Tubby Smith on Minnesota: "It may be the first or second toughest job in the Big Ten."

[Gold Rush]

The Gophers asked for a 1 Year Postseason Ban in a year which they were not going anywhere anyway. The NCAA agreed. Hardly the maximum/Death Penalty and by following season they were in the NIT.

Now that is semantics. It was going to be the punishment regardless, just based on the Pioneer Press article alone.

Note: Bobby Jackson, never an eligible player. They cheated just to get him enrolled in the first place.

Speaking of Ohio State, under Jim O'Brien they took a page out of the Clem Haskins handbook. They were hit with the same 1 year Postseason ban.

Funny, I never heard Jim Dutcher complain about how tough of a job he had here. Back then, Gopher basketball tickets were tough to get and the team was excellent every year. My how things have changed with a gradual progression downward with each hire over the last 40 years.

Gotta give Ben Johnson some time -- ok a LOT of time but I always thought Tubby was lazy when he got here and didn't leave the team any better than when he got it under Monson. If there is one team I would really like to see get good again it would be the Gopher basketball team.

 

[WAGopher]

The Gophers asked for a 1 Year Postseason Ban in a year which they were not going anywhere anyway. The NCAA agreed. Hardly the maximum/Death Penalty and by following season they were in the NIT.

Now that is semantics. It was going to be the punishment regardless, just based on the Pioneer Press article alone.

Note: Bobby Jackson, never an eligible player. They cheated just to get him enrolled in the first place.

Speaking of Ohio State, under Jim O'Brien they took a page out of the Clem Haskins handbook. They were hit with the same 1 year Postseason ban.

The sanctions were much, much worse than a 1 year post season ban. The NCAA stripped all records from involved players and vacated 5 years of post season appearances. They placed Minnesota on 6 years of probation, reduced scholarships, and reduced official visits, and more.

Here is what actually occurred (from Wikipedia):

March 10, 1999: St. Paul Pioneer Press publishes article reporting that Jan Ganglehoff had written hundreds of papers for basketball players.

March 19, 1999: The University of Minnesota self-imposes these sanctions:

• A postseason ban for the 1999–00 season;
• A reduction of three scholarships for the 1999–00 season and a total of four scholarships reduced from the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seasons;
• Forfeiture of 90% of money earned from appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments.

October 24, 2000: The NCAA released it’s report and issued the following sanctions:

• Four years of probation until October 23, 2004;
• A reduction of five scholarships in total until the 2003–04 season;
• A reduction of six paid visits by recruits until the 2002–03 season;
• Vacancy of all appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments and 1996 and 1998 National Invitational Tournaments, as well as individual records of those student-athletes found to have committed academic fraud; and
• Show-cause penalties for Haskins and Newby (both until October 23, 2007) and Gangelhoff (until October 23, 2005).

Extension of probation​

In July 2002, the NCAA found Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball liable for multiple rule violations regarding practice time and benefits that occurred under the watch of then-head coach Cheryl Littlejohn from 1998 to 2001. Because the NCAA treated the women's basketball violations as a separate matter from the men's basketball academic violations, Minnesota avoided being designated a repeat violator and getting the "death penalty" for the women's basketball program. Instead, the NCAA extended the existing probationary period until 2006.

 

[BarnBurner]

We had all of the same sports and culture in the late 90s when we were headed for the Final Four. The town, including people with fat wallets, loved the Gophers....because they were successful.

You aren't wrong about the competition, but there is enough money around town to go around + fill the arena if we are successful. We've been losing too long. Way too long. These people have lost interest in a University that seems to have other things on their mind than winning, when it comes to sports.

Spot on. Not a hotter ticket in town in the 90's. Barn was on fire.

Fun, fun times.

 

[BarnBurner]

The sanctions were much, much worse than a 1 year post season ban. The NCAA stripped all records from involved players and vacated 5 years of post season appearances. They placed Minnesota on 6 years of probation, reduced scholarships, and reduced official visits, and more.

Here is what actually occurred (from Wikipedia):

March 10, 1999: St. Paul Pioneer Press publishes article reporting that Jan Ganglehoff had written hundreds of papers for basketball players.

