From The Barn

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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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 season [...]

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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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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 impact on a potential [...]

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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 player of the year candidate.
Earlier [...]

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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 that beat Purdue and Illinois, [...]

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Game 19 Preview: Gophers vs. Michigan State

Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Michigan State Spartans

11:00 am (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: CBS

Tickets: Gone

“As the Barn Turns,” “The Young and the Barnless,” “General Barnspital” (sorry, one too many)… whatever you want to call this season, it has seen more surprises and plot twists than the average soap opera, or so [...]

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Game 18 Preview: Gophers at Indiana

Posted on 16. Jan, 2010 by JF.


Golden Gophers vs. Indiana Hoosiers

3:30 pm (CST) at Assembly Hall (Bloomington, IN)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network

Welcome to the wacky world of Big Ten basketball, where with injuries, suspensions, and unbalanced schedules everything appears and is possible. At the beginning of the day, Illinois was tied for Michigan State in first place. Michigan State [...]

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Game 17 Preview: Gophers at Michigan State

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Michigan State Spartans

5:30 pm (CST) at Breslin Center (East Lansing, Michigan)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network

Could this be the year that Spartan speed doesn’t kill the Gophers? Michigan State’s speed during the Tubby Smith Era has been the deciding factor in Minnesota’s five straight losses against the Spartans. The speed advantage [...]

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Game 16 Preview: Gophers vs. Ohio State

Posted on 09. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

2:30 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network

Tickets: Best available- Row 11, upper deck, baseline (obstructed)

Evan Turner has had this game circled for a while. As early as December 19th, 2009, only two weeks after an ugly and scary back injury that easily [...]

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Game 15 Preview: Gophers vs. #4 Purdue Boilermakers

Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Purdue Boilermakers

6:00 pm (CST) at Mackey  Arena (West Lafayette Indiana)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: ESPN

College basketball is the most forgiving of all sports. There is not a set number of teams in each conference that advance to the NCAA tournament. One bad game won’t spoil a season. The season is long enough to [...]

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Game 14 Preview: Gophers vs. Iowa

Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

3:00 pm (CST) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network

One year removed from questioning whether the Minnesota-Iowa rivalry, once one of the most intense in all of college basketball, was dead, I’ve decided to find out first hand. In a first but hopefully not last [...]

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Big Ten/Game 13 Preview: Gophers vs. Penn State

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by JF.

This regularly scheduled preview has been replaced by a conversation with Eric from Battle Does It Again, has answered a few pressing questions about The Fighting Talor Battles and tomorrow night’s game.

Golden Gophers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

8:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: ESPN 2

Tickets: Best available- Row 15 [...]

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Game 12 Preview: Gophers vs. South Dakota State

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

6:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network
Tickets: Best available- Row 11 upper deck, corner

This is South Dakota State’s Big Dance, their Superbowl, their national championship game. Every year the Minnesota game is circled on the calendar, and in the last two [...]

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Game 10 Preview: Gophers vs. St. Joseph’s

Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. St. Joseph’s Hawks
3:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Big Ten Network
Tickets: Best available- Row 11 upper deck, corner
Stupid mascots never die, they just stand in the corner suffering from repetitive stress injuries. And that is exactly what will be on display on Saturday afternoon when the [...]

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Game 9 Preview: Gophers vs. Morgan State

Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Morgan State Bears

6:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM

TV: ESPNU
Tickets: Best available- Row 12 upper deck, center court
The bubble isn’t usually mentioned until the end of January, but that is where the Gophers find themselves, and it is only December. Williams Arena is not likely to be raucous [...]

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Game 5 Mini-review, Game 6 Preview: Gophers vs. Texas A&M

Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Texas A&M Aggies

4:00 pm (CST) at the Anaheim Convention Center

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: ESPN 2

The score of a basketball game is not determined at the end of the year after all games have been played. The better team at the end of the season is not awarded an automatic [...]

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Game 4 Preview: Gophers vs. Butler

Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by JF.

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Butler University Bulldogs
7:30 pm (CST) at the Anaheim Convention Center

Radio: WCCO 830 AM

TV: ESPN 2

And now the season really begins. Sure those three other games count, but the outcomes were never in doubt and the results would have only mattered had the Gophers lost, and if they had, you [...]

