alltimetwinsfan
Grand Poobah
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Here are my notes from Tubby Smith's press conference today...
-He's very excited to open his third season here at Minnesota, and is ready to get going
-When asked about a possible rotation for this season, he said the rotation never comes to mind, as players must earn their rotation spots during practice
-He believes there is a lot of talent on this years squad, and that they have recruited versatile players that will help compliment the roster
-This team lost a lot of experience from last year, and will have to work to regain that
-He believes the strengths of this year's team include depth, athleticism, and strength, with them focusing quite a bit on strength and conditioning to become stronger
-Commented on Dominique Dawson, a freshman walk-on from Minneapolis Southwest...he's very raw, and is probably a candidate for a red-shirt, but has lots of enthusiasm, and Tubby likes his size
-He believes this is the most physical team he's had here at Minnesota, but reminds us that last year he had a pretty physical team as well, particularly John Williams, who was as physical as any player he had coached
-In looking at last year, he commented that the team struggled down the stretch, losing at home to Michigan and then to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament before falling to Texas in the NCAA's. He also said that the team can use that this year to keep themselves motivated as the year goes on
-He said it's always important to have a team that has good chemistry, and that this team definitely has very good chemistry
-The chemistry might be in part, he said, to the fact that a lot of the players on this team are local guys that grew up playing together in other leagues over the years
-Amongst the new players, Trevor Mbakwe is the most likely candidate to earn significant playing time
-On Royce White, he commented that he's pretty strong for a freshman, and is very athletic
-On Colton Iverson, he said that he may be the most physical player he has ever coached
-Damien Johnson and Lawrence Westbrook have set the standard on this team for leadership and chemistry, and have led the way with their hard work
-On Al Nolen, he said he wants him to be himself, and said he wants him to make better decisions, both on the dribble and with the pass, noting that he's one of the best defenders on the ball
-The key for this team, he said, is to get better by the day
-On Blake Hoffarber, he said that he has a lot of balance in his life, and is one of the smartest players on the team, basketball wise. Also mentioned that he has to work on getting to the free-throw line more. Said that he is also one of the hardest workers on the team, and is usually the first one on the court, and one of the last to leave
-He said that Rodney Williams is most likely not a candidate for a red-shirt, but has work to do. He's probably the most athletic player on the team, and mentioned that he's a very coach-able player.
-He said that there are great fans here, and that he's been very pleased by the interest in Gopher basketball in Minnesota. He said that "it's probably the best thing we've got going for us here."
-Commented on the new floor at the Barn, saying that "A floor is a floor;" he joked that he was afraid of scratching the new floor because it looked so nice, and that the fans are really going to like it
(NOTE: On seeing the floor, I was very pleased...it looks very classy; the "M" at center court looks great, and the "Golden Gophers" on the baselines were very nice. The free-throw lane has no lining around it, so it looks kind of old-school as well. Much to the dismay of many of you, there are, at this point, no Cub Foods logos or any other advertising on the floor; Dairy Queen is the sponsor on the bottom of the baskets. One other note...I was told by someone in the know that they did NOT lower the floor, but kind of extended the outer lining of it, making the floor appear to look lower...I sat down on it in a place where I have sat before, and didn't notice any changes. However, they have filled in the pits where the team sits, so they aren't quite as low, which may also give the illusion that they have lowered the floor; the benches are also gone where the team sits, replaced by individual chairs.)