March 19, 1999: The University of Minnesota self-imposes these sanctions:

• A postseason ban for the 1999–00 season;
• A reduction of three scholarships for the 1999–00 season and a total of four scholarships reduced from the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seasons;
• Forfeiture of 90% of money earned from appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments.

October 24, 2000: The NCAA released it’s report and issued the following sanctions:

• Four years of probation until October 23, 2004;
• A reduction of five scholarships in total until the 2003–04 season;
• A reduction of six paid visits by recruits until the 2002–03 season;
• Vacancy of all appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments and 1996 and 1998 National Invitational Tournaments, as well as individual records of those student-athletes found to have committed academic fraud; and
• Show-cause penalties for Haskins and Newby (both until October 23, 2007) and Gangelhoff (until October 23, 2005).

Extension of probation​

In July 2002, the NCAA found Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball liable for multiple rule violations regarding practice time and benefits that occurred under the watch of then-head coach Cheryl Littlejohn from 1998 to 2001. Because the NCAA treated the women's basketball violations as a separate matter from the men's basketball academic violations, Minnesota avoided being designated a repeat violator and getting the "death penalty" for the women's basketball program. Instead, the NCAA extended the existing probationary period until 2006.

Thank you for educating those that cant seem to remember all the hits.

 

[Calgoph]

The sanctions were 100% self-imposed. ...

You are wrong. Here is my source. Scroll down a bit and you will find the self imposed sanctions listed as well a list of those by the NCAA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota_basketball_scandal

 

[ecoperson]

Well, ok. We disagree on the impact of the sanctions. Hell, tubby couldn’t hire certain assistants because of the administration. Carry on.

Heaven forbid that an academic institution have standards for their athletic programs.

 

[ecoperson]

We had all of the same sports and culture in the late 90s when we were headed for the Final Four. The town, including people with fat wallets, loved the Gophers....because they were successful.

You aren't wrong about the competition, but there is enough money around town to go around + fill the arena if we are successful. We've been losing too long. Way too long. These people have lost interest in a University that seems to have other things on their mind than winning, when it comes to sports.

I am not talking about filling Williams. I am talking about donors who are willing to throw obscene amounts of money around to the athletic department for upgrades, etc. The Final Four run captured the attention of the whole state. If the big-buck donor explosion didn't happen in the two years between 1997 and the scandal, I don't know if it is ever going to happen.

There is no way that Memorial Stadium should have languished in the 60s and 70s. If the boosters would have been there, the U could have done a major upgrade. Lacking boosters, the U settled on the Dome and the rest is history. The power brokers in the city were much more concerned about the Vikings and Twins.

I think the U suffers from a very pragmatic fan base. They support the pro sports that are run as a business but feel a little queasy about how a sports business fits in an academic institution. Opening the door up to NIL has made me a little less of a fan myself. I LOVE the U with all of my heart but have begun watching some MIAC games where the kids are students first.

 

[ecoperson]

The sanctions were much, much worse than a 1 year post season ban. The NCAA stripped all records from involved players and vacated 5 years of post season appearances. They placed Minnesota on 6 years of probation, reduced scholarships, and reduced official visits, and more.

Here is what actually occurred (from Wikipedia):

March 10, 1999: St. Paul Pioneer Press publishes article reporting that Jan Ganglehoff had written hundreds of papers for basketball players.

March 19, 1999: The University of Minnesota self-imposes these sanctions:

• A postseason ban for the 1999–00 season;
• A reduction of three scholarships for the 1999–00 season and a total of four scholarships reduced from the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seasons;
• Forfeiture of 90% of money earned from appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments.

October 24, 2000: The NCAA released it’s report and issued the following sanctions:

• Four years of probation until October 23, 2004;
• A reduction of five scholarships in total until the 2003–04 season;
• A reduction of six paid visits by recruits until the 2002–03 season;
• Vacancy of all appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments and 1996 and 1998 National Invitational Tournaments, as well as individual records of those student-athletes found to have committed academic fraud; and
• Show-cause penalties for Haskins and Newby (both until October 23, 2007) and Gangelhoff (until October 23, 2005).

