Throughout the summer I'll be writing up each of the 34 players who played for the University of Minnesota under Tubby Smith. Why Tubby? Because it's the most recent era that's over. If this goes well perhaps I'll go back and do Monson as well. I'll be looking at any player who played at Minnesota under Tubby at some point, even if it was just a year. And I will be considering their entire Gopher career, so guys who started under Monson or finished under Pitino will have their whole career considered, but anyone who transferred in or out is only evaluated on their Gopher stats. With me? Here we go:
#34 to #31 can be found here.
#26-#30 can be found here.
#21-#25 are here
Here's #16-#20
15. Julian Welch (2011-2013).
- This feels high for Welch considering he was a two year player whose playing time dramatically shrunk in his second year, but Welch somehow managed to rank top 10 in assists, three pointers, and steals among all Gophers in this countdown. I don't remember him as a particularly great shooter or passer, but I remember the steals simply because of the difference between his hand speed and foot speed. He had, without question, the fastest hands of any Gopher I can recall. He also was essentially a lawn gnome when he tried to guard anyone trying to get to the lane. I legitimately loved watching him simply because of those two things.
14. Elliott Eliason (2011-2015).
- This is a tough career to try to sum up, but you could probably do it best just by looking at his minutes per game each year: 15.0, 13.7 (regression), 21.9 (big leap forward!), 11.2 (ugh). That's about right. He had that one stretch of brilliance his junior season where he put up double doubles in four of eight games with two other near misses, and that stretch included five Big Ten games, where it looked like he might be becoming something, but alas, it wasn't meant to be and his career kind of spiraled to an underwhelming conclusion. However it's almost impossible to look back on this guy with any kind of bad feelings. He was a guy who came and gave it everything he had whenever he was on the court, and never let playing time get to him in any way you could see or hear about it. Good dude.
13. Lawrence McKenzie (2006-2008).
- McKenzie ranks high because even though he was only a Gopher for two years he was pretty much the man both of those years, averaging 13.3 points per game, and led the Gophers to the NIT in Tubby's first year which seemed like an impossibility following the disaster that was the final Monson/Molinari year and suddenly everything seemed possible and we were on our way and we could build this dream together standing strong forever nothing's gonna stop us now. Or whatever.
12. Maurice Walker (2010-2015).
- Walker played for 17 years as a Gopher, and that kind of time is tough to forget. I also think he might have lost some weight once Pitino came in, but I'm not sure I thought I heard that somewhere though. Seriously though, the first time I saw Walker play as a freshman I could tell right away he had a great feel for the game. You know how a lot of big men get the ball on the block and go right into score mode? Walker didn't, he saw the court amazingly well, although it's not backed up by his assist numbers I stand by what I saw. Injuries and weight issues (perhaps related) robbed him of some athleticism and explosiveness, and who knows what might have been? He was clearly a hard worker, just looking at his weight loss and free throws, and I believe he could have developed an outside shot at some point. This would be a good guy to take a do over on, if you could do such as that.
11. Spencer Tollackson (2004-2008).
- No bonus points for being the radio guy for the Gophers, though not because I dislike him or anything - I actually like when he weights in from the player's perspective on things, even if he's behind only Paul Allen on the homer list. That actually kind of sums up his playing career - a little bit annoying and a little bit likable. Similar to Walker, he was clearly a hard worker who wanted to win. I remember him completely revamping his free throw form to try to fix that issue (didn't work) and going from a garbage man to someone with a variety of moves. Unfortunately, all that hard work to develop those moves didn't really work because he didn't have the natural talent to finish. Clearly worked at it though, which is cool.
Showing posts with label Lawrence McKenzie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lawrence McKenzie. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2009
I haven't been to New Jersey in a while. I haven't missed it.
Sorry I haven't posting while out here in Jersey so far this week, folks, but each night when I got back to my hotel room I was just plain tuckered. The first night the plane didn't land until 7:30, and after the hour drive to the hotel we had dinner (cajun chicken sandwich, fries) and then I finally got to my room about 10. I didn't want to start drinking since I had a long day the next day, and god knows the only way I can get up the effort to type on this stupid blog is if I'm into a little bit of Grandpa's cough medicine.
And boy was I right about a long day. A scheduled eight-hour meeting just kept going and turned into a ten hour meeting, which meant there was no break before dinner. And wow. This was a 3.5 hour dinner, no joke. Everybody there had to order every course. First, we had to get appetizers for the entire table (calamari, prosciutto, grilled shrimp, eggplant, brie bruschetta, mozzarella), then salad (I had a ceasar), main course (cajun rib-eye, roasted squash, whipped potatoes - and that rib-eye was not cajun in the least), and then everyone just had to get desert (I almost got a port, but since I had to drive went with the creme brule). Then when I got to the hotel, I had emails waiting for me with questions that needed answering that night, so needless to say blogging was out of the question.
Tonight, however, I am on my own and the only thing I have to accomplish is getting on a shuttle to the airport at 9am tomorrow, so I can have a little time for just me and you, my old friend, just me and you. I had a nice simple dinner (bacon cheeseburger, onion rings) with a couple beers and a couple cocktails (vodka & tonic), and picked up a six-pack of Coors Light Silos on my way to the hotel. So let's see what we see, shan't we?
- For some reason the internet is telling me the Gophers are up just 32-24 at half against Utah Valley, which is less than encouraging. I almost tried to write a quick preview of the game last night, but when I was researching Utah Valley I realized it wasn't worth it because they are god awful. But now the Gophers are just up 8 at half. I know, thanks to texts from Snacks and Grandslam, that Westbrook is out because of food poisoning, and I know I said I thought he was heading for a "special" senior season, but come on. It's Utah Valley. I'm almost certain a roster of Terrance Simmons, Steve Esselink, David Grim, Travis Busch, and Kevin Loge could take these guys. I'm going to assume the second half is going to go much better.
- In more impressive news, I watched Syracuse kick the crap out of Cal tonight in the bar. I may have underrated the Cuse. From my vantage point it was tough to tell who was doing what (Wes J might have had 5 or 25 for all I know) but one thing I could tell is the Orange point guard situation is in much better shape than I anticipated. Scoop Jardine looked great (how could I doubt a guy named Scoop?), and this kid Brandon Triche looked really good as well. He's going to be a star in two years.
- Gophers now up 41-26. Much better. I feel now like I can relax, and just get ready to watch Ohio State beat the piss out of the Gay Heels. Seriously. You watch.
- Speaking of basketball, I'm sure you're dying for an update on my college basketball fantasy league. I won't post the whole draft list, you can find the earlier picks in some other posts, but here is an update since I last posted:
8.12 DWG - Damian Johnson, F, Minnesota
9.1 DWG - Edwin Ubiles, G/F, Siena
9.2 TLEF - TaJuan Porter, G, Oregon
9.3 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Rotnei Clarke, G, Arkansas
9.4 Saintfool - Theo Robertson, G/F, Cal
9.5 Aerial Assault - Matt Bouldin, G, Gonzaga
9.6 WuBanger - Jason Love, C, Xavier
9.7 Truck - Herb Pope, F, Seton Hall
9.8 Jeter23 - Austin Freeman, G, Georgetown
9.9 Tar Heel Boy - Mike Tisdale, C, Illinois
9.10 BasketballCoach - Avery Bradley, G, Texas
9.11 Tobias Funke - Armon Johnson, G, Nevada
9.12 Balco - Vernon Macklin, F/C, Florida
10.1 Balco - Elias Harris, F, Gonzaga
10.2 Tobias Funke - Michael Dunigan, C, Oregon
10.3 Basketball Coach - Klay Thompson, G, Washington St.
10.4 Tar Heel Boy - William Buford, G, Ohio St.
10.5 Jeter23 - Scotty Hopson, G, Tennessee
10.6 Truck - Malcolm Lee, G, UCLA
10.7 WuBanger - Durrell Summers, G, Michigan St.
10.8 Aerial Assault - Ekpe Udoh, F/C Baylor
10.9 Saintfool - Raymar Morgan, F, Michigan St.
10.10 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Bo Spencer, G, LSU
10.11 TLEF - Nolan Smith, G, Duke
10.12 DWG - Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier
11.1 DWG - Brandon Paul, G, Illinois
11.2 TLEF - Joe Trapani, F, Boston College
11.3 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Eric Boateng, C, Arizona State
11.4 Saintfool - Landon Milbourne, F, Maryland
11.5 Aerial Assault - Ryan Rossiter, F, Siena
11.6 WuBanger - Tyler Roche, F, Boston College
11.7 Truck - Jimmy Butler, G/F, Marquette
11.8 Jeter23 - Storm Warren, F, LSU
11.9 Tar Heel Boy - Mike Singletary, F, Texas Tech
11.10 BasketballCoach - DeWayne Reed, G, Auburn
11.11 Tobias Funke - Dee Bost, G, Mississippi St.
11.12 Balco - John Jenkins, F, Vanderbilt
12.1 Balco - Chandler Parsons, F, Florida
12.2 Tobias Funke - Derwin Kitchen, G, Florida State
12.3 Basketball Coach - Mike Davis, F, Illinois
12.4 Tar Heel Boy - Marcus Ginyard, G, North Carolina
12.5 Jeter23 - Marshall Moses, F, Oklahoma St.
12.6 Truck - John Roberson, G, Texas Tech.
12.7 WuBanger -
12.8 Aerial Assault -
12.9 Saintfool -
12.10 NotoriousTREJetBrit -
12.11 TLEF -
12.12 DWG -
That gives me a team of:
G: Chris Warren - Ole Miss, Nic Wise - Arizona, Deonta Vaughn - Cincy, Jordan Crawford - Xavier, Brandon Paul - Illinois
F: Luke Harangody - Notre Dame, Tyler Smith - Tennessee, Damian Johnson - Minnesota, Edwin Ubiles - Siena
C: JaJuan Johnson - Purdue, Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech
I like it. Coming up, I'm hoping to get Ralph Sampson and Courtney Fortson. Sampson is even more valuable since centers are such a commodity, I probably should have taken him last round. I'm nervous because not only because of the rare good centers thing, but because I know team NotoriousTREJetBrit is from Minnesota, and was not happy when I picked DJ. Hopefully Ralphie slips by them, I'm going to be heartbroken if I miss out on Ralph.
Fortson is a risk because he's suspended right now, and actually I haven't looked into exactly why and that's probably something I should investigate before I pick him. But on stats alone, he would have gone at least two rounds earlier and probably more like four. If he cuts down on turnovers he'd be a fantasy, and real life, star. I'm willing to risk it, since I'm very solid at guard.
- Just heard on ESPN2 "The Big Ten is the deepest conference in America" right as they go into Penn State highlights. Oops (although I do happen to agree with that sentiment, except maybe the Big 12). I have no doubt I will write about this further on Monday. That's right Penn State, you officially suck. To give you a quick preview, Penn State was a 12 point (or so, I don't remember exactly) favorite, and my instinct said to bet Wilmington. Then I researched Wilmington, and switched to Penn State because UNCW sounded THAT bad.
- Now with 9 minutes to go, it's just 51-43 Gophers. I think they were like a 26 point favorite. This is disappointing. And so is this Ohio State game. Kyle Madsen over Dallas Lauderdale? Why would you make that call, especially against UNC and Ed Davis and Deon Thompson? No Lauderdale is in at least, but if they can avoid playing Madsen the rest of the game, it would be a good move.
- Now 17-11 UNC. P.J. Hill just scored. Barf.
- I just went to get ice and now suddenly it's 26-11 North Carolina. My prediction of Ohio State as a final four sleeper is suddenly looking like my "JP Losman will have a breakout year" call.
- Wow, the Gophers somehow managed to win 76-51, and snacks reminds me that it was a -24.5 spread. WE WIN!
- Wonderbaby is freaking awesome, by the way, thanks for asking. She can now count to four, and she was advanced enough in her gymnastics thing to skip a whole class, and is now tumbling with three year olds. She's 19 months. Suck it, every other baby. And she even likes yard work.
And boy was I right about a long day. A scheduled eight-hour meeting just kept going and turned into a ten hour meeting, which meant there was no break before dinner. And wow. This was a 3.5 hour dinner, no joke. Everybody there had to order every course. First, we had to get appetizers for the entire table (calamari, prosciutto, grilled shrimp, eggplant, brie bruschetta, mozzarella), then salad (I had a ceasar), main course (cajun rib-eye, roasted squash, whipped potatoes - and that rib-eye was not cajun in the least), and then everyone just had to get desert (I almost got a port, but since I had to drive went with the creme brule). Then when I got to the hotel, I had emails waiting for me with questions that needed answering that night, so needless to say blogging was out of the question.
