WNIT Game 2: Gophers Visit South Dakota State (3-20-22)

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Gopher women get waxed by So Dak St. The Gopher men don’t want to play U of St Thomas…. 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ fear the Summit I guess
 

Disappointing. They tried hard. SDSU is a well-established women's basketball program. It is not a disgrace to lose to them. SDSU had a strong record and higher ranking. They did a good job of stopping Scalia. Sissoko got into foul trouble. Gophers don't have enough height, strength, and quickness to stop players in the paint and to get rebounds. They give up too many second chance baskets.
Hopefully, gophers can land some impact players through the transfer portal and maybe a couple of the new recruits can make an impact immediately. Go Gophers.
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
So the University of Minnesota women’s basketball program can’t compete with South Dakota St University? Wonder if the athletic director cares? I surmise he’ll care more 2 years from now.
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Just watching the teams in the NCAA Tourney compete this week shows just how far away Minnesota WBB is from contending at all. Its not even close.
 



I was pumped when they hired LW, but she is simply not a very good coach.
 

beavergopher said:
I was pumped when they hired LW, but she is simply not a very good coach.
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I think that Lindsay is good enough coach. The problem is that most of the gopher players do not have the size, strength, quickness, and skills to compete with the upper levels of the Big Ten or other major schools. Is that Lindsay fault? Only partly. First, women's and men's basketball have been poor for so long that few good quality players want to come to Minnesota. They want to go to schools who usually compete for conference titles and NCAA seedings. Second, Lindsay has to overcome the negative image of gopher basketball and recruit impact players. Hopefully, the improved record this year and playing in a post-season tournament will make Minnesota more attractive. Lindsay supposedly has recruited a great freshman class. Hopefully, they can make strong contributions in their freshman season. Furthermore, Lindsay has to recruit some impact players from the transfer portal. This is the free-agency of college sports and everyone is learning to use it. In spite of losing many players this year, I am optimistic that the team will be better next year. Go Gophers.
 

walleye said:
I think that Lindsay is good enough coach. The problem is that most of the gopher players do not have the size, strength, quickness, and skills to compete with the upper levels of the Big Ten or other major schools. Is that Lindsay fault? Only partly. First, women's and men's basketball have been poor for so long that few good quality players want to come to Minnesota. They want to go to schools who usually compete for conference titles and NCAA seedings. Second, Lindsay has to overcome the negative image of gopher basketball and recruit impact players. Hopefully, the improved record this year and playing in a post-season tournament will make Minnesota more attractive. Lindsay supposedly has recruited a great freshman class. Hopefully, they can make strong contributions in their freshman season. Furthermore, Lindsay has to recruit some impact players from the transfer portal. This is the free-agency of college sports and everyone is learning to use it. In spite of losing many players this year, I am optimistic that the team will be better next year. Go Gophers.
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I agree, let’s not forget that she started coaching when the Big Ten has probably been at its highest level of talent in conference history amplified with 5th, 6th and even 7 years seniors, Lindsay hasn’t been able to recruit that long. Watching a very good NCAAW BB tourney this year and the impact the Minnesota girls are having really showcase the skill level and talent in the state. Lindsay has already recruited next year class, hopefully they find success to make Gophers attractive for upcoming players.
 



Excuses… she had not been good that’s a fact. However it does not mean she can’t get better…
 

I think it's a challenge to identify ways Lindsay is moving this program forward as she just wrapped up her 2nd straight losing season and 3rd straight season of finishing 10th or worse in conference play. Her coaching record sits at 60-57 (28-44 in B10 play) and she is 3-19 in games against ranked competition, with 14 of those losses coming by double digits.

Factoring in the COVID mess, I think it's fair the administration gives her another 2 years but if no progress is being made, they need to make a change.
 


SDSU has no superstars(or maybe 1) but are so well coached.. The sum of 5 blue collar well coached cohesive players are tough to beat.. This is where coaches earn their pay, they assemble kids that fit their scheme and now 20 years into Johnston's tenure, he just plugs and play a new kid each year and they never miss a beat. Dont forget a couple years ago, they had one of the best back courts in the country, they graduated together and SDSU never missed a beat.
 



Johnston is a very good coach. He's one of those coaches who is able to do more with less. That being said, he now has a formidable in-state rival in South Dakota. I don't think he's won the conference in 3 years now. I'm wondering if St. Thomas will eventually start getting some of the MN recruits that the 2 SD and 2 ND programs have. I'm convinced that UST will be able to compete in the Summit sometime soon....3 or 4 more years?
 

MNGirlsHoops said:
SDSU has no superstars(or maybe 1) but are so well coached.. The sum of 5 blue collar well coached cohesive players are tough to beat.. This is where coaches earn their pay, they assemble kids that fit their scheme and now 20 years into Johnston's tenure, he just plugs and play a new kid each year and they never miss a beat. Dont forget a couple years ago, they had one of the best back courts in the country, they graduated together and SDSU never missed a beat.
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I was hoping the U would entice him away when the Gophers were looking for a coach.
 

tripledouble said:
Johnston is a very good coach. He's one of those coaches who is able to do more with less. That being said, he now has a formidable in-state rival in South Dakota. I don't think he's won the conference in 3 years now. I'm wondering if St. Thomas will eventually start getting some of the MN recruits that the 2 SD and 2 ND programs have. I'm convinced that UST will be able to compete in the Summit sometime soon....3 or 4 more years?
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IMO UST will be able to get into the top 3-5 range of the conference real quick because the summit outside the SD schools is weak but getting to USD or SDSU levels will take awhile, those schools are just so much better than the rest of the conference and they both have some really good young recruits committed, they arent going anywhere for awhile.
 

MNGirlsHoops said:
SDSU has no superstars(or maybe 1) but are so well coached.. The sum of 5 blue collar well coached cohesive players are tough to beat.. This is where coaches earn their pay, they assemble kids that fit their scheme and now 20 years into Johnston's tenure, he just plugs and play a new kid each year and they never miss a beat. Dont forget a couple years ago, they had one of the best back courts in the country, they graduated together and SDSU never missed a beat.
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Thursday's game in Brookings is already sold out. Jacks would be even better if freshman pg Paige Meyer from Albany hadn't blown her knee out in the last regular season game. She was probably the second best player on the team at that point.
 


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