophfan said:
WOW......did not see this one coming!!! Great job Ben!!!!
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The Gophers after keeping Mitchell, adding Cochran, Patterson, Okudale, Asuma, Rigsby, and Williams are much improved and much deeper at the guard and wing positiins and in the front court with Mitchell and Edmunds and keeping Garcia and Fox. I see no reason this team cant finish in the top 8-10 in next years expanded Big Ten unless CBJ mishandles personnel!
 




Costa Rican Gopher said:
And mature. There's value in having a bunch of guys who're 22-25 y/o,
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Agreed, and there is a whole lot here to like: 14.4 scorer, 6.4 rebounds (that's impressive and will add a lot), 36% from three, and the co-defensive player of the year in the MAC. And while a lot of people have talked about their legitimate concern about this team guarding bigger guards/wings, Cochran is 225, and he's going to be able to hold his own against bigger guards/wings.

With Odukale and Cochran on the floor together, and with the rest of the players Johnson has added, this team should be much better defensively. Their bigger challenge will be who is going to support Garcia in getting buckets against quality teams.

This team will be a complete mystery when it takes the floor this season, but it has the makings of a team marked by toughness and excellent defense. And that can make for a potential success story.

Once again, Johnson is faced with a make-or-break season, but with the NIL limitations he's had, anyone saying he hasn't done a pretty good job of filling his roster has his head up his buttocks..
 

Formerswish said:
And while a lot of people have talked about their legitimate concern about this team guarding bigger guards/wings, Cochran is 225, and he's going to be able to hold his own against bigger guards/wings.
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That will be true,
IF we use our guard depth to pressure bigger opponents UPCOURT!
6'2" defenders can't defend 6'7" opponents UNDER OR NEAR the basket, but they can be VERY EFFECTIVE PRESSURING THOSE BIGGER OPPONENTS UPCOURT!
THAT difference is crucial!
PLUS, our terrific DEPTH at guard allows us to give up many fouls if necessary if we pressure bigger opponents all over the floor!
 
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Haven’t seen most of our guys play before but guarding length could be an issue
 

Cochran looks strong as hell, with some touch. Quick guards will be a problem for him on defense. If the B1G refs let him play, he will be a real asset.
 




My first reaction when seeing that picture was to ask why he was #28. Had no idea that the NCAA changed the rules regarding numbers to put 6, 7, 8 and 9 back on uniforms again.
 

More searching, more impressed how tenacious this guy is on the glass. Listed at 6'2"
Cochran has logged 2898 minutes in his career.
Dawson Garcia has played 2951 minutes.
Tyler has gathered 200 offensive rebounds and Garcia has 180
Led the MAC in steals in 23-24 and in 21-22 (injured in 22-23)
 

Sane24 said:
That will be true,
IF we use our guard depth to pressure bigger opponents UPCOURT!
6'2" defenders can't defend 6'7" opponents UNDER OR NEAR the basket, but they can be VERY EFFECTIVE PRESSURING THOSE BIGGER OPPONENTS UPCOURT!
THAT difference is crucial!
PLUS, our terrific DEPTH at guard allows us to give up many fouls if necessary if we pressure bigger opponents all over the floor!
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While I won't suggest that Cochran is Jrue Holiday yet, when you are 6'2 and 225, you CAN be a very good defender against bigger opponents UNDER OR NEAR THE BASKET. You don't get named co-defensive player of the year in a good conference if you can't "defend bigger players near the basket."

Maybe you can even do both pressuring bigger opponents upcourt and doing a good job of defending near the rim! Christie played at about 185lbs last year. That 40 lbs can make a difference.

Let me suggest without getting into a long discussion about it that defending better near the basket is far more important, and this team did a poor job of that last year.
 



Formerswish said:
While I won't suggest that Cochran is Jrue Holiday yet, when you are 6'2 and 225, you CAN be a very good defender against bigger opponents UNDER OR NEAR THE BASKET. You don't get named co-defensive player of the year in a good conference if you can't "defend bigger players near the basket."

Maybe you can even do both pressuring bigger opponents upcourt and doing a good job of defending near the rim! Christie played at about 185lbs last year. That 40 lbs can make a difference.