Tonight, however, I am on my own and the only thing I have to accomplish is getting on a shuttle to the airport at 9am tomorrow, so I can have a little time for just me and you, my old friend, just me and you. I had a nice simple dinner (bacon cheeseburger, onion rings) with a couple beers and a couple cocktails (vodka & tonic), and picked up a six-pack of Coors Light Silos on my way to the hotel. So let's see what we see, shan't we?
- For some reason the internet is telling me the Gophers are up just 32-24 at half against Utah Valley, which is less than encouraging. I almost tried to write a quick preview of the game last night, but when I was researching Utah Valley I realized it wasn't worth it because they are god awful. But now the Gophers are just up 8 at half. I know, thanks to texts from Snacks and Grandslam, that Westbrook is out because of food poisoning, and I know I said I thought he was heading for a "special" senior season, but come on. It's Utah Valley. I'm almost certain a roster of Terrance Simmons, Steve Esselink, David Grim, Travis Busch, and Kevin Loge could take these guys. I'm going to assume the second half is going to go much better.
- In more impressive news, I watched Syracuse kick the crap out of Cal tonight in the bar. I may have underrated the Cuse. From my vantage point it was tough to tell who was doing what (Wes J might have had 5 or 25 for all I know) but one thing I could tell is the Orange point guard situation is in much better shape than I anticipated. Scoop Jardine looked great (how could I doubt a guy named Scoop?), and this kid Brandon Triche looked really good as well. He's going to be a star in two years.
- Gophers now up 41-26. Much better. I feel now like I can relax, and just get ready to watch Ohio State beat the piss out of the Gay Heels. Seriously. You watch.
- Speaking of basketball, I'm sure you're dying for an update on my college basketball fantasy league. I won't post the whole draft list, you can find the earlier picks in some other posts, but here is an update since I last posted:
8.12 DWG - Damian Johnson, F, Minnesota
9.1 DWG - Edwin Ubiles, G/F, Siena
9.2 TLEF - TaJuan Porter, G, Oregon
9.3 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Rotnei Clarke, G, Arkansas
9.4 Saintfool - Theo Robertson, G/F, Cal
9.5 Aerial Assault - Matt Bouldin, G, Gonzaga
9.6 WuBanger - Jason Love, C, Xavier
9.7 Truck - Herb Pope, F, Seton Hall
9.8 Jeter23 - Austin Freeman, G, Georgetown
9.9 Tar Heel Boy - Mike Tisdale, C, Illinois
9.10 BasketballCoach - Avery Bradley, G, Texas
9.11 Tobias Funke - Armon Johnson, G, Nevada
9.12 Balco - Vernon Macklin, F/C, Florida
10.1 Balco - Elias Harris, F, Gonzaga
10.2 Tobias Funke - Michael Dunigan, C, Oregon
10.3 Basketball Coach - Klay Thompson, G, Washington St.
10.4 Tar Heel Boy - William Buford, G, Ohio St.
10.5 Jeter23 - Scotty Hopson, G, Tennessee
10.6 Truck - Malcolm Lee, G, UCLA
10.7 WuBanger - Durrell Summers, G, Michigan St.
10.8 Aerial Assault - Ekpe Udoh, F/C Baylor
10.9 Saintfool - Raymar Morgan, F, Michigan St.
10.10 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Bo Spencer, G, LSU
10.11 TLEF - Nolan Smith, G, Duke
10.12 DWG - Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier
11.1 DWG - Brandon Paul, G, Illinois
11.2 TLEF - Joe Trapani, F, Boston College
11.3 NotoriousTREJetBrit - Eric Boateng, C, Arizona State
11.4 Saintfool - Landon Milbourne, F, Maryland
11.5 Aerial Assault - Ryan Rossiter, F, Siena
11.6 WuBanger - Tyler Roche, F, Boston College
11.7 Truck - Jimmy Butler, G/F, Marquette
11.8 Jeter23 - Storm Warren, F, LSU
11.9 Tar Heel Boy - Mike Singletary, F, Texas Tech
11.10 BasketballCoach - DeWayne Reed, G, Auburn
11.11 Tobias Funke - Dee Bost, G, Mississippi St.
11.12 Balco - John Jenkins, F, Vanderbilt
12.1 Balco - Chandler Parsons, F, Florida
12.2 Tobias Funke - Derwin Kitchen, G, Florida State
12.3 Basketball Coach - Mike Davis, F, Illinois
12.4 Tar Heel Boy - Marcus Ginyard, G, North Carolina
12.5 Jeter23 - Marshall Moses, F, Oklahoma St.
12.6 Truck - John Roberson, G, Texas Tech.
12.7 WuBanger -
12.8 Aerial Assault -
12.9 Saintfool -
12.10 NotoriousTREJetBrit -
12.11 TLEF -
12.12 DWG -
That gives me a team of:
G: Chris Warren - Ole Miss, Nic Wise - Arizona, Deonta Vaughn - Cincy, Jordan Crawford - Xavier, Brandon Paul - Illinois
F: Luke Harangody - Notre Dame, Tyler Smith - Tennessee, Damian Johnson - Minnesota, Edwin Ubiles - Siena
C: JaJuan Johnson - Purdue, Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech
I like it. Coming up, I'm hoping to get Ralph Sampson and Courtney Fortson. Sampson is even more valuable since centers are such a commodity, I probably should have taken him last round. I'm nervous because not only because of the rare good centers thing, but because I know team NotoriousTREJetBrit is from Minnesota, and was not happy when I picked DJ. Hopefully Ralphie slips by them, I'm going to be heartbroken if I miss out on Ralph.
Fortson is a risk because he's suspended right now, and actually I haven't looked into exactly why and that's probably something I should investigate before I pick him. But on stats alone, he would have gone at least two rounds earlier and probably more like four. If he cuts down on turnovers he'd be a fantasy, and real life, star. I'm willing to risk it, since I'm very solid at guard.
- Just heard on ESPN2 "The Big Ten is the deepest conference in America" right as they go into Penn State highlights. Oops (although I do happen to agree with that sentiment, except maybe the Big 12). I have no doubt I will write about this further on Monday. That's right Penn State, you officially suck. To give you a quick preview, Penn State was a 12 point (or so, I don't remember exactly) favorite, and my instinct said to bet Wilmington. Then I researched Wilmington, and switched to Penn State because UNCW sounded THAT bad.
- Now with 9 minutes to go, it's just 51-43 Gophers. I think they were like a 26 point favorite. This is disappointing. And so is this Ohio State game. Kyle Madsen over Dallas Lauderdale? Why would you make that call, especially against UNC and Ed Davis and Deon Thompson? No Lauderdale is in at least, but if they can avoid playing Madsen the rest of the game, it would be a good move.
- Now 17-11 UNC. P.J. Hill just scored. Barf.
- I just went to get ice and now suddenly it's 26-11 North Carolina. My prediction of Ohio State as a final four sleeper is suddenly looking like my "JP Losman will have a breakout year" call.
- Wow, the Gophers somehow managed to win 76-51, and snacks reminds me that it was a -24.5 spread. WE WIN!
- Wonderbaby is freaking awesome, by the way, thanks for asking. She can now count to four, and she was advanced enough in her gymnastics thing to skip a whole class, and is now tumbling with three year olds. She's 19 months. Suck it, every other baby. And she even likes yard work.
I'm totally winning.
- You want to know something completely bizarre? Do you remember Shane Mack's season in 1994? Absolutely, undoubtedly, an unreal year. He hit .333/.402/.564 with 15 dingers and outstanding defense. He was 7th in both average and slugging that year, just off the top 10 in OBP, and was 8th in OPS.
- With Allen Iverson released by Memphis there seems to be some kind of movement to villify his career. Hogwash, I say. Iverson is without a doubt one of the best players in NBA history. Do you realize the best teammates he ever had were a mostly-washed up Dikembe Mutombo, Aaron McKie, and Eric Snow? He basically took that Sixers team that made the finals there single-handedly. I will grant you that at this stage of his career I can't see a good fit for him. He's clearly not happy taking a backseat to youth (as seen by making his way out of Memphis), and what good, contending team would he fit with (Chicago, maybe?), but make no mistake, this guy was one of the greats. If anybody ever goes on some "selfish" or "not a winner" rant, kindly bunch said person in the neck. If charges are pressed, I'll take the rap.
- Ohio State is depressing me. I'm about two seconds away from switching the NBA (*gasp*).
- Ok, nice try to keep me interested by Larry Drew. He gave a forearm shiver to noted douchebag P.J. Hill and absoultely flattened him on his dumb ass. I'll stick around for a while to see if anything comes of it. I feel like a hockey fan all of a sudden, but far less dumb.
- Far, far, far, far, far, far, far less.
- They just said Justin Watts hit a three. Since I've never heard of him, I'm switching to the NBA. Lakers/Bulls. Bulls ++9.5, OVER 195, and first quarter over 49.5. My Ohio State = Memphis call is just dumb now. Ohio State = Rice is more like it.
- Dear god these NBA guys are terrible, especially Derrick Rose. He can't shoot a jumper for shit, like, T.J. Ford style, and it's like he's too lazy or disinterested to get into the lane. He's on my fantasy team, and I was all like "Dude I have Rose" and "Derrick Rose is on my team, brah" and stuff, but now I'm just ashamed. I almost want to just break the TV so I don't watch any of these games.
- Ugh, these games are depressing. You know what's not depressing though (besides Audrina)? The NBDL draft, which I promised I would get to. So let's look.
- Nevermind for a minute, just got a text from snacks that OSU cut it to 2 with 11 seconds left. That is confirmed. Unreal. How does that happen? Kind of wish I had kept watching now.
- Well that was anti-climactic, and didn't cover the +2 either. Kind of wish I hadn't switched back over.
- Back to the NBDL - first overall pick, Carlos Powell. Second - Donell Taylor. Third - Deron Washington. Huh. this is a lot less fun than expected. I know Powell was either at Texas Tech or South Carolina, and I think Washington played for Arkansas or Mississippi or someone like that, but this is just lame. Let's just pick and choose a few highlights (or lowlights) instead, and go with my favorite pick of each round (they do 8 rounds of this garbage):
1st: Latavious Williams, high school. High school. How do you think that's working out? This is even more inexplicable since the NBA has that one-year in college rule. So did this guy think the NBDL was the path to fame and fortune? Did he sign somewhere but couldn't qualify for whatever reason and decided this was a better back up plan than JuCo? Honestly, I'd look it up but I'm pretty drunk. If you're bored at work - and you know damn well you are right now - you could go ahead and post any relevant info in the comments section below this post. RUNNER UP: JamesOn Curry. I'm 99% sure this guy has NBA experience already with the Bulls. Do they even have rules in this thing?
2nd: Mustafa Shakur, Arizona. Yep, pretty clear there are no rules. This guy was a second rate PG back in what I swear must have been the 90s for Arizona. Actually I just looked it up and he graduated in 2007, so who am I thinking of? Arizona has basically run a bevy of mediocre point guards through that program who get hyped because it's Arizona. They're pretty interchangeable. RUNNER UP: John Bryant, Santa Clara. If I had known Shakur wasn't whoever it is that I thought it is, this guy would be my choice. Being large and uncoordinated gets you riches these days? Actually, I guess Greg Ostertag perfected it. Did you know Mrs. W will see a large, uncoordinated white guy playing on a basketball team and say, "Is that their Ostertag?" True story.
3rd: Chris Lowe, UMASS. Not because it's a bad pick or anything, because Lowe was actually a pretty damn good point guard for the minutemen last year, and him being gone is a big reason why they're a big ball of suck now. The funny part is on the NBDL website they have no link to him. Yet they have links for Kevin Goffney, Sean Barnette, James Cripe, and Cecil Brown - guys I haven't even come close to knowing who they are. I'm not some expert (NOTE: I am), but four dudes I've never heard of get a link and no Chris Lowe? That ain't right. RUNNER UP: All those weirdos.
4th: Jason Richards, Davidson. Just stop. You know what I saw while watching basketball tonight? Gerry McNamara as a grad assistant on Jim Boeheim's bench. And that's awesome. Guess what white point guard guy? You aren't making the NBA. Take a page for G-Mac, and try to become a coach. Go the Jeff Capel route. It works. RUNNER UP: Leemire Goldwire. This is beyond weird.
