Preview: Gophers vs. SW Minnesota St.

Happy days are here again! As usual, the 7-month off-season has both dragged along and flown by, and another season of Golden Gopher Basketball is again upon us. And unlike a year ago, when expectations had bottomed out, there’s going to be a little extra buzz in Williams Arena this time. This is a Gopher team that has a chance to make some serious noise and, as a result, get some serious noise back in The Barn. Yep, the next 5 months are gonna be fun.

As usual for the exhibition season, I’m not going to say much (if anything) about the opponent. Frankly, I don’t know anything about the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. But I do have a few things to say about the Gophers. Primarily, I’m very excited about this team and this season. While that’s true to an extent every season, this time is different. I really like how this Gopher team looks on paper, and I think they have a chance to be a legit contender in the Big Ten and make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.

My optimism of course starts on the perimeter. There hasn’t been a player I’ve enjoyed watching as much as Vincent Grier since Bobby Jackson (and in terms of pure enjoyment, I’m not even sure about Bobby). Grier is an entirely unique player who’s love of the game is contagious to everyone in the building, and we saw last season just how big of an impact he can make.

Now throw Moe Hargrow ““ who I think can be almost as good as Grier this year – back in the mix, and you have the makings of something special. Without taking a thorough look at rosters, I can’t think of a twosome in the Big Ten I’d rather have. You could certainly argue that Ager and Brown at Michigan State are a better offensive tandem, but they don’t come close to the two Gophers on the defensive end of the floor, and neither has Grier’s intangible impact on a game. Teams are going to have fits trying to stop these two, and if they mesh together like I think they can, they can carry this team a long way.

And what could really make this season interesting is if the dynamic duo can become a terrific trio (I know”¦pretty lame). I of course am speaking of the Adam Boone factor. If Adam can play with the type of confidence, aggressiveness, and deadly shooting we’ve seen in the offseason, he’ll make a killing living off of Grier and Hargrow. This group has a ton of experience. That’s rare in college basketball these days, and as a result it can be hugely effective.

I also really like the Gophers at the power forward position with Dan Coleman andJ’son Stamper . Dan has all the talent in world and looks to have again made good strides in strength and aggressiveness this offseason. There won’t be many teams in the league with a #3 or #4 scoring option like him. And Stamper is the guy who I think is really going to surprise this season. We know he can rebound, but I think we’re going to see much more offense out of him this year. He has a solid mid-range jumper and can put the ball on the floor, and he typically won’t be drawing much defensive attention.

That leaves the middle. We saw a few glimpses of what Spencer Tollackson can do last season, but we didn’t see nearly enough of it. I think he can be a very solid big man this season, but he needs play with confidence from day one. As forJonathan Williams , I’m very anxious to see what he can bring to the table. He’s in much better condition than he was a year ago, and if he can show us the same explosive dunking and shot-blocking he had in high school, I’m going to be very excited. He’s a big, athletic body who is a more polished and intelligent player than people give him credit for. These two aren’t going to dominant many games outside of the cupcake section, but they won’t need to. If they can just play solid “˜D’, hit the boards, and convert open looks, Minnesota will be in very good shape.

The injury/other situation the Gophers are in is unfortunate. With Rico Tucker out indefinitely for academic reasons, and now with Ryan Saunders injured, there’s no depth at the point. The fact that Moe will now get some experience there is a bit of a silver lining, but Rico is the guy who really needs the PT. And the slow recovery of Kevin Payton from shoulder surgery still has fans wondering if he even exists. It’s too soon to decide if he’ll redshirt, but it would have been great getting a first look at him in the exhibition schedule.

We will get to take a look at the other three freshmen, however. Brandon Smith is the guy whose minutes will increase greatly with the absence of Tucker and Saunders. The chance to play with and learn from guys like Grier and Hargrow will be huge for him. Damian Johnson , assuming he’s healthy enough to play, will also get some significant minutes before a final decision on whether to redshirt him is made. I really like his upside and attitude, but his thin frame and the Gophers depth at forward make him a good redshirt candidate if injuries permit. The same is true for walk-on Jamal Abu-Shamala, a player who was an absolute steal. He has a chance to be a legit Big Ten player before his career is over, but I also hope Minnesota has the depth to redshirt him this season.

Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:

1. Right Where You Left Off. Last year’s team was all about heart and hustle. This year’s team needs to grab that baton and run with it. Just because this game doesn’t count is no reason to play like it. Enough said.

2. Confident Bigs. Getting Tollackson and Williams playing with poise and confidence in November will be critical come Big Ten season. Spencer needs to get featured on offense some and establish his post game and passing, and Williams just needs to get used to being on the floor, playing “˜D’, and hitting the glass.

3. Hot Potato. The other trademark of last year’s team was its unselfishness. The three departed seniors were all about team, and they’ll be hard to replace. Fortunately, the Gophers’ best player is from the same mold. Many fans think of Grier simply as a scorer, but that was by necessity last year. What they don’t know is that he also has the best vision on the team and loves to pass. If that can rub off to Moe and the other perimeter players, combined with Spencer’s passing ability in the post, this team can be very efficient offensively. They have a lot of guys who can score, so it’s just a matter of getting the ball to the open man. If you see a lot of jumpers passed up for lay-ups in this game, it will be a very good sign.

As for the fans, it’s up to you to build on last season as well. The student section is shaping up to be a major improvement this year. The rest of the crowd needs to be too. Get behind this team from day one and help lead them to what could be a very exciting and enjoyable season. And have fun! My prediction: Minnesota 94 SW Minnesota St. 64.

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