Extension of probation​

In July 2002, the NCAA found Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball liable for multiple rule violations regarding practice time and benefits that occurred under the watch of then-head coach Cheryl Littlejohn from 1998 to 2001. Because the NCAA treated the women's basketball violations as a separate matter from the men's basketball academic violations, Minnesota avoided being designated a repeat violator and getting the "death penalty" for the women's basketball program. Instead, the NCAA extended the existing probationary period until 2006.

Oddly enough, the sanctions did little to hurt the program on the court. Monson attracted some decent talent during his time. His teams did not perform poorly because of the sanctions.

I think that the scandal stripped the support out of the community. The state was flying high in 1997 and the stupidity of the academic scandal by a coach with a clean reputation really sucked the air out the balloon. Minnesotans have long memories.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Exactly, being close to the very bottom of the NCAA for 2 straight years is gonna hurt. He flat out has to win next year or he's done. Whether the U lets him continue or not, the perception of the program will be that much worse than it already is, if that is possible.

With the talent coming in next year and the return to health (knock on wood) of the injured players, I fully expect them to be idle on the Wednesday of the BTT. If they aren't, it would be safe to say that this hire has flopped. As tempting as it is to pass judgment before then, we shouldn't. A year and a half from now, though...

 

[short ornery norwegian]

on how fast you can rebuild:

it all depends on your approach.

some schools certainly go for the "quick fix" - do whatever you have to do to bring in big-time recruits, '1-&-done' types, etc.

But to do that, you need to have what players of that level want - a legit chance to play for a national title, and a butt-load of money and benefits, legal or otherwise.

other schools try to do the 'roster-building' approach. put together several solid recruiting classes and develop your young players. the goal is not to have a 'super class' that is gone after one year, but to have continuity with 3 and 4-year players. If you can land an elite talent, that's even better.

either method can be effective. the quick fix is flashier and produces more immediate results. but only a handful of schools can really play that game and make it work. the slower build is not as flashy, and has its own drawbacks, but if you can do it successfully, you have a chance to sustain a competitive program.

and with either approach, if you swing and miss, then you're on the bottom looking up at everyone else.

 

[Holy Man]

With the talent coming in next year and the return to health (knock on wood) of the injured players, I fully expect them to be idle on the Wednesday of the BTT. If they aren't, it would be safe to say that this hire has flopped. As tempting as it is to pass judgment before then, we shouldn't. A year and a half from now, though...

All agreed but I really think there needs to be some clear movement forward this year to establish some momentum. So far not looking good but there is time and there is enough talent to be better on the floor than they have so far. Most worrisome is an apparent lack of energy (I missed last game so don’t know what that looked like). That can’t continue.

When finishing better than 11th is the goal, we really have fallen.

 

[Bad Gopher]

This is a good topic of conversation because it's clear something is wrong, and it's healthy to try and figure out what the problems are. As with anything, it's almost certainly a combination of several things, all teaming up to get us where we're at, which is the bottom of the league. You don't end up at the bottom of the league without cause.

Haven't heard from builtbadgers in a while, but what he always said rings true: if you hire the right coach, that takes care of a lot of things. Over the past decade, the U has had legitimate chances to hire people like Eric Musselman (there's some question as to whether he was ever interested, but there seems to be some steam that he was at one time), Nate Oats, Niko Medved, and Craig Smith. Any of those guys would have been as successful here as they've been at their other stops. If you wanted to go off the board and do an out-there "genius" hire, Matt Lewis is sitting over in Osh Kosh, waiting to be plucked, just like Bo Ryan was sitting in Platteville for many years. Excellent coaches are out there if you know where to find them.

I hope Ben turns out to be successfull and works here for many years, but it's going to be harder and harder to defend the hire if the Gophs land in last place again this season. That said, Clem recovered from two bad first seasons, and wasn't Thorson on that staff, too? As I noted in another post, year three will tell the tale.

 

[Holy Man]

on how fast you can rebuild:

it all depends on your approach.

some schools certainly go for the "quick fix" - do whatever you have to do to bring in big-time recruits, '1-&-done' types, etc.

