Author Archive
Nov
21
2008
Nov
21
2008
Damian Johnson returns as Gophers take on Colorado StatePosted by: JF in Andy Ogide, Big Ten, Blake Hoffarber, Colorado State, Damian Johnson, Devoe Joseph, Game Preview, Jesse Carr, Marcus Walker, Mountain West ConferenceUniversity of Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Colorado State Rams 9:00 pm (CST) at Moby Arena (Fort Collins, Colorado) Radio: WCCO 830 AM Tv: The MTN (looks bleak for folks in Minnesota) Liveblog: Yes, a very special radio only version (I’ll be complaining about “two-timing”) Not particularly challenging non-conference schedules aren’t all bad. They give lesser-known programs a chance at the more established programs, and give those smaller programs something to get excited about, and in Fort Collins, they are excited.
That is right. Free T-shirts, free tickets, and hopefully free admission to the Damian Johnson show. After missing the entire season so far with a knee injury and that a broken hand, Damian Johnson, Minnesota’s mister versatility is scheduled to make his season debut, and not a moment too soon. Although the Gophers are so far undefeated, they have done nothing so far to soothe the existential dread that any Minnesota fan of any sports deals with almost daily. Yes we beat Georgia State and Bowling Green, but we did not do so convincingly. Despite building early leads in seemingly easily in both games, the Gophers were outscored in the second halves. The fast-paced tempo that was the standard of last year’s non-conference season has only made brief cameos, and Minnesota’s half-court offense fluctuated between mediocre and stagnant. We know that Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolen can drive to the basket with five seconds on the shot clock when they absolutely need to, but we also know Minnesota will need to do a lot better, especially against better competition and especially on the road. Saturday marks Minnesota’s first road game, and it should also be their first test of the season. Colorado State is in the running for one of the most improved teams of the early season. Of course, after last season, there was only room for improvement. Minnesota easily beat the Rams at Williams Arena by a score of 91-74 as Blake Hoffarber enjoyed something of a coming out party as he scored 21 points. That Rams team only returned one starter and five total players. Two of those players left after an incident involving a hand gun and a players head. This year, there was no such drama and Tim Miles has the team heading in the right direction. Last season, the Rams were thoroughly embarrassed by Montana, losing 75-39. This season, the Rams beat the Grizzlies 85-55. The Grizzlies probably are worse this year, but a 66 point turn around in one year? I don’t care how much worse Montana is this season, the Rams are much, much better. Even with all of Indiana’s problems this season, I don’t expect we will be talking about a 50 point Gopher win. The Rams come into Saturday’s game, 2-0 with their other win over Northern Colorado 85-74. The rams play a slightly slightly faster pace than the Gophers, averaging 71 possessions per game compared to the Gophers 65 possessions per game. However, while the Gophers have been anything but efficient on offense, Colorado State has turned themselves into something of offensive juggernaut. The Rams score 119 points per 100 possessions. The Gophers come in only at 98. The Rams have also cut down on their turnovers, averaging only 11 per game. The Gophers have been lucky to not turn the ball over that often per half. Keys for the Gophers
Keys for the Rams
Key Players for the Gophers
Key Players for the Huskies
Prediction: 65- 61 Gopher win Your Prediction: What are your thoughts on Saturday’s game?A few people have asked what the deal is with those small clickable boxes below each article. It would definitely have been to my benefit to explain what they were sooner, but as they say, better late than never. Ball Hype and Yardbarker are sites similar to Digg. These sites are an excellent resource if you are interested in finding out about the goings on in the blogosphere (ie, what other people who think they know everything but are pretty darn clueless, us included, are writing about). The premise, and it is simple and subsequently pretty ingenious, is that the best articles will rise to the top, while the articles that aren’t the best won’t get in your way. Articles get to the top because readers recommend them, and that is where you come in. If you like something you see here, or any other article for the matter at Ball Hype or Yardbarker, click on the corresponding button, and the article will be bumped up a notch. When you are at the websites of either Ball Hype or Yardbarker and see an article you like, bump it a notch as well. You will have to be registerd at either Ball Hype or Yardbarker, but there is just so much great content there, you’ll want to be anyway. If you have questions, which I’m expecting since what I just wrote probably didn’t make that much sense, let me know and I will be happy to try to answer them. Oh to be web2.0
Nov
19
2008
The Blogosphere Previews the Big TenPosted by: JF in Big Ten Preview, Gopher Basketball, Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana University, Iowa Hawkeyes, Links, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, Northwestern Wildcats, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue, Wisconsin BadgersA few of you may remember what can only be described, in the words of the kids these days, my “Epic Fail” of a Big Ten Preview last year. Not only did I begin my preview half way through the season, but I started with the worst teams first, and didn’t bother finishing it. While I was proud of what could only be described as the most in-depth preview of Northwestern and Penn State by a completely uninformed and disinterested (sorry fans of bad basketball teams named after large felines) blogger, it was not going to get the job done this year. So instead of an “Epic Fail,” I’m going for moderate success. I have scoured the Blogosphere to find as many team and conference previews as I could. They are organized by team, and the links go to various sites. As you’ll see, the vast majority of team previews are from bloggers who actually are knowledgeable about the teams of which they write. The internet is a big place, and I am sure there are other previews out there. Let me know in the comments what I missed and I will be happy to add them to the list. Big TenIllinoisIndianaInside the Hall via The Dagger IowaMichiganUM hoops, really, just look at the whole site. He has been previewing the season for months. Michigan StateMinnesotaThe Daily Gopher’s Multi-part Preview NorthwesternOhio StatePenn StateHappy Hour Valley Parts 1 and 2 PurdueWisconsin
Nov
18
2008
25% chance to beat LouisvillePosted by: JF in 2008-2009 Preview, Gopher Basketball, Louisville, Northwestern Wildcats, Stanford CardinalThe folks at Big Ten Geeks, god love ‘em, have broken down the non-conference schedules of all the Big Ten teams, complete with odds of winning. Things look bleak against Louisville, but we have the same chance of beating the Cardinals as Northwestern does beating the truely depleted Stanford Cardinal. You can read the entire Gopher preview here. |



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