The Gophers are two games in, and I have very little to say since there is still so much unknown about this team. They seem like they play pretty decent defense, but they can't rebound at all. The pass the ball well and Carlos Morris seems like the only ball stopper, but they shoot way too many threes for a team that hasn't shown much of an ability to make them. As people always like to say, we won't really know about this team until they play a real opponent. Even if this event isn't exactly loaded with top tier teams, there's enough here that we should, indeed, know quite a bit more about this team afterwards.
First up is Temple on Thursday. The Owls have only played one game this year and they got their doors blown off by the Tar Heels, but since the Gophers have a wee bit less fire power than Carolina who knows what that means. Temple was maybe an NCAA snub last season, but they also lost two of their top three guys from last season so this is probably a decent test for our Gophers here.
Generally Fran Dunphy's teams vary their statistical profile based on personnel, which means he's a good coach, but they almost always have two things in common - tough defense, and they don't turn the ball over. Since we don't really know what we have in the Gophers the tough defense will be a good test, but I'd feel better if they weren't playing such a traditionally disciplined team. Overall, given the Owls have a decent team but not a good one, this game should tell us a ton about the Gophers this year.
Which is good, because the second game won't tell us anything, either way. If the Gophers lose they will most likely play Missouri State, who is a bottom tier Missouri Valley team that lost to Oral Roberts by 15 in their only game this year. Nothing is a guaranteed win, especially for a team like the Gophers this year, but this would be as close to one as any game they've played this year.
On the other hand if the Gophers win, they'll most likely play Butler, who has holes like any other team but is a tremendously awful matchup for them. Butler will pound the paint, crash the offensive boards, defend like hell, and take care of the basketball. They aren't a great team because they don't really have much size, but that won't matter against the Gophers. Basically if I was engineering a team to beat the Gophers, Butler is really close. If this matchup happens I'll have money on Butler, which is always fun because if you lose your bet that means your team won! (or did well).
The final game would be against Utah, Miami, Mississippi State, or Texas Tech. Utah is legit and is the favorite to win. In fact if they don't most likely they had a really bad tournament, so if the Gophers do end up playing the Utes that would mean good things for the Gophers. Plus it would be fun to watch the Gophers try to find a way to stop seven-foot monster Jakob Poeltl. Miami might not be completely terrible and we'd get to watch that jerk Ja'Quan Newton and see if Tonye Jekiri can get to 20 rebounds. Mississippi State is bad and just lost to Southern which is in the SWAC who should never beat anyone, but Malik Newman is a super stud freshman who would be fun to watch. Texas Tech is still mostly a garbage fire and it would suck to play them because the whole Gophers vs. Tubby narrative would drive me insane.
So there you go. Should be pretty fun.
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico Tip Off. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico Tip Off. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Gophers outlast West Virginia, Capture Puerto Rico Title
The Minnesota Gophers had ever opportunity to coast in last night's game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. They had already beat the North Carolina Tar Heels to give them a signature victory, WVU's Casey Mitchell was hot as fire and unguardable, they were down by 9 early, and it would have been easy enough to just call it a day. Luckily, they're better than that, and what resulted was a second weekend NCAA Tournament quality game with the Gophers coming out on top and winning the championship of the 2010 Puerto Rico Tip Off, while simultaneously letting the country know that this team is going to be a contender.
It was a great overall game by the Gophers, and really highlighted why great depth is so important. Ralph Sampson, arguably the team's best player thus far, was off. Not only was in foul trouble, but the rough-and-tumble Mountaineers helped remind us of Ralph's biggest weakness - rough him up and get physical and he has a tendency to disappear. Worked like a charm, but didn't matter because famous offensive brick wall Colt Iverson was more than game to step in and bang.
Colt seemingly grabbed every rebound (he finished with 8) on both ends of the court ( 4 were offensive), and managed to convert most of his opportunities around the basket (scored 15 points on 5-7 shooting) and even hit his free throws at nearly an acceptable rate (5-9). He even managed to steal a pass at the top of the key and take it coast-to-coast for a breakaway dunk. I'd say it was a breakout performance, but we've seen this before, and tonight was a great reminder of what he brings to the table. Solid reserve who can rebound, bang, and take up space at worst, able to control a game in the paint on rare occasions. He's an excellent compliment to Ralph, and I'm damn glad he's on the team.