But to do that, you need to have what players of that level want - a legit chance to play for a national title, and a butt-load of money and benefits, legal or otherwise.

other schools try to do the 'roster-building' approach. put together several solid recruiting classes and develop your young players. the goal is not to have a 'super class' that is gone after one year, but to have continuity with 3 and 4-year players. If you can land an elite talent, that's even better.

either method can be effective. the quick fix is flashier and produces more immediate results. but only a handful of schools can really play that game and make it work. the slower build is not as flashy, and has its own drawbacks, but if you can do it successfully, you have a chance to sustain a competitive program.

and with either approach, if you swing and miss, then you're on the bottom looking up at everyone else.

The problem is that elements of the quick fix are becoming the norm in the portal era. Portal recruiting has to be part of the plan and it is much harder than traditional recruiting.

I would argue that portal isn’t inherently quick fix short cut any more. I’m days gone by, that meant short cuts and often character problems. That’s not the case anymore.

 

[Holy Man]

This is a good topic of conversation because it's clear something is wrong, and it's healthy to try and figure out what the problems are. As with anything, it's almost certainly a combination of several things, all teaming up to get us where we're at, which is the bottom of the league. You don't end up at the bottom of the league without cause.

Haven't heard from builtbadgers in a while, but what he always said rings true: if you hire the right coach, that takes care of a lot of things. Over the past decade, the U has had legitimate chances to hire people like Eric Musselman (there's some question as to whether he was ever interested, but there seems to be some steam that he was at one time), Nate Oats, Niko Medved, and Craig Smith. Any of those guys would have been as successful here as they've been at their other stops. If you wanted to go off the board and do an out-there "genius" hire, Matt Lewis is sitting over in Osh Kosh, waiting to be plucked, just like Bo Ryan was sitting in Platteville for many years. Excellent coaches are out there if you know where to find them.

I hope Ben turns out to be successfull and works here for many years, but it's going to be harder and harder to defend the hire if the Gophs land in last place again this season. That said, Clem recovered from two bad first seasons, and wasn't Thorson on that staff, too? As I noted in another post, year three will tell the tale.

And year 3 is almost guaranteed to be better IF they can keep the roster together even accounting for possible pro decisions. This program cannot afford to lose prospects who are developing nicely. That’s my worry I’m the new world we live in.

 

[Ope3]

The sanctions were much, much worse than a 1 year post season ban. The NCAA stripped all records from involved players and vacated 5 years of post season appearances. They placed Minnesota on 6 years of probation, reduced scholarships, and reduced official visits, and more.

Here is what actually occurred (from Wikipedia):

March 10, 1999: St. Paul Pioneer Press publishes article reporting that Jan Ganglehoff had written hundreds of papers for basketball players.

March 19, 1999: The University of Minnesota self-imposes these sanctions:

• A postseason ban for the 1999–00 season;
• A reduction of three scholarships for the 1999–00 season and a total of four scholarships reduced from the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seasons;
• Forfeiture of 90% of money earned from appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments.

October 24, 2000: The NCAA released it’s report and issued the following sanctions:

• Four years of probation until October 23, 2004;
• A reduction of five scholarships in total until the 2003–04 season;
• A reduction of six paid visits by recruits until the 2002–03 season;
• Vacancy of all appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments and 1996 and 1998 National Invitational Tournaments, as well as individual records of those student-athletes found to have committed academic fraud; and
• Show-cause penalties for Haskins and Newby (both until October 23, 2007) and Gangelhoff (until October 23, 2005).

Extension of probation​

In July 2002, the NCAA found Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball liable for multiple rule violations regarding practice time and benefits that occurred under the watch of then-head coach Cheryl Littlejohn from 1998 to 2001. Because the NCAA treated the women's basketball violations as a separate matter from the men's basketball academic violations, Minnesota avoided being designated a repeat violator and getting the "death penalty" for the women's basketball program. Instead, the NCAA extended the existing probationary period until 2006.