Let me suggest without getting into a long discussion about it that defending better near the basket is far more important, and this team did a poor job of that last year.
[/QUOTE
I wasn't saying that Cochran couldn't defend near the basket, but that our six OTHER SMALLER 6'2" guards could be better used UPCOURT, because of our numbers/depth at that position.
Good luck avoiding a long discussion, and I'm sorry that I couldn't help you with that.
By the way, why do big post players waste so much of their time backing snaller defenders under the basket before using their multi-pivot moves to score easy buckets?
Don't they realize they can just as easily beat their smaller defenders upcourt? What a waste of time !!!
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This is a great get for Ben. We have legitimate wing depth. I’m really encouraged that Ben saw a major problem the last couple years (misplaying 4s at the 3) and then he fixed it. He fixed it last year by doing the difficult task of shrinking the bench and this year by focusing on the position.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
And mature. There's value in having a bunch of guys who're 22-25 y/o,
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Ab-so-effin'-lutely. I think the reason they had a good first half of the season Ben's first year is that there were guys like Willis and Loewe on the team. It was the lack of depth and talent did them in the second half. The portal group Ben has brought in this time around looks to be far superior.

Like I said in the first thread about Cochran, he checks a lot of boxes. Our perimeter defense looks promising.
 

50PoundHead said:
I think the reason they had a good first half of the season Ben's first year is that there were guys like Willis and Loewe on the team. It was the lack of depth and talent did them in the second half.
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Partially depth but that team had real weaknesses in the front court. Curry was gimpy and ready to retire before Ben persuaded him to return. Daniels, Thompson, and Ogele just weren't good.
 

TwistingMyMelon said:
Partially depth but that team had real weaknesses in the front court. Curry was gimpy and ready to retire before Ben persuaded him to return. Daniels, Thompson, and Ogele just weren't good.
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Which again, I gotta give a thumbs up on snagging Edmonds also.
 
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Nice card Johnson just dealt himself. Good thing for him... it's all in. Take the pot or take a ride.
 

Cochran's Toledo team against Bowling Green. He scores 17 with 10 rebounds and 5 steals, 5 assists, but also 5 turnovers. Really active hands. Occasionally has to guard a 6'11' player. Dribble drive type player who takes contact. Strong guy. Seems very aware of what's going on. Takes some chances defensively. Hard to define him offensively.
 

Formerswish said:
While I won't suggest that Cochran is Jrue Holiday yet, when you are 6'2 and 225, you CAN be a very good defender against bigger opponents UNDER OR NEAR THE BASKET. You don't get named co-defensive player of the year in a good conference if you can't "defend bigger players near the basket."

Maybe you can even do both pressuring bigger opponents upcourt and doing a good job of defending near the rim! Christie played at about 185lbs last year. That 40 lbs can make a difference.

Let me suggest without getting into a long discussion about it that defending better near the basket is far more important, and this team did a poor job of that last year.
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I would agree. I've seen so many instances where a wing or 4 gets switched off and ends up in the paint against a shorter guard. Seems like half the time, especially when the shorter guard is strong with his legs and hips, ends up forcing a tough shot because they got low and strong and upset the bigger wings balance.
Being in a tighter spot in the paint area can actually work to a strong guards advantage a little, if they're aware and understand what's coming at them. At that point, footwork, strength, and understanding defensive angles in close quarters can offset many of the height disadvantage problems. It can look a little ugly, but good post defense generally is a little ugly. I'm pretty sure a Defensive Player of the Year has that ability in his pocket. How it will it translate to the better talent in the Big 10 is the question.
Having looked at the game video from above, he doesn't seem like the type of player who will be pressing ball handlers up the floor very much. Maybe a little ball-deny stuff?
 
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TwistingMyMelon said:
Partially depth but that team had real weaknesses in the front court. Curry was gimpy and ready to retire before Ben persuaded him to return. Daniels, Thompson, and Ogele just weren't good.
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Very true. Once opponents realized that there weren't any inside options, the Gophers hit a wall offensively.
 

Interview with Doogie.

x.com

x.com x.com

Most players shoot free throws with a foot almost on the line, but not Tyler. He stays behind that line a ways.
Am curious why he decided Oregon State wasn’t for him.
 

Formerswish said:
Agreed, and there is a whole lot here to like: 14.4 scorer, 6.4 rebounds (that's impressive and will add a lot), 36% from three, and the co-defensive player of the year in the MAC. And while a lot of people have talked about their legitimate concern about this team guarding bigger guards/wings, Cochran is 225, and he's going to be able to hold his own against bigger guards/wings.

With Odukale and Cochran on the floor together, and with the rest of the players Johnson has added, this team should be much better defensively. Their bigger challenge will be who is going to support Garcia in getting buckets against quality teams.

This team will be a complete mystery when it takes the floor this season, but it has the makings of a team marked by toughness and excellent defense. And that can make for a potential success story.

Once again, Johnson is faced with a make-or-break season, but with the NIL limitations he's had, anyone saying he hasn't done a pretty good job of filling his roster has his head up his buttocks..
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I agree. I think Cochran helps fill that void. Between Mike Mitchell, Patterson & Cochran, we should be able to score some points outside of Garcia.

