From The Barn

Your 2010-2011 Golden Gopher Basketball Schedule

Posted on 26. Aug, 2010 by JF.

While the blogtacular summer vacation isn’t quite over (unlike some schools poor kids, I am waiting until after Labor Day “get to work”) the Gopher basketball schedule has been released and it can’t go without comment. Things kick off as they always seem to, with a barrage of mid to low majors parading through The [...]

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Maurice Walker is a Gopher…

Posted on 12. Apr, 2010 by JF.

or at least will be sometime Wednesday. It is being widely reported that the  nearly seven foot tall, 300 pound center has verbally committed to the Gophers and will be sending in his letter of intent sometime on Wednesday, the first day of the  late signing period. Walker, the #9 ranked center in the class [...]

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The Anatomy of a Coaching Rumor

Posted on 29. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Summer is silly season in politics, and if the last few days are any indication, spring has to be the silly season in college basketball. Tubby Smith will be coaching at either Auburn (wrong), Georgia Tech (which never even had an opening), or Oregon (if Tom Izzo doesn’t accept the richest contract in college basketball [...]

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Xavier Preview Part 4: Putting it all together

Posted on 18. Mar, 2010 by JF.

If you haven’t had enough previewing of tomorrow’s first round NCAA tournament game, why not a look at the keys to the game and a prediction? Keys for the Gophers 1. Establish an inside presence. Ralph Sampson will need to be strong with the ball, and Colton Iverson will need to be strong with his [...]

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Xavier Preview Part 3: The Players

Posted on 18. Mar, 2010 by JF.

As you probably noticed in the previous post breaking down Xavier’s conference season, the team goes as its big 2 (or 3) go. Jordan Crawford and Jason Love are the core of the team, but they are not the entire team. Three players average in double figures and three more average more than 4.5 rebounds [...]

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Xavier Preview Part 2: Atlantic 10 at a glance

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Needless to say, Xavier got things straightened out once the Atlantic 10 season started. They lost only three games, two in the regular season and in the final of the conference tournament. Here is how it happened: Score Leading Scorer Leading Rebounder Key Statistic XU 68 – LaSalle 62 Jordan Crawford – 22 Jason Love [...]

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Xavier Preview Part 1: The Non-conference Schedule

Posted on 16. Mar, 2010 by JF.

As was the case last year, we’ll go right up to game time slicing and dicing Minnesota’s NCAA tournament first round match-up. Today, we look back at Xavier’s non-conference schedule, over the next few days we’ll also look at their players and strengths and weakness, culminating Thursday with the final preview and a few predictions. [...]

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What a weekend!

Posted on 14. Mar, 2010 by JF.

The reaction: “We all jumped together,” point guard Devoe Joseph said. “I think we might have damaged the couch in there.” Damaged would be putting it mildly. “We did break the couch,” shooting guard Lawrence Westbrook confirmed. “We were excited to see our name.” “I honestly had no clue,” said Joseph, who made the All-Tournament [...]

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The Gophers are dancing…in Milwaukee!!!

Posted on 14. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Interstate 94 should be pretty crowded on Thursday night. The Gophers, the 11th seed,  will take on #6 Xavier. More later on the match-up and the crazy weekend that made it all possible.

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Are you kidding me? Gophers win!

Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Let me try this, but don’t expect much in the way of complete sentences or proper punctuation. We are officially in uncharted territory and I am as close to being at a loss for words as possible. It is a very good thing this is in writing, the facial cramp resulting from a giant smile [...]

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A chance to dance, but it will take two to tango

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Last year I wrote that March is the season of redemption. This year, the Gophers need some redemption and then some. Even though they finished with the same Big Ten record and higher in the conference standings, they find themselves in a much worse position in terms of reaching the NCAA tournament. Coming into this [...]

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Simple changes, simply stunning results

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by JF.

Three weeks ago I was cursing Michigan for ruining the Gophers’ season. Now I should be thanking them, profusely. Minnesota’s embarrassing home loss to the Wolverines may be the final nails in the NCAA tournament coffin, but it also awoke a struggling Gopher team that was threatening to sleep walk its way through the rest [...]

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Streaks this long don’t end easily

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by JF.

A ten point half time lead was surprising. A seemingly insurmountable 19 point lead with just over seven minutes left was shocking. The final score, a 62-60 victory for the Gophers was only unexpected because the Gophers won. Assembly Hall has been a house of horrors for the Gophers for decades. The last win at [...]

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Gophers win at Illinois for the first time since 1996!

Posted on 27. Feb, 2010 by JF.

More later, but now, belt it out with me!

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Next Year’s Nucleus

Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by JF.

I hope you’ll excuse me for not delving into the finer details of Minnesota’s latest blown lead and missed buzzer beater. If you saw last season’s Michigan game, or this year’s games against Michigan State or at Indiana and Northwestern you know how the story goes. This team is as formulaic as any of the [...]

