Daily Nugs 11.16.2010
by Buck Bravo on Nov 16, 2010 4:00 AM CST
in Golden Nuggets
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PrintGopher basketball defeated Siena last night 76-69, in part due to some impressive performances from young players. Trevor Mbakwe was a force on the boards with 11 rebounds, and also had 10 points. Freshman Austin Hollins impressed the crowd by going 3-6 from behind the arc, and Rodney Williams entertained the crowd with a few circus plays around the rim.
Gopher football fans should tune in to watch Al Golden's Temple squad this evening on ESPN2 at 7pm. He's got to be near the top of the Gophers' coaching wish list.
So, speculation aside about whom may be interested in taking the Gopher football coaching job, what other top schools will be looking for a coach? Right now, the top competitor is Colorado. Arizona State is a likely addition to the list. Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and Mississippi are also possibilities. Want to watch some meaningful games for Gopher football? Root for these teams to win out their schedules and reduce the competition.
At ESPN's Big Ten Blog, Adam Rittenberg discusses the Gopher victory. Jeff Horton is quoted in the article:
"Just the circumstances, all the uncertainty, coaches, players, all we've been through," Horton said. "I don't think people realize how hard this is. It's a daily grind to try to keep moving forward. To see it pay off for the kids and the coaches was awesome."
This win, in my opinion, was a big one for Gopher football. It demonstrates that there is talent on this team for the next coach to work with, it rewards the players who never gave up, and it just may create some hope heading into 2011. Personally, I'd like to see both Jeff Horton and Thomas Hammock remain members of the next head coach's staff.
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Quick BB thoughts
based on first ESPN TV game I could watch (no B10network). This is a fun and entertaining team to watch. Unquestionably the most athletic team in quite some time. I also got the feeling that they are a “team.” I love to see guys helping each other—-they seemed like a cohesive unit. Two players jumped out at me. Holy Cow, TM is the real deal. Made my night watching that guy play—-awesome looking bb player. Great intensity and just what every team needs in the way of a beast underneath. The other was Hollins. Geez, the guy is only a freshman??? Most definitely has BB in his genetic makeup. A great addition—-very excited to see this guy on the team. Overall, very encouraged and fired up about the BB season.
Siena
This game was definitely not a gimme. Siena would have beaten more than one Big Ten team tonight. They look good. We didn’t have the best game, but Siena did a good job taking advantage of their opportunities. Our steals and their other turnovers was the difference in the game.
Another Nugget
Mark Titus, former benchwarmer and fan favorite at Ohio State, polled other benchwarmers around the Big Ten.
The Gophers were voted as having the coolest arena, best cheerleaders(!), and least comfortable bench.
Go Gophers!
..."best cheerleaders(!),"
UMTC is,after all, the birthplace of college cheerleading,This is as it should be.
I agree that Siena was no cupcake. They may have been young, but they had some good skill players and a few good big guys in the paint. I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up near the top of the MAC.
Buck Bravo
by Buck Bravo on Nov 16, 2010 8:46 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Win vs. Illinois showed we have talent?
I am not ready to agree with that. We pulled off a miracle against a struggling team who is about to fire its coach. A team that had just gotten emptied out by Michigan the week before in the highest scoring game in Big 10 history (I may have made that up). We had countless dropped balls that hit our guys in the chest. Weber tossed a few cupcakes that should have been intercepted to end the game….but we gut it out and win, and everybody wants to talk about how this is a turning point and we’ve got enough talent to win in the Big 10…it is just too much for me to sit back and read. Make an honest assessment. Let’s not say this win showed we have any more talent than we had the weeks before….we have very spotty raw talent here and there that has not been coached even remotely on how to play football….
On to basketball…this team will live or die by Nolen’s minutes played. He is our only ball handling option. If he gets into foul trouble or off the court trouble, we are lower 1/3rd Big 10 finishers. If he stays on the court, we are very strong. We have solid basketball players all over the floor. Not sure I love our offensive sets any more than I did last year (I hated them!)….but with all the athletes and scrappy, good, solid basketball players we have, we are a team to be reckoned with. Siena was no joke. I was laughing watching the first 5 minutes last night. Bombs falling from everywhere…good win for us. Siena will be playing in March.
Hoffarber can dribble a little this year
Still not enough to be a true point guard but perhaps enough to put the ball on the floor and shake a defender on a rotation. Hollins looked good. Everyone looked cold shooting. Mbakwe is going to make a huge difference. Good work by the post players, the guards turned the ball over too many times.
he can dribble
but he can’t get by anybody
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by GopherNation on Nov 17, 2010 9:13 PM CST up reply actions
I have to disagree regarding the talent level. The reason that this team isn’t a 5 win team is that the defense has absolutely no idea what’s going on. That’s coaching, not talent. The offense is putting up points now that Fisch is gone. They have enough talent to finish above Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, and maybe someone else with a decent defense.
Buck Bravo
by Buck Bravo on Nov 16, 2010 9:22 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
BB Offense
I disagree with you (as usual). I think the offense looked MUCH improved. The passing was so much more crisp and guys were moving away from the ball. That was the biggest change since last year. We looked quick and energized. Last year, we looked lethargic, flat footed, and couldn’t pass very well.
Hollins was very impressive. When we get Joseph back, he will be another ball handling and shooting option. Siena was a tough team last night—how in the hell did they lose to Vermont? I guess we’ll see if Vermont is a “good” loss for them as the Catamounts take on UConn tomorrow.