5th: Shagari Alleyne, Kentucky. Remember when Kentucky, and I think it was Tubby, actually, recruited Alleyne and someone named like Lukasz Orbzut and they were both 7-2 and were going to be all twin tower and such? Nice plan. And this guy is still getting chances based on his height. Not fair, Jeff Hagen, not fair. RUNNER UP: Scooter McFagdon, whose name is funny, whose potential was unlimited, and whose disappointingness is complete. Also want to give a shout out to Joe Darger of UNLV here, whose name is nearly identical to a kid I knew in high school and never fails to make me giggle.
I just want to mention here that I went to go get a couple beers (NOTE: Silos running low) before the bar closed and on the elevator back up some cougar lady asked me "So what are you doing, want to go back down and get a drink?" I demurred. But I want to mention it here anyway.
6th: CJ Anderson, Xavier (via Manhattan). This guy WILL be in the NBA at some point. Maybe it's not for long, maybe it's a cup of coffee, but he will get a shot. You watch, I'm predicting he leads the NBDL in scoring, which I just realized I'm using as a high end compliment. Whatever. This dude is awesome. RUNNER UP: J'Nathan Bullock, somewhere. I know I've heard this name before, because it never fails to make me laugh, but I can't remember why right now. Seriously, why my parents didn't just name me J'Nathan will haunt me to my dying day.
Just realized my flight tomorrow is at 11:20, not 11:00. That's 20 extra minutes of sleep. Time to get more drunker.
7th: Garrison Carr, American. This guy was awesome for them. But was his career more, or less, successful than Tasheed Carr? That's one to think on. RUNNER UP: Rodney Alexander, no clue. I don't know who this is, but that's a hell of an NBA name.
8th: Lawrence McKenzie, Minnesota. You probably know who this is. Hey, whatever works. No doubt he'll grind out a career in Europe making more than I could possibly dream of by playing basketball. I do have a hint for him: look to New Zealand, it seems any mediocre former Gopher can make a nice living over there. Plus, outside the Aborigines, he'd probably be the only black dude over there, and that's got to be an advantage. RUNNER UP: A.J. Ratliff, Indiana. Senior Year = 1.7 pts, 1.3 rebs, 0.6 assists per game. This folks, is the NBDL.
- Lastly I want to close with something snacks sent me since apparently he doesn't do any work. This here from Peter Gammons, the jesus of baseball analysts (sorry Aaron). He mentions that Joe Mauer hit just one infield popup the entire season. Sound ridiculouly hyperbolic? Well, he is wrong. Mauer actually hit two. That means he popped up 1.5% of the time, fourth best in major league baseball (behind ryan howard, derek jeter - puke, and joey votto - stud). I find the fact that we are privy to this info fascinating. Common DWG whipping boy/stud, depending on who you ask, was 9th at 2.1%, pretty good. But I know what you're waiting for, you want to know Twins, don't you you provincial son of a bitch?
Well, I know one guy who is going to enjoy this, but guess who was fifth worst in the majors in popping up?
It was Mike Cuddyer. He popped up 15.5% of the time. That is awful. But let's look at something a little more for just a minute. Let's assume that all fly balls and ground balls at least have a chance at getting the team closer to scoring a run, where popups and strikeouts don't. Cuddy also strikes out 20% of the time. That means that 36% of the time he is at the plate, his results have no chance of doing anything good. That seems high. this feels like the kind of thing I should research further, so somebody remind me because I'm going to bed.
I really hate New jersey.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
March to a Title, Game III
I’m here with Mrs. W, Snacks, and my parents as we get ready to watch the Gophers take the next step to winning the Big Ten tournament. I don’t currently have internet access for a bit, so I’m typing this on Word. I’m so old school. Let the March to a TitleTM continue. Eat it Illini.
19:46 – This is going to be difficult, with all the womanly chitter chatter coming from Mrs. W and my mother.
17:56 - Snacks, “That Pruitt guy sucks. He’s just big and fat, but we can’t handle him.”
17:13 – There’s really no reason the Gophers shouldn’t beat Illinois. They’re a terrible team. McCamey sucks, Pruitt sucks, Randle sucks, Frazier sucks.
16:08 – Jesus, talk about coming out flat. It’s like they just assume that they’re a team of destiny. They are, but they still have to, you know, try.
15:02 – Hoff with a steal. What a stud. Well, they basically dropped it right into his lap, but he’s still a stud.
14:24 – Hey, Spencer’s back. I don’t think this is good news. We hit the first timeout, Illini up 7-4.
13:26 – Spencer playing tough. He’s terrible, but he’s trying hard. Kind of like the fat kid in gym class.
13:25 – Gophers 1 for 6 on free throws thus far. This bodes well.
12:26 – Awful. They don’t want to win.
12:24 – Busch gets lost guarding Brock so badly we have to rewind the Tivo so we can laugh at him.
10:59 – I can barely even watch this shit, must less type about it. 13-5 Illini. The Big Ten should be disbanded.
9:36 – Oh, and my mom called Hoffarber “Hoffacre” earlier.
8:46 – They have no answer for the Illini’s height.
8:11 – Snacks calling for the “McKenzie shoots a three every time down the court” offense. He claims it’s the Gophers’ most effective offense. I have to say I agree.
7:52 – This blog is boring because I’m sober.
6:38 – Michigan State and Ohio State go to the Big East. Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue to the Big Twelve. Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois to the MAC. Penn State to the MAAC. Iowa to the Missouri Valley. Northwestern’s entire basketball program is completely disbanded and barred from competition. Everybody wins.
4:22 – I start paying attention again in time to see Travis Busch jump a whole 6 inches for a rebound. Yes, we rewound Tivo to watch it again. 23-17 Illini.
2:46 – This game is making me angry. Angry and tired. And bored.
1:25 – Seeing as Shamala has one skill, and one skill only, why would he pass up an open three to pass it back to the point? Once again, the team continues to prove it’s dumb as all hell.
0:00 – 29-23 Illini lead and the half. I’m a little upset that Hoff made that shot last night now, seeing as how we have to watch this disgustingness.
0:00 - Oh yeah, I have the internet again. Huzzah for modern technology!
19:42 - Shawn (Shaun? Shan? Shawon? Sean?) Pruitt reminds me of LenDale White. A big fatass, but surprisingly effective.
16:28 - Getting killed on the o-boards. Why do I even watch this team? I might as well take a run at a brick wall head first.
14:36 - Five second call against Westbrook. F'ing fantastic. Worst. Team. Ever.
13:42 - They interview Tony Dungy, but I have no idea what he's saying because somebody here won't stop talking ever.
11:58 - Jon Williams hits from sixteen to tie the game? We have 32-32, momentum on the Gophers side, McKenzie starting to heat up, Meachem being shut down, things are turning in the right direction.
10:09 - Four fouls on Westbrook. This is very bad news. He's pretty much one of two players on the team who can reliably score.
9:20 - Nevermind all that rah rah crap. The Illini decided to start playing defense, which has the Gophers baffled, and have run out to a seven point lead 39-32, and it isn't even that close right now.
6:55 - Illinois is 11-13 from the line thus far. What kind of crap is that? This team is one of the worst FT shooting teams in the country, but they decide to go 11-13 this game? Maybe this means that when they have the lead in the last minute they'll miss all their free throws and we'll get another miracle victory.
6:51 - Hoff with an old fashioned three point play to cut it to 3. I didn't know he shot two pointers.
6:36 - Yeah, Illinois is ranked 332nd in the country in free throw percentage at 60.6%. Randle hits only 1 of 2, so maybe they'll start missing.
6:10 - McKenzie finds Williams for an easy dunk. Except that he knocks the pass out of bounds, despite having no Illinois player within 10 feet of him. Nice job, ass.
4:23 - from 4:50 until 4:23 the Gophers' entire offense consisted of Al Nolen dribbling. Right, left, then a drive. 27 straight seconds of Nolen dribbling. I'm going to go ahead and call this one over. The dream is dead.
3:54 - Coleman fouls out. This might be a good thing, seeing as how he's done virtually nothing all game.
3:50 - Shaun Pruitt, 6-7 on free throws today. For the season he's at 56%. Ridiculous. Illinois now up 8. I'm depressed.
2:30 - Gophers down 10. I'm done with this.
19:46 – This is going to be difficult, with all the womanly chitter chatter coming from Mrs. W and my mother.
17:56 - Snacks, “That Pruitt guy sucks. He’s just big and fat, but we can’t handle him.”
17:13 – There’s really no reason the Gophers shouldn’t beat Illinois. They’re a terrible team. McCamey sucks, Pruitt sucks, Randle sucks, Frazier sucks.
16:08 – Jesus, talk about coming out flat. It’s like they just assume that they’re a team of destiny. They are, but they still have to, you know, try.
15:02 – Hoff with a steal. What a stud. Well, they basically dropped it right into his lap, but he’s still a stud.
14:24 – Hey, Spencer’s back. I don’t think this is good news. We hit the first timeout, Illini up 7-4.
13:26 – Spencer playing tough. He’s terrible, but he’s trying hard. Kind of like the fat kid in gym class.
13:25 – Gophers 1 for 6 on free throws thus far. This bodes well.
12:26 – Awful. They don’t want to win.
12:24 – Busch gets lost guarding Brock so badly we have to rewind the Tivo so we can laugh at him.
10:59 – I can barely even watch this shit, must less type about it. 13-5 Illini. The Big Ten should be disbanded.
9:36 – Oh, and my mom called Hoffarber “Hoffacre” earlier.
8:46 – They have no answer for the Illini’s height.
8:11 – Snacks calling for the “McKenzie shoots a three every time down the court” offense. He claims it’s the Gophers’ most effective offense. I have to say I agree.
7:52 – This blog is boring because I’m sober.
6:38 – Michigan State and Ohio State go to the Big East. Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue to the Big Twelve. Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois to the MAC. Penn State to the MAAC. Iowa to the Missouri Valley. Northwestern’s entire basketball program is completely disbanded and barred from competition. Everybody wins.
4:22 – I start paying attention again in time to see Travis Busch jump a whole 6 inches for a rebound. Yes, we rewound Tivo to watch it again. 23-17 Illini.
2:46 – This game is making me angry. Angry and tired. And bored.
1:25 – Seeing as Shamala has one skill, and one skill only, why would he pass up an open three to pass it back to the point? Once again, the team continues to prove it’s dumb as all hell.
0:00 – 29-23 Illini lead and the half. I’m a little upset that Hoff made that shot last night now, seeing as how we have to watch this disgustingness.
0:00 - Oh yeah, I have the internet again. Huzzah for modern technology!
19:42 - Shawn (Shaun? Shan? Shawon? Sean?) Pruitt reminds me of LenDale White. A big fatass, but surprisingly effective.
16:28 - Getting killed on the o-boards. Why do I even watch this team? I might as well take a run at a brick wall head first.
14:36 - Five second call against Westbrook. F'ing fantastic. Worst. Team. Ever.
13:42 - They interview Tony Dungy, but I have no idea what he's saying because somebody here won't stop talking ever.
11:58 - Jon Williams hits from sixteen to tie the game? We have 32-32, momentum on the Gophers side, McKenzie starting to heat up, Meachem being shut down, things are turning in the right direction.
10:09 - Four fouls on Westbrook. This is very bad news. He's pretty much one of two players on the team who can reliably score.
9:20 - Nevermind all that rah rah crap. The Illini decided to start playing defense, which has the Gophers baffled, and have run out to a seven point lead 39-32, and it isn't even that close right now.
6:55 - Illinois is 11-13 from the line thus far. What kind of crap is that? This team is one of the worst FT shooting teams in the country, but they decide to go 11-13 this game? Maybe this means that when they have the lead in the last minute they'll miss all their free throws and we'll get another miracle victory.
6:51 - Hoff with an old fashioned three point play to cut it to 3. I didn't know he shot two pointers.
6:36 - Yeah, Illinois is ranked 332nd in the country in free throw percentage at 60.6%. Randle hits only 1 of 2, so maybe they'll start missing.
6:10 - McKenzie finds Williams for an easy dunk. Except that he knocks the pass out of bounds, despite having no Illinois player within 10 feet of him. Nice job, ass.
4:23 - from 4:50 until 4:23 the Gophers' entire offense consisted of Al Nolen dribbling. Right, left, then a drive. 27 straight seconds of Nolen dribbling. I'm going to go ahead and call this one over. The dream is dead.
3:54 - Coleman fouls out. This might be a good thing, seeing as how he's done virtually nothing all game.
3:50 - Shaun Pruitt, 6-7 on free throws today. For the season he's at 56%. Ridiculous. Illinois now up 8. I'm depressed.
