Golden Nugz 11.28.11
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 9:39 AM CST
in Golden Nuggets
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PrintWe have had some terrible Monday's in recent weeks as Gopher fans. But this one isn't all that terrible, mostly because of the way Gopher Football went out and dominated the Illini on Saturday. It also helps that my fantasy football teams won yesterday too but that is another story.
The story of today is going to be the status of Trevor Mbakwe's knee. J.B. Bauer posted on GopherHole that Tubby said "it ain't good."
MRI today and as soon as we know anything we'll get it up on TDG with some opinion on the results.
- Kim Royston earned co-Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 13 tackles and one sack on Saturday.
- Gopher fans know we finished with a solid win, from Illinois' perspective it was a total flop.
- We moved up in the ESPN B1G Blog power rankings. 10th place after what we endured in the middle stretch of the season is higher than I thought we'd finish.
- It is Black Monday for college football coaches. Illinois fired Ron Zook, Kansas fired
KendalTurner Gill (after 2 years) and Arizona State fired Dennis Erickson. More to come I'm sure. - Usually I feel like I'm the first to start looking ahead to next season, but Doogie beat me to it. He goes position by position looking at Gopher Football 2012.
- Gopher Hockey went 0-1-1vs. Michigan State this weekend losing on Friday and managing a tie on Saturday.
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If Trevor is out for any length of time is this season done?
Does anyone see any options that would help them overcome a potentially devastating injury to Trevor?
Can we play small and still compete? Might that help out 3 point defense?
Yuck. I’m bummed right now.
Yes
or no. That is, I do not see this team winning much at all without Trevor.
We aren’t going to have any choice but to play sort of small, because the only real bigs we have left are centers (RSIII and Eliason). I was going to say they won’t play much together, but that may not be right. I guess Ralph at 4 is probably their best option. Ugh.
I'd rather think FB at the moment
does anyone remember or know when Marcus Jones got hurt and if he is eligible for a medical RS???
I don't think he is eligible.
he played in 6 games.
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by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 10:36 AM CST up reply actions
I was afraid of that
being so young, it is too bad he burned a year up the hard way.
by Texas Gopher on Nov 28, 2011 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
My prediction
Is multiple torn ligaments and done for the year.
AM92
agree—with your prediction. I really feel for the guy. Just a bummer all the way around.
After a solid NBA career, most notably with the Hornets and Nets, it’s no wonder he can only last 2 years as a college football coach. Back to the Big Ten broadcast booth… wait, he never left, and Turner Gill was fired at Kansas? On a sadder note, a potentially promising NBA career as a rebounder/stopper that can score (think Paul Millsap) would be ruined with 2 bad knees. With the Gopher guard play, a long run was out this year anyway, but with Trevor out, they don’t do anything well (outrebounded yesterday).
Rebounding was disappointing
Even with him on the floor.
It’s hard to say what his future holds though. Would he want to try for a medical redshirt and play another year in college? Take his NBA shot now with wobbly knees?
I guess whatever he does, he will play professionally somewhere and probably have a financially rewarding career. But this definitely makes puts the NBA in jeopardy (assuming we are right about the injury).
As Tex says, bummer all the way around.
:)
oops
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 10:37 AM CST up reply actions
Knee injuries
Suck no matter what, but the way he reacted last night doesn’t promote any uplifting news today. We’ll just have to wait & see, and I wish the kid the best.
Any insider info on when the MRI is taking place?
I think they were overrated to begin with
I’m not sure we deserved the #1 ranking, but the past couple weeks is about what I expected. I think we pick it up over the next few weeks with a long home-stand, but we’re still in fine shape to make the NCAAs if we can stop giving up Fridays.
When we get the Pig, the Jug and the Axe, we'll have one hell of a picnic
I still cannot get up the energy
to fully express how disappointed I was in that effort last night. I will keep saying it, but Tubby is coaching for his job this year in my mind. I need to see improvement (regardless of who is on the court) and a positive trendline (right now, I don’t even care about W/L’s). With this being year 5 and the salary he is making, I think I am being very fair.
No offense
But only in your mind. Tubby isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I am hoping for the best
and going to reserve judgement until the season is over, but not sure where your confidence is coming from??
by Texas Gopher on Nov 28, 2011 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
Confidence?
They aren’t going to fire a guy of Tubby’s stature over two disappointing seasons that were seriously undermined by injuries to key players. Too many mitigating factors, too big a name, and he’s too hard to replace.
This.
You don’t have to be confident in a positive end to this season to know that Tubby isn’t on a hot seat. His seat is comfy. And this is without taking into consideration the fact that they won’t want to fire him with what appears to be a new AD to hire in the meantime.
and how quickly we forget how bad we were before Tubby
Monson’s last two years saw no defense, lack of any talent and averaged 4 Big Ten wins.
His last four years averaged 5-11 in the Big Ten and that included his one good year with Vincent Grier leading us to 10 B1G wins.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 1:49 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with Texas Gopher
I think that is his problem…he is too comfy. He is in the twilight of his career and he is coaching like it.
He is off to a good start and I won’t hold the Dayton loss against him as the Mbakwe injury deflated the entire team. But we cannot hinge our hopes on one player—most teams endure some sort of injury. Look what Purdue was able to do the last two years without Hummel. Sure, you can say they had other guys step up, but you can blame Tubby for not having the depth to deal with such setbacks, which are inevitable.
Additionally, the way so many guys quit on Tubby last year is very disturbing. Couple that with all of the transfers and you have a real problem. All of these transfers were his guys that he recruited so he is responsible for them.
This doesn’t mean I’m calling for his head righ now, but I have serious doubts that we will ever be more than mediocre with him. This is all ironic coming from a Glen Mason apologist, I know.
