Tubby Smith Develops Players Like Dan Monson?
The link above is to a Reusse article, so take it with that caveat, but the heat does seem to be intensifying on Tubby Smith. Is it justified, in this case over player development?
7 months ago
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Reusse only looking at the offensive side of the ball
The Gophers are improved defensively by a huge margin versus Monson. They’re one of the NCAA leaders in blocked shots and steals. I agree that some of the players seem to have stagnated or regressed offensively but they’ve all played good defense. Sampson, Joseph and Hoffarber have improved on both sides of the ball.
that is an excellent point
Monson’s ONLY good team was the one where Molinary came in and taught them how to play some defense.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
Iverson
I’m not sure what’s happened there. I was in Anaheim for his performance against Butler. He was very, very good in that game. But his playing time and effectiveness has seemed to decrease ever since.
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Its just Reusse
Reusse will say anything bad about the U he can. He hates it. He wants to see the U fail. I’ll take Tubby before almost anyone in the nation. Can we get rid of Reusse and KFAN. Reusse could not be a writer in today’s world if he had not been grandfathered in. He’s an idiot. Send him a link to Jenny Craig.
disagree on Reusse
but agree on KFAN, Reusse is a fan of the U but is growing frustrated like any other. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time he really has been a fan since he was a kid. I wish TDG would do podcasts so I’d have something to listen to while I look for a job.
"they're calling insane hogs???"
don't get a job too quickly
a podcast may be in the works.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
not to mention...
tubby has instantly made the Gopher Basketball brand viable, both locally and nationally. This year is no doubt a setback, but there is more talent at the U right now than there ever was with Monson. Time will tell if tubby is developing players, but the U has gotten everything that they could want out of the first three years with Smith at the helm.
Easy to dismiss Reusse
But you can’t ignore the offensive woes and lack of offensive development… No question the defense is vastly improved over the Monson era, but you still have to put the ball in the basket to win the game. Spacing (especially for inside-out ball movement) is an issue in the half court sets, motion (or lack thereof) is the first thing to go when the other team pressures us at all, and the Gophers are not good enough to break down the other team one on one consistently. I mean, if us armchair guys can see this (Westbrook not playing team offense, Hoffarber needing multiple screens and/or a head fake and a dribble-drive move, Iverson working on post moves, etc, etc), why can’t our experts put together something? Well maybe they have, the transition game is the only thing we could count on after blocks and steals, but with Nolen out, I don’t know if you can count that as a strength anymore either, because we’re not getting into transition.
I can’t stand the media’s negative view of the U… It’s not part of the pro-sports landscape, so don’t treat it that way… But for people to rip Brewster up and down in his 3rd year and always praise Tubby despite the issues the basketball team has had isn’t right either. Tubby’s team can be criticized, and he can be as well, but I’d still rather have him than Monson, or many other coaches.
I guess when I look at it
Tubby inherited a group of ball dominant guards from the previous regime. How many times do you see him yelling at them to play an inside-out offensive game by using their centers? Multiple times every game. And I mean every game. They may play it for a half, but then every guard wants to be a hero and starts jacking up shots. Yuck. This team needs more post scoring and less ball dominant guards who can actually facilitate for bigs.
by TheEvilProfessor on Feb 5, 2010 8:15 AM CST up reply actions
I kind of agree here as well
Tubby is not in a position to be praised right now. But I think it is too early to be getting on his case. If we are going down the Brewster/Tubby comparison, then it should be noted that Tubby has actually shown some success on the field of play. Brewster has not. He made an NCAA Tournament in his second year and he came very close in his first year with a roster lacking in talent.
I really feel as though part of the problem this year was the lack of off season development, which in my experience is largely the responsibility of the player. The current sophomore class made an NCAA tournament in their first year and don’t realize that it isn’t easy to make the Tourney. They were outworked this offseason by the rest of the league. that’s my humble opinion anyway.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
I agree with much of what mraveling says. They pay Smith $2 million when jobs all across the U are being cut, people have a right to hold him accountable. I’m sure Smith would be the first to say that the buck stops with him.
I don’t want to sound like I’m piling on, but I don’t really think I’d choose to play for Tubby Smith. I think most guys, to really develop as players, need consistent minutes and a well-defined role. I’d hate going into a game not knowing when or how much I was going to play, and knowing that I’d only get a few minutes before someone would be subbing in for me. I think it leads to guys pressing, making bad decisions, trying not to make mistakes, etc.
Anyways, don’t get me wrong, I think Smith is a vast improvement over Monson, and as a couple of people have noted his teams always play great defense. But I still think the article has some merit.
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
on the $$
Tubby makes a lot but he’s also generated a LOT more money for the athletic department than the previous staff was able to.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
Ask the two seniors on the team
Monson seemed to forget he even had LW and Johnson. Now they are the two best players on the team. They’d still be horrible under Monson.
LW and Johnson were both freshman when Monson was here. I’d hope they’ve improved since their freshman year. It’s sort of hard to say how they would have progressed under Monson
Maroon and Gold Headquarters: The Daily Gopher
For some reason the reply function isn’t working for me, so this first response is for GN, above. Yeah, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to open up the $ debate again, my point is just that his high salary makes him all the more visible in a time of cuts.
I also wanted to agree with Evil Professor’s point, the few times I’ve been able to see them play, I’ve noticed that the offense is much much better when the ball goes inside. I know that to some extent this is true of every team, but given that there are relatively few guys on this team who can make their own offense, the benefits accrued from the inside-out game – forcing the defense to shift, getting them off-balance a bit – are all the more important for the Gophers. It helps that the inside guys are willing passers, at least they look that way from what I’ve been able to see.
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
What are you guys talking about?
I know we haven’t won as many games as we would like this year, but we are playing much better than last year. Last year, Purdue, Michigan State and Illinois blew us off the court. This year we are right there with them.
I have seen a lot of improvement in Sampson, Joseph, and Carter. DJ and LW are better, too. Unfortunately, this hasn’t translated into as many wins as we wanted yet, but we are on the cusp.
The one thing I do agree with is the overall offense struggles in the half court. It is painful to watch at times. No one seems to move without the ball and there is no fluidity. I still see the guys Tubby recruited playing better, however.
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