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A little perspective has taken the Gophers a long way

Posted on 22. Feb, 2010 by JF.

On his first field goal attempt of his college basketball career, punt returner/point guard rolled in a three pointer. Moments later he hit Justin Cobbs on a three-quarter court bounce pass that led to a thunderous dunk. A second later it was Rodney Williams streaking to the basket, too contested to dunk but not for [...]

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Gophers vs. Indiana: Out for revenge

Posted on 20. Feb, 2010 by JF.

With one tongue wagging push off and an obvious travel, Minnesota’s season fell apart. Verdell Jones, on track to become one of the least likeable player in the Big Ten was giddy, not because his fall away jumper knocked off the Gophers, but because he knew he got away with another one on a day [...]

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As long as they beat the Badgers

Posted on 17. Feb, 2010 by JF.

In the darker days of Gopher basketball, and for the last 40 years or so in Gopher football, there was always a saving grace to even the most atrocious season. Beating the Badgers has a way of making up for countless losses and blown opportunities, and can make even the darkest off season tolerable. This [...]

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Gophers vs. Northwestern: Playing for pride, if the Gophers have any left

Posted on 13. Feb, 2010 by JF.

A week ago this looked like it could be quite a game. The Gopher would have been looking for a big road win to build momentum for an end of the season run that would include 3 wins over probably NCAA tournament teams, two easy home wins, and  a winnable game at Northwestern. That first [...]

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Gophers vs. Michigan Preview with an assist from UMHoops.com

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by JF.

Dylan from UMHoops.com generously agreed to answer a few questions about tomorrow night’s must win match-up between two of the more disappointing teams in the country. I also answered some questions of his. Fair warning, go elsewhere for boundless optimism. FTB: I hate to start with the obvious question, but what the heck happened? Where [...]

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The Penn State Game: Plus/Minus

Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by JF.

The Big Ten Geeks have once again generously calculated plus/minus statistics for a Gopher basketball game, this time for that epic (note the semi-sarcasm) win over Penn State. In blow-outs, plus/minus statistics can be pretty meaningless. The plus/minus statistics also often become just a function of playing time. If a player plays every second of [...]

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Westbrooked

Posted on 07. Feb, 2010 by JF.

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Quick Thoughts: Its not over!

Posted on 06. Feb, 2010 by JF.

What’s that? Something good finally happened to the Gopher basketball team. I don’t care who you are playing, the circumstances, or the pre-game predictions, a road win in the Big Ten is huge. Minnesota needed to win to keep the season alive, and they got the job done! The seniors finally stepped up today. The [...]

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Gophers at Penn State: Much needed changes for a Must Win Game

Posted on 05. Feb, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions 1:00 pm (CST) at Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, PA) Radio: WCCO 830 AM TV: Big Ten Network For the better part of a month, I’ve been claiming each upcoming game was not a must win. Those games were important, and every conference game ultimately will have some [...]

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Part III: The Lost Season

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by JF.

Paul Carter as Desmond Each a nomad, they finally found a home after years of traveling, though the destination may not have been what they were looking for. Desmond sailed around the world only to find himself on an abandoned island forced to push a button to keep the world from ending. Paul Carter traveled [...]

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Part II: The Lost Season

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by JF.

When laughter and self-mockery are all that is left! Bryant Allen as Dogen Lost introduced Dogen last night during the season premiere of the final season. Apparently the Lost writers fail to recognize how preposterous it is that a giant temple and its caretakers would be hidden for so long on an island roughly the [...]

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Part 1: The Lost Season

Posted on 02. Feb, 2010 by JF.

The 2009-2010 Gopher basketball season hasn’t gone the way any expected or wanted. The string of close losses, catching Portland at absolutely the wrong time, a near epic comeback at Indiana, the epic anti-comeback against Michigan State, and the most lackluster defensive performance at Ohio State have been equal parts frustrating, confusing, and infuriating, and [...]

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Liveblog: Gophers at Ohio State

Posted on 31. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Gophers vs, Ohio State

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Game 21 Preview: Gophers at Ohio State

Posted on 30. Jan, 2010 by JF.

 Golden Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes 12:00 pm (CST) at Value City Arena (Columbus, OH) Radio: WCCO 830 AM TV: CBS Any conversation about the 2009-2010 Ohio State basketball team begins and ends with Evan Turner. Therefore, logically, any conversation about an opponent of the Buckeyes should at least begin with defending the national [...]

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Game 20 Preview: Gophers vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Northwestern Wildcats 8:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Radio: WCCO 830 AM TV: Big Ten Network Tickets: Row 11, baseline, upper deck For Tuesday’s preview, John Templon of Chicago College Basketball answers a few questions about the almost must-win game against Northwestern. FTB: Who is the real NU? The team [...]

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