Tom Dienhart of BTN: "Minnesota could be a dark-horse Final Four team"

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Crazy talk IMO, but fun to dream regardless - from a Q&A with Dienhart:

Do you think that The Gophers could make the Final Four this year? – Ben

This probably is Tubby Smith’s best Golden Gopher team yet, as there is lots of depth and experience. There also is a nice blend of size and skill in players like Andre Hollins, Rodney Williams, Austin Hollins, Joe Coleman and Trevor Mbakwe on an 11-1 team (lone loss was to No. 1 Duke) that is ranked No. 13 in the AP poll. No doubt, Minnesota could be a dark-horse Final Four team, as its will and skill will be steeled by playing in the best conference in America this winter. Thrive in the hot cauldron that is Big Ten basketball 2012-13, and Minnesota will be ready for March Madness.

http://btn.com/2012/12/19/big-ten-mailbag-how-about-no-divisions-for-football/

Go Gophers!!
 

I wouldn't bet money on them making the final 4, but I wouldn't call it crazy talk either. If you have talent and get hot at the right time, anything can happen. Gophers already have half of the equation down. Just gotta get hot at the right time.
 

Beat State.

A golden opportunity to set the tone (for the Big Ten season) right away.
 

could be a darkhorse final 4 team, more meaningless nonsense. Grow a set and say they gophers are a darkhorse pick to make the final 4
 

BleedGopher said:
Crazy talk IMO, but fun to dream regardless - from a Q&A with Dienhart:

Do you think that The Gophers could make the Final Four this year? – Ben

This probably is Tubby Smith’s best Golden Gopher team yet, as there is lots of depth and experience. There also is a nice blend of size and skill in players like Andre Hollins, Rodney Williams, Austin Hollins, Joe Coleman and Trevor Mbakwe on an 11-1 team (lone loss was to No. 1 Duke) that is ranked No. 13 in the AP poll. No doubt, Minnesota could be a dark-horse Final Four team, as its will and skill will be steeled by playing in the best conference in America this winter. Thrive in the hot cauldron that is Big Ten basketball 2012-13, and Minnesota will be ready for March Madness.

http://btn.com/2012/12/19/big-ten-mailbag-how-about-no-divisions-for-football/

Go Gophers!!
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Why is it that outsiders see the talent and can accept high expectations and most Gopher fans wont touch it?
 


What were your "expectations" last year Barn Burner?
 

Final four might be a stretch but it is certainly within reach if this team can get a 3 or 2 seed, meaning a 2nd or 3rd place B1G finish.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
I wouldn't bet money on them making the final 4, but I wouldn't call it crazy talk either. If you have talent and get hot at the right time, anything can happen. Gophers already have half of the equation down. Just gotta get hot at the right time.
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This.

Stay healthy, get hot in late February, and get a good draw in the tournament.
 

Fair points, although I still worry that MN has not beaten anyone extremely good this year. A couple nice wins and I am the first to agree that there is no bad win, I still feel that expectations are higher than the talent level. Maybe I am so used to not having that much talent on a team that I can see it, but are they really a top 10-15 team? Maybe so, but I could just as easily see a 9-9 B10 record as a 13-5 B10 record...
 



BarnBurner said:
Why is it that outsiders see the talent and can accept high expectations and most Gopher fans wont touch it?
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↑ Doesn't understand the difference between possibilities and expectations. Dienhart doesn't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. He say's there's a decent possibility. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Sweet Sixteen. I wouldn't be shocked if either happened.
 

Talent wins

I can't remember who said it, but the idea is that a national championship team need to have four first round draft picks on it - either ones for the year of or future #1's. The idea is you need talent and athletism (good defence) to win a championship, thing that thrive int eh NBA. With the idea to reach Final Four you need at two NBA talents and a hot team. Based on this understanding I think the gophers have the potential to get there.

Gophers would have a possible 2 first rounders this year (not sure locks) - Trevor and Rodney

Who else do you think could be a 1st rounder - Andre, Austin, Joe
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Fair points, although I still worry that MN has not beaten anyone extremely good this year. A couple nice wins and I am the first to agree that there is no bad win, I still feel that expectations are higher than the talent level. Maybe I am so used to not having that much talent on a team that I can see it, but are they really a top 10-15 team? Maybe so, but I could just as easily see a 9-9 B10 record as a 13-5 B10 record...
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Where do you see the Badgers finishing then if you are (allegedly) a Gopher and Badger fan. Just curious.
 

That was the saying when guys had to stay in college for 2 years. Nowadays with early entry I'd say the national champion has 3-4 eventual nba first rounders on it. There has been quite a few exceptions making the final four in recent years. Butler with two nba guys (Hayward, Mack), although the second year did they have just one of them? Also VCU, George Mason, didnt have any I believe.

