Yes, I know there isn’t such a thing as a good loss, there are no moral victories, and to say that a team had either a moral victory or a good loss does little more than indicate how bad that team actually is. Well, the Gophers aren’t very good, but they played much better than I expected yesterday against the heavily favored Badgers.

Minnesota had little reason even to be competitive. Coming off a humiliating home loss to Illinois and just two weeks removed from another perplexing home loss to the Badgers, Minnesota should have been ready to fold from the opening tip.

But they didn’t.

Credit Tubby Smith’s coaching, the seniors realizing that they are running out of time to accomplish anything, or Wisconsin’s inability to score, but Minnesota was ready to go from the opening whistle.

Like most games that take place in the Kohl Center, this was a low scoring affair as both teams struggled to make field goals. Minnesota regularly employed the pick and roll, which Wisconsin was unable to guard for much of the first half. The Gophers, who had a disturbingly difficult time making lay ups and dunks all game, often had to settle for free throws, but they were able to make eight of their first eleven free throw attempts.

While the pick and roll led to free throws, the rest of the half court offense subsisted off of long three pointers, occasionally banked in from angles that would make most geometry teachers proud, and would only confuse Spencer Tollackson. With the half court offense struggling, Al Nolen had a quick pull up three for the Gophers first field goal more than 5 minutes into the game. Nolen added another along with Blake Hoffarber and Jamal Abu-Shamala who both found themselves open after 2 of the Gophers 11 offensive rebounds. It wasn’t until the 4:09 mark of the second half that the Gophers finally made a two point shot. Despite their ineptitude inside of 20 feet Minnesota only trailed by one a t the half.

And then the real Gophers showed up.

For at least the 3rd time this season, the Gophers were able to hang around in the first half, only to lose it in the second half. Whether its their inability to make lay ups (Wisconsin on Saturday), guard the hot shooter (Ohio State et al.), or make free throws (Indiana), the Gophers have been unable to mask their many deficiencies for a whole game.

Minnesota has had difficulty finishing all season, but yesterday Jonathan Williams put on missed opportunity clinic. He was 0-5 shooting, with 3 missed lay-ups and two missed dunks. Spencer Tollackson could have done better, but he only played 12 minutes.

With the Gopher unable to finish on the inside, they shied away from attacking the rim with the pick and roll, and even when their guards, particularly Al Nolen, were able to penetrate, Minnesota front court was ill-prepared or equipped to catch the ball and score.

While Minnesota struggled, the Badgers stuck to their game and minimized their mistakes. They were able to improve their shooting percentage from 36.4% in the first half to 52.9% in the second half. Wisconsin also benefited from their now notorious home free throw advantage (though the officials were anything but glaringly pro-Badger) and made 25-33 for the game compared to the Gophers 12-20.

For Wisconsin to win, all they needed to do was play an average game, and that is exactly what they did. They had solid if not spectacular play from everyone on the court (5 of whom scored in double figures) which was more than enough to put away the Gophers, even though they played much better than expected.

Who did what?

• Dan Coleman struggled again with foul trouble for most of the game. He scored 10 points, though 5 came in the last minute of an already decided game. More disappointingly, he managed only 1 rebound. Add it to the long list of disappointing performances by Minnesota’s seniors in big games.
• Spencer Tollackson only played 12 minutes. He had a bit of foul trouble, but only had three fouls in the game, not nearly enough to justify so little playing time. Either Tubby Smith decided that Jonathan Williams needed playing time or he is punishing Tollackson for his poor performances of late. Regardless, he had 4 points on 2-4 shooting. If he played more, the Gophers might have won. At least Spencer can make lay-ups and dunks when isn’t guarded.
• Al Nolen made the most out of the second start of his career. His shooting was nothing special (6 points on 2-7 shooting) but his 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals were. Nolen will probably benefit the most from next year’s recruiting class, when the Gopher big men can catch and finish, and not fumble anything other than a lob.
• Lawrence McKenzie struggled with his shooting (notice a trend?) but played a very nice floor game. The shots he did make (3-10, 2-6 from three) came at opportune times that halted Wisconsin’s momentum.
• Lawrence Westbrook had the best shooting day of any Gopher as he scored 10 points on 3-5 shooting. Go tell Myron Medcalf that Westbrook will be a valuable part of this team for the rest of his career. Do it now.
• Jonathan Williams may have cost the Gophers the game, or he may have kept them in it. He couldn’t drop a penny in the ocean, but he shut down the Badger front court and led the team in rebounding. With Spencer Tollackson’s minutes, he assumed the role of the best and worst player on the team. I long for the day when Minnesota’s leading scorer can play a little defense and maybe, just maybe, make lay-ups consistently.
• Blake Hoffarber still can’t create his own shot, and when his outside shot isn’t falling (1-5 from the floor) it isn’t pretty.
• Jamal Abu-Shamala still can’t create his own shot, and when his outside shot isn’t falling (1-3 from the floor) it isn’t pretty.
• Damian Johnson was pretty mediocre. He scored 5 points and added 6 rebounds (3 offensive).
• Ryan Saunders, sharp, classy, and not over the top. Nice work.

