From The Barn

Post-game thoughts, after the Gophers – Illini Insanity.

Posted on 29. Jan, 2012 by JF.

Between consoling myself over another hard to believe lose from ahead loss and having flashbacks to Frank Williams knocking in a last second floater to end the Gophers NCAA tournament hopes, a Minnesota team was in a must win situation, and did win, in overtime no less. I can’t begin to explain all the twists [...]

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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 drop wild conference opener

Posted on 28. Dec, 2011 by zipsofakron.

A roller coaster of emotions for Gopher fans in a back-and-forth B1G conference opener against Illinois ended in an 81-72 double-overtime defeat, sending Minnesota to its first loss since Thanksgiving. Meyers Leonard, the big Illini center, was a monster and Illinois had five players register double figures in scoring. Playing in only their second game [...]

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Gophers hope for upsetting Big Ten Opener at Illinois

Posted on 26. Dec, 2011 by JF.

The first Big Ten road game is usually a rattling at best experience, especially for a young team that hasn’t played a true road game this season. Assembly Hall has been especially cruel to the Gophers who have won once their since 1996, and even in that game, a win that went a long way [...]

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B1G Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

Posted on 26. Dec, 2011 by zipsofakron.

It’s not that the Fighting Illini have fallen on hard times; quite the contrary. However, after finishing in the top two of the Big Ten in each of Bruce Weber’s first six years as head coach, the relative regression for Illinois has been evident. In fact, the last four seasons for the Illini has brought [...]

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Big Ten Tournament Preview: The Top Five

Posted on 10. Mar, 2011 by JF.

Well, the Gophers sure went out with a whimper. There won’t be any miracle run in the Big Ten Tournament, and there probably won’t be a trip to the NIT either. Post-season basketball is nice and all, but the Gopher season realistically ended when they lost at Indiana, and the team has acted like they were waiting for [...]

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Gophers continue downward spiral in 71-62 loss to Illinois

Posted on 10. Feb, 2011 by zipsofakron.

So, I imagine a weekend in Hades is spent this way:  You get to watch your favorite basketball team play in a featured matchup on national television.  Though they’ve been having recent problems, they get to face a struggling team who has lost five of its last six in their own arena and possibly turn [...]

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Game 24 Preview: Gophers and Illinois battle for bubble breathing room

Posted on 09. Feb, 2011 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini 8:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, MN) TV: ESPN Best tickets left:  obstructed seats in the lower level corners Early February is probably a little too early to be making NCAA tournament pronouncements, but it isn’t too early to point out teams that are either hurting or helping [...]

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Big Ten Roundtable: Players to Watch

Posted on 10. Nov, 2010 by zipsofakron.

Recently, FTB thought it would be fun to preview the season by connecting with our fellow Big Ten bloggers to get their thoughts on various topics, both Big Ten-related and not.  This is the fourth in a series of five preview discussions that include input from 10 of the 11 Big Ten teams.  Northwestern was unavailable for [...]

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Big Ten Roundtable: Conference champion predictions

Posted on 06. Nov, 2010 by zipsofakron.

Recently, FTB thought it would be fun to preview the season by connecting with our fellow Big Ten bloggers to get their thoughts on various topics, both Big Ten-related and not.  This is the third in a series of five preview discussions that include input from 10 of the 11 Big Ten teams.  Northwestern was unavailable for [...]

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Big Ten Roundtable: Must-See Games

Posted on 04. Nov, 2010 by zipsofakron.

Recently, FTB thought it would be fun to preview the season by connecting with our fellow Big Ten bloggers to get their thoughts on various topics, both Big Ten-related and not.  This is the second in a series of five preview discussions that include input from 10 of the 11 Big Ten teams.  Northwestern was unavailable for [...]

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Streaks this long don’t end easily

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by JF.

A ten point half time lead was surprising. A seemingly insurmountable 19 point lead with just over seven minutes left was shocking. The final score, a 62-60 victory for the Gophers was only unexpected because the Gophers won. Assembly Hall has been a house of horrors for the Gophers for decades. The last win at [...]

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Gophers win at Illinois for the first time since 1996!

Posted on 27. Feb, 2010 by JF.

More later, but now, belt it out with me!

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By the Numbers: Nine to Go

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by zipsofakron.

Gophers: 13-8, 4-5 in the Big Ten.  Nine games to go.  Lost four of their last five.  Can things look bleaker? It’s hard not to be discouraged after a season in which such high hopes have disintegrated into an abysmal pool of mediocrity.  Results have fallen miles short of expectations, players have walked away from [...]

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Big Ten Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

Posted on 27. Dec, 2009 by JF.

Part three of the Big Ten Preview takes a look at the Fighting Illini, a team with tons of potential but little identity heading into the season. Joe of Hail to the Orange has helped attempt to make sense of a very confusing season for Illinois. FTB: Who are the real Illini, and how did [...]

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