I also have some concerns about guarding bigger wings (last year's Achilles heal) behind Odukale. If Odukale were to get injured, it'd be tough to throw 6'2" & 6'3" guys out there every night against 6'6-6'7" shooters.

The other issue is when we play teams with super quick PG's. Hawkins was the first guy we'd had in some time who could stay in front of the Dug McDaniels types. Mitchell's too slow footed, and not a great defender overall. Patterson's not known for being quick either. Ryan James said he thought maybe it'd be Rigsby? I'm hoping Cochran can be that guy.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
I agree. I think Cochran helps fill that void. Between Mike Mitchell, Patterson & Cochran, we should be able to score some points outside of Garcia.

I also have some concerns about guarding bigger wings (last year's Achilles heal) behind Odukale. If Odukale were to get injured, it'd be tough to throw 6'2" & 6'3" guys out there every night against 6'6-6'7" shooters.

The other issue is when we play teams with super quick PG's. Hawkins was the first guy we'd had in some time who could stay in front of the Dug McDaniels types. Mitchell's too slow footed, and not a great defender overall. Patterson's not known for being quick either. Ryan James said he thought maybe it'd be Rigsby? I'm hoping Cochran can be that guy.
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Local favorite for Odukale's backup is Kaydn Betts. I will believe it when I see it.
Otherwise it might be Rigsby at 6'3".
 

Sane24 said:
Local favorite for Odukale's backup is Kaydn Betts. I will believe it when I see it.
Otherwise it might be Rigsby at 6'3".
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That's my hope. That Betts can help us there against bigger wings. He appears to have the agility to defend the spot, and a nice shooting stroke. Despite being in the program 2 years, he's still really young.
 

Official press release from the U of MN:
Minnesota Men's Basketball Adds Cochran to 2024-25 Roster


MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota head men's basketball coach Ben Johnson has announced the addition of Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook, Ill.) to the 2024-25 roster. Cochran, who is transferring to Minnesota from Toledo, has one year of eligibility remaining.

"We're really excited to add Tyler Cochran to our program," Johnson said. "He is a high-character young man with veteran leadership experience and production. Tyler comes from a great winning culture and program. He will add versatility and experience to our roster."

Cochran, a 6-2 guard, was a 2024 Second Team All-MAC selection and the MAC's Co-Defensive Player of the Year. With the Rockets last year, Cochran averaged 14.4 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds as Toledo won the Mid-American Conference regular season title. Cochran also shot 49.5 percent from the field and averaged a MAC-high 1.9 steals per game. Cochran averaged 15.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in conference action alone, shooting 52.3 percent. The Bolingbrook, Ill., product also produced a career-high 33 points and 13 field goals against Marshall last season. He also established his 1,000th career point last year. Cochran played nine games for Toledo in the 2022-23 season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. In those nine games, he averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

Prior to his Toledo tenure, Cochran competed at Ball State in the 2021-22 season, where he started in 29 of 31 games, led the Mid-American Conference with 2.0 steals per game, and ranked second on the team, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. Cochran began his collegiate career at Northern Illinois for two seasons, 2020-21 and 2019-20. In that span, he saw action in 43 games, including all 31 of his freshman season. During his NIU tenure, Cochran averaged 8.3 points.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Interview with Doogie.

x.com

x.com x.com

Most players shoot free throws with a foot almost on the line, but not Tyler. He stays behind that line a ways.
Am curious why he decided Oregon State wasn’t for him.
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i foound interesting that Tyler and his teammates, were hoping Ben Johnson got the Northern Illinois job after getting a chance to interview him. Thus, he had that experience with Ben and helped get him here.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Interview with Doogie.

x.com

x.com x.com

Most players shoot free throws with a foot almost on the line, but not Tyler. He stays behind that line a ways.
Am curious why he decided Oregon State wasn’t for him.
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Like how he talked about how Ben’s prior relationship mattered to him.

There’s been a few posters who have continually ridiculed him for this; so maybe Ben was right all along and they weren’t
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 

Sane24 said:
Local favorite for Odukale's backup is Kaydn Betts. I will believe it when I see it.
Otherwise it might be Rigsby at 6'3".
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For me, there just aren’t enough instances where not having depth in 6’5” wings is a very big deal. It’s about style of play and guys like Cochran, Rigsby, and Odukale will play wing with some great. Ideally, they’d all be 6’6”, but in reality, in the college game, it’s not a huge concern of mine. It’s why so many schools go with 3 guard lineups.
 

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