One of the other player performances that really stood out was the play of Al Nolen. He was absolutely the player in charge out there tonight, on both ends of the court, reminding everyone just how valuable someone with the tag "senior point guard" can be. It's hard to think of a really good point guard for the Gophers since Eric Harris, but Nolen could be well on his way. He scored 17 points, made a mind-boggling 11 of 12 free throws, completely shut down Truck Bryant, and just controlled the game on both ends. I mean, he opened the Gopher scoring with a drive and step-back jumper from 15 feet, and I know I have never, ever, ever, ever seen him do that. I don't think I've ever seen him do that. I don't think I've ever seen him attempt it, actually. He's never going to be an awesome offensive force, but he's improved enough that he's no longer a complete liability, and with his ability to blow by anybody that's really all you need.
One last performance of note was that of Chip Armelin. With Rodney Williams struggling and Austin Hollins not playing as well as he had in the past, Tubby turned to Armelin as his small forward of choice, even giving him the crunch time minutes, and Armelin repaid that trust by coming up with a couple of huge plays. He had a big rebound late and made the assist on the game-winning three pointer by Hoffarber on a nice rotation around the three point line. Huge game for Chip, and shows that this team will be 9 very quality players deep.
Tonight the players who carried the Gophers in the first two rounds - Sampson, Trevor Mbakwe, and Blake Hoffarber - were overshadowed by Iverson, Nolen, and Armelin, and that couldn't possibly be more of a positive.
A Championship for the Gophers. And let's not forget, they did it without Devoe Joseph. This team has a legit shot at being special. How special remains to be seen, but this is a hell of a start.
It was a great overall game by the Gophers, and really highlighted why great depth is so important. Ralph Sampson, arguably the team's best player thus far, was off. Not only was in foul trouble, but the rough-and-tumble Mountaineers helped remind us of Ralph's biggest weakness - rough him up and get physical and he has a tendency to disappear. Worked like a charm, but didn't matter because famous offensive brick wall Colt Iverson was more than game to step in and bang.
Colt seemingly grabbed every rebound (he finished with 8) on both ends of the court ( 4 were offensive), and managed to convert most of his opportunities around the basket (scored 15 points on 5-7 shooting) and even hit his free throws at nearly an acceptable rate (5-9). He even managed to steal a pass at the top of the key and take it coast-to-coast for a breakaway dunk. I'd say it was a breakout performance, but we've seen this before, and tonight was a great reminder of what he brings to the table. Solid reserve who can rebound, bang, and take up space at worst, able to control a game in the paint on rare occasions. He's an excellent compliment to Ralph, and I'm damn glad he's on the team.
One of the other player performances that really stood out was the play of Al Nolen. He was absolutely the player in charge out there tonight, on both ends of the court, reminding everyone just how valuable someone with the tag "senior point guard" can be. It's hard to think of a really good point guard for the Gophers since Eric Harris, but Nolen could be well on his way. He scored 17 points, made a mind-boggling 11 of 12 free throws, completely shut down Truck Bryant, and just controlled the game on both ends. I mean, he opened the Gopher scoring with a drive and step-back jumper from 15 feet, and I know I have never, ever, ever, ever seen him do that. I don't think I've ever seen him do that. I don't think I've ever seen him attempt it, actually. He's never going to be an awesome offensive force, but he's improved enough that he's no longer a complete liability, and with his ability to blow by anybody that's really all you need.
One last performance of note was that of Chip Armelin. With Rodney Williams struggling and Austin Hollins not playing as well as he had in the past, Tubby turned to Armelin as his small forward of choice, even giving him the crunch time minutes, and Armelin repaid that trust by coming up with a couple of huge plays. He had a big rebound late and made the assist on the game-winning three pointer by Hoffarber on a nice rotation around the three point line. Huge game for Chip, and shows that this team will be 9 very quality players deep.
