From The Barn

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 7 Preview: Gophers vs. Miami Hurricanes

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by JF.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Miami Hurricanes

6:15 pm (CST) at the BankUnited Center

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: ESPN U
Liveblog:

Redemption is only just a game away, and the Gophers have a chance to not just end their early season slide, but also to make a statement, represent their conference, and vault themselves back into the Top 25.
By [...]

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Game 6 Review: Clutch slump continues

Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by JF.

The Gophers now know who they are and where they are, and now they can learn and grow. This weekend’s 76 Classic didn’t turn out the way most people thought or hoped, especially after the win against Butler that is growing less impressive by the day (Butler barely beat UCLA and lost a nail-biter to [...]

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Back by popular demand: “On Giving Thanks”

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by JF.

I originally wrote this last Thanksgiving. My fiance thought I should resurrect it for today. She is in charge of the sweet potatoes today, which includes, of course, marshmallow distribution. Needless to say, this is a small sacrifice to make, infinitely smaller than giving up marshmallows on the sweet potatoes.
Luckily, everything that I wrote [...]

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Gophers – Minnesota-Moorehead preview: And you thought a 67 point win was ugly

Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. Minnesota State University-Moorhead Dragons

7:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

TV: Bigtennetwork.com (Streaming for $2.99)

Tickets: Best available- Row 11, upper deck, center court
The Gophers’ 67 point win over Minnesota-Duluth wasn’t ugly, or at least it won’t be when compared to what we will see tomorrow night when Minnesota plays Minnesota State University-Moorhead.  [...]

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And finally a positive distraction

Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs. University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

7:00 pm (CST) at Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
TV: Bigtennetwork.com (Streaming for $2.99)

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

It has been pointed out many times here and by many others elsewhere that Gopher basketball is the perfect distraction from the cold dark winters that embrace [...]

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Tubby Tweets

Posted on 03. Jun, 2009 by JF.

Incoming!

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Gophers win round one of the Tubby sweepstakes

Posted on 30. Mar, 2009 by JF.

For the last 48 hours or so, rumors were circling (on the Internet of all places) that Tubby Smith had signed a contract with the Virginia Cavaliers to be their new head coach. As late as this afternoon he was allegedly on chartered jet heading to an evening press conference to announce the re-arrival of [...]

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Barnblurbs 3/25/09

Posted on 25. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Cavaliers’ coach search offers few answers
They still can’t take no for an answer.
Defeat yields to hope for next year
The women’s team goes out with a thud.
Hopkins is here, but trophy’s not engraved yet
Royce White’s team won their first game in the state tournament by 42.

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Barn Blurbs 3/23/09

Posted on 23. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Tubby reassures U he intends to stay
Forcing Virgina and Alabama to focus on football.
George Bremer: Big Ten basketball on the rebound
Coaches win championships.
COLUMN: Aldrich and history
The Minnesota product recorded the first official triple-double in Kansas Jayhawk history in his team’s win over Dayton.
Minnesota upends Irish to advance to second round
Somewhere Carol Ann Shudlick is smiling.
Former [...]

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Barn Blurbs 3/19/09: Embracing the madness

Posted on 19. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Check back in tonight at 5:30 for our liveblog of Minnesota’s first round game against the Texas Longhorns
BTN’s Minnesota preview

College Basketball Nickname Brawl
Seems like methods like this are always more successful than using silly things like knowledge and statistics. Thanks for the link Tom.
NCAA tournament can be a showcase for mascots
But what about the basketball?

Tubby [...]

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Barn Blurbs 3/17/09 is voting for Goldy

Posted on 17. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Mascot Death Match
Vote for Goldy!
It’s Gopher Season
Arrogant and over-confident Texans? Shocking! Let’s up hope they hang up the “Mission Accomplished” banner before the game.
Minnesota Gophers are underdogs against Texas in NCAA tournament first round
With such vastly different styles of play, I wouldn’t call anyone a favorite.
Aldrich’s high school coach might cut class
Both NDSU and [...]

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Barnblurbs 3/16/09: Still as excited as Kevin Payton

Posted on 16. Mar, 2009 by JF.

Game time announced.
The Gophers tip-off the evening session on Thursday with a 6:10 pm start. Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will be announcing.
Gophers named a 10th seed in the NCAA tournament
The Gophers reacted the same way their fans (or at least this one did). “You could feel the energy in the room,” Gophers coach [...]

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Tubby, time out, turnovers, put tournament in doubt

Posted on 08. Mar, 2009 by JF.

And now the waiting, the worrying, and the wondering can begin in earnest. With a chance to jump off the bubble and land comfortably in the NCAA tournament, season long problems persisted and the Gophers dropped their heartbreaking and winnable Big Ten finale to Michigan. The regular season loss was a microcosm of a roller [...]

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Badgers beat, sweep complete!

Posted on 05. Mar, 2009 by JF.

As anyone who has participated in a live blog here can tell you, I check my objective blogger persona at the door when the Gophers are in a close game. This is especially the case at The Barn when Wisconsin comes to town.  While comparisons to past games and various statistics are still floating around [...]

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Barn Blurbs 2/24/09

Posted on 24. Feb, 2009 by JF.