2:30 - Gophers down 10. I'm done with this.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Gophers vs. Hoosiers (taped)
So I already know what happened in the Gopher game, they lost by like 15, but I had to kind of sort of watch it at the bar since I was busy drinking and sucking at Golden Tee. Luckily, the Big Ten network was kind enough to replay the game at 11 tonight, and since I have more beers and don't feel like sleepy time, I'm going to watch it and write things that may or may not be interesting.
I seriously can't believe the whole "forget Royce White" attitude. I really can't. I honestly can't relate to the "let's stop recruiting him because he cheated" group. It's such a minor offense, I don't understand why we'd need to write him off. Congratulations all of you who feel this way, because even if Tubby would take him (and he should) I would be willing to bet he won't come here now. Good work. And people call me negative.
Pregame - So Dan Coleman is 33 points away from 1,000 in his career. What do you play, around 30 games a year? So in four years, that's a less than 10 point per game average to get to 1,000. Congratulations?
18:58 - McKenzie called for a carry. For the one hundredth time this year. You'd think he'd figure that out.
17:49 - Excellent turnaround for Coleman. He really could be so much better than he is. All the tools are there.
17:05 - Another McKenzie turnover. If he wasn't the only offensive option on this team, I'd say bench him.
15:24 - Had one of our biggest traffic days ever today (about a PJS average day). I guess this whole Royce White thing is a pretty big deal.
14:24 - DJ White just destroys Spencer to get an offensive rebound and a put back. It's just not fair.
13:49 - I'm ok with McKenzie taking a shot from anywhere at any time. We tried the whole "distributor thing." It didn't work
13:38 - Holy crap - great block by Coleman on White. That makes it White 277, Coleman 2 over the last four years.
12:54 - This would be alot more fun if I didn't know what was going to happen. Also, I happened to catch some of the Twins/yankees preseason game this afternoon. Kevin Slowey started and gave up 3 runs in 2 innings. Also, Brendan Harris, our new second baseman (or Brandon, not sure) had two ground balls he dove for, one to the left and one to the right, and didn't get a glove on either of them. And Carlos Gomez misplayed a flyball which he turned into a double, and then tried to throw home for a play at the plate and threw it into the dugout. They don't look good.
11:48 - Tonights trivia question "which former hoosier holds the big ten freshman scoring record?" I'm gonna go with Calbert Cheaney.
10:32- If nothing else, they're making them work for shots. Also, if the Wolves end up with Eric Gordon I'll kill myself. Not really, but that would suck.
8:42 - Jon Williams scores with a very nice move on the block. Is there hope? I kind of doubt it, but every so often he shows some glimpses. Plus anybody who can swat the ball Antoine Broxsie style is ok in my book.
8:01 - Blake Hoffbauer: 182 field goals attempted, 138 from three. Jesus Christ, Rickert, it's ok to step inside the line once in a while.
7:09 - Seriously, Eric Gordon is just not very smart with the basketball. The Gophers (who are very good at this) turned him over 7 times last game, and he has several already this game.
6:18 - 48.4% of Butlers field goal attempts this year are from three. Wow. Just amazing. They are either ripe for an upset or are ready to rip through the tournament.
5:40 - J Williams just airballed a free throw.
4:25 - Eric Gordon averages 2.5 assists per game. 2.5. 2 point five. You know who averages more than that in the Big Ten? Everybody. That's god awful for a point guard, especially an "All-American" type.
3:52 - Dan Coleman is the 233rd biggest ball hog in the country, taking 27.4% of the team's shots when he's on the court. The biggest? Charron Fisher of Niagara, at 38.9%. Interestingness? Stephen Curry of Davidson at 35.4%, OJ Mayo at 34.7%, and Luke Harangody at 34.9%. Biggest ballhog in the Big Ten is Kosta Koufos at 31.8%. I was shocked too.
1:40 - Dan Coleman knocks down a three, making him 3-18 on the year. I don't know why Tubby made him stop shooting the three. He shot 34%, 35%, and 28% the last three years. Not great, but I don't know that it's "stop shooting" territory. It's not like it's Rickert.
0:00 - I still can't believe DJ White hit that shot. What a dick. Also, the fact that it's his first career three pointer does not bode well for his NBA career. Currently projected as the 21st pick in the first round, if you're curious. Over a full round earlier than Rick Rickert.
0:00 - My new favorite stat is Assist Rate. This is the percentage of possessions a player gets an assist when a team scores when he is on the floor. Darrell Jenkins of East Carolina leads the country, as 47.8% of his teams field goals come from an assist from him if he's on the court. That's sick. Jamar Butler leads the Big Ten at 34.6%. Leading Gopher is Al Nolen at 28%.
18:20 - three hoosier offensive rebounds to start the half. Awesome. I can't wait to pick against Indiana in the first round, by the way.
17:22 - Dan Coleman hits another three. See, I told you. Stupid Tubby.
15:09 - That is a horrible, horrible charge called on Coleman. And I'm pretty much the last one to mention bad calls.
14:35 - Out of beer. Switching to scotch. NOTE: This is not a good idea.
12:48 - I somehow manages to get my best tie (dry clean only) into the wash and it is now ruined. This sucks more than I can even begin to tell you.
10:38 - Jesus does Al Nolen show some really, really solid flashes sometimes. I have to admit, I'm very excited to see what he does the next few years. No Whammies.
8:50 - McKenzie drains threes on two possessions and I've now decided I'm blaming this season on him and his "trying to be a point guard to show the NBA people 'see, I can be a point guard' when in reality he's a shooting guard with a CBA future."
8:18 - We have a 47-46 Minnesota lead. I believe it's somewhere around here the wheels come off.
0:00 - Wow, what a god damned surprise. The Gophers hang with a superior team for about 33 minutes, and then get their doors completely blown off. I can hardly believe it.
I seriously can't believe the whole "forget Royce White" attitude. I really can't. I honestly can't relate to the "let's stop recruiting him because he cheated" group. It's such a minor offense, I don't understand why we'd need to write him off. Congratulations all of you who feel this way, because even if Tubby would take him (and he should) I would be willing to bet he won't come here now. Good work. And people call me negative.
Pregame - So Dan Coleman is 33 points away from 1,000 in his career. What do you play, around 30 games a year? So in four years, that's a less than 10 point per game average to get to 1,000. Congratulations?
18:58 - McKenzie called for a carry. For the one hundredth time this year. You'd think he'd figure that out.
17:49 - Excellent turnaround for Coleman. He really could be so much better than he is. All the tools are there.
17:05 - Another McKenzie turnover. If he wasn't the only offensive option on this team, I'd say bench him.
15:24 - Had one of our biggest traffic days ever today (about a PJS average day). I guess this whole Royce White thing is a pretty big deal.
14:24 - DJ White just destroys Spencer to get an offensive rebound and a put back. It's just not fair.
13:49 - I'm ok with McKenzie taking a shot from anywhere at any time. We tried the whole "distributor thing." It didn't work
13:38 - Holy crap - great block by Coleman on White. That makes it White 277, Coleman 2 over the last four years.
12:54 - This would be alot more fun if I didn't know what was going to happen. Also, I happened to catch some of the Twins/yankees preseason game this afternoon. Kevin Slowey started and gave up 3 runs in 2 innings. Also, Brendan Harris, our new second baseman (or Brandon, not sure) had two ground balls he dove for, one to the left and one to the right, and didn't get a glove on either of them. And Carlos Gomez misplayed a flyball which he turned into a double, and then tried to throw home for a play at the plate and threw it into the dugout. They don't look good.
11:48 - Tonights trivia question "which former hoosier holds the big ten freshman scoring record?" I'm gonna go with Calbert Cheaney.
10:32- If nothing else, they're making them work for shots. Also, if the Wolves end up with Eric Gordon I'll kill myself. Not really, but that would suck.
8:42 - Jon Williams scores with a very nice move on the block. Is there hope? I kind of doubt it, but every so often he shows some glimpses. Plus anybody who can swat the ball Antoine Broxsie style is ok in my book.
8:01 - Blake Hoffbauer: 182 field goals attempted, 138 from three. Jesus Christ, Rickert, it's ok to step inside the line once in a while.
7:09 - Seriously, Eric Gordon is just not very smart with the basketball. The Gophers (who are very good at this) turned him over 7 times last game, and he has several already this game.
6:18 - 48.4% of Butlers field goal attempts this year are from three. Wow. Just amazing. They are either ripe for an upset or are ready to rip through the tournament.
5:40 - J Williams just airballed a free throw.
4:25 - Eric Gordon averages 2.5 assists per game. 2.5. 2 point five. You know who averages more than that in the Big Ten? Everybody. That's god awful for a point guard, especially an "All-American" type.
3:52 - Dan Coleman is the 233rd biggest ball hog in the country, taking 27.4% of the team's shots when he's on the court. The biggest? Charron Fisher of Niagara, at 38.9%. Interestingness? Stephen Curry of Davidson at 35.4%, OJ Mayo at 34.7%, and Luke Harangody at 34.9%. Biggest ballhog in the Big Ten is Kosta Koufos at 31.8%. I was shocked too.
1:40 - Dan Coleman knocks down a three, making him 3-18 on the year. I don't know why Tubby made him stop shooting the three. He shot 34%, 35%, and 28% the last three years. Not great, but I don't know that it's "stop shooting" territory. It's not like it's Rickert.
0:00 - I still can't believe DJ White hit that shot. What a dick. Also, the fact that it's his first career three pointer does not bode well for his NBA career. Currently projected as the 21st pick in the first round, if you're curious. Over a full round earlier than Rick Rickert.
0:00 - My new favorite stat is Assist Rate. This is the percentage of possessions a player gets an assist when a team scores when he is on the floor. Darrell Jenkins of East Carolina leads the country, as 47.8% of his teams field goals come from an assist from him if he's on the court. That's sick. Jamar Butler leads the Big Ten at 34.6%. Leading Gopher is Al Nolen at 28%.
18:20 - three hoosier offensive rebounds to start the half. Awesome. I can't wait to pick against Indiana in the first round, by the way.
17:22 - Dan Coleman hits another three. See, I told you. Stupid Tubby.
15:09 - That is a horrible, horrible charge called on Coleman. And I'm pretty much the last one to mention bad calls.
14:35 - Out of beer. Switching to scotch. NOTE: This is not a good idea.
12:48 - I somehow manages to get my best tie (dry clean only) into the wash and it is now ruined. This sucks more than I can even begin to tell you.
10:38 - Jesus does Al Nolen show some really, really solid flashes sometimes. I have to admit, I'm very excited to see what he does the next few years. No Whammies.
8:50 - McKenzie drains threes on two possessions and I've now decided I'm blaming this season on him and his "trying to be a point guard to show the NBA people 'see, I can be a point guard' when in reality he's a shooting guard with a CBA future."
8:18 - We have a 47-46 Minnesota lead. I believe it's somewhere around here the wheels come off.
0:00 - Wow, what a god damned surprise. The Gophers hang with a superior team for about 33 minutes, and then get their doors completely blown off. I can hardly believe it.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Gophers, Michael Clayton suck
I've been trying all last night and this morning to muster up the energy to write about how the Gophers suck, and I'm really having trouble caring anymore. When Spencer Tollackson is your most effective player, why even bother?
After a solid first half, the team completely fell apart. Dan Coleman had an excellent first half, actually being aggressive and showing as if maybe, with a whole four games left in his career, he would finally tap his potential. I mean, I saw him play tough defense and box out IN THE SAME GAME. It was like, whoa.
Alas, it was not meant to be, as he reverted back to invisible Dan the second half, scoring only two points, not boxing out, and generally looking lost. Chris Kramer stole the ball and was heading down court for a layup, with only DC back, and instead of sprinting to get ahead of him and play actual defense, he jogged at the same pace as Kramer so he could try to go for the tomahawk block from behind. It's dumb crap like that which has bugged me all year.
I know the team isn't physically up to playing with the big boys, and I know that going into Purdue pretty much wasn't a winnable game anyway, but it's the stupidity and the laziness and the lack of passion that drives me crazy. Yes, they scrap and they play tough defense (some of them) and they "don't give up", but they do some many stupid things and play such lazy defense at times that they often put themselves into "don't give up" situations that they don't need to.
I'm just really frustrated right now. And I think Lawrence McKenzie might be certifiably crazy.
Also, here's a movie review for you. Michael Clayton is boring. The story is pretty decent, but it's like the decided to take the slowest, boringest way possible to tell it. And how the hell did Tilda Swinton win an Oscar for that garbage? She's on screen for all of like, ten minutes total. Overall a pretty damn big snoozefest.
