worst choke job ....ever

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It would be nice to see them compete against teams that they shouldn't beat like this...but this is a game they had in the bag, and this is a team that they have every ability to beat 10/10 times. This team just cannot seem to defend three point shooters.
 

ShowinGoldyLove said:
Decide to show up now? Where have you been all year?
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watching and not posting. This was the last straw for me....
I'm a much more diehard for the football and hockey teams, post much more for them. Was looking for some optimism in all the crap from this team....got slapped back to reality about 15 minutes ago..this team currently is just as bad as both the football and hockey teams....
 

MRJ said:
I'm not so sure about the physical talent not being there. But one thing is for sure: these guys have absolutely NO mental toughness anywhere. They're perfectly content with the "well, we were close" mindset. It's been that way all year.
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The last 2 sentences pretty much sum up the Gopher fan base as well...
 


gopherguy05 said:
and there it is......the choke job is official. Sorry to tell you you are wrong again Beej....
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Actually he was right, and you were wrong, but good try on the twisted logic.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree it was easy to see this meltdown coming. Sad state of affairs.
 




The Big L said:
Actually he was right, and you were wrong, but good try on the twisted logic.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree it was easy to see this meltdown coming. Sad state of affairs.
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You are right....he did only say the game wasn't over, and technically with the rest of regulation and overtime to play he was correct. However, considering this team did not show any backbone in overtime, and continued their various mistakes and errors, I'm gonna give myself partal credit. We will call it a 50-50 split. Hows that twisted logic for ya. :rolleyes:
 

MRJ said:
Sampson also just stood there while a guy dove in for an uncontested layup. Literally. Didn't even move. That was right after the Devoe pass to nowhere. Add it all up and it's easy to see why these guys losing game after game at this point is almost expected. Like I said earlier, it's the same stupid things over-and-over-and-over-etc....
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Ever Wonder why Sampson gets treated like the golden boy by coach.
 





gopherguy05 said:
You are right....he did only say the game wasn't over, and technically with the rest of regulation and overtime to play he was correct. However, considering this team did not show any backbone in overtime, and continued their various mistakes and errors, I'm gonna give myself partal credit. We will call it a 50-50 split. Hows that twisted logic for ya. :rolleyes:
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Fair enough.

I didn't have much hope either, even when we were still hanging onto the lead in the 2nd half. I'm just think there is a big difference between saying "I have no confidence in our team's abilities to pull this one out, I think it's over", and saying it's over, and then when the team actually does lose, calling out those who decided to remain a bit hopeful and pounding your chest.

Granted, I've probably done worse, and I understand we are all frustrated and can get a little on edge. Hell, my frustration was why my first reply was a little more on edge than usual.
 

Title of thread sums it up, although it still finishes 2nd to MSU in choke jobs this year.

This team is an embarrassment

This coach is an embarrassment

Everyone associated with the Gopher Basketball program should be humiliated by how they have performed this year.
 




EG#9 said:
Title of thread sums it up, although it still finishes 2nd to MSU in choke jobs this year.

This team is an embarrassment

This coach is an embarrassment

Everyone associated with the Gopher Basketball program should be humiliated by how they have performed this year.
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That is a little harsh, don't you think?
 

This team doesn't have a reliable go-to guy on offense, and yes, I believe that is virtually ALL of the problems with this team. When they need to get a bucket, and fast, who do they go to? No one out there can just get their own shot at any time. Westbrook can be clutch, but he isn't a guy who you're gonna be able to get the ball to and he'll just create and shoot over a guy, nor is he quite fast enough to get by people consistently. If he were 6'4" or better, maybe so, but he just can't do it at his height. Blake has saved the Gophers in games with big shots, but he can't do it consistently because he can't create off the dribble and get a good shot off when he wants. None of the other perimeter guys can really do so either, Devoe seems like he could be pretty deadly with a pull up midrange jumper, maybe he'll learn to be comfortable with that move. But then you go down low, and we don't have a reliable guy there either. Ralph might develop into that go-to post scorer, but as of now, he's not there. Colt is not the answer either.