With their chance to go the NCAA tournament this year all but dashed, Dan Coleman, Spencer Tollackson, and Lawrence McKenzie are in real danger of being known more for what they did not do than what they accomplished.

They did make it the NCAA tournament three years ago on a team actually led by seniors that understood it was their last time to shine. That team, led by previously woeful Aaron Robinson, previosly underutilized Jeff Hagen, and previous overlooked Brent Lawson consistently improved and overachieved throughout their careers. This year’s seniors have done neither.

Other things they have not done include:

• Beating Illinois
• Winning at Michigan State
• Winning at Iowa
• Winning at Wisconsin
• Beating an NCAA team on the road

Because of the Big Ten’s uneven scheduling, winning at Iowa is impossible, but the other four are very possible. Numbers four and five on the list could disappear as soon as tomorrow, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

I still don’t know what happened the other night at The Barn. One would think that a supposedly senior led team, still with a chance, albeit not a great one) of making the NCAA tournament would be able to handle one of the worst teams in the conference. Maybe they had already given up on the season. Maybe Illinois is a lot better than their record indicates (probably true) or maybe the Gophers were looking ahead to the Wisconsin game. I have no idea why the Gophers would think they are good enough to look past anyone, but assuming that was the case, they better be prepared for the Badgers.

Other than the Gophers falling out of contention for consequential post-season play and Wisconsin losing again to Purdue, there aren’t any big differences between Saturday’s game and the last time the two rivals played each other. Wisconsin is still a favorite to win the Big Ten, and Minnesota still hasn’t beat any non-terrible teams.

Two weeks ago the Badgers beat the Gophers from the opening tip, in the first of Minnesota’s completely uninspiring performances. In that game the Gophers were able to contain Wisconsin’s front court, but in doing so left the Badger back court wide open. Trevon Hughes scored 20 points and Brian Butch and Marcus Landry each added 11. The Badgers outshot Minnesota by 13%, and got to the free throw line twice as often as the Gophers.

Expect more of the same tomorrow. Minnesota was blitzed by Illinois on Tuesday, the same Illini that until then were one of the worst shooting teams in the country. Minnesota once vaunted turnover creating defense has gone into hibernation as the winter has worn on. And, I don’t think I need to write much about the free throw disparity that the Badgers regularly enjoy at the Kohl Center.

After Minnesota’s surprising loss to Illinois, they have shown that the odds makers can’t pick all their games right, and  win at Wisconsin would be just as much of an aberration as their worst home loss since 1992, but I just don’t see it happening.

Expect Tubby to give his underachieving seniors a chance, but also expect them to see very little playing time if they aren’t getting the job done. With Minnesota all but eliminated from NCAA Tournament contention, the future is now, and Minnesota’s underclassmen need all the court time they can get, especially in a hostile environment.

Prediction: Wisconsin 65 - Minnesota 48

From Kare 11 (video here)

It’s game night at New Prague High School. The Trojans are looking for their 16th win of the season, and head coach Jeff Gravon has his team playing well.

But as you watch Jeff on the sideline, you notice the wrap on his right hand which actually extends all the way up his arm. It doesn’t look serious, but looks are deceiving.

“I’ll be lucky to save my arm, that’s my best case scenario probably” said Jeff.

His physical problems began 18-years ago with Hodgkins disease. But, for the last 10 years he’s been battling lymphedema in his right arm. Lymphedema is a non-curable lymphatic condition which is progressive and dehabilitating. To make matters worse, Jeff was recently diagnosed with a rare type of cancer in his arm.

“This is a rare kind of things, like 0.001 percent of all cancers,” said Jeff.

He recently took a Pet/CT scan at the University of Minnesota Medical Center/Fairview which will help determine whether the cancer has spread, which as you might imagine, is one of his biggest fears.

Jeff is an intensely private person, and a relative newcomer to New Prague, so his first reactoin to all of this was…

“I tried to not let it effect me, I tried to not tell my players, I tried to not tell my assistant coaches. I didn’t want to distract the kids, I didn’t want to distract people in their lives.”

But when you live in a small town, eventually word gets around.

The secret is out now, and New Prague is rallying around their basketball coach.

“It’s just the way it is around here, I guess. Someone needs help, you help them,” said Adam Michael, a senior basketball player at New Prague.

“The doctor told him he should be taking it easy, but he said he’d be here everyday he can. If he’s in a wheelchair, he’ll be here. He’ll be here every day for us. We need him, and he needs us.”

On the basketball floor, everything temporarily goes away.

“You know for an hour, two hours, you’re out there, it’s all gone.”