As for the gophers i think after the two seniors the next best odds would be Andre Hollins. If he was 6'4" I think he'd have a lot better chance as a combo guard. As a 6'1" strong guard it all depends on how his point guard skills keep evolving. As far as athleticism, quickness, scoring I think he's on his way. I'd say Austin next, but I just don't see first rounder their. If he becomes a consistent scorer next season say 15 a game.. maybe. He looks like a second rounder or free agent for his defense. If Joe had his brothers size maybe. I actually think the player who is very intriguing but i've only seen a tiny sample of is Buggs. He has the length, athleticsm, and some skill already.


gophernut said:
I can't remember who said it, but the idea is that a national championship team need to have four first round draft picks on it - either ones for the year of or future #1's. The idea is you need talent and athletism (good defence) to win a championship, thing that thrive int eh NBA. With the idea to reach Final Four you need at two NBA talents and a hot team. Based on this understanding I think the gophers have the potential to get there.

Gophers would have a possible 2 first rounders this year (not sure locks) - Trevor and Rodney

Who else do you think could be a 1st rounder - Andre, Austin, Joe
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Of course this team could be a darkhorse. There shouldn't be any issues with them making the tournament in March and from there it is about getting hot. We have guys who can completely take over a game on this team (Dre 41 points, Rodney NIT run, Trevor 18 rebounds off the bench). If someone gets like that in March to go along with our rebounding and above average defense we could be tough to beat.
 


dpodoll68 said:
↑ Doesn't understand the difference between possibilities and expectations. Dienhart doesn't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. He say's there's a decent possibility. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Sweet Sixteen. I wouldn't be shocked if either happened.
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Well stated Dpod. That is a distinction some people seem to fail to make. However, if we are really the 13th best team in the country, we should go into the NCAA tournament as a 4 seed. If we do that, we could reach the Sweet 16 without needing a win against a better seeded opponent. Then to reach the Final Four we would need to (likely) upset a 1 seed and a 2 or 3 seed in consecutive games. I think anyone who expects a team to be able to beat down a 1 and a 2 seed without slipping (not to mention not slipping up against a quality but lower seeded team) would be dreaming. That said, the AP thinks we are in the upper echelon of teams, so I don't think there is any opponent I would say we have no realistic chance against.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Where do you see the Badgers finishing then if you are (allegedly) a Gopher and Badger fan. Just curious.
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Worse than MN, IMO...I think MN is a a top 25 team, just not a top 10 or 15 team.

I think by the end of the season that Wisc is a borderline top 30 team. If I had to bet I would peg the Gophs in a 5-7 seed in the NCAA's and Wisc as a 8-10 seed...

If I had to bet today - I would put MN 6th and Wisc 7th -

Behind Ind, Mich, OSU, MSU, Ill. Although I would not be shocked if MN finished 4th, I would not be shocked if they finished 7th either...
 

ok the gophers could have a darkhorse chance of beating Indiana at williams.... do you know what that means? do you know that "could have a darkhorse chance" is a pure drivel meaningless statement?
 

Any legit top 15-20 team can realistically have Final 4 aspirations. If we're a top 5 seed we'll play a mediocre to decent at large in round 1, possibly another top 20 type team in round 2, and likely top 10 caliber teams in the S16 and E8. If we can compete with the OSU's and UM's of the world in the B10 then we'll be able to play with and beat anyone in the country which means fairly even, toss up types of games
 

Will be tough for Minnesota to finish in the top four of the Big Ten. Look more like 5th or 6th still to me.

Lots of things can happen in the tournament.. some of it gets down to how you match up against a specific team. That said, if Minnesota finishes in, say, the top 3 of the Big Ten, then loses in their second tourney game to a lesser-seeded team that's hot or is a tough match up for the Gophers, that's still a great season IMO.
 

I enjoy reading posters' prognostications about the Gophers.

I don't make long term progno's, I just play the Pick Per Day and Predict the Score games.

I enjoy the one-game-at-a-time ride, win or lose.

If we lose, I take a shot of JD and just say "Shucks",

If we win, I take 2 shots of JD and say "All Right!!!"

Either way, the sun still rises in the East.

The ride is fun, I am on the Gopher Wagon, I hang on tight, and I cheer for the Gophers, win or lose.

Speaking of the wagon, I never fall off the wagon.

GO GOPHERS!!!
 

dpodoll68 said:
↑ Doesn't understand the difference between possibilities and expectations. Dienhart doesn't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. He say's there's a decent possibility. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Final Four. I don't expect the Gophers to make the Sweet Sixteen. I wouldn't be shocked if either happened.
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Using your own words, "decent possibility of making the 4" that says something about the team. They should win a lot, and not get bounced in the first two rounds of the ncaa.

Fact is you cant stand to expect something from this team. Sad.
 

BarnBurner said:
Using your own words, "decent possibility of making the 4" that says something about the team. They should win a lot, and not get bounced in the first two rounds of the ncaa.

Fact is you cant stand to expect something from this team. Sad.
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↑ Doesn't understand how difficult it is to make the Sweet Sixteen (let alone the Final Four) for ANY team, let alone a team that has almost no history of success.
 

dpodoll68 said:
↑ Doesn't understand how difficult it is to make the Sweet Sixteen (let alone the Final Four) for ANY team, let alone a team that has almost no history of success.
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dpdoll has no confidence in his pal tubby in year 6.

no confidence. year 6.

sad.
 

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