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.
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.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, from a Gopher fans perspective, all the words to describe Sunday’s embarrassing home loss would be negative. On a weekend that will go down in history in ways large and small because teams and individuals,against all odds, took it to their supposedly superior opponents, the Minnesota Gophers were not only beaten badly by their arch rivals, but in the process they appeared to not even care if they won. Along with the 15,000 or so fans in attendance, after the opening tip, they wanted the game to end as soon as possible. And to add injury to a thoroughly insulting performance by the Gophers, Minnesota is now the only Big Ten team besides Northwestern without any win that can be described as remotely meaningful.
It isn’t so much that the Gophers lost. I along with everyone else with critical thinking skills predicted Wisconsin would win. The real issue is how they lost. Close games that are within one or two possessions in the final minutes of the game can quickly balloon into 16 point margins in garbage time due to free throw shooting and desperate three point attempts. But on Sunday, Minnesota wasn’t within 3 possessions at any point during the last 33 minutes of the game.
It was disgraceful.
Last Thursday against Michigan it appeared the Gophers had turned some sort of mental and emotional corner. They came out aggressive and took control of a game on the road and won relatively easily. In that game Tubby Smith played the starters almost exclusively. He claimed it was because they were playing so well, but in Minnesota’s other wins, he used almost the entire roster. The real reason for the shortened bench was more likely because he finally came to the conclusion that there are only 4 or 5 players for the Gophers who are at this point ready to play extended minutes in the Big Ten.
To add a few more words to the thousand already describing the above picture: Spencer Tollackson is 6′9″ while Michael Flowers is 6′2″ on a good day. Who head is higher and who has the ball?
Tubby Smith undoubtedly wanted to play his starters again for most of the game, but they didn’t leave him much choice. Other than Damian Johnson, the Gopher starters looked like would rather be watching a Super Bowl pre-game show. Lawrence McKenzie gets a bit of a pass because is injured hand was noticeably bothering him, but Spencer Tollackson and Dan Coleman owe their teammates and every one else that wasted time or money watching the game an apology. While celebrating their big win, several New York Giant offensive lineman displayed a larger more vertical leap and more athleticism than Spencer Tollackson did at any point Sunday. The supposed senior leader was utterly useless as he manged 6 points (on 2-7 shooting) and 1 rebound. He was benched for most the second half, and deservedly so. Dan Coleman look less motivated than Randy Moss on one of the days when he does not want to play. It may have been his most tentative game in a career that will long be known for his unwillingness to be a leader or anything resembling assertive.
The Gopher seniors may have in fact led by example, because the rest of the team, with a few exceptions, didn’t come to play either. Al Nolen turned the ball over repeatedly. Lawrence Westbrook refused to shoot when he was open. Jonathan Williams forgot how to screen. Travis Busch did little more than foul early and often. Neither Blake Hoffarber or Jamal Abu-Shamala have learned how to create their own offense.
In his post game radio show Tubby Smith promised drastic changes. Hopefully this time he means he will be changing more than the warm-up routine. If he does, Sunday will not be a total loss. Neither of the Gopher centers is talented or athletic enough to play a legitimate role on a Big Ten team. Some might argue that in a conference noted for its bruising style of play, a wide body is a necessity. That might be true, but not when your wide bodies do more to hurt than help the team. Rather than wasting a spot on the court, and effectively played 4 on 5 on both ends of the court, the Gophers should go small and bench their under achieving big men.
Tubby should start Dan Coleman and Damian Johnson in the front court and Al Nolen, Lawrence Westbrook, and Lawrence McKenzie, and press every chance he gets. Playing traditional Big Ten basketball isn’t working, so why not go small and see what happens. What about rebounding you ask? Al Nolen had one fewer rebounds on Sunday than the entire Gopher starting line up. The Gophers might get fewer rebounds, but it isn’t like they can rebound with a big line up in the game.
For whatever reason, the Gopher seniors appear to have given up. If they can’t get excited about beating their arch-rival in front of a ready to explode audience, then what can they get excited for. They have at least 11 games left, and all but two or three should be winnable. Lawrence McKenzie, Dan Coleman, and Spencer Tollackson need to do a bit of soul searching, and decide whether they want to be leaders, display some pride, and play with a level of expert that will make the state they represent proud. If not, they should do the right thing, bench themselves, and let the players who care have their playing time.
Its not whether you win or lose, its how you play the game
An abbreviated “Who did what?”
