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Coleman, Payton lead Gopher stampede over NDSU

Posted on 04. Dec, 2007 by JF.

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You aren’t seeing things. I did just write that Dan Coleman and Kevin Peyton played key roles in the Gophers surprisingly lopsided 89-56 victory over the Bison. While both players had their best games of the season, it is admittedly a stretch to say either decided the game. In fact, it is a stretch to [...]

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In the spirit of NoDak State…NoPreview for the NDSU game

Posted on 02. Dec, 2007 by JF.

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Unfortunately, due to a myriad of circumstance including furniture, bad weather, shoveling out parked cars, and an office holiday party involving a fake Santa Claus with an Irish accent asking people to sit on his lap while making speculum jokes, I don’t have time to preview what should be a fun game against NDSU. Thankfully, [...]

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Damian Johnson led Gophers win in near record breaker

Posted on 02. Dec, 2007 by JF.

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Bouncing back from a loss against Florida State in which the seniors failed to make a difference, Damian Johnson and the rest of the underclassman once again had to pick up the slack as the Gophers trounced lowly UC-Riverside. Giving up their second lowest point total ever, the Gophers won 75-38. In a season full [...]

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Weaknesses exposed- Gophers look to rebound against UC-Riverside

Posted on 01. Dec, 2007 by JF.

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In 7th grade, I was the worst player on the worst team in a league full of very bad basketball teams. I doubt than even a D-III player eventually emerged from an of those Catholic school junior high teams that were happy to hit the rim with a lay up or the back board with [...]

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Seniors don’t show up as Gophers lose to FSU

Posted on 27. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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The Gophers knew they were going to need a nearly flawless game to beat Florida State, and the combination of bad fouls, bad shooting, and bad seniors were far from flawless. FSU won 75-61, and the ACC is on its way to winning another Big 10-ACC challenge. For the first ten minutes of the game, [...]

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Gopher vs Seminoles, ACC vs Big Ten

Posted on 26. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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The Gophers face Florida State tomorrow night in the ACC-Big 1o Challenge, in what will be a key game for two possible bubble teams. While many will focus on Big 10 losing streak in these challenges, and apologists for both sides will defend their conference to the death, I am just happy that this marks [...]

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An ugly win is still a win

Posted on 24. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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Tonight’s match-up against Central Michigan had the potential to be a trap game, and for the first 18 minutes, that potential was in danger of being realized. Eventually, Minnesota shrugged off its sluggishness long enough to win 77-59. The Gophers came out flat, stood still on offense, weren’t careful with the basketball, and forced Tubby [...]

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Gophers try to avoid trap game against Central Michigan

Posted on 23. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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* On Tuesday the Gophers won their first non-conference road game since 2005, and this coming Tuesday face an even tougher test at Florida State. Sandwiched between these two big games are the lowly Central Michigan Chippewas, who despite their mediocre basketball skills, were fortunate to keep their team’s nickname thanks to their strong relationship [...]

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So much to be thankful for in Tubby Smith’s first recruiting class.

Posted on 22. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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The early signing period has ended with a bang for the Gophers. Devoe Joseph, widely regarded as the best high school basketball player in Canada (which might be comparable to the best high school hockey player in Brazil) has signed a letter of intent to play for the Gophers. When the final recruiting rankings come [...]

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Tollackson, McKenzie help Gophers hold off Iowa State

Posted on 20. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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Last year the Gophers would have lost this game. At any point during the Dan Monson era, the Gopher’s could have lost this game. But it is a new year with a new coach and new toughness, and the Gophers are 2-0 already with a road win under their belts. The final score, 68-58, was [...]

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If you are reading this you can watch the Iowa State game

Posted on 19. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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I was already to complain about Comcast for not being able to watch tomorrow night’s game. After all, the are responsible for genocide, global warming, political repression in Pakistan, and worst of all, the demotion of Pluto, so why wouldn’t they be responsible for the Gophers not being on TV. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the [...]

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Iowa State game marks end of Veteran’s Day Hiatus

Posted on 18. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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Oh those college basketball schedulers. After almost a week and half break, perhaps resulting from Veteran’s Day (or some other more obscure holiday that I am not aware of) the Gophers play Iowa State on Tuesday. Clearly, this is the biggest game so far in Tubby Smith’s career at Minnesota, and given the lack of [...]

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It’s been a long ten years

Posted on 14. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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Minnesota’s last NCAA tournament win, and arguably the last Gopher Game that mattered, was 10 years ago. When I look back, its like it never happened, because technically it didn’t. Within a few weeks, news broke that Courtney James liked to throw phone books at his girlfriend, then the academic fraud-Monson-never quite putting it all [...]

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Nine more minutes of Jonathan Williams

Posted on 13. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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With the Gophers relative lack of depth in the front court, Jonathan Williams will need to be a key contributor for the Gophers. Partially in order to remind Williams what he is capable of, and partially because Jonathan Williams highlight videos make up roughly 85% of all Gopher men’s basketball videos on the internet, I [...]

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New Polls

Posted on 12. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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This weeks polls are out. In a bit of a shocker, the Gophers received one fewer vote than Kentucky in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. Perhaps those Tubby detractors need a little expectation management help. More on that here. What that article fails to mention is that Kentucky’s “lack of success” during the Smith era [...]

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No Gophers, no problem

Posted on 12. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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This weeks features a whole lot of nothing in the world of Gopher basketball, thanks to the obligatory random gaps in the early season schedule. Thank goodness for YouTube! I’ll be posting random Gopher basketball related videos, and really whatever I can find until the Gophers take on Iowa State in a game that should [...]

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The “other” seven beat Army

Posted on 10. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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For the Gophers to win significantly more games this season, Lawrence McKenzie, Dan Coleman, and Spencer Tollackson will need to provide solid leadership, and against most opponents, score a combined 4o points. However, even in the offense starved Big 10, it is almost impossible to win a game scoring less than 50 points, as the [...]

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Everyone writes about Tubby

Posted on 09. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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And everyone has just about the same things to say, and really, what hasn’t been said before. Star Tribune ESPN Pioneer Press

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An open letter to The Barnyard

Posted on 08. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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It wasn’t so much the noise, but the shaking. When Williams Arena was at its best, and therefore its loudest, the building would vibrate to a frightening degree. Fans would pound and kick the pillars and exposed pipes, creating a hollow clanking that could be heard just above the roar of the crowd. And oh [...]

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Al Nolen is just about perfect

Posted on 06. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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Next year’s Gopher recruiting class may be highly touted, but Al Nolen is showing that this year’s freshmen have impact potential as well. Despite a sluggish first half, the Gophers beat Southwest Minnesota State 88-52. After last weeks solid floor game against Minnesota State, Nolen scored 24 points, didn’t miss a shot from the field [...]

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Big Win is Big Relief

Posted on 02. Nov, 2007 by JF.

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The Gophers did what they were supposed to do, which is certainly what they were not able to do time and time again a year ago. With relative ease, the Gophers beat one of the better Division II teams in the country, showed that they will undoubtedly be better than last year, and escaped without [...]

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