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Game 3 Preview: Gophers vs. Utah Valley Wolverines

Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Utah Valley Wolverines

7:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM

TV: Big Ten Network (actual live TV!)

Tickets: Best available- Row 11 upper deck, center court

Naming a college basketball conference is an exercise  in redundancy. There are really only three ingredients in a conference name; a synonym of large, a number, [...]

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Game 2 Preview: Gophers vs. Stephen F. Austin

Posted on 15. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
7:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM

TV: BigTenNetwork.com

Tickets: Best available- Row 10 upper deck, baseline
Minnesota may face its toughest home non-conference test of the season on Monday night against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. That it is coming against last year’s Southland Conference champion, who [...]

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Game 1 Preview: Gophers vs. Tennessee Tech

Posted on 12. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
7:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM

TV: Bigtennetwork.com (Streaming for $2.99)
Tickets: Best available- Row 6 upper deck, baseline

Another week, another distraction, and another game just in time. If you are looking for the latest on allegations, possible poor decisions, and other issues that have little [...]

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Gophers trying to continue success while the Longhorns hope to salvage their season

Posted on 18. Mar, 2009 by JF.

#10 Golden Gophers vs. #7 Texas Longhorns

6:10 pm (CDT) at Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: CBS
Liveblog: Starting half an hour before the game

At approximately 6:1o central time on Thursday, March 19, Minnesota’s 2008-2009 basketball season will officially become a success. This was supposed to a rebuilding year, with five new players and [...]

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Texas as a team

Posted on 17. Mar, 2009 by JF.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee, whether it was their intention or not, has created quite the compelling match-up with the #10 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers taking on the #7 seed Texas Longhorns. The two teams began the season with vastly different expectations, but ended their seasons in a strikingly similar fashion. By Gopher standards, sneaking [...]

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Who are the Horns?

Posted on 16. Mar, 2009 by JF.

You can’t know the players without a program, and the odds of getting a program delivered to you on your couch are pretty slim. For the rest of us, I’ve assembled a quick guide to the Texas Longhorn roster. If you see egregious errors (this means you Texans), please enlighten us.
Note: players are listed in [...]

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#8 Minnesota vs #1 Michigan State: A preview as small as the Gophers chances

Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by JF.

#8 Golden Gophers vs. #1 Michigan State Spartans
11:00 am (CDT) at Conseco Field House (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Radio: WCCO 830 AM
Streaming: http://www.channelsurfing.net/

TV: ESPN
Liveblog: Yes. If you are stuck at work you’ll want to be here.
Thank goodness this is a relatively weak year on the Bubble. If the Gophers needed to win today against the highly favored Michigan [...]

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March is the month of fairness and redemption

Posted on 11. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Northwestern Wildcats

11:00 am (CST) at Conseco Field House (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: BTN

The Bubble, above all else, if a very fair thing. Teams don’t end up there unfairly or because of anything beyond their control. Bubble teams have only one game to determine the success of their season because, in at [...]

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A win to get in

Posted on 06. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Michigan Wolverines

11:00 am (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: ESPN

Tickets: Long gone

Chatroom: Yes, chat early and often
The Michigan Perspective: UMHoops.com

It has been five months and thirty games since the season started. After twists, turns, peaks, valleys, miracle comebacks, epic failures, injuries, shocking upsets, joys, frustrations, and more than a [...]

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Badgers in town for a Border Bubble Battle

Posted on 03. Mar, 2009 by JF.

#17 Golden Gophers vs.Wisconsin Badgers

Golden Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers

7:30 (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: BTN

Tickets: Long gone

Chatroom: Yes, as long as I remember to set it up

Meaningful March basketball will finally make its return to The Barn on Wednesday when the Gophers take on their arch-rival the Wisconsin Badgers in the [...]

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Minnesota vs. Northwestern: Now it is serious

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Northwestern Wildcats

6:00 (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: BTN

Tickets: Still a few obstructed seats left

Chatroom: I won’t be here, but if you are, stop by and discuss the game
The stakes are high and this preview will be brief. If the Gophers are to have a drama free selection Sunday, [...]

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