Tonight the players who carried the Gophers in the first two rounds - Sampson, Trevor Mbakwe, and Blake Hoffarber - were overshadowed by Iverson, Nolen, and Armelin, and that couldn't possibly be more of a positive.
A Championship for the Gophers. And let's not forget, they did it without Devoe Joseph. This team has a legit shot at being special. How special remains to be seen, but this is a hell of a start.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Minnesota Gophers 95, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 77
It was a tale of two halves in last nights Minnesota Gophers vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers matchup in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip Off.
You know how whenever anybody criticizes the Big Ten they inevitably mention a "lack of athleticism" and how the players are "slow"? Generally I think, "hey, maybe Northwestern and Wisconsin and Iowa and some others, but this year's Gopher squad is their most athletic in years and can hang with anybody." Boy was I proven wrong, because Western Kentucky was far more athletic and far, far, far faster than Minnesota, and during the first half at times I thought we were doomed. Doomed like poor, stupid Dumbledore.
The Hilltoppers were getting out in transition, whether after a miss, turnover, or even a Gopher make it didn't matter, and beating the Gophers down the floor to get good shot after good shot. They were mostly threes, and they were mostly makes, and my tummy got queasy like that time I had buffalo wings with a side of chili for lunch.
Now, there were signs that the Gophers were probably the better team. WKU couldn't really do anything in the half court, turning it over more often than they scored (or at least it seemed like it). They couldn't do anything in the paint, because Ralph Sampson and Trevor Mbakwe (and Rodney Williams) basically had it closed off like an amish virgin's pantaloons, and conversely they had no way of stopping the Gopher big men on the block. Basically the Gophers seemed completely in control on both ends of the floor in the half court, but WKU's transition offense and sloppiness with the ball on Minnesota's part led to it just being a 6 point Gopher lead at half after an Al Nolen three at the buzzer, but it looked like either team could grab control at any point.
And grab control the Gophers did in the second half, starting out with a 12-2 run to start out the half, highlighted by yet another Sampson dunk, and never really looked back. It turns out you can negate a team's advantage in speed pretty quickly if you just score. And score, and score. The second half was essentially a lay-up/dunk line for the Gophers, who just pounded the ball inside, penetrated at will (like me with your sister), and essentially looked completely unstoppable leading to 63% shooting for the game. Taking away the Hilltoppers ability to run made them play in the half court where they were at a substantial disadvantage, and really led to the Gopher win.
Player-by-Player:
Ralph Sampson (22 pts, 8 rebs, 7 blocks). The star of the game, as he usually is, Ralph realized early that WKU had nobody who could handle him inside and didn't bother with the perimeter foo-foo stuff. He attacked inside, early and often, showcasing that hook shot and being just an effective, efficient low-post scorer. A thing of beauty. And if that's not enough for you, he also controlled the paint on the defensive end with 7 blocks. Big Ten Player of the Year? Big Ten Player of the Year.
Rodney Williams( 17 pts, 7 rebs, 7-10 shooting). This was exactly the Rodney Williams who gets all the "lottery pick" talk. He hit threes and did his jumping and dunking thing, but more importantly he put the ball on the floor and got to the rim, he showed a nice mid-range game, and he played good defense and rebounded well. This is the first time I've really thought we weren't going to see Rodney all four years. Great game.
Trevor Mbakwe (18 pts, 10 rebs). He makes such a difference from last year. Just the prototypical power forward, very strong, very good rebounder, and great athlete. Controls the paint when he's in, and isn't afraid to mix it up and do some of the dirt work. He and Sampson are a great combo inside.
Blake Hoffarber (16 pts, 9 assists). It's pretty clear what he means to this team since Tubby played him 38 minutes (actually he played all the starters at least 32 minutes), and he once again showed why he has that trust. Guy is just a really solid, smart player who would be an absolutely outstanding point guard if he was a bit quicker. Or a lot quicker. But no matter. WKU is an athletic team, the kind of team that would have taken Blake completely out of the game even a year ago, and he ended up with a huge game. I don't know if it's his own improvement, a better team around him, or coaching, but Blake looks like the real team leader out there.