Damian Johnson recorded a career high 5 blocks. He was also much more willing to attack the basket, and consequently most of his baskets were the result of his own abilities and not the put back/garbage variety that he has so successfully capitalized on. Johnson finished with 10 points and 3 rebounds to go along with his blocks.
Al Nolen turned the ball over 6 times, but his willingness to throw his body into the much bigger Badgers wasadmirable. He finished with 3 points and 9 rebounds.
Kevin Payton’s role on the team clarified itself on Sunday. Yes, he is tentative, out of control, and usually produces an audible groan whenever he enters the game, but regardless of the score, he was excited, encouraging his teammates, and believed the Gophers had a chance to win even when they were down by 20. Anyone who suggests he should be forced to transfer or have his scholarship taken away really should have their Gopher fan-hood revoked. Every team needs a glue guy, regardless of whether he makes his contribution on the floor or on the bench.
On suits and sneakers day,instead of breaking out one of his many expensive suits, Ryan Saunders chose to go casual. Talk about not taking a rivalry game seriously…
One supposedly fierce quasi-rodent down, and one to go. Just three days after a confidence restoring road win at Michigan, the Gophers will need all that confidence, all the skill and athleticism they can muster, and maybe a bit of luck to beat the hated Badgers in what would be a signature and possibly program changing win.
A win tomorrow afternoon will go a long way to help close the borders and show Minnesota high school basketball players that they do not need to choose between being part of a winning program and representing their home state. But the Gophers have their work cut out for them.
Call the Badgers slow, boring, and ugly, but don’t call them a bad basketball team. As much as I along with everyone else that has undergone the excruciating task of watching the Badgers hates the way they play, you can’t deny that it is successful. Wisconsin is coming off a big win against Indiana in which they thoroughly dominated. Yes, Indiana to cut it to 5 late in the second half, but it was never really that close.
The Barn will be rocking on Sunday, but Wisconsin is not a team easily rattled. Like the rest of Bo Ryan’s teams, they are disciplined, and should match up well against every player the Gophers throw at them.
Brian Butch may have the worst nickname in all of college basketball, and wear women’s underwear, but he can quietly take over a game. Essentially, he is an in-shape Spencer Tollackson who can rebound with a decent outside shot. What’s that? He is nothing like Tollackson? Good point. The next member of Wisconsin’s albino triumvirate is Joe Krabbenhoft. He is an unathletic version of what Gopher fans hope Damian Johnson will eventually be on the offense
end of the floor. Much like Johnson, Krabbenhoft puts a lot of small numbers all over the stat sheet. He is averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, but is capable of putting up better numbers in those categories. Marcus Landry fills the role of the only 45 year old in the Big Ten, complete with rec specs, and in his middle age has developed a three point shot. If any of the Badger bigs start nailing 3’s, things could get ugly and fast. The Badger back court isn’t bad either. Trevon Hughes puts in around 13 points per game, but is a bit turnover prone. Michael Flowers is a senior who has steadily improved each year he has played on the wrong side of the border.
For the Gophers, it is anyone’s guess how playing time will be distributed. Against Michigan, Tubby Smith played the starters more than at any other time this season, and Al Nolen was the only Gopher to see substantive minutes off the bench. The question is whether this will be a new season long strategy, or if he was saving the bench for what should be a grueling game tomorrow.
My best guess is that it is a bit of both. I wouldn’t be surprised if the line changes are gone for good and that Tubby is much more conservative with his substitutions, but I don’t expect every starter to play more than 30 minutes. Wisconsin loves to slow the game down and make their opponents work on both ends in a half court situation. Minnesota should try to fluster the Badgers, as difficult as that can be, and speed up the game. If this happens, the Gophers will need plenty of fresh legs to keep Wisconsin on their toes. A faster game and Wisconsin’s front court will also create more fouls, which means Jonathan Williams better be ready to contribute.
There is no doubt that this will an exceedingly tough game for the Gophers, and I will be happy if the game is competitive enough for the crowd to be involved. Minnesota will want this game too much for it get out of hand, but desire only gets you so far, and the Badgers will win because they have too much talent, but it will be close at least.
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.
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.
One supposedly fierce quasi-rodent down, and one to go. Just three days after a confidence restoring road win at Michigan, the Gophers will need all that confidence, all the skill and athleticism they can muster, and maybe a bit of luck to beat the hated Badgers in what would be a signature and possibly program changing win.
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