-He mentioned that a new practice facility is officially in the works, and the process of fund raising has now begun, now that TCF Bank Stadium is now complete...he stressed the importance of building one, to help continue to grow the program
-On Mbakwe's situation, he believes Maturi will make a decision soon, and that he's looking forward to that, so there are no distractions
-On this year's schedule, he said that "we're not going to schedule ourselves out of the tournament before it starts," and said that they probably would have had more front-line type games at home if not for the 76 Classic this year, which six of the eight participants made the NCAA tournament last year. He did say that the schedule is still tough, and that a team must have balance in order to allow the younger players to log early time to get more relaxed
-On asked to compare the talent he has this year to any of his Kentucky teams, he said he was not very good at that, and added that "Talent alone doesn't mean you're going to win"
-He said the guys are hungry to get back to the NCAA tournament, and they are motivated to do so
-He mentioned that he studies the game often to continue to be a better coach as the game continues to evolve over time
-When asked about any changes he makes to his coaching game, he joked that he tries to fast before the season starts, but it never seems to work very well
-He did add that he's been working on his three-point shot, and had thought about entering the slam dunk contest tonight, but has decided to forgo it this year, which brought laughs to the room
-There have been no off-season injuries to speak of on this team
-On DeVoe Joseph, he said he's talented enough to start and play at either guard position, and that it's possible he will do so
-He closed by adding again that Minnesota has the best fans in the world, and that they would be very excited to see the athleticism that this team has to offer this year
-He's very excited to open his third season here at Minnesota, and is ready to get going
-When asked about a possible rotation for this season, he said the rotation never comes to mind, as players must earn their rotation spots during practice
-He believes there is a lot of talent on this years squad, and that they have recruited versatile players that will help compliment the roster
-This team lost a lot of experience from last year, and will have to work to regain that
-He believes the strengths of this year's team include depth, athleticism, and strength, with them focusing quite a bit on strength and conditioning to become stronger
-Commented on Dominique Dawson, a freshman walk-on from Minneapolis Southwest...he's very raw, and is probably a candidate for a red-shirt, but has lots of enthusiasm, and Tubby likes his size
-He believes this is the most physical team he's had here at Minnesota, but reminds us that last year he had a pretty physical team as well, particularly John Williams, who was as physical as any player he had coached
-In looking at last year, he commented that the team struggled down the stretch, losing at home to Michigan and then to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament before falling to Texas in the NCAA's. He also said that the team can use that this year to keep themselves motivated as the year goes on
-He said it's always important to have a team that has good chemistry, and that this team definitely has very good chemistry
-The chemistry might be in part, he said, to the fact that a lot of the players on this team are local guys that grew up playing together in other leagues over the years
-Amongst the new players, Trevor Mbakwe is the most likely candidate to earn significant playing time
-On Royce White, he commented that he's pretty strong for a freshman, and is very athletic
-On Colton Iverson, he said that he may be the most physical player he has ever coached
-Damien Johnson and Lawrence Westbrook have set the standard on this team for leadership and chemistry, and have led the way with their hard work
-On Al Nolen, he said he wants him to be himself, and said he wants him to make better decisions, both on the dribble and with the pass, noting that he's one of the best defenders on the ball
-The key for this team, he said, is to get better by the day
-On Blake Hoffarber, he said that he has a lot of balance in his life, and is one of the smartest players on the team, basketball wise. Also mentioned that he has to work on getting to the free-throw line more. Said that he is also one of the hardest workers on the team, and is usually the first one on the court, and one of the last to leave
-He said that Rodney Williams is most likely not a candidate for a red-shirt, but has work to do. He's probably the most athletic player on the team, and mentioned that he's a very coach-able player.
-He said that there are great fans here, and that he's been very pleased by the interest in Gopher basketball in Minnesota. He said that "it's probably the best thing we've got going for us here."
-Commented on the new floor at the Barn, saying that "A floor is a floor;" he joked that he was afraid of scratching the new floor because it looked so nice, and that the fans are really going to like it
(NOTE: On seeing the floor, I was very pleased...it looks very classy; the "M" at center court looks great, and the "Golden Gophers" on the baselines were very nice. The free-throw lane has no lining around it, so it looks kind of old-school as well. Much to the dismay of many of you, there are, at this point, no Cub Foods logos or any other advertising on the floor; Dairy Queen is the sponsor on the bottom of the baskets. One other note...I was told by someone in the know that they did NOT lower the floor, but kind of extended the outer lining of it, making the floor appear to look lower...I sat down on it in a place where I have sat before, and didn't notice any changes. However, they have filled in the pits where the team sits, so they aren't quite as low, which may also give the illusion that they have lowered the floor; the benches are also gone where the team sits, replaced by individual chairs.)
-He mentioned that a new practice facility is officially in the works, and the process of fund raising has now begun, now that TCF Bank Stadium is now complete...he stressed the importance of building one, to help continue to grow the program
-On Mbakwe's situation, he believes Maturi will make a decision soon, and that he's looking forward to that, so there are no distractions
-On this year's schedule, he said that "we're not going to schedule ourselves out of the tournament before it starts," and said that they probably would have had more front-line type games at home if not for the 76 Classic this year, which six of the eight participants made the NCAA tournament last year. He did say that the schedule is still tough, and that a team must have balance in order to allow the younger players to log early time to get more relaxed
-On asked to compare the talent he has this year to any of his Kentucky teams, he said he was not very good at that, and added that "Talent alone doesn't mean you're going to win"
-He said the guys are hungry to get back to the NCAA tournament, and they are motivated to do so
-He mentioned that he studies the game often to continue to be a better coach as the game continues to evolve over time
-When asked about any changes he makes to his coaching game, he joked that he tries to fast before the season starts, but it never seems to work very well
-He did add that he's been working on his three-point shot, and had thought about entering the slam dunk contest tonight, but has decided to forgo it this year, which brought laughs to the room
-There have been no off-season injuries to speak of on this team
-On DeVoe Joseph, he said he's talented enough to start and play at either guard position, and that it's possible he will do so
-He closed by adding again that Minnesota has the best fans in the world, and that they would be very excited to see the athleticism that this team has to offer this year