When you are up 52-40 and have a team on the ropes, but then they hit a couple threes to get back into it, they don't have a "crowd-quieter", that guy who no matter where they are, no matter who they're playing, comes up with big baskets. That's why they keep collapsing late in games and "choking" away victories. The Tubby recruits are still sophomores. It can take time to develop that moxie to be that kind of player. I was hoping Westbrook would be the guy who could at least on a relatively regular basis be that guy, but he's kinda wildly inconsistent in that regard and it hasn't worked out that way. This is the same problem we had last season, except last season, we had Al Nolen, who helped cover up issues with his defense that led to easy points, and also just plain a better vibe around the team, with FAR less distractions, and less pressure of preseason expectations. They haven't handled it well to say the least, and now a problem that already existed is just exacerbated.

I'm not nearly as pessimistic about the future as some are, because all it takes is that one guy to figure it out, and suddenly, you're winning a lot of these close games, and we're sitting with 19, 20 wins already at this point of the season. You just never know, confidence is a strange thing sometimes.
 

Monty519 said:
This team doesn't have a reliable go-to guy on offense, and yes, I believe that is virtually ALL of the problems with this team. When they need to get a bucket, and fast, who do they go to? No one out there can just get their own shot at any time. Westbrook can be clutch, but he isn't a guy who you're gonna be able to get the ball to and he'll just create and shoot over a guy, nor is he quite fast enough to get by people consistently. If he were 6'4" or better, maybe so, but he just can't do it at his height. Blake has saved the Gophers in games with big shots, but he can't do it consistently because he can't create off the dribble and get a good shot off when he wants. None of the other perimeter guys can really do so either, Devoe seems like he could be pretty deadly with a pull up midrange jumper, maybe he'll learn to be comfortable with that move. But then you go down low, and we don't have a reliable guy there either. Ralph might develop into that go-to post scorer, but as of now, he's not there. Colt is not the answer either.

When you are up 52-40 and have a team on the ropes, but then they hit a couple threes to get back into it, they don't have a "crowd-quieter", that guy who no matter where they are, no matter who they're playing, comes up with big baskets. That's why they keep collapsing late in games and "choking" away victories. The Tubby recruits are still sophomores. It can take time to develop that moxie to be that kind of player. I was hoping Westbrook would be the guy who could at least on a relatively regular basis be that guy, but he's kinda wildly inconsistent in that regard and it hasn't worked out that way. This is the same problem we had last season, except last season, we had Al Nolen, who helped cover up issues with his defense that led to easy points, and also just plain a better vibe around the team, with FAR less distractions, and less pressure of preseason expectations. They haven't handled it well to say the least, and now a problem that already existed is just exacerbated.

I'm not nearly as pessimistic about the future as some are, because all it takes is that one guy to figure it out, and suddenly, you're winning a lot of these close games, and we're sitting with 19, 20 wins already at this point of the season. You just never know, confidence is a strange thing sometimes.
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Monty- good stuff. However, our defense even before we lost Nolen (but even moreso after) has also become a serious liability. If you can't stop the 3pt shot you are going to lose your close games. As to the future - which future are you not pessimistic about?

This one:
Next year's roster version A

Starters:
Sampson
Carter
Hoff
Joseph
Nolen

Bench:
Williams
Iverson
Hollins
Cobbs

Elliason redshirt

That one scares me- looks like 6-12 Big Ten

Or version B
Starters
Mbakwe
Sampson
White
Nolen
Hoff

Bench:
Joseph
Williams
Carter
Iverson
Cobbs

Hollins and Elliason redshirt

That one scares the rest of the Big Ten!
 

6-12 is overdoing it IMO, this team right now is in a funk, that's obvious, and they just want this year to end. I just think with another year of development, and more opportunities for guys like Joseph to become more leaders of the squad, they will become better players. I think that first version could still be a borderline NCAA team, with Mbakwe maybe being a piece to push them in. And like I said, it could be even better if a guy like Joseph develops into that go-to guy who can get a hoop when needed. Or...you could be right and everything just continues to fall off and they are like a 6 win BT team. Reality probably lies somewhere in the middle really.
 