To me the only one that prohibitively prevents acquiring talent is the first one, Post Season Ban, 1999-00. With what was left from the Haskins era and what Monson was able to get, he had a competent roster good enough to contend for NCAA berths by 2002.

Maybe 1 extra player would have been enough to get them over the top, but that's dependent on identifying such a kid that can help and convince them to commit. Could have just as easily been a benchwarmer.

By Tubby time it was more than 7 plus years since the events in question. The kids he was recruiting were in elementary school when that happened. Probation was over. His success or failure was all on him, in my opinion.

 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

No, they hired Bennet, who was a stud. And when he was done they hired Bo Ryan, who was also a stud. They won with guys with very little talent and when they had 1-2 studs, they took it to the final four.
Madison is a college town. Minneapolis isn't. At all. Put the U in Mankato and there is ZERO way we would have been this bad, this long. Kids don't want to come to the middle of a huge city, especially when all they have seen growing up is that this place can't win.

And as much as I hate to admit it, it looks like Gard is stud #3.....I thought they would take a huge step back this year after losing Davis, but they look like they will be at the top tier of the B10 when all is said and done. Don't know how they do it, because I don't think there's a ton of talent there.

 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

Heaven forbid that an academic institution have standards for their athletic programs.

I agree, but i also throw up in my mouth a little every time I see UNC on national television and Dickie V swooning over them. Absolutely nothing happened to those frauds.....

 

[BarnBurner]

With the talent coming in next year and the return to health (knock on wood) of the injured players, I fully expect them to be idle on the Wednesday of the BTT. If they aren't, it would be safe to say that this hire has flopped. As tempting as it is to pass judgment before then, we shouldn't. A year and a half from now, though...

Talent next year will be more freshmen. Both appear extremely talented, however fr. And one is not built - yet - for the conference.

 

[MNJay]

The sanctions were much, much worse than a 1 year post season ban. The NCAA stripped all records from involved players and vacated 5 years of post season appearances. They placed Minnesota on 6 years of probation, reduced scholarships, and reduced official visits, and more.

Here is what actually occurred (from Wikipedia):

March 10, 1999: St. Paul Pioneer Press publishes article reporting that Jan Ganglehoff had written hundreds of papers for basketball players.

March 19, 1999: The University of Minnesota self-imposes these sanctions:

• A postseason ban for the 1999–00 season;
• A reduction of three scholarships for the 1999–00 season and a total of four scholarships reduced from the 2000–01 and 2003–04 seasons;
• Forfeiture of 90% of money earned from appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments.

October 24, 2000: The NCAA released it’s report and issued the following sanctions:

• Four years of probation until October 23, 2004;
• A reduction of five scholarships in total until the 2003–04 season;
• A reduction of six paid visits by recruits until the 2002–03 season;
• Vacancy of all appearances in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA Tournaments and 1996 and 1998 National Invitational Tournaments, as well as individual records of those student-athletes found to have committed academic fraud; and
• Show-cause penalties for Haskins and Newby (both until October 23, 2007) and Gangelhoff (until October 23, 2005).

Extension of probation​

In July 2002, the NCAA found Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball liable for multiple rule violations regarding practice time and benefits that occurred under the watch of then-head coach Cheryl Littlejohn from 1998 to 2001. Because the NCAA treated the women's basketball violations as a separate matter from the men's basketball academic violations, Minnesota avoided being designated a repeat violator and getting the "death penalty" for the women's basketball program. Instead, the NCAA extended the existing probationary period until 2006.

Yes.

We fired a great coach who got us NCAA runs and into the Final Four. And who had a hot team...Kevin Clark was on fire...but we banned ourselves from the NCAA. Kicking out Courtney James hurt a lot too.

Instead of getting a big recruiting boost, we took a big recruiting hit. Went backwards big time.

 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

Talent next year will be more freshmen. Both appear extremely talented, however fr. And one is not built - yet - for the conference.

And Ihnen and Fox.....2 huge additions.

 

[Bobek]

Oddly enough, the sanctions did little to hurt the program on the court. Monson attracted some decent talent during his time. His teams did not perform poorly because of the sanctions.