And here's a real picture of Summer Roberts (and I've probably seen every episode of the OC and I don't care who knows it).
Notre Dame +8 @ Louisville (W)
Maryland +2 @ Wake Forest (W)
Wright State +12 @ Butler (W)
Arizona -5 vs. USC (L)
Michigan State +5.5 @ Wisconsin (L)
UCLA -6 @ Arizona State
California +4 vs. Washington State
Northern Arizona -6 vs. Weber State (L)
Mich St/Wisconsin UNDER 124 (W)
UCLA/ASU OVER 125
LA Tech/Utah St OVER 135.5
Arkansas State -3.5 vs. UL-Monroe (W)
Yesterday: 5-5
Season: 360-341
After a solid first half, the team completely fell apart. Dan Coleman had an excellent first half, actually being aggressive and showing as if maybe, with a whole four games left in his career, he would finally tap his potential. I mean, I saw him play tough defense and box out IN THE SAME GAME. It was like, whoa.
Alas, it was not meant to be, as he reverted back to invisible Dan the second half, scoring only two points, not boxing out, and generally looking lost. Chris Kramer stole the ball and was heading down court for a layup, with only DC back, and instead of sprinting to get ahead of him and play actual defense, he jogged at the same pace as Kramer so he could try to go for the tomahawk block from behind. It's dumb crap like that which has bugged me all year.
I know the team isn't physically up to playing with the big boys, and I know that going into Purdue pretty much wasn't a winnable game anyway, but it's the stupidity and the laziness and the lack of passion that drives me crazy. Yes, they scrap and they play tough defense (some of them) and they "don't give up", but they do some many stupid things and play such lazy defense at times that they often put themselves into "don't give up" situations that they don't need to.
I'm just really frustrated right now. And I think Lawrence McKenzie might be certifiably crazy.
Also, here's a movie review for you. Michael Clayton is boring. The story is pretty decent, but it's like the decided to take the slowest, boringest way possible to tell it. And how the hell did Tilda Swinton win an Oscar for that garbage? She's on screen for all of like, ten minutes total. Overall a pretty damn big snoozefest.
And here's a real picture of Summer Roberts (and I've probably seen every episode of the OC and I don't care who knows it).
Notre Dame +8 @ Louisville (W)
Maryland +2 @ Wake Forest (W)
Wright State +12 @ Butler (W)
Arizona -5 vs. USC (L)
Michigan State +5.5 @ Wisconsin (L)
UCLA -6 @ Arizona State
California +4 vs. Washington State
Northern Arizona -6 vs. Weber State (L)
Mich St/Wisconsin UNDER 124 (W)
UCLA/ASU OVER 125
LA Tech/Utah St OVER 135.5
Arkansas State -3.5 vs. UL-Monroe (W)
Yesterday: 5-5
Season: 360-341
Friday, February 22, 2008
Can it be next year now?
Can nine good minutes wipe out 31 minutes of crap? I say no.
The Gophers won, but it was ugly, and not a good game. Plus, it was Michigan. Yes, Michigan had won three straight, including a win over Ohio State, but they're still the Wolverines. The only bright spot I can even think of was Lawrence McKenzie, who essentially won the game for the Gophers. He ended up with 26 points on 9-13 shooting, including 7-10 from three, and really played an excellent all around game, despite four turnovers. And it's a damn good thing he was there, because every other part of the game last night was crap. Really, really ugly.
Turnovers: Some of the most absurdly stupid decisions ever, as well as some piss poor execution. Dan Coleman continues to baffle me. He let yet another easy pass slip through his hands which would have led to an easy layup. Damian Johnson had a rebound bounce off his hands and go out of bounds. Seventeen total turnovers against a team that is terrible at turning people over, ranking 233rd in the country in that stat. Just a horrible job taking care of the ball.
Rebounding: Offensive rebounds for Michigan kept them in the game, as the Gophers didn't have the hustle, effort, or fundamentals to keep them off the boards. Ekpe Udoh did a hell of a Rodman impersonation, coming away with 7 offensive boards and only 4 points. The Wolverines ended up with 18 offensive rebounds, coming away with one on 38% of their missed shots.
Offense: Essentially consisted of everyone standing around watching the guards launch three pointers. They ended up with 24 three point attempts and 23 two point attmepts. Now, it worked this time, as they shot 51% overall and 42% from three, but this is not the way to go about your business. Thank God for McKenzie, because without him the rest of the team went only 3-14 from the arc. The sad thing is, I don't even know if I can complain about this, because what the hell else are they going to do. Coleman was once again nowhere to be found, hiding in a hole somewhere. Spencer continues to be Spencer. Bursts of energy and scoring mixed into a mostly pedestrian game. When he knocked down that miracle three pointer, the guy announcing the game said, "That's his game, he's a face up shooter." Um. No he's not. Not even a little bit. The scariest part of the night was when Tubby threw out a lineup of DJ, Hoffbauer, Shamala, J-Williams, and Payton. That's completely terrifying. Who wins in a scrimmage: Those five, or a team of Archambeau, Ryan Wolf, Jim Shikenjanski, Bob Martin, and Kevin Nathaniel? Someone should set that up.
Defense: The numbers end up looking ok here, but that's basically due to the fact that Michigan shoots like your average half-time contestant from the student section. They seriously had open shot after open shot and were just tossing bricks up there. It was like a high school wrestling team at open gym (it's a known fact wrestlers can't shoot). Michigan ended up shooting only 32% and 19% from three (this was deflated by end of game desperation heaves), but if you saw the game, you couldn't help but notice how open Michigan was nearly the entire game. Add in a completely ineffective press that was mercifully pulled off before the game got out of hand, and this was not the team's best defensive effort.
Seriously, this game was brutal. Against a good team, the Gophers lose by 30.
Oh, and Mrs. W had a good question. If Williams Arena is the Barn, how can the stupid section be the Barnyard? It's in the Barn. Not outside. In her words, "That's really stupid."
Lastly, a quick non-Gopher topic is that Arizona has gone ahead and gotten themselves right in a bad place after losing at Washington last night. A very good team, they have now fallen to 16-9 overall, and 6-7 in the Pac 10. They still have the #1 strength of schedule and are 18th in the RPI, but can't keep losing winnable games. They have five games left, but two of those are at Washington State and at UCLA. Arizona might end up being left out of the tournament, and that would be a shame.
The Gophers won, but it was ugly, and not a good game. Plus, it was Michigan. Yes, Michigan had won three straight, including a win over Ohio State, but they're still the Wolverines. The only bright spot I can even think of was Lawrence McKenzie, who essentially won the game for the Gophers. He ended up with 26 points on 9-13 shooting, including 7-10 from three, and really played an excellent all around game, despite four turnovers. And it's a damn good thing he was there, because every other part of the game last night was crap. Really, really ugly.
Turnovers: Some of the most absurdly stupid decisions ever, as well as some piss poor execution. Dan Coleman continues to baffle me. He let yet another easy pass slip through his hands which would have led to an easy layup. Damian Johnson had a rebound bounce off his hands and go out of bounds. Seventeen total turnovers against a team that is terrible at turning people over, ranking 233rd in the country in that stat. Just a horrible job taking care of the ball.
Rebounding: Offensive rebounds for Michigan kept them in the game, as the Gophers didn't have the hustle, effort, or fundamentals to keep them off the boards. Ekpe Udoh did a hell of a Rodman impersonation, coming away with 7 offensive boards and only 4 points. The Wolverines ended up with 18 offensive rebounds, coming away with one on 38% of their missed shots.
Offense: Essentially consisted of everyone standing around watching the guards launch three pointers. They ended up with 24 three point attempts and 23 two point attmepts. Now, it worked this time, as they shot 51% overall and 42% from three, but this is not the way to go about your business. Thank God for McKenzie, because without him the rest of the team went only 3-14 from the arc. The sad thing is, I don't even know if I can complain about this, because what the hell else are they going to do. Coleman was once again nowhere to be found, hiding in a hole somewhere. Spencer continues to be Spencer. Bursts of energy and scoring mixed into a mostly pedestrian game. When he knocked down that miracle three pointer, the guy announcing the game said, "That's his game, he's a face up shooter." Um. No he's not. Not even a little bit. The scariest part of the night was when Tubby threw out a lineup of DJ, Hoffbauer, Shamala, J-Williams, and Payton. That's completely terrifying. Who wins in a scrimmage: Those five, or a team of Archambeau, Ryan Wolf, Jim Shikenjanski, Bob Martin, and Kevin Nathaniel? Someone should set that up.
Defense: The numbers end up looking ok here, but that's basically due to the fact that Michigan shoots like your average half-time contestant from the student section. They seriously had open shot after open shot and were just tossing bricks up there. It was like a high school wrestling team at open gym (it's a known fact wrestlers can't shoot). Michigan ended up shooting only 32% and 19% from three (this was deflated by end of game desperation heaves), but if you saw the game, you couldn't help but notice how open Michigan was nearly the entire game. Add in a completely ineffective press that was mercifully pulled off before the game got out of hand, and this was not the team's best defensive effort.
Seriously, this game was brutal. Against a good team, the Gophers lose by 30.
Oh, and Mrs. W had a good question. If Williams Arena is the Barn, how can the stupid section be the Barnyard? It's in the Barn. Not outside. In her words, "That's really stupid."
Lastly, a quick non-Gopher topic is that Arizona has gone ahead and gotten themselves right in a bad place after losing at Washington last night. A very good team, they have now fallen to 16-9 overall, and 6-7 in the Pac 10. They still have the #1 strength of schedule and are 18th in the RPI, but can't keep losing winnable games. They have five games left, but two of those are at Washington State and at UCLA. Arizona might end up being left out of the tournament, and that would be a shame.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Stupid Gophers
After a pretty good first half which saw the Gophers trailing Wisconsin 27-26, they fell apart in the second, ultimately losing 65-56.
Ok, fell apart might be a bit strong, but they essentially turned their offense into the three guards (Westbrook, McKenzie, and Nolen) running around the three point line until one of them got "open" for a three pointer. I'd be more critical, but every time a guard penetrated and dished, whichever Gopher big man was the recipient of the pass would either let it go through his hands (DJ) or miss the layup/dunk (Williams). It was to the point where BTN even did a montage of all the easy shots missed by the Gophers. Incredibly frustrating.
The defense fell apart in the second half, as Wisconsin was pretty much able to get to the rim whenever they wanted. Luckily, they weren't shooting the ball well either, and Minnesota had opportunities to make a move but wasn't able to capitalize.
They played tough, and every time Wisconsin seemed to be ready to take control had an answer - up until about the four minute mark.
The Good:
Might have been Lawrence McKenzie's best game. Seemed to finally find that balance between scorer and game manager. Attacked and shot the ball when needed, and penetrated and got the ball to open players when it was available. Excellent game.
The Bad:
Dan Coleman decided once again not to show up in a big game. Finished with 10 points, but five came in the last minute when the game was already decided. If you just watch him he appears lost at times. Landry abused him every time he got the ball on the block, and I saw Butch miss a shot, and rather than block out Coleman just wandered away, letting the rebound come right to Butch and leading to an easy layup. Additionally, when the Badgers scored with 6 second left in the first half, Coleman was closest to the ball and instead of hurrying to get it in to try to get a good shot at the end of the half, he just walked to the ball while the clock continued to run. He's a senior with some talent, and his head is turning him into the most average of the average. He drives me crazy.
The Ugly:
Jon Williams. Forced to play a lot of minutes by Tollackson's foul trouble and Wisconsin's size, and now has me praying Sampson and Iverson can play immediately. Williams was 0-5 shooting, and somehow it was even uglier than that. All five misses were from inside 3 feet, including a missed dunk. He's completely overmatched in the Big Ten, and I don't know if he's fixable at this point.
Overall, this game was very similar to the Indiana and Michigan State games, with the Gophers making it tight but not being able to get over the hump in the end. I guess you could be satisfied with the effort, but I'm pretty god damn sick of moral victories, and tired of stupid play.
Also, for those homers complaining about the refereeing - give it a rest. The game was called evenly, and there were calls missed on both sides. If you have to resort to blaming the refs, you're missing a lot. Don't even bother pointing out the 33 vs. 20 free throw attempt advantage the Badgers add. Think about for just a minute, and remember the Gophers had something like the first ten free throw attempts in the game, and then spent the rest of the contest flitting about the three point line while Wisconsin continually attacked the basket. Use your friggin' heads people.