Al Nolen (12 pts, 3 assists). Hit two huge three-pointers in the first half, both from about 25 feet and both after being left wide open. He doesn't have to be an offensive force, but he does have to keep defenses honest, because if they have to cover him on the perimeter it makes it easier for him to get in the lane - and it did. He also had an absolutely sweet drive and dish to Mbakwe for a monster dunk. Seriously, there is very little as fun to watch as good Nolen. Too bad he's essentially a freakin' two-face.
Austin Hollins (3 pts, 3 rebs, 11 minutes). He's pretty clearly the sixth man, at least until Devoe gets back, and he should be. The most important thing for a freshman is to understand teh game and play smartly, and he's got that down, but he also brings an excellent jump shot, a good handle, and a quick first step. Love this kid.
Colt Iverson (4 pts, 8 minutes). Missed two layups in one possession at one point and dropped at least one pass, making it clear that he's pretty much always going to be a threat to be an offensive brick wall on any given night. Still, he's pretty good at taking up space.
Maurice Walker (1 reb, 5 minutes). Actually kind of looked disinterested in his 5 minutes last night. Also good at taking up space, but is less efficient than Colton and doing things like blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. I honestly still can't figure out what exactly we're going to get out of him this year. Could range from solid contributor to benchwarmer and it wouldn't surprise me.
Chip Armelin (3 pts, 5 minutes). Still love this guy, and he hit a big three in the first half. Still don't really trust him, and he had two turnovers in his five minutes. He reminds me so much of Rico Tucker it makes my pants tight.
Maverick Ahanmisi (2 minutes). I was pretty surprised to see him out there at all, actually. I'm just impressed that he didn't screw anything up
Really, an incredible offensive second half. Don't let the 18 point win fool you, this Hilltopper team is going to be very good and should blow right through this consolation bracket. Come tournament time this win will look very good on the Gophers' resume.
Speaking of resume building, I can't wait for tomorrow's game against North Carolina. Not only is it the highest profile opponent I remember the Gophers playing since Kentucky way back in the Final Four that never happened, but it's a team the Gophers could actually beat. John Henson and Tyler Zeller are big, but Ralph and Mbakwe are stronger - great matchup. How will Larry Drew handle Al Nolen's pressure? Will the Gophers be able to score in the half court against a solid UNC defense, and can they minimize turnovers? Nineteen tonight was way too many and if they do that again they won't beat the Heels. This is going to be fun. I have a feeling North Carolina will be a little tougher in the half court than WKU was, but I said the Gophers were the better team the other day and I pretty much have to stick with it.
Minnesota 75, North Carolina 71
You know how whenever anybody criticizes the Big Ten they inevitably mention a "lack of athleticism" and how the players are "slow"? Generally I think, "hey, maybe Northwestern and Wisconsin and Iowa and some others, but this year's Gopher squad is their most athletic in years and can hang with anybody." Boy was I proven wrong, because Western Kentucky was far more athletic and far, far, far faster than Minnesota, and during the first half at times I thought we were doomed. Doomed like poor, stupid Dumbledore.
The Hilltoppers were getting out in transition, whether after a miss, turnover, or even a Gopher make it didn't matter, and beating the Gophers down the floor to get good shot after good shot. They were mostly threes, and they were mostly makes, and my tummy got queasy like that time I had buffalo wings with a side of chili for lunch.
Now, there were signs that the Gophers were probably the better team. WKU couldn't really do anything in the half court, turning it over more often than they scored (or at least it seemed like it). They couldn't do anything in the paint, because Ralph Sampson and Trevor Mbakwe (and Rodney Williams) basically had it closed off like an amish virgin's pantaloons, and conversely they had no way of stopping the Gopher big men on the block. Basically the Gophers seemed completely in control on both ends of the floor in the half court, but WKU's transition offense and sloppiness with the ball on Minnesota's part led to it just being a 6 point Gopher lead at half after an Al Nolen three at the buzzer, but it looked like either team could grab control at any point.