Passing
I agree that on the perimeter the passing was better. And the guards were moving relatively well without the ball. But some passing was horrible — the high-lows specifically.
Let’s also not anoint Siena as a mid-Major to be reckoned with. They’re young and lost to Vermont. During the first 15 minutes, our team defense wasn’t great. Yes, they were hitting at an unsustainable high rate from the field, but during that first stretch, the Gophers weren’t challenging shots or rotating well on defense.
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Additional Basketball...
We have years of great Gopher basketball ahead of us. The team is so young, the recruiting pipeline is strong. I’m very excited about the next few years, starting now….this is going to be fun.
PJS Worry
There is much to nitpick about last night but it was a solid win as everyone has stated. Classic “good game to have early in the season” to get battle tested.
But for the next 4 games or so (esp PR) it is going to be about who can score? PJS’ worry. Devoe is by far our best creator, and frankly after that next best might be Chip or Austin??? Al Nolen’s ball handling/foul situation will be key in PR because we do not want Blake/Chip bringing the ball up. Devoe’s ball handling, stretching the D opposite of Blake, and ability to create are going to be sorely missed.
So in the greater scheme of things I am just hoping we can go 2-1 in Puerto Rico. Get out of there with 1.5 good wins and a tough loss. Then Devoe comes back and we get to the easier part of the non-conf.
Other thoughts:
Loving Chip and Hollins. Dynamic and savvy players. Seem more mature than Fr. How about 3 years with Coleman, Chip, and the two Hollins out on the wings?! whew.
Mbakwe – He is a beast, to be sure, but what’s really impressed me is how hard he works. Recklessly (almost too much at times) throwing his body about to get the ball. Love that. He, however, is NOT a natural offensive talent. Can’t have it all. : )
Blake – Court vision?! Wow. Loved his late three that he put up. (went in) He was getting frustrated missing, and had played 35 minutes at that point, much at PG, but still threw that bomb up. Nice. Also interesting to hear always vague Tubby say in the postgame, “Blake is the leader, he is the heart and soul of this team”. Impressive.
Rodney – How on earth does that one draft board still have him in lottery?? He does nothing above average but jump. That’s not a knock, but I hope he stays and grows under Tubby at least one more year. For his sake.
Bigs – Goal for the three of them is to shoot 70% from the line. That’d be huge.
by InflectionPoint on Nov 16, 2010 9:25 AM CST reply actions
Rodney
He really needs to work on his shooting. I think he is one of those guys that got by in HS because he was so much more athletic than his peers. Now he has to develop some sort of jump shot that opponents respect. Right now his jump shot is awful.
Agreed
Look at Corey Brewer – no jump shot and can’t get off the bench. Everyone in the NBA has that kind of athletic talent.
Corey Brewer was also a lottery pick
6th overall, I believe. Athleticism gets you everywhere in the NBA- or at least drafted in the lottery.
For all of Brewer's faults, he's a very good defensive player.
Rodney isn’t that yet. …. though I don’t want to be part of the sort-of anti Rodney crowd. In the Wofford game specifically, I thought he was controlled and composed in driving to the basket.
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No idea on Rodney...
Lottery…..can’t figure that out for the life of me….he needs to develop SIGNIFICANTLY from where he is today to be in that discussion, or else college hoops are in a grim state if he’s a lottery pick!
nba teams so often choose based on athleticism and perceived potential, look at DeMar DeRozan, numbers were fine at USC but not great (though he is coming into his own somewhat in Toronto)
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Nov 16, 2010 10:35 AM CST up reply actions
Perfect reason
why the NBA should change its 1 year of college to 3. It would make much more sense financially speaking for the league and would be better for the players in the long run (if they don’t develop in college and never get drafted, they at least have a better chance at a college degree).
They tried and failed
The NBA wanted to make it three years like the NFL but couldn’t make it stick in court.
You sure about that?
Source? I know that it was a big deal when they went to one earlier this decade, but there was no legal reason (other than perhaps CBA reasons) to stop the NBA. It doesn’t make sense that the current players would argue against this since it takes money out of their pockets. I have no recollection of the NBA going for 3 years.
by rencito on Nov 16, 2010 4:55 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I don't know if the NBA has the same argument that the NFL had
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Nov 16, 2010 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
The reason the NFL got it to stick was twofold
1. The CBA effectively ratified the decision, and
2. The courts deemed that the physicality of football was such that it was almost impossible to spend that much time in a weightroom to have the physical capabilities to even step on the field with a decent chance of staying healthy with guys that size running around.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Nov 16, 2010 5:11 PM CST up reply actions
I knew you'd say that...
…but I don’t even see potential right now. Sure, he flies around the rim for tip-in dunks and alley – oops….but I don’t see it in him right now. Meaning, I wouldn’t say his numbers are “fine” yet, as DeRozan’s…
Just playing devil’s advocate. He needs to step up.
Rodney Williams
I like the guy and he seems like a great teammate, but he just doesn’t seem to play instinctively. No doubt about it he will help, but you can’t coach somethings.
Devoe
Word on campus is that his suspension was not academics related. Apparently he got caught smoking weed. I’m not trying to spread rumors, but I’d trust classmates of his much more than reporters who don’t interact with Devoe on a daily basis. I hope if it’s true he can prove to Tubby that he deserves another chance. I have a hard time believing he was failing a class when he is in the school of education and human development…
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