I'm seriously pissed off right now. I'm going to go try to kill my feelings with beer.
Ok, fell apart might be a bit strong, but they essentially turned their offense into the three guards (Westbrook, McKenzie, and Nolen) running around the three point line until one of them got "open" for a three pointer. I'd be more critical, but every time a guard penetrated and dished, whichever Gopher big man was the recipient of the pass would either let it go through his hands (DJ) or miss the layup/dunk (Williams). It was to the point where BTN even did a montage of all the easy shots missed by the Gophers. Incredibly frustrating.
The defense fell apart in the second half, as Wisconsin was pretty much able to get to the rim whenever they wanted. Luckily, they weren't shooting the ball well either, and Minnesota had opportunities to make a move but wasn't able to capitalize.
They played tough, and every time Wisconsin seemed to be ready to take control had an answer - up until about the four minute mark.
The Good:
Might have been Lawrence McKenzie's best game. Seemed to finally find that balance between scorer and game manager. Attacked and shot the ball when needed, and penetrated and got the ball to open players when it was available. Excellent game.
The Bad:
Dan Coleman decided once again not to show up in a big game. Finished with 10 points, but five came in the last minute when the game was already decided. If you just watch him he appears lost at times. Landry abused him every time he got the ball on the block, and I saw Butch miss a shot, and rather than block out Coleman just wandered away, letting the rebound come right to Butch and leading to an easy layup. Additionally, when the Badgers scored with 6 second left in the first half, Coleman was closest to the ball and instead of hurrying to get it in to try to get a good shot at the end of the half, he just walked to the ball while the clock continued to run. He's a senior with some talent, and his head is turning him into the most average of the average. He drives me crazy.
The Ugly:
Jon Williams. Forced to play a lot of minutes by Tollackson's foul trouble and Wisconsin's size, and now has me praying Sampson and Iverson can play immediately. Williams was 0-5 shooting, and somehow it was even uglier than that. All five misses were from inside 3 feet, including a missed dunk. He's completely overmatched in the Big Ten, and I don't know if he's fixable at this point.
Overall, this game was very similar to the Indiana and Michigan State games, with the Gophers making it tight but not being able to get over the hump in the end. I guess you could be satisfied with the effort, but I'm pretty god damn sick of moral victories, and tired of stupid play.
Also, for those homers complaining about the refereeing - give it a rest. The game was called evenly, and there were calls missed on both sides. If you have to resort to blaming the refs, you're missing a lot. Don't even bother pointing out the 33 vs. 20 free throw attempt advantage the Badgers add. Think about for just a minute, and remember the Gophers had something like the first ten free throw attempts in the game, and then spent the rest of the contest flitting about the three point line while Wisconsin continually attacked the basket. Use your friggin' heads people.
I'm seriously pissed off right now. I'm going to go try to kill my feelings with beer.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Illinois
No time for a Gopher/Illinois preview due to the sales meeting, but here’s a picture anyway. There apparently are no attractive Illini fans who get their picture taken, so here's an alleged picture of some Bears fans. Gophers 72, Illinois 64.
I wrote this on the plane, due to the fact that my boss was sitting just a few rows away from me. I figured if he glanced back and saw me on the computer, he’d assume I was working and think I was some kind of hard worker guy. Genius, I know. So here you go.
Being about halfway through the Big Ten season, why not grade the Gopher players thus far through the season? I think From the Barn did this earlier in the season, but I’m on a plane, and, as such, can’t really look it up and link to it.
Dan Coleman: The numbers are nice, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding, but the problem is, this is what was expected. Two years ago. He’s now developed where he should have been two years ago. You can blame that on Monson if you want, and he surely deserves some of the blame, but not all. Couple that with his tendency to disappear in big games, and you come out to here. C-
Spencer Tollackson: Tough to grade, seeing as how I expected nothing and have seen, well, almost nothing. He had an excellent game against Northwestern, and has had a good game here and there, but in general hasn’t been impressive. It’s clear he’s worked hard on his footwork and offensive game, as often times the moves are there, he just doesn’t have the natural ability to actually score the ball. A good passer and decent defender for a big man, and much improved at the free throw line since some early season embarrassment. B-
Lawrence McKenzie: Have to give him credit for changing his game, although he seems to have changed it to the point where he’s become completely schizophrenic. He’s either run the offense and distribute McKenzie, or offensively taking over, looking to score McKenzie. If he could find a way to blend those together, he’d be a heck of a player. As it is, he’s half a player all of the time. Playing very solid defense this year helps him out. C+.
Al Nolen: Seeing as how there were rumors swirling after Tubby was hired that Nolen wasn’t a Big Ten caliber recruit, I wasn’t expecting much at all out of him. He’s quickly become a top defender on the team. Clearly the best at taking the ball, although I don’t think he’s the actual best defender on the team, at one point I believe Ken Pomeroy had him leading the country in steal percentage, or at least close to it. Has moments of excellent offensive play, whether knocking down the three or getting into the lane. Still has plenty of freshmen moments, and makes some decisions that look downright Burlesonian in nature, but looks to have an excellent future in front of him. A-
Blake Hoffarber: Another freshman who I wasn’t expecting much from. I’m not ready to say I’m pleasantly surprised by Hoffbauer just yet, as he’s a shooter and that’s it. He’s had his moments, but the remainder of his game isn’t up to speed just yet, to the point where against more athletic teams he’s getting very little playing time, and the Big Ten is just going to improve over the next three years (it has to, right?) I’m very much hoping he develops his game to the point where he can create his own shot, get to the rim, and actually play defense, both on and off the ball, and doesn’t become just another version of Shamala. I do believe he will become a capable player. B-.
Lawrence Westbrook: L-Dub was a guy who you knew had to have the ability to score, as he came in with quite a reputation (PJS has a well done post on him, if you care to find it). He was tentative last season, and I was hoping he would take a step forward in his sophomore year or end up transferring. Happily, he’s done the former, and looks to be an important cog in the Tubby rebuilding machine. This year he’s asserted himself on the offensive end, both inside and out, as well as showing that he’s not one dimensional, becoming the best perimeter defender on the team, both on and off the ball. I expect Westbrook to take another step forward next year, when he’ll be looked upon to score even more, as well as become a team leader. A-
Jonathan Williams: Um, I don’t know? Has he played extended minutes, ever? I suppose I have to rate him kind of far down, as he seemingly hasn’t made any strides since last season. Although I did see him make a left handed baby hook in one game, so I guess that’s something. Still, he’s going to need to develop in a hurry to help out next season, and if this season is any indication, it’s not likely to happen. D
Damian Johnson: Wow. If Westbrook took a step forward this year, DJ took three. Most of last season it wasn’t even clear who was the better recruit, Kevin Payton or Johnson, and now we’ve gotten to the point where one should probably transfer and the other has pretty much locked up a starting role for the next two years. He still has plenty of work to do on the offensive game, as it pretty much consists of layups, put backs, and garbage baskets right now. However, even if his offensive game never develops beyond what is now, as disappointing as that would be, he will still be a valuable part of the team due to his defense, rebounding, and energy. A
Jamal Abu Shamala: I haven’t exactly been subtle in my opinion of Shamala here at DWG, and the Northwestern game isn’t going to change it. Shamala is a shooter, and he’s very good at what he does. But that’s all he does. He can’t play defense, he can’t create for himself or his teammates, and he’s pretty much a liability out there against any team with athleticism. As he showed against Northwestern, he does have a place out there against poor teams who can’t exploit his slowness afoot, which why I still think he would have been better off going to a mid/low major program, but he wanted to play at the U, and I can respect that. I just can’t respect his defense. I guess in fairness, it is pretty much what I expected this year out of him. D-
Kevin Payton: I honestly can’t figure out what led Monson to give him a scholarship, but then again, Scout also gave him three stars. Where is that game? He has to have completely changed, because the Payton that (rarely) gets out there for the Gophers has the offensive game of Miles Tarver, without the defense or rebounding, and makes Kevin Burleson decision making look like Arriel McDonald. Absolutely baffling. He averaged 20 a game in high school, and I have no idea how. Still, when he has played he does show a lot of heart (did I really just write that?) and is a decent defender. Plus, he seems to have accepted his limited role without being a problem. D
Travis Busch: Is anybody else sick of the undersized white kid from Minnesota who works his ass off to get playing time and even though has little to no skill has all the hustle and grit in the world? Anybody else? It’s become quite a sickening and annoying tradition on the Gophers, and Busch is just the latest incarnate. Plus, he wears a shooting sleeve. On his off arm. Go away. F
Ryan Saunders: Unpossible to grade, since it appears he’s never going to actually play. Snappy dresser though. I’m going to give him a grade anyway. F
Tubby Smith: It would be pretty easy to give Tubby an A+, just for the recruiting class. Seeing as how I don’t believe Dan Monson had a class that was ever ranked better than 337th in the NCAA, and Tubby comes in with number 20, that’s pretty amazing. Seems to be a good game coach as well so far. I have some serious questions about some of the lineups he tosses out there at times, but when your talent is so limited, I suppose you have to try things at times that may seem a bit weird. A few times the team has seemed pretty unprepared as well, but it doesn’t seem to be an epidemic, and I feel the blame mainly falls on the players in those cases. A
Rico Tucker: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Friday, February 1, 2008
L-Dub 4 Eva
Excellent win for the Gophers last night, knocking off Michigan in Ann Arbor 77-65, in a game that wasn't that close. The Gophers came out intense and ready to play, took control early, and never let up (except for the last 3 minutes, when it was already too late for the Wolverines).
As PJS reported and From the Barn predicted, Tubby shortened the bench, going with basically a six man rotation. Shamala (6 min), Williams (6), and Busch (4) saw limited time, Payton never got off the bench, and most surprisingly, Hoffbauer only played two minutes - although he did manage to turn it over. I like this idea, because the other six guys are clearly the most talented right now. This won't work every game, particularly against teams like Wisconsin with more size where Williams will be needed, but it is an excellent strategy when it can be used. I wouldn't mind finding more time for Hoffarber's offense, but his defense is so suspect right now (worse than Shamala?) that it's hard to find a place for him sometimes.
Once again, very impressed with the defense. Tubby has really changed this teams mentality, and they don't just play defense, they attack with it. Michigan only had 16 turnovers, but it felt like a lot more. At least two or three of those were straight picks of a Michigan guard while he was dribbling, leading to easy baskets. Also held the Wolverines to 39% shooting and 24% from three. I can't get over the change to this part of the team.
I'm going to break this down player by player, with apologies to From the Barn:
Dan Coleman: Actually finally asserted himself. Scoring with his back to the basket and driving into the lane, was legitimately difficult to stop. Ended up with 17 points (7-15) and 11 rebounds, and this game you knew he had good numbers, and knew he was there. Had some trouble with his hands, as at least three passes went through them and out of bounds for turnovers, but overall one of his best games of the year. I would love to see him continue like this and play this way against a top tier team, say, like, Wisconsin on Sunday. We also learned that Tubby compares him to Tayshaun Prince. Not sure I agree, but ok.
Spencer Tollackson: Scored a couple of buckets early to really set the tone. Had no problems with Udoh on either end. Is really solid when he's not the focal point of the offense, which he wasn't last night. When he has limited touches and is more of a garbage guy, he can thrive like he did last night (14 points on 6-8 shooting). Really like his new free throw style - get the ball, bend kness, shoot. No messing around with dribbling or anything, he was 2-3 yesterday and the ball looks a lot better coming off his hands. Also managed five steals, as Michigan wasn't strong with the ball.
Damian Johnson: Continues to impress with his defense, and is starting to add a little more offense to his game here and there. Clearly the best athlete on the team, had a very nice tip dunk in the first half, as well as a blocked shot and a steal. If he continues to play defense and rebound like he is, and just adds little pieces on the offensive end without doing too much, he's going to end up having a very good career.
Lawrence McKenzie: Eighteen second half points after zero in the first half. Really exploded and showed what he's capable of, seeming to remember that he is a scorer. Once he really got going he did try to do a little too much here and there, as evidenced by his five turnovers, but this is the McKenzie the Gophers need if they're going to do any damage in the Big Ten. Hit a turnaround three with the shot clock expiring that really seemed to ignite him and remind him of what he's capable of. Played excellent defense all game, and ran the point well without being passive. Probably his best overall game of the year. Hopefully this McKenzie stays, and both the passive one and the reckless one stay away.