And grab control the Gophers did in the second half, starting out with a 12-2 run to start out the half, highlighted by yet another Sampson dunk, and never really looked back. It turns out you can negate a team's advantage in speed pretty quickly if you just score. And score, and score. The second half was essentially a lay-up/dunk line for the Gophers, who just pounded the ball inside, penetrated at will (like me with your sister), and essentially looked completely unstoppable leading to 63% shooting for the game. Taking away the Hilltoppers ability to run made them play in the half court where they were at a substantial disadvantage, and really led to the Gopher win.
Player-by-Player:
Ralph Sampson (22 pts, 8 rebs, 7 blocks). The star of the game, as he usually is, Ralph realized early that WKU had nobody who could handle him inside and didn't bother with the perimeter foo-foo stuff. He attacked inside, early and often, showcasing that hook shot and being just an effective, efficient low-post scorer. A thing of beauty. And if that's not enough for you, he also controlled the paint on the defensive end with 7 blocks. Big Ten Player of the Year? Big Ten Player of the Year.
Rodney Williams( 17 pts, 7 rebs, 7-10 shooting). This was exactly the Rodney Williams who gets all the "lottery pick" talk. He hit threes and did his jumping and dunking thing, but more importantly he put the ball on the floor and got to the rim, he showed a nice mid-range game, and he played good defense and rebounded well. This is the first time I've really thought we weren't going to see Rodney all four years. Great game.
Trevor Mbakwe (18 pts, 10 rebs). He makes such a difference from last year. Just the prototypical power forward, very strong, very good rebounder, and great athlete. Controls the paint when he's in, and isn't afraid to mix it up and do some of the dirt work. He and Sampson are a great combo inside.
Blake Hoffarber (16 pts, 9 assists). It's pretty clear what he means to this team since Tubby played him 38 minutes (actually he played all the starters at least 32 minutes), and he once again showed why he has that trust. Guy is just a really solid, smart player who would be an absolutely outstanding point guard if he was a bit quicker. Or a lot quicker. But no matter. WKU is an athletic team, the kind of team that would have taken Blake completely out of the game even a year ago, and he ended up with a huge game. I don't know if it's his own improvement, a better team around him, or coaching, but Blake looks like the real team leader out there.
Al Nolen (12 pts, 3 assists). Hit two huge three-pointers in the first half, both from about 25 feet and both after being left wide open. He doesn't have to be an offensive force, but he does have to keep defenses honest, because if they have to cover him on the perimeter it makes it easier for him to get in the lane - and it did. He also had an absolutely sweet drive and dish to Mbakwe for a monster dunk. Seriously, there is very little as fun to watch as good Nolen. Too bad he's essentially a freakin' two-face.
Austin Hollins (3 pts, 3 rebs, 11 minutes). He's pretty clearly the sixth man, at least until Devoe gets back, and he should be. The most important thing for a freshman is to understand teh game and play smartly, and he's got that down, but he also brings an excellent jump shot, a good handle, and a quick first step. Love this kid.
Colt Iverson (4 pts, 8 minutes). Missed two layups in one possession at one point and dropped at least one pass, making it clear that he's pretty much always going to be a threat to be an offensive brick wall on any given night. Still, he's pretty good at taking up space.
Maurice Walker (1 reb, 5 minutes). Actually kind of looked disinterested in his 5 minutes last night. Also good at taking up space, but is less efficient than Colton and doing things like blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. I honestly still can't figure out what exactly we're going to get out of him this year. Could range from solid contributor to benchwarmer and it wouldn't surprise me.
Chip Armelin (3 pts, 5 minutes). Still love this guy, and he hit a big three in the first half. Still don't really trust him, and he had two turnovers in his five minutes. He reminds me so much of Rico Tucker it makes my pants tight.