Jeff is a basketball lifer. He’s been coaching since age 16 and knows nothing else. He loves his team, he loves his school, he loves his kids who come to cheer him on. This part of life right now is better than scripted which makes dealing with a rare and aggressive cancer all that more difficult.

“You eat, go to sleep, you pray, you play with your kids. It’s kind of a routine. These are what we do besides going to doctor appointments to keep yourself going.”

For more information on the benefit itself:

If you enjoyed Coach Gravon’s story, here’s how you can get involved.

On Saturday, February 23, the New Prague High School family is holding a fund raiser at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tubby Smith will be the featured speaker at the Jeff Gravon Benefit.

Its $35 to participate. Call New Prague High School at 952-758-1200 or Lorie Geiger at 952-649-7107 for more information.

Even if you can’t make it down to New Prague to hear Coach Smith, I’m sure they would still accept a donation, no matter how small.

And to think Kelvin Sampson still has defenders. At least the U sent Clem packing ASAP. Let the Bob Knight return speculation begin.

Full text of the NCAA report can be found here.

For panicking Indiana fans that somehow don’t realize that the NCAA can rewrite history, go here.

Anyone else wondering what went on during Eric Gordon’s recruitment?

First a few positives:

• The inane chatter about the Gophers making the NCAA tournament will finally end. They weren’t going dancing anyway, and for sure they won’t now unless they win the rest of their games.
• There won’t be any more predetermined outcomes. Before tonight the Gophers won every game they were supposed to win, and lost every game they were supposed to lose. It is anyone’s guess how Minnesota will finish the season. Of course, they are probably more likely to lose games they are supposed to win, but at least it will be a surprise.
• It should be much easier to get a seat in Williams Arena, a close parking spot, and a place to rest your feet or coat.
• The Gophers scored more than 11 points in each half. Way to play Kentucky.

Other than that, this was embarrassing. Illinois won for the 18th straight time over the Gophers by a score of 84-60, Minnesota’s worst home loss since 1992 (this could be wrong, please correct me if it is). No Dan Monson team, regardless of how untalented or poorly coached, manage to play this badly in front of a home crowd.

Once again, it wasn’t just that the Gophers lost the game, but how they lost. Minnesota was nothing special in the first half, and they were able to string together a few runs to cut what had been an eleven point Illinois lead to four just before half time. But in what proved to be an omen for the second half, Illinois raced down to score just before the buzzer sounded, and the rout was on.

Minnesota’s offense wasn’t run well in the first half. The spacing was bad, the timing was worse, but somehow Minnesota still managed to shoot a 57% from the floor. In the second half, the shooting reflected how bad the offense looked. What was a 6 point half quickly ballooned to 20 half way through the second half, and that is as close as the Gophers got as they managed only 8 second half field goals on 20% shooting.

As bad as Minnesota’s offense was, their defense was worse. No one on the Gophers exhibited any sort of effort, which allowed Illinois to shoot 58% from the floor for the game (54% behind the line). Of course, open shots are by no means guaranteed points, and Illinois still had to put the ball through the basket, but Bruce Weber, who spent has a hard time staying off the court while the ball was in play, played better defense against his own team than the Gophers could.

Al Nolen, Damian Johnson, and Lawrence Westbrook didn’t look exceptionally bad, but the Gopher seniors did. On loose ball after loose ball Illinois eagerly dove the floor to gain possession or cause a jump ball. Spencer Tollackson reluctantly looked at loose balls and refused to risk a floor burn or a broken nail. He was repeatedly beaten badly down the court by some not exactly fleet footed interior players from the Illini, and showed that he is essentially worthless against any player with a shred of athleticism. The other seniors were severely hampered by foul trouble, and weren’t in the game long enough to have much impact.

I won’t pretend for a second that the officiating cost the Gophers the game. Their terrible offense and defense more than determined that. But the referees played a greater role in the game than official ever should. It was much more subtle than the officiating disaster that took place last night, but the constant fouls on the perimeter and no-calls on the interior disrupted the flow of the game and made a bad game ugly, and excruciatingly long.

With NCAA chances gone for good, Tubby Smith needs to make some a few decisions. Does he pack it in and give what will the core of next year’s team a chance to play? Does he play the seniors every second of every game and let them reap what they have sown? Does he even bother to try?

After the Wisconsin game it became obvious that the Gophers just weren’t that good, but I didn’t think they were this bad either.

Who did what:

• No Gopher scored more than 11 points or shot above 40% from the floor (Dan Coleman and his 2 shots attempts don’t count).

• Damian Johnson pulled down 10 rebounds, 7 on the offensive end, for what could be considered something of a bright spot.

• Al Nolen had 5 assists, but more than made up for it with 2-10 shooting.

• Minnesota’s seniors were a combined 6-15 from the floor for 18 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 turnovers.

Good riddance.