Lawrence Westbrook: Without question my new favorite Gopher. Had a season high 15 points last night, both from the perimeter and driving to the lane, where he is undersized but fearless. The most impressive part of last night was his defense. He was all over the Wolverines leading scorer Manny Harris the entire game, harrassing him into bad shots and turnovers all night. But wait, WWWWWWW, sure Harris had 5 turnovers, but he scored 19 points, how good a job could L-Dub have done? Well, Harris scored 2 of his points against Westbrook. That's right, 2. He hit a three against McKenzie and had five against Nolen. He hit a three on the break, two fast break dunks and two free throws after a foul on the break. That's 17. He had two against Westbrook, and those were both free throws. He was something like 0-5 against Westbrook with 2 points and four turnovers. Just a tremendous job by L-Dub. Hopefully Tubby will put him on Hughes against the evil Badgers.
Al Nolen: Played only 13 minutes, the fewest this season, as this was pretty much a five man team last night. Seemed to struggle a bit against the pressure D once the Wolverines put it on. Still very impressed with him as a freshman point guard, but he does have a ways to go. Still have faith in him for next year.
Tubby Smith: Between the shortened bench, attacking defense, constant switching of defenses, and in the game coaching he earned his 400th victory. Mid-way through the second half, Michigan switched to a full court trap. As soon as he saw it, before the guards even got into a trap, he called a timeout to talk it over. That alone tells me how much better he is than Monson. Congrats on the 400th Tubby!
Overall, a very good win. They should have won the game, and they needed to win the game, but to do it in such a convincing fashion speaks volumes. Small concern about the way they panicked in the last three minutes or so and coughed up about 10 points, but I'll chalk it up to an understandable loss of focus with a twenty point lead. I'm sure Tubby will take that up the team in practice. Additionally, 11-19 is not good enough when it comes to the free throws. It didn't kill them this time, but it has before and will again if they don't fix it.
Back to the Barn, and a huge game against Wisconsin. The Gophers have five "should wins" left (@ Northwestern, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Penn State). If they manage to win all of those, that is 8 wins. I'll go ahead and call @ Wisconsin and @ Indiana as losses. That would put the Gophers at 8-6. Leaving Wisconsin, Ohio State, @ Purdue, and @ Illinois. Winning two of those four puts them at 10-8, 20-10 overall. Probably in the bubble conversation, needed a bit of a run in the Big Ten tournament. Winning three puts them in a different, much better place. It will be very hard to win at both Illinois and Purdue, so these home games are crucial. Additionally, it would be nice to get a signature win to go along with the victory at Iowa State. I'm still believing a NCAA tournament bid is possible, but without a win this Sunday, it's going to be extremely difficult.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Big Monday
1. Awesome, awesome win for the Gophers. Usually, I'd write something like, "If it wasn't for Blake Hoffbauer's crazy hot shooting, and the completel inepitude of the Nittany Lions at the free throw line (17-36) there's no way the Gophers can win this game." Today, however, I'm in a good mood, so I won't even bother going in that direction.
That they were down 16 at one point in the second half, and came all the way back to win, on the road, shows just how much Tubby has changed this team. That toughness, and their defense, gives them a chance to make it to the NCAA tournament. Hoffs four three-pointers in three minutes or whatever was the most fun I've had watching a game in a while. And Nolen's key steal and pressure free throws more than make up for his shakiest game as a Gopher (5 TOs).
I still hate that they use Spencer as the key to the offense. Yes, he scored 19 points, but I don't think it's the best way to go. He also took two three-pointers, so I'm not sure what that's all about. He works out, no doubt. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the Hoosiers this week.
Lastly, it seemed McKenzie finally stepped up a bit on offense, hitting a huge three pointer towards the end of the game, on a somewhat poor decision. But that's what I want to see from him a little more often. Some of that aggressiveness from last season, even if it leads to some bad shots once in a while. I really, truly believe he is the key to how far this team can go. And Coleman. Who had nice stats, but once again I didn't really notice him that much.
Anyway, great, great win. With Indiana and Michigan State coming up, this week is going to be big. Win just one of those games, and the team is looking pretty.
2. I never, ever in a million years thought I'd be typing this, but on team that is really under the radar this season is Duke. Watching them this week against Temple and Virginia (ok, not the best competition, but they killed them) they are a really good team. They're ranked 9th and their only loss is by 1 at Pittsburgh, but you don't hear much about them. With North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, and Kansas looking like locks for #1 seeds already, I haven't heard much about Duke.
Henderson and Nelson are two of the best inside/outside type guys in the country. Singler and Taylor King are two excellent freshmen, and even Paulus is having a good season - somehow. Their biggest weakness is a lack of size, with only Singler being over 6-6 amongst the main contributors, and he has a tendency to wander outside once in a while. Duke ranks 11th out of the twelve ACC teams in rebounding, and that could hurt, but with four guys shooting over 42% from three, they could beat anybody.
3. Make sure to stay up to watch the big Gonzaga at Pepperdine tilt on ESPN tonight at 11pm. Expect Rico Tucker domination.
4. I am now part of the Big Ten Bloggers poll, posted over at Gopher Nation. Here are my rankings:
1. Indiana
2. Wisconsin
3. Purdue
4. Minnesota
5. Michigan State
6. Ohio State
7. Penn State
8. Illinois
9. Iowa
10. Michigan
11. Northwestern
5. If we end up with a Green Bay vs. New England Superbowl, I'm going to have to root for Green Bay, and I don't like that one bit. Or blow up the stadium.
6. The most awesomest thing yesterday, was right before the first quarter of the Indy/San Diego game. They were introducing the winners of the punt, pass, kick contest in different age groups, and one of the winners was a 15 year old girl who was "representing the New England Patriots" and the crowd booed her. That was awesome.
7. I added a donkload of links over on the right. Basically, just a whole bunch of other nerdy bloggers, representing the other Big Ten teams. If you want to know anything about any of the other teams, go ahead and check them out. I pretty much just make up whatever I write about other teams anyway.
8. I will be in Denton, Texas starting tomorrow evening for three nights. Expect drunken ramblings - well, moreso than usual.
Georgetown -2.5 @ Pitt
Oklahoma +15.5 @ Kansas
Yesterday: 5-2
Season: 218-189
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Pick Your Score
The Gophers beat Northwestern last night 82-63, in a game that wasn't even that close. Northwestern was completely outclassed and outplayed - it was pretty much like playing one of the cupcakes on the non-conference schedule, and the Gophers could have pretty much picked the score.
Which makes this 19 point win less awesome than it sounds. Every time it looked like the Gophers were about to put Northwestern away, they lost focus and gave up a couple of layups, or had some horrible turnovers or took bad shots and let them creep in a little bit. The Wildcats had it down to single digits a couple of times in the second half, and that never should have happened. The Gophers were never in any danger of losing the game, and that is what makes a 19 point win a little tiny bit disappointing - if they would have kept their focus the entire game, they would have won by thirty.
That being said, it was an excellent win, and a great way to kick of Tubby's home Big Ten career. Some individual comments:
- Dan Coleman led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds, and it was one of the quietest 19 and 14s ever. It would be nice to see him have a game anywhere near this against a quality opponent, but at least this time it was a conference game. It was also announced that DC got his 500th career rebound. I was going to make a joke here, but instead I'll be nice and just say congrats DC. Hopefully he can stay tough against Penn State on Saturday.
- Blakob Hoffbauer knocked down five threes in the first half, on red hot 5-5 shooting - a shining example of Tubby having solved the Monson-boggling 1-3-1 of the Wildcats. Hoffarber didn't score in the second half, taking only three shots because he can't really create his own shot. I still think he should have chucked one up from thirty feet Jake Sullivan style since he was so hot in the first half, but, whatever, go ahead and be boring and "play within the offense."
- McKenzie continues to be a mystery, scoring five points on six shots - with all five points coming in the final few minutes. He did contribute with six assists, but it still baffles me that he seemingly has no interest in scoring anymore. The only thing I can figure at this point is that he decided to be more of a true point to increase his chances of getting drafted. Well, you aren't getting drafted, and it's not working. With Nolen playing as well as he is, the team would be better off with more scoring from him.
- Spencer had three steals, and they all came in a five minute span. He's quick like cat. Spencer "The Ninja" Tollackson.
- Free Throws are going to be a problem. Again. 16-28 last night, led by Damian Johnson's 3-8. It didn't matter last night, but you know damn well it will at some point.
- Travis Busch scored. Yeah.
- The Tubby towels were a complete failure. We got there a little late, and were still each able to get one, so I know they didn't run out. I waved mine a few times, and I saw maybe four other people in the entire building take their's out. Completel failure. I figured at the very least the student section would be using them, but it was not meant to be.
All in all, a good win, but it could have been better and there is a little disappointment that they didn't just put the screws to NW and blow them out of the building. The Penn State game this weekend is going to go a long way in telling us how the Gophers season will go.
Louisville -2.5 vs. West Virginia (W)
Arkansas -7 @ Auburn (L)
Cal +5.5 @ Oregon (L)
Illinois +12 @ Wisconsin (W)
Washington +16 @ UCLA
North Texas -1.5 @ Arkansas State (W)
Boise St -6 vs. New Mex State (L)
Portland St PK @ Weber State (L)
UNC-Wilmington -6.5 vs. Hofstra (L)
USC -2 vs. Washington State
Yesterday: 6-5
Season: 203-173
Which makes this 19 point win less awesome than it sounds. Every time it looked like the Gophers were about to put Northwestern away, they lost focus and gave up a couple of layups, or had some horrible turnovers or took bad shots and let them creep in a little bit. The Wildcats had it down to single digits a couple of times in the second half, and that never should have happened. The Gophers were never in any danger of losing the game, and that is what makes a 19 point win a little tiny bit disappointing - if they would have kept their focus the entire game, they would have won by thirty.
That being said, it was an excellent win, and a great way to kick of Tubby's home Big Ten career. Some individual comments:
- Dan Coleman led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds, and it was one of the quietest 19 and 14s ever. It would be nice to see him have a game anywhere near this against a quality opponent, but at least this time it was a conference game. It was also announced that DC got his 500th career rebound. I was going to make a joke here, but instead I'll be nice and just say congrats DC. Hopefully he can stay tough against Penn State on Saturday.
- Blakob Hoffbauer knocked down five threes in the first half, on red hot 5-5 shooting - a shining example of Tubby having solved the Monson-boggling 1-3-1 of the Wildcats. Hoffarber didn't score in the second half, taking only three shots because he can't really create his own shot. I still think he should have chucked one up from thirty feet Jake Sullivan style since he was so hot in the first half, but, whatever, go ahead and be boring and "play within the offense."
- McKenzie continues to be a mystery, scoring five points on six shots - with all five points coming in the final few minutes. He did contribute with six assists, but it still baffles me that he seemingly has no interest in scoring anymore. The only thing I can figure at this point is that he decided to be more of a true point to increase his chances of getting drafted. Well, you aren't getting drafted, and it's not working. With Nolen playing as well as he is, the team would be better off with more scoring from him.
- Spencer had three steals, and they all came in a five minute span. He's quick like cat. Spencer "The Ninja" Tollackson.
- Free Throws are going to be a problem. Again. 16-28 last night, led by Damian Johnson's 3-8. It didn't matter last night, but you know damn well it will at some point.
- Travis Busch scored. Yeah.
- The Tubby towels were a complete failure. We got there a little late, and were still each able to get one, so I know they didn't run out. I waved mine a few times, and I saw maybe four other people in the entire building take their's out. Completel failure. I figured at the very least the student section would be using them, but it was not meant to be.
All in all, a good win, but it could have been better and there is a little disappointment that they didn't just put the screws to NW and blow them out of the building. The Penn State game this weekend is going to go a long way in telling us how the Gophers season will go.
Louisville -2.5 vs. West Virginia (W)
Arkansas -7 @ Auburn (L)
Cal +5.5 @ Oregon (L)
Illinois +12 @ Wisconsin (W)
Washington +16 @ UCLA
North Texas -1.5 @ Arkansas State (W)
Boise St -6 vs. New Mex State (L)
Portland St PK @ Weber State (L)
UNC-Wilmington -6.5 vs. Hofstra (L)
USC -2 vs. Washington State
Yesterday: 6-5
Season: 203-173
Monday, January 7, 2008
Well that was Closer than I Thought
I wasn't able to watch the Gophers' Big Ten opener live, seeing as I was too busy pissing all my money away to the assholes at the Casino, but I did get a chance to watch it via the wonderful magic of TiVo and the fact that I get the Big Ten Network at home. Thank you DirectTV. Anyway, watching it using fast forward at the slow parts and in a few different seatings left me with some impressions:
1. Obviously, it was a hell of a game. As I said in my game preview, I was expecting a 25 point blowout win for the Spartans. I really underestimated how far the Gopher defense and intensity has come since Tubby took over. They looked like a completely different team compared to the FSU game. I'm just hopeful they can keep it up the rest of the season, and that this was a trend, not an aberration. Easily the best game I've seen them play in two years, maybe longer.
