From The Barn

Gophers face mid-major powerhouse Washington in NIT Final Four

Posted on 26. Mar, 2012 by JF.

Mission accomplished. The Golden Gophers’ post-season has already been a resounding success, and the opportunity to play two more games against solid competition in the arena that claims to be the most famous (the Roman Colosseum humbly disagrees) could lead to a mass outbreak of irrational exuberance. Over the last few weeks, we learned that this team could win basketball games, and in entertaining fashion. Add the news of Trevor Mbakwe’s potential return for senior year part two, and more than a few Gopher fans are eagerly awaiting November. Who needs summer after last winter, and a chance to skip months of political ads would be pretty fantastic too.

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On to Murfreesboro! Gophers play MTSU in the N.I.T. Elite Eight

Posted on 20. Mar, 2012 by JF.

Coming off what could be considered their most impressive performance of the season, the Gophers take their talents from South Beach to Murfreesboro to take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders with a trip to New York City on the line. If you missed Minnesota’s win at Miami, you missed a dominating performance that [...]

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The Gophers play Miami in the not-so-sweet 16.

Posted on 18. Mar, 2012 by JF.

Last week the Gophers won their first post-season basketball game of the Tubby Smith era. Now they take their talents to Coral Gables (which I am told is almost South Beach) to take on the Miami Hurricanes, one of the few team that could argue they were an NCAA tournament snub. The N.I.T. is not [...]

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Next year is now

Posted on 13. Mar, 2012 by JF.

Once Trevor Mbakwe crumpled to the court with a torn ACL in an ultimately meaningless game, the focus shifted for the Golden Gophers. Making a run at the NCAA tournament was still the goal, but avoiding a horrendous collapse would be more important. They avoiding a collapse of the horrendous variety, and only had an ordinary collapse, allowing the team an opportunity to salvage something from their disappointment. That something is a deep run in the N.I.T. tournament.

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Northwestern on the precipice

Posted on 07. Mar, 2012 by JF.

With the Gophers on the NIT bubble and Northwestern precariously perched on the important bubble, Thursday’s Big Ten Tournament game between Minnesota and the Wildcats matters a lot more to the folks down in Evanston than it should to you. So what better time to check in with the good folks at Lake The Posts, who cover the Wildcats when they aren’t collecting flag pictures.

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Gophers need some confidence after close losses.

Posted on 25. Feb, 2012 by JF.

Another game against a better team, and the Gophers lost another close game. When there once would have been gasps of horror, there were instead grumbles of inevitability. Losing close games has been become something of the norm for Gopher basketball teams in recent years.

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The Battle in Bubbleville

Posted on 18. Feb, 2012 by JF.

Welcome to Bubbleville, USA, more commonly known as Evanston, Illinois where the Minnesota Golden Gophers will play the Northwestern Wildcats in what should amount to a bubble elimination game. Both teams find themselves with 5-8 conference records and are precariously perched on the bubble, running out of chances to return to the dance in Minnesota’s case or finally get there in Northwestern’s.

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Running out of chances, Gophers face the Buckeyes at The Barn

Posted on 13. Feb, 2012 by JF.

The only thing worse than being on the bubble is being on the wrong side of the bubble, and despite the Golden Gophers falling two games under .500 in the Big Ten, by almost all accounts, they would still be in the NCAA tournament if the season ended today. Whether it is the strength of the Big Ten, those two extra at-large bids, or some mediocre basketball being played all across the country, it is becoming more and more likely that an 8-10 record will be enough to garner a bid. An 8-10 record will be far from a lock, unless one of the remaining wins is a true stunner. Beating the Ohio State Buckeyes would qualify as a stunning win.

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A rivalry renewed: The Badgers come to The Barn

Posted on 08. Feb, 2012 by JF.

On Thursday night the Gophers and Badgers renew their always heated rivalry, with a lot on the line. The Golden Gophers are one win away from reaching .500 in the Big Ten and a clear path to the NCAA tournament. With a win, the Badgers can climb right back into the thick of the Big Ten race, and all but lock up an NCAA tournament bid themselves. Throw in national television coverage, the very deserved hatred of Bo Ryan, and the first time in two seasons that the teams play each other twice, and needless to say, this is a big one.

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Gophers first Big Ten game in Lincoln is a must win

Posted on 04. Feb, 2012 by JF.

When the Golden Gophers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes this week it wasn’t a must-win game, and thank goodness for that. The Gophers won the middle twenty minutes of the game, but were absolutely dreadful in the opening and closing moments, and let what should have been a win slip away. Now with only eight games left on the conference schedule, the Gophers face the prospect of nearly every game being a true must win.

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Selfishness vs. Selflessness: The Gophers head to Iowa

Posted on 31. Jan, 2012 by JF.

Minnesota beat Illinois, in part, because of unselfish basketball. Players made the extra pass, looked to get their teammates involved, and did not settle for poor shots. A couple of weeks ago, the Gophers lost to Iowa because they made the extra pass, deferred to their teammates, and would only settle for the “perfect” shot. Unselfishness is good, to a point, and at that point, every offense needs a player who will take charge and score on his own.

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Gophers vs. Illini starts key three game stretch

Posted on 27. Jan, 2012 by JF.

A big game on a cold January Saturday night. What could be better?

This space is usually reserved for disclaimers that there is no such thing as a must win game in January and platitudes about how a season isn’t over until it’s over because of the automatic NCAA tournament bid awarded at the end of the Big Ten Tournament. Nope, I’m not going to do it this time. This is a must win. There is a road to a 6-5 conference record with what could be an absolutely monstrous match-up with the Badgers at The Barn on February 9th that could transform the rest of the season. Illinois is the entrance ramp, and if they miss it things get complicated.

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Gophers streak into East Lansing with something to prove

Posted on 24. Jan, 2012 by JF.

Welcome to the most important week of the 2011-2012 Golden Gopher basketball season. That I can use the word “important” and that there is even basketball worth watching at this point is in itself remarkable.

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Gophers go for two on the road at Penn State

Posted on 14. Jan, 2012 by JF.

Momentum, if it even exists, is extremely fleeting. It can be neither created nor destroyed. It just happens, and then leaves as quickly as it appeared. A bad break combined with a bad bounce can turn around a game. A fifteen footer from a bad shooter can save a season. If momentum exists, the Golden Gophers have it after their still stunning win in Indiana, the best road win in the hundred plus year history of Gopher basketball. Now the young Gophers must use it before it is gone.

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A Gophers win in Bloomington would make sense in the Bonkers Big Ten

Posted on 11. Jan, 2012 by JF.

In the bonkers Big Ten, nothing is certain except the chaos. Wisconsin has as many homes losses as Ohio State has total losses. Illinois barely beat the Gophers but then beat the Buckeyes. Seemingly every game, except of course Minnesota’s loss to Purdue or Purdue’s loss to Penn State, has gone down to the wire. Everyone can beat anyone at any time anywhere. No one likes to see the Gophers season slip sliding away, but college basketball junkies can find some solace in at least one team trying to make sense of a mind boggling loss almost every night of the conference season.

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