Pretty hard to say he isn't trying
When were supposed to be the two best players on this team (White and Trevor) are gone, and the next two best players (RSII and Rodney) have turned out to be head cases.
Oh, and I don’t blame Tubby for the lack of depth. I blame Maturi 100%.
Didn't see the game last night so i can't speak to the effort
however, I really doubt Tubby is coaching for his job this year, not with 7 players that on his roster that haven’t seen a minute of Big Ten play before this year. I agree improvements need to be made, but i doubt his job is on the line, regardless of his salary. Remember they are paying not only to win games, but to turn around a program that has been pretty bad to mediocre since the early 90’s (I am not counting 93-99, which technically didn’t exist, although i remember the greatness of Bobby Jackson and the 96 Final Four pretty vividly).
Don't really remember 96
But 1997 was pretty good ;)
All I want from Tubby is what Clem did. Be competitive at home every year, get to the tournament every other year (or so), and make a push for the league championship every so often when you’ve got experienced seniors on the floor (and the occasional JUCO).
What I really don’t want from Tubby is what Monson had, which is the super-star local recruit who only intends to play for a year and gets in the way of building that experienced team that can contend for the league title.
1996-97 season
understandable mistake.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 1:50 PM CST up reply actions
On a positive note
I am really happy for Royston. I am glad he did not re-injure that leg. That was an extremely difficult type of Fx. A real testament to his charachter the kind of year he had.
J.I.N.X.E.D.
The curse of Clem lives on!!!!
Do medical redshirts exist in basketball?
If so, is he eligible?
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
they exist
but Doogie’s post points out that he is older, with a family and may not want to come back for another year. And that is even IF he were granted the medical hardship waiver.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 1:54 PM CST up reply actions
Wouldn't you think that he has a shot at the NBA though?
Teams would be a lot more likely to look at him if he shows he can recover from the injury.
"Our attitude is we look at ourselves and we grade ourselves. And even if we don’t like what’s happening on the other side, we don’t make a — it’s not our business" - Tony Larussa
he is good enough to play professionaly somewhere
he’ll get a shot at the NBA, but even if he falls to the D league or Europe he’ll be collecting a paycheck.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 2:02 PM CST up reply actions
He already looked frustrated playing with kids 5 years younger than him
I can’t imagine he’ll want to forgo $$ in Europe or even the NBADL to play another season with the Gophers. He’s graduating this winter term.
I think you're right
But the question for him is whether playing another year of college ball, if he’s allowed to, makes him a lottery pick and an instant millionaire. I think that was a real possibility at the end of this year if he was healthy.
Which he has to weigh against a few hundred grand a year overseas or whatever they pay in the NBADL, and maybe an eventual route to the NBA.
I think that’s a tough call, actually.
Another year just makes him older
He’s about to turn 23. He’ll be 24 next year. He’s the same age as Kenneth Faried. Can you name the last 24 year old lottery pick? I can’t recall one.
David Robinson
Was 23/24 when he first played for the Spurs. Younger than that when he was drafted, obviously.
I don’t think his age would significantly undermine his draft position as he’s still young enough to be in his prime for the length of his first contract and more.
Who knows, maybe he’s still get drafted and get a shot at the NBA anyway, albeit as a second round flier pick.
oy
David Robinson and Trevor Mbakwe aren’t really in the same ballpark. Sorry.
Robinson was a 22 year old 7’1 Center who was the 1st pick in the draft who averaged 28 and 12 his senior year and is generally considered one of the 10 or so greatest centers of all time.
Mbakwe is a great player, but he’s a 6’8 Power Forward with 1 good knee who’s trying to break into a league loaded with good PFs. Had he stayed healthy, I think he would have had a chance to be a 1st round pick, right now his best case scenario is another Spur, Dejuan Blair.
if you'll notice a pattern
the 5 best centers of the past 20 years of so (Ewing, Robinson, Hakeem, Shaq and Duncan) were all #1 picks.
The reason that Sam Bowie, Michael Olowokandi and Kwame Brown happen is because GMs really don’t want to miss one of those game changing centers, even if you have to wait 2 years for them to play.
Well duh
But that doesn’t make it true that teams won’t draft a 24 year old.
He'll get drafted
Just not in the lottery picks. I see someone grabbing him in the 2nd round and playing him in the NBADL. He profiles as a decent NBA bench player or a solid Euro. It’s up to him which direction he wants to go. There may be more money in Europe.
Yes and no
I think you’re right that he gets drafted this year, probably second round. If he were to play another college year, which is what we were talking about, he might be able to pull himself back into the first round, and maybe the bottom of the lottery. It’s probably moot though, because I don’t think he will want to play another college year.
But I doubt there is more money for him, or basically anyone, in Europe, and if there is it’s due to having a longer career there.
and boom goes the dynamite
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Nov 28, 2011 2:03 PM CST up reply actions
I HATE the Star Tribune
on a completely unrelated topic…I hate their new online content structure. I’m sure they don’t care about my links to their articles but I won’t be linking there nearly as often. Which is too bad because I really like Phil Miller’s stuff and the new basketball girl is putting out a lot of content, certainly quantity, not yet sure if it’s quality because I cannot read it without paying for it.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
They should care about your links
As they should make them money. But I doubt they do.
Use Google Chrome and go incogneto
That’s how I’ve gotten around it, since it looks at cookies. I’m sure you could just clear your cookies for that matter.
When we get the Pig, the Jug and the Axe, we'll have one hell of a picnic
If the basketball coach gets fired. do you think they’ll make a Tubby-like hire?
Mark 8:36
by lonebadger on Nov 28, 2011 4:51 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
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