2. Gopher offense still needs a lot of work, but not sure the right players are in place on this roster to make it happen. Tollackson seemed to be the focal point of the offense Saturday, and his role should be complementary. Ended up 5-14, with several of his shots blocked. I like Tollackson as a rebounder, dirty work doer, and dropping in some shots when they're there. I don't like him as a main offensive component, taking fade away twelve footers.
3. Is this what we can expect from Dan Coleman? He's the leading scorer on the team, but against the three best teams the Gophers have faced he's scored 7, 10, and 6 points. We've seen him have good games against good teams in the past, but maybe the problem is McKenzie has seemingly stopped scoring this season. He's on pace to take almost a hundred less shots this season compared to last. I was hoping he'd be more in control this year, and force less bad shots, but I didn't want him to lose his edge completely. Hopefully he can get more aggressive, and hopefully Coleman's game will improve with another scorer on the court.
4. Travis Busch played three minutes in the first half. I don't know why. He looked like a little kid. He'd didn't do anything glaringly wrong (that I noticed), but physically he looks like he's the ball boy.
5. Al Nolen had his ups and downs, but overall for a freshman point guard playing his first Big Ten game, on the road no less, I was very impressed. 7 assists, 1 turnover, and four steals is a hell of a game. He made some mistakes, and took at least one blazingly stupid shot, but going into next season with him our #1 point guard is no longer a worry.
6. The lack of winning experience amongst the Gopher players was obvious at the end of the game. They had it down to a point deficit, and made huge mistakes to let their chance slip away. Turnovers, dumb shots, and giving up easy baskets to the Spartans was pretty much all that happened in the last few minutes. And not fouling down six with twenty seconds left, instead letting MSU dribble out fourteen seconds and them giving up an uncontested layup. That wasn't good.
7. Overall, awesome game. I couldn't be happier. If they can play like that the entire Big Ten Season, they might steal some games.
8. Illinois sucks bad.
9. Raymar Morgan is awesome. Additionally, both freshmen Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers look to be very good.
Colorado -3.5 vs. Tulsa
Manhattan +8 @ Marist
North Texas -9.5 vs. UL-Monroe
Loyola-Chicago +12.5 vs. Butler
Weekend: 10-6
Season: 191-161
Friday, November 9, 2007
Golden Gopher Basketball Preview
Well the big day is tomorrow, as the Gophers take on heated rival Army, and I couldn't be more excited. And also very angry at myself. A few months ago, I was saying that an NIT bid was likely out of reach, and it would be a very successful season if the Gophers made the NIT. Now I find myself thinking that they have an outside shot at a NCAA bid. I hate stupid, groundless, homerrific thinking, and it's exactly what is happening to me. Damn you Tubby Smith.
Anyway, here are 10 biggest issues going into this season:
1. The improvement of Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson:
I almost wrote this as "The continued improvement" but then I started to realize these guys really haven't improved all that much. I mean, sure, the numbers have improved, and there have been baby steps here and there, but there's still a lot of work to be done. Think about it, the knock on Spencer as a freshman was that he was unrefined and somewhat clumsy, with a propensity to get into foul trouble, and Coleman had a nice offensive game inside and out, but was soft, didn't spend enough time in the paint, and was weak defensively. You could write this same paragraph about these guys going into this season.
It's no secret that the big dogs this season are going to be these two guys and McKenzie (more on him later). If Coleman can finally play some defense to go with his scoring, and Tollackson can stay out of foul trouble and has maybe added a little more polish to his offense, it will go a long way towards success this year.
2. Who is playing Point Guard?
Going into a basketball season with your point guard options being a freshman, two shooting guards, and a small forward is never a good idea, but that's where the Gophers stand. Ideally, Al Nolen is as good as he's looked in the exhibitions, and is able to be the starter and log most of the minutes, leaving the Payton/Westbrook/McKenzie rotation to play backup, not starter.
If Nolen is unable to handle playing the point, a definite possibility given that many knowledgeable people have questioned if he's Big Ten material, then that ugly mongrel rotation would have to step in and take all the minutes. Not only are none of those guys point guards, but forcing them to play major minutes there takes them away from what they are good at. Nolen may very well be the key to this season, and that's simply terrifying.
3. What's up with Kevin Payton?
Coming in, Payton was regarded as a 3-star swingman, but out of necessity he ended up being the starting point guard. While this showed excellent versatility, and although he did have some good games, it's pretty clear PG is not his natural position (1-1 Assist to TO ratio). He should be a scoring swingman, as evidenced by his 26.1 ppg as a high school senior. There's only one problem, he showed almost zero offensive skills last season.
He averaged just 2 points per game last season, and managed a high game of only 12, despite averaging over twenty minutes per game. Now, maybe he was deferring too much to the three juniors last year, and if that's the case hopefully Tubby can get him to be a little more aggressive on offense. The other problem might be he's just not very good. Keep in mind this is a Dan Monson recruit we're talking about here. If that's the case, I expect him to see fewer and fewer minutes, and end up transferring out at the end of the season.
4. How good can Lawrence Westbrook be?
I'm very interested to find this out. Westbrook scored 41 points per game as a junior in high school, so you know he knows how to score, but can he do it against college talent? I think so, and we're going to find out if he gets minutes. Westbrook, despite playing only 10 minutes per game last season, still managed to put up 73 shots, and was fifth on the team in three pointers attempted.
He is an undersized shooting guard, and I don't see him learning point anytime soon, so he's limited by that. The good news is that this is college not the NBA, and you can get away with having two small guards in at the same time. If he's given the minutes, which didn't happen under Monson or Molinari, he should find himself approaching double digits in scoring this season, and taking a big step forward in his development. He is the Gopher I am most excited to watch this season.
5. Abu-Shamala shouldn't be starting, right?
If you disagree with this, you don't know basketball. Shamala clearly has a role he can play on this team. He needs to be coming off the bench, maybe 5-15 minutes per game depending on the opponent and situation. He would be perfect coming in to help bust a zone or keep a defense honest if they are leaving people to double team (although I don't really know who they would need to double on this team.)
I'm sorry, I know people like white boys who hustle and are from Minnesota, but he's a terrible, terrible, terrible defender. He can't stay with players on the perimeter, because everybody is quicker than him, and he can't defend a post up player, because he isn't strong enough. He is also a poor off-the-ball defender, who can't keep up with quick cuts or get through or around screens. If you want more, he also can't create his own shot or anybody elses, can't put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, and is not good in transition. He's a shooter, plain and simple and that's it. He's good at it, but that is all he is. There is no way he should be starting, and if he is, this season is basically a failure because nobody was able to step up to take away his job (I'm looking at you Hoffarber - maybe Payton).
6. Lawrence McKenzie's Motivation:
When I heard McKenzie was transferring from a successful Oklahoma program back to his hometown Minnesota, my first question was "What the hell? Why?" But after watching him play, I figured it out. He's going with the Kris Humphries "This team sucks so I can go ahead and showcase myself for the NBA scouts and nobody will care because they're so bad" route, a Dan Monson favorite.
Well, first of all, he's dreaming if he thinks he's going to sniff the NBA. And second of all, I have to think Tubby isn't going to put up with that crap. McKenzie is a terrific shooter and scorer, that much is obvious. So was Humphries, and his agenda killed the team. McKenzie isn't to that level, so I think the combination of Tubby and a more successful team with pull him back a bit, but if he plays the same way he played last season, there's no chance at the postseason.
7. Big Man Depth:
This may very well be the biggest problem facing the Gophers this season. Bryce Webster left the team because, well, nobody really knows why, but the Gophers don't have much after Coleman and Tollackson. A lot of the minutes and pressure falls to junior Jonathan Williams, who I actually really like. I love the idea of having a shot blocking presence inside (I was in love with Antoine Broxsie too, I admit), but it would be nice if he developed some kind of ability to score as well.
It's inevitable that at some point, and hopefully not too often, both Williams and Tollackson will be in foul trouble at the same time because they're both the kind of player who gets into foul trouble a lot. You know, big, slow, overly aggressive and kind of dumb. When this happens, that's when the trouble begins. With Brandon Smith gone along with Webster, the only options are either slide Payton down or hope Damian Johnson is better than he's looked. He seems pretty athletic, and at 6-7 has the height to spend some time down low, if not the strength, but he hasn't shown any kind of basketball ability yet, and may very well be better suited in a mid-major conference. The only other option would be to use undersized Travis Busch, and I don't even want to get into the season implications if that happens.
8. Tubby's Influence:
This is the one thing that has me believing right now. First off, according to Snacks, the Gophers are playing an uptempo style right now. I think this is the right move for a team with basically only two traditional big men. Hopefully they are doing a lot of pressure and trapping on defense as well, another reason Shamala shouldn't be playing a ton of minutes.
Tubby has a proven track record, and there is some talent here, minute though it may be. I have full faith in him to squeeze everything out of this team, and make the same bunch who went 9-22 last season into a middle-tier Big Ten team.
9. Ongoing Recruiting Battles:
There are two really big targets still out there for next season, both guards in Devoe Joseph and Verdell Jones, who I would really love to see come to the U next season. There are plenty of other targets as well I'd be happy with, Haralson, Leslie, and even Faber spring to mind, but Joseph and Jones would really put this recruiting class towards the top. Jones is especially important if Nolen doesn't work out, although Joseph is the more exciting pick up. Stay tuned.
10. Just how awesome is Rico Tucker?
Well, he already won Pepperdine's dunk contest, so he still has the ridiculous athletic ability. In Pepperdine's only exhibition game, he started, but clearly the coach is another Monson because he only let him play 16 minutes and limited him to four shots. Of those he made two, including a three pointer, went 2-2 from the line, and dished out 3 assists to go with his seven points. I think it's clear that if this coach ever pulls his head out of his ass and unleashes the monster that is Rico, we're looking at All-American type potential.
FINAL VERDICT: NIT bid
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I think I'm OK with this
According to Jeff Shelman of the Star Tribune, Tubby Smith has no plans to add any players to the Gophers for this upcoming season.
When Smith was hired, he originally said that he wasn't going to add any players just for the sake of adding one, and if he was to sign anyone they would have to be ready to contribute immediately. Apparently he couldn't find anyone willing to sign who would make an impact, so the team will remain as is for this coming season, which sucks, but whatever.
By not signing anyone, it means the Gophers will have at least four scholarships to offer next season, when Smith will have had an entire season to recruit players to the U, instead of just a month. Smith said he's currently recruiting several talented players, which could just be coachspeak but hopefully not.
It would have been great if Tubby could have gotten somebody in here for next season on such short notice, but it probably wasn't realistic. We'll just have to take the current team and hope Tubby's coaching (markedly better than Super Dan Monson) and the improvement of current players like Dan Coleman (get stronger and tougher), Lawrence McKenzie (seriously, pass the ball), and Lawrence Westbrook (I think he can be a quality player with greater opportunity), will be enough to make next season a little more entertaining. Of course, this also means another year of Kevin Payton at point guard, and that's a bit worrisome, but hopefully he didn't do anything all summer but practice not sucking.
When Smith was hired, he originally said that he wasn't going to add any players just for the sake of adding one, and if he was to sign anyone they would have to be ready to contribute immediately. Apparently he couldn't find anyone willing to sign who would make an impact, so the team will remain as is for this coming season, which sucks, but whatever.
By not signing anyone, it means the Gophers will have at least four scholarships to offer next season, when Smith will have had an entire season to recruit players to the U, instead of just a month. Smith said he's currently recruiting several talented players, which could just be coachspeak but hopefully not.
It would have been great if Tubby could have gotten somebody in here for next season on such short notice, but it probably wasn't realistic. We'll just have to take the current team and hope Tubby's coaching (markedly better than Super Dan Monson) and the improvement of current players like Dan Coleman (get stronger and tougher), Lawrence McKenzie (seriously, pass the ball), and Lawrence Westbrook (I think he can be a quality player with greater opportunity), will be enough to make next season a little more entertaining. Of course, this also means another year of Kevin Payton at point guard, and that's a bit worrisome, but hopefully he didn't do anything all summer but practice not sucking.
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