A muddle in middle of Big Ten standings
It has to sort itself out at some point, right?
Father of the jump shot has jersey hung in the rafters at Williams
No word on whether that first jump shot went in.
Projecting the NCAA tournament brackets
A #11 seed that should make us all happy.
Tubby on lacking vocal leadership: “They’re [...]

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Barn Blurbs 2/18/09

Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Six Big Ten teams in NCAA tourney?
We should learn a lot about that sixth team tomorrow night.
Mid-Major Madness: North Dakota State
Minnesota’s November win is looking better and better.
Big Ten Network is gaining ground
Turning a profit, and in this economy, is something.
A Killer 1-3-1 Half-court Trap John Beilein Would be Proud of
The Gopher [...]

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Barn Blurbs 2/16/09

Posted on 16. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Offensive Offense
Minnesota’s futility when they have the ball is now worse than it was a year ago, and quickly approaching 2007 levels. Change it up Tubby.
Bubble still inflated
All the experts have the Gophers in the NCAA tournament for the time being, but the bubble could be about to pop.
No votes in the coaches poll
For the [...]

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Generous Gophers give Nittany Lions Valentine’s Day gift

Posted on 15. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Maybe you have seen a game like this before. The Gophers get out to a dreadful start that is matched by a just as pathetic effort by their opponents. The Gophers fall behind on a momentum swinging buzzer beater at the end of the first half. Turnovers, poor decisions, and embarrassing mistakes, give their opponents [...]

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Bubbles to be busted at Bryce Jordan

Posted on 13. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Golden Gophers vs.  Penn State Nittany Lions

12:30 pm (CST) at Bryce Jordan Center

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
Tv: Big Ten Network
Chatroom: Yup
And now things get serious. After struggling to lose at home against Indiana on Tuesday night (that had to be the Gophers’ goal, right?) the Gophers travel to Penn State for a Saturday afternoon that [...]

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Barn Blurbs 2/5/09: At least its over

Posted on 05. Feb, 2009 by JF.

Congrats to zevhoops, you win the t-shirt.
Spartans get back on track at Breslin — MSU crushes Minnesota
“Hats off to Michigan State,” Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said. “They showed why they’re the best team in this league. I thought we were a little intimidated right from the start.” And I’m a little short to play center [...]

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Cold shooting night brings cold dose of reality

Posted on 23. Jan, 2009 by JF.

By now you have probably familiarized yourself with all the gory details of Minnesota’s not as close as the score 70-62 loss to Purdue. It was another loss, and nothing we haven’t seen before. The Gopher’s can’t win a half court game against a quality team playing a quality game. So instead of dwelling on [...]

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Gophers bounce back big over Buckeyes

Posted on 04. Jan, 2009 by JF.

ESPN Highlights
Big Ten Network Highlights
After what could have been a confidence crippling, season opening loss to Michigan State (much like last year’s home loss to Indiana), an intense and determined Gopher basketball team led #23 Ohio State by as much as 18 late in the second half on their way to a 68-59 [...]

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Gophers only one win away from a perfect non-conference season

Posted on 28. Dec, 2008 by JF.

My apologies if you were expecting even more detail than usual now that the Gophers have hit the big time, but their last two pre-Big Ten games just don’t deserve it. For the Michigan State game and the rest of the Big Ten season, we will be back to the standard format of bold predictions [...]

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For real! Minnesota beats Louisville for first top ten win in eight years

Posted on 21. Dec, 2008 by JF.

If the Gophers don’t make the NCAA tournament, don’t blame the non-conference schedule. Minnesota passed their big non-conference test on Saturday afternoon in Glendale Arizona by beating the #9 team in the country, and a pre-season final four candidate 70-64 for their first top ten win since Joel Prysbilla led the Gophers to a victory [...]

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Sub-plots abound in Louisville-Minnesota Matchup

Posted on 19. Dec, 2008 by JF.

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Louisville Cardinals

1:00 pm (CST) at University of Phoenix Stadim (Glendale, AZ)

Radio: WCCO 830 AM
Tv: Fox Sports Network

Tomorrow’s game between the Minnesota Gophers and Louisville Cardinals  is more than just a basketball game.
It is Lawrence Westbrooks first game in his home state since he led the nation in scoring in [...]

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Gophers win “tournament” of the absurd

Posted on 17. Nov, 2008 by JF.

It didn’t strike me how odd the NABC classic truly was until Dick Jankowski, the Gophers’ public address announcer mentioned that fans should stay in their seats for the trophy presentation and the announcement of the all tournament team.
First of all, rewarding a trophy in  round-robin “tournament” can be more than a little complicated. If [...]

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Kentucky loses to VMI

Posted on 14. Nov, 2008 by JF.

Thank you!

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Travis Busch: From the long pass to a long shot at playing time

Posted on 06. Oct, 2008 by JF.

Travis Busch’s first season with the Gopher was a bit rough. Early on in the season he was out with a thigh injury, and didn’t even dress for six of the non-conference games. When he was on the court, and actually in the game, he struggled mightily, but not for lack of effort. Among the [...]

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Unsuspended!

Posted on 01. Oct, 2008 by JF.

In case you had not noticed, due to this unprecedented period of economic turmoil, I had suspended my writing on this website. I would have announced it, but then I would have been attempting to score cheap political points. Instead I did nothing, and it seems to have paid off since it now appears that [...]

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