Monty519 said:
6-12 is overdoing it IMO, this team right now is in a funk, that's obvious, and they just want this year to end. I just think with another year of development, and more opportunities for guys like Joseph to become more leaders of the squad, they will become better players. I think that first version could still be a borderline NCAA team, with Mbakwe maybe being a piece to push them in. And like I said, it could be even better if a guy like Joseph develops into that go-to guy who can get a hoop when needed. Or...you could be right and everything just continues to fall off and they are like a 6 win BT team. Reality probably lies somewhere in the middle really.
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With that line-up, I dont think he is really overdoing it, IMO. Maybe 7-11 or 8-10, regardless, a bad team.

No offense at all here, but I think you are drastically overatting the talent level on this team.
 


Monty519 said:
This team doesn't have a reliable go-to guy on offense, and yes, I believe that is virtually ALL of the problems with this team. When they need to get a bucket, and fast, who do they go to? No one out there can just get their own shot at any time. Westbrook can be clutch, but he isn't a guy who you're gonna be able to get the ball to and he'll just create and shoot over a guy, nor is he quite fast enough to get by people consistently. If he were 6'4" or better, maybe so, but he just can't do it at his height. Blake has saved the Gophers in games with big shots, but he can't do it consistently because he can't create off the dribble and get a good shot off when he wants. None of the other perimeter guys can really do so either, Devoe seems like he could be pretty deadly with a pull up mid range jumper, maybe he'll learn to be comfortable with that move. But then you go down low, and we don't have a reliable guy there either. Ralph might develop into that go-to post scorer, but as of now, he's not there. Colt is not the answer either.

When you are up 52-40 and have a team on the ropes, but then they hit a couple threes to get back into it, they don't have a "crowd-quieter", that guy who no matter where they are, no matter who they're playing, comes up with big baskets. That's why they keep collapsing late in games and "choking" away victories. The Tubby recruits are still sophomores. It can take time to develop that moxie to be that kind of player. I was hoping Westbrook would be the guy who could at least on a relatively regular basis be that guy, but he's kinda wildly inconsistent in that regard and it hasn't worked out that way. This is the same problem we had last season, except last season, we had Al Nolen, who helped cover up issues with his defense that led to easy points, and also just plain a better vibe around the team, with FAR less distractions, and less pressure of preseason expectations. They haven't handled it well to say the least, and now a problem that already existed is just exacerbated.

I'm not nearly as pessimistic about the future as some are, because all it takes is that one guy to figure it out, and suddenly, you're winning a lot of these close games, and we're sitting with 19, 20 wins already at this point of the season. You just never know, confidence is a strange thing sometimes.
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I think a go to scorer is a huge need, but I don't feel like the lack of a go to guy is the cause for the Gophers downfall. The games against Michigan State and Northwestern were OVER, they had to (and did) fail in every area in spectacular fashion to lose those games. The Gophers didn't need a go to guy to beat Michigan at home, Indiana on the road, or Portland in that tournament. Simply winning those 5 games (heck, give them 4 of them as long as one is MSU) and this team is right about where they should be given that White, Mbakwe,and Nolen are not playing. A go to guy would have helped us immensely in Miami where one run by the Hurricanes was the difference in the game or against Texas A&M where the game came down to the last shot (though if Westbrook and Nolen were available for that whole game things might have been different). Certainly a go to guy would have helped at Michigan State.

The mystery to this team is why they don't play nearly as hard as they did last year. Many of the guys seeing the floor were looking at substantially reduced playing time from the final buzzer against Texas last year until Royce and Trevor didn't take the court in the season opener. I would have thought many of these guys would have put in a lot of work this summer and improved their games in hopes of finding a spot in the rotation. Outside of Blake regaining his stroke, and Ralph showing some offensive signs, nobody has made noticeable improvements. Stranger yet, is that the same group of guys who really worked hard on the defensive end of the floor last year, are not doing so this year.
 

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