I apologize for my lack of posting to my one reader out there, but I've been recovering from bilateral brain weakness due to all Minnesota sports sucking it up in the past two months (actually, we're going on a little over a year). Well, our high school basketball coach used to say, "things can always be better, and things can always be worse"...which gets me thinking that we should be stomping on other people, sports, fanbases that are down at this point of time:
* Ohio State football: I'm pretty much amazed that this isn't Ohio State basketball that ran into NCAA violations. I mean besides being the biggest University in all of America...why would anyone (football or basketball or general student population) in their right mind want to spend at least four years of their precious life in Columbus, Ohio? Also, how is Ohio State the biggest university in America...while Ohio University is a middle of the road mid-major school...how does that work? Anyways, I'm glad Ohio State ran into this mess...maybe we won't have to hear THE Ohio State from their once proud alum on Monday Night Football introductions.
* Penn State basketball: You lose your head coach to Navy...while most of the vacancies have already been filled with the "hot", "emerging" candidates. Good luck!
* Basketball analysts comparing and debating about LeBron in relation to Jordan: Shut up! It's ridiculous on so many levels. The only comparison between the two are that they are both black and have highlight reel dunks. But, so did Dominique Wilkins...so maybe that's a better comparison to LeBron. LeBron currently has ZERO rings. It could be argued that he's not even the best player on his own team (Wade). Would Jordan let his team collapse with a fifteen point lead with six minutes and change to go in Game 2 (or any for that matter) of the Finals?
* Houston Rockets hire Kevin McHale: How long do you think this relationship will last? I bet it'll be no more than two years and he'll be complaining about the workload and/or travel by the end of the first year. Why is he jumping back in...?? This is just random, due to his lack of work ethic (by his own admission) and performance under Glen Taylor. The only positive is the possibility of Mark Madsen being an assistant coach under McHale...therefore, he would be the first assistant coach ever to be waving a towel over his head to cheer his players on.
SBG
Friday, June 3, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Early Impressions on Twins...
It's hard to get too high or low on an opening series against a talented, but inexperienced Toronto team...but, here's what I took away:
* I like Blackburn and believe he'll have a bounce back year. There are two reasons I love him...he was drilled in the face with a ball and came back without a hitch, or mental lapse. I mean I'm pretty sure Scott Baker and/or Kevin Slowey would be out of the league if that had happened to them. Also, his game 163 performance against the White Sox was clutch even though the Twins ended up losing it 1-0.
* The lineup is overrated. I think it's as good as Gardy can make with what he's got on the roster. But, this lineup makes middle of the road pitchers look like All-Stars more often than not. Quick run down: Span - singles hitter, Nishi - overrated, adjusting to MLB pitching, Mauer - please drive the fucking ball, Morneau - head issues = subpar year at the plate, Young - made strides last year, but he still has crappy, impatient at-bats all the time, Cuddyer - I'm done with him, Valencia - I like this kid, except he's slow as hell on the base paths, Casilla - will he even last the year as a starter?, Kubel/Thome - good pop, but how frequent will they actually produce?
* Drew Butera is growing on me. Twins get spanked in first two games against Jays with Mauer as the catcher. Butera catches the finale of the series and Jays only score three runs compared to the 19 runs combined they scored in the first two games. Now his actual batting prowess is a different story...but, this kid handles all the pitchers on the staff well when he's behind the plate.
* Not a fan of the bullpen. I mean I think Gardy and Rick Anderson will still work miracles with what they have out there, but there is no way in hell this resembles a post-season type bullpen right now. No power arms from either side, even Capps and Nathan pitch more to contact at this stage of their careers. Unless someone emerges through the farm system