Maverick Ahanmisi (2 minutes). I was pretty surprised to see him out there at all, actually. I'm just impressed that he didn't screw anything up
Really, an incredible offensive second half. Don't let the 18 point win fool you, this Hilltopper team is going to be very good and should blow right through this consolation bracket. Come tournament time this win will look very good on the Gophers' resume.
Speaking of resume building, I can't wait for tomorrow's game against North Carolina. Not only is it the highest profile opponent I remember the Gophers playing since Kentucky way back in the Final Four that never happened, but it's a team the Gophers could actually beat. John Henson and Tyler Zeller are big, but Ralph and Mbakwe are stronger - great matchup. How will Larry Drew handle Al Nolen's pressure? Will the Gophers be able to score in the half court against a solid UNC defense, and can they minimize turnovers? Nineteen tonight was way too many and if they do that again they won't beat the Heels. This is going to be fun. I have a feeling North Carolina will be a little tougher in the half court than WKU was, but I said the Gophers were the better team the other day and I pretty much have to stick with it.
Minnesota 75, North Carolina 71
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Minnesota Gophers Basketball Team Heads to Puerto Rico: A Primer
I'll assume you already know all about your Minnesota Gophers basketball squad, but since they head to Puerto Rico for the 2010 version of the Tip-Off and matchups will be coming too fast and furious to do a preview of each game, here's a primer on all the possible teams the Gophers could face.
We'll start with Thursday's opponent, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Names like Orlando "Taco Hawk" Mendez-Valdez, Courtney Lee, Tyrone Brazelton, and A.J. Slaughter might not exactly be known in households across America, but hoop heads should recognize them and know that the Hilltoppers are a perennial contender in the Sun Belt and the program has been built into a mid-major power - 20 wins in 9 of the last 10 seasons and a sweet 16 appearance.
This year is no exception, and the team is led by three senior wings in Sergio Kerusch, Steffphon Pettigrew, and Oklahoma transfer Juan Patillo. Those three are all averaging at least 18 points per game through the Hilltopper's first two games and are scoring over half the team's points, while Patillo has been a beast on the boards, grabbing twelve in each game. WKU is also hitting over 43% of their threes this year, so it's not just going to be an outside game.
Make no mistake, the Gophers can't look past this game to a potential second-round matchup against North Carolina, and they have to contain that trio. If one of them gets off like Clarence Jackson did in the Siena game they're in trouble, and if two of them do it's going to be lights out. Minnesota took care of business against both Wofford and the Saints - both preseason contenders in their mid-major conferences - so they should be able to do it here, but this is going to be a tough matchup.
If they do manage to get through it, it should set up a second-round dogfight against the Tar Heels of North Carolina, who famously underachieved last year, although did start to put it together in the end and were NIT runner-ups. Point guard play was a big weakness for UNC last year, and once again this year their point guards look a bit shaky. Returning starter Larry Drew and freshman Kendall Marshall combined for just four assists against five turnovers in a mere 14 point win over Lipscomb in UNC's only game thus far, and that should be a weakness to exploit for the Gophers. John Henson and Tyler Zeller played well and give the Heels good size to go against the Gophers, but this is another area where Minnesota should have the advantage with Sampson, Mbakwe, and Iverson.
The X-factor will be freshman and pre-season All-American Harrison Barnes, who is essentially being anointed as the greatest player of all-time. Assuming he and Rodney Williams are matched up on each other it's going to be time for Rodney to grow up in a hurry and become the defensive stopper he has the potential to be, or his ass will be shredded faster than if he put it into E. Honda's Slap Chop.
The Heels have a lofty ranking at 8th in the country, but I'm telling you right now it's not deserved - the Gophers are the better team.
If something weird happens the Gophers other potential second-round game would be against the Hofstra Pride. Not a bad team by any stretch, but stuck in the middle of a pretty good Colonial Conference once again this season. They do have a pretty dynamic player in 6-3 senior guard Charles Jenkins who put up 26 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in their opening game win over Farmingdale State (of course, the team scored 102, so how much can you really take from that game?) Still, he 21-5-4-2 last year, so he can take over a game, but with Al Nolen on the Gophers side if they do face Hofstra they shouldn't have much trouble.
They could end up facing any of the other four teams depending on how everything shakes out, but assuming they win their first and everything holds according to plan they would likely face either the West Virginia Mountaineers or Vanderbilt Commodores, whether it's in the Championship or the Third Place Game - hopefully WVU in the championship.
The Mountaineers lost quite a bit from last year's Final Four team but are still expected to be an NCAA Tournament team based on the talent that is back, and are the team I would make the favorite to win this thing. Not only do they have a potential superstar in Kevin Jones, who was second on the team in scoring and rebounding last year while leading them in FG and 3-pt shooting percentage - and stands 6-8, but they bring back two point guards and enough size to tangle with the Gophers, should they meet. The guards, Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla, will help negate the Gophers tough perimeter defense, while Jones and the other bigs could handle Ralph and the boys in the paint. This would be an absolutely outstanding game. Let's hope it happens.
If not the Mountaineers, the most likely third opponent for the Gophers would be Vandy, a tournament team last year who needs to figure out how to replace their starting point guard and center (who were the top 2 scorers) from last year. It's only one game in, but they look like they're on the right track. New point guard Brad Tinlsey opened the year with a triple-double (albeit against Presbyterian), while new center Festus Ezeli (who the Gophers were recruiting for a while) chipped in with 14 pts and 6 rebounds. And, lest you think they have no talent returning, their two best players are their wings: 6-7 do everything Jeffrey Taylor and 6-4 lights out shooter John Jenkins, both of whom were named to the All-SEC Freshman team last year. Taylor is a possible SEC player of the year, while Jenkins is on basically every list of "best shooter in the NCAA" I've seen. This one wouldn't be easy either.
What would be easy, and disappointing, is if the Gophers lose their first game, end up in the loser's bracket, and play either the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Davidson Wildcats in the consolation game (or worse). No offense to either school, but this would mean something has gone horribly, horribly wrong and Minnesota took a big NCAA resume building opportunity and turned it into a loss to WKU and two meaningless wins, missing out on a couple of shots at big-time teams who will end up with very nice RPIs. Nebraska is going to finish at the bottom of the Big 12 and Davidson hasn't been able to recapture the magic of two years ago and is no longer a dangerous mid-major team, so neither will do anything to build up a resume or give a good idea of how good the Gophers are/can be.
So is it fair to say this game against Western Kentucky is the most important non-conference game of the year? I'd say yes, without question. A win over the Hilltoppers all but guarantees two cracks and getting a big marquee win, and even two losses will at least help the RPI a bit. A loss all but guarantees two games against teams that don't help if you win, but are killers if you lose. So, basically, don't freaking lose this game.
We'll start with Thursday's opponent, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Names like Orlando "Taco Hawk" Mendez-Valdez, Courtney Lee, Tyrone Brazelton, and A.J. Slaughter might not exactly be known in households across America, but hoop heads should recognize them and know that the Hilltoppers are a perennial contender in the Sun Belt and the program has been built into a mid-major power - 20 wins in 9 of the last 10 seasons and a sweet 16 appearance.
This year is no exception, and the team is led by three senior wings in Sergio Kerusch, Steffphon Pettigrew, and Oklahoma transfer Juan Patillo. Those three are all averaging at least 18 points per game through the Hilltopper's first two games and are scoring over half the team's points, while Patillo has been a beast on the boards, grabbing twelve in each game. WKU is also hitting over 43% of their threes this year, so it's not just going to be an outside game.
Make no mistake, the Gophers can't look past this game to a potential second-round matchup against North Carolina, and they have to contain that trio. If one of them gets off like Clarence Jackson did in the Siena game they're in trouble, and if two of them do it's going to be lights out. Minnesota took care of business against both Wofford and the Saints - both preseason contenders in their mid-major conferences - so they should be able to do it here, but this is going to be a tough matchup.
If they do manage to get through it, it should set up a second-round dogfight against the Tar Heels of North Carolina, who famously underachieved last year, although did start to put it together in the end and were NIT runner-ups. Point guard play was a big weakness for UNC last year, and once again this year their point guards look a bit shaky. Returning starter Larry Drew and freshman Kendall Marshall combined for just four assists against five turnovers in a mere 14 point win over Lipscomb in UNC's only game thus far, and that should be a weakness to exploit for the Gophers. John Henson and Tyler Zeller played well and give the Heels good size to go against the Gophers, but this is another area where Minnesota should have the advantage with Sampson, Mbakwe, and Iverson.
The X-factor will be freshman and pre-season All-American Harrison Barnes, who is essentially being anointed as the greatest player of all-time. Assuming he and Rodney Williams are matched up on each other it's going to be time for Rodney to grow up in a hurry and become the defensive stopper he has the potential to be, or his ass will be shredded faster than if he put it into E. Honda's Slap Chop.
The Heels have a lofty ranking at 8th in the country, but I'm telling you right now it's not deserved - the Gophers are the better team.
If something weird happens the Gophers other potential second-round game would be against the Hofstra Pride. Not a bad team by any stretch, but stuck in the middle of a pretty good Colonial Conference once again this season. They do have a pretty dynamic player in 6-3 senior guard Charles Jenkins who put up 26 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in their opening game win over Farmingdale State (of course, the team scored 102, so how much can you really take from that game?) Still, he 21-5-4-2 last year, so he can take over a game, but with Al Nolen on the Gophers side if they do face Hofstra they shouldn't have much trouble.
They could end up facing any of the other four teams depending on how everything shakes out, but assuming they win their first and everything holds according to plan they would likely face either the West Virginia Mountaineers or Vanderbilt Commodores, whether it's in the Championship or the Third Place Game - hopefully WVU in the championship.
The Mountaineers lost quite a bit from last year's Final Four team but are still expected to be an NCAA Tournament team based on the talent that is back, and are the team I would make the favorite to win this thing. Not only do they have a potential superstar in Kevin Jones, who was second on the team in scoring and rebounding last year while leading them in FG and 3-pt shooting percentage - and stands 6-8, but they bring back two point guards and enough size to tangle with the Gophers, should they meet. The guards, Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla, will help negate the Gophers tough perimeter defense, while Jones and the other bigs could handle Ralph and the boys in the paint. This would be an absolutely outstanding game. Let's hope it happens.
If not the Mountaineers, the most likely third opponent for the Gophers would be Vandy, a tournament team last year who needs to figure out how to replace their starting point guard and center (who were the top 2 scorers) from last year. It's only one game in, but they look like they're on the right track. New point guard Brad Tinlsey opened the year with a triple-double (albeit against Presbyterian), while new center Festus Ezeli (who the Gophers were recruiting for a while) chipped in with 14 pts and 6 rebounds. And, lest you think they have no talent returning, their two best players are their wings: 6-7 do everything Jeffrey Taylor and 6-4 lights out shooter John Jenkins, both of whom were named to the All-SEC Freshman team last year. Taylor is a possible SEC player of the year, while Jenkins is on basically every list of "best shooter in the NCAA" I've seen. This one wouldn't be easy either.
What would be easy, and disappointing, is if the Gophers lose their first game, end up in the loser's bracket, and play either the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Davidson Wildcats in the consolation game (or worse). No offense to either school, but this would mean something has gone horribly, horribly wrong and Minnesota took a big NCAA resume building opportunity and turned it into a loss to WKU and two meaningless wins, missing out on a couple of shots at big-time teams who will end up with very nice RPIs. Nebraska is going to finish at the bottom of the Big 12 and Davidson hasn't been able to recapture the magic of two years ago and is no longer a dangerous mid-major team, so neither will do anything to build up a resume or give a good idea of how good the Gophers are/can be.
So is it fair to say this game against Western Kentucky is the most important non-conference game of the year? I'd say yes, without question. A win over the Hilltoppers all but guarantees two cracks and getting a big marquee win, and even two losses will at least help the RPI a bit. A loss all but guarantees two games against teams that don't help if you win, but are killers if you lose. So, basically, don't freaking lose this game.
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