I think that the scandal stripped the support out of the community. The state was flying high in 1997 and the stupidity of the academic scandal by a coach with a clean reputation really sucked the air out the balloon. Minnesotans have long memories.

Disagree that the sanctions did little to hurt the program. Limits on recruiting, scholarships, and the negative publicity had a very negative impact. IMO they were the beginning of the malaise that has lasted for 20+ years. kids in the 80’s and 90’s got to see great teams and players. The Barn was THE hot ticket and most games were sellouts, especially in the Big Ten. Then the sanctions hit and the not so slow drip to mediocrity began. High schoolers who once saw a fine program and wanted to attend the U now saw a program in decline, with occasional success but no conference titles. A lot of those kids when elsewhere. Think Khalid El Amin going to UCONN for example. And who could blame him? As for Tubby he had some early recruiting success but then he seemed to get lazy and lost more than his share of transfers.

Oddly enough, the sanctions did little to hurt the program on the court. Monson attracted some decent talent during his time. His teams did not perform poorly because of the sanctions.

I think that the scandal stripped the support out of the community. The state was flying high in 1997 and the stupidity of the academic scandal by a coach with a clean reputation really sucked the air out the balloon. Minnesotans have long memories.

 

[formerlybis]

on how fast you can rebuild:

it all depends on your approach.

some schools certainly go for the "quick fix" - do whatever you have to do to bring in big-time recruits, '1-&-done' types, etc.

But to do that, you need to have what players of that level want - a legit chance to play for a national title, and a butt-load of money and benefits, legal or otherwise.

other schools try to do the 'roster-building' approach. put together several solid recruiting classes and develop your young players. the goal is not to have a 'super class' that is gone after one year, but to have continuity with 3 and 4-year players. If you can land an elite talent, that's even better.

either method can be effective. the quick fix is flashier and produces more immediate results. but only a handful of schools can really play that game and make it work. the slower build is not as flashy, and has its own drawbacks, but if you can do it successfully, you have a chance to sustain a competitive program.

and with either approach, if you swing and miss, then you're on the bottom looking up at everyone else.

Agree. Though I will add that both quick-fix and long-haul methodologies are greatly helped with coaches who have coaching chops. Some guys bring in a lot of talent, but their teams underperform (Crean comes to mind). Others, like Calipari, are able to get their top-end talent to row in the same direction

And as much as I hate to admit it, it looks like Gard is stud #3.....I thought they would take a huge step back this year after losing Davis, but they look like they will be at the top tier of the B10 when all is said and done. Don't know how they do it, because I don't think there's a ton of talent there.

As it is in real life, good *teams* often outperform others who have equal or better talent. It’s not that mystifying, but it’s not that easy to do.

 

[Dupreefor3]

This is a good topic of conversation because it's clear something is wrong, and it's healthy to try and figure out what the problems are. As with anything, it's almost certainly a combination of several things, all teaming up to get us where we're at, which is the bottom of the league. You don't end up at the bottom of the league without cause.

Haven't heard from builtbadgers in a while, but what he always said rings true: if you hire the right coach, that takes care of a lot of things. Over the past decade, the U has had legitimate chances to hire people like Eric Musselman (there's some question as to whether he was ever interested, but there seems to be some steam that he was at one time), Nate Oats, Niko Medved, and Craig Smith. Any of those guys would have been as successful here as they've been at their other stops. If you wanted to go off the board and do an out-there "genius" hire, Matt Lewis is sitting over in Osh Kosh, waiting to be plucked, just like Bo Ryan was sitting in Platteville for many years. Excellent coaches are out there if you know where to find them.

I hope Ben turns out to be successfull and works here for many years, but it's going to be harder and harder to defend the hire if the Gophs land in last place again this season. That said, Clem recovered from two bad first seasons, and wasn't Thorson on that staff, too? As I noted in another post, year three will tell the tale.

I honestly think Coyle thinks Ben was that out of the box genius move that's been under his nose the whole time. Time will tell, there's been some good things in high school recruiting and some solid wins in the transfer portal. Battle, Fox, Willis, Stephens, Loewe and Sutherlin were all good ads to the program, there was just nothing here for them to join. we were three sandwiches short of a picnic last year, sure Ihnen and Fox would have helped, so would guys like Gabe and Brandon Johnson. This year, Cooper was top ten in the country in assist and stared for a team that got to the tourney last year. Dawson Garcia was a McDonald's All American those are good ads, again needed one more combo guard IMO. Samuels is fine in a back up role, but between him and the freshman none of them are ready to start

 

[Ope3]

Yes.

We fired a great coach who got us NCAA runs and into the Final Four. And who had a hot team...Kevin Clark was on fire...but we banned ourselves from the NCAA. Kicking out Courtney James hurt a lot too.

Instead of getting a big recruiting boost, we took a big recruiting hit. Went backwards big time.

The 1999 Gophers were not a "hot" team. The week prior seeded #6 in the Big 10 Tourney they lost to #11 Seed (dead last) Illinois and had got beat 5 out of their last 8 games.

They did win their last 2 Regular Season games (home vs Purdue and @ Northwestern) to get them to 8-8 in the Big 10.

Suspending those players for the Gonzaga game probably cut the subsequent Postseason ban from 2 to 1 season.

It was absolutely the correct thing to do, in my opinion.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Talent next year will be more freshmen. Both appear extremely talented, however fr. And one is not built - yet - for the conference.

Tangential to this...it's starting to seem to me that the best way to compose a roster might be the same way you do it in the NFL: a combination of drafting and free-agent signings. The core of your player procurement in the NFL should be through the draft, but free agency is a way to fill holes with veterans who know what they're doing and you know what they can do at this level.

 

[MonikerSchmoniker45]

And Ihnen and Fox.....2 huge additions.

Maybe... I'd be very surprised if we get anything out of Fox during his time here.

 

[Go Gophs]

there is enough talent to be better on the floor than they have so far. Most worrisome is an apparent lack of energy (I missed last game so don’t know what that looked like). That can’t continue.

When finishing better than 11th is the goal, we really have fallen.

I am not sure I agree with this. This is a bottom of the Big Ten talent roster.

You have the big kid that is a freshman, the kid from Prior lake is decent and Battle. That is it. There aren't any others on the roster that would get an offer from a top 25 school.

That isn't to say they are terrible or can't win. But I don't feel like this roster has all kinds of talent and is just missing something. They just don't stack up talent wise when compared to other teams that are top 50 type teams right now.

 

[Go Gophs]

And Ihnen and Fox.....2 huge additions.

2 at best bench players getting 10-12 minutes a night.

Guys, that is not top talent. It's mid-major type guys.(I know Ihnen was a 4 star btw) I am not saying they can't be a big part of the team, but these are not guys that are going to make any kind of difference other than depth.

And that's OK. I have said it for years that to be successful here, first you have to win with less. Only then can you expect to get the type of talent needed to make NCAA runs and finish towards the top of the conference.

Is Ben that guy to win with less? I don't know. Doesn't seem like it yet, but it is super early. Next year I am expecting some big strides though...

 

[GophersInIowa]

Both Tubby and Pitino had the chance to have some really good teams. There certainly was some bad luck involved.

- If Royce White wasn't an idiot
- If Nate Mason doesn't get hurt
- If Marcus Carr gets immediate eligibility like he should have

I know, I know, it's stupid to play the "what if" game. My point is I don't think it's any tougher to win at MN than most other lower half teams in the Power 6. Like the other, you need a lot of things to go your way to reach that next level.

Of course these three things aren't the only reasons, more just trying to point out how close I think we were a few times.

 

[MonikerSchmoniker45]

I am not sure I agree with this. This is a bottom of the Big Ten talent roster.

You have the big kid that is a freshman, the kid from Prior lake is decent and Battle. That is it. There aren't any others on the roster that would get an offer from a top 25 school.

That isn't to say they are terrible or can't win. But I don't feel like this roster has all kinds of talent and is just missing something. They just don't stack up talent wise when compared to other teams that are top 50 type teams right now.

Henley had an offer from SDSU (top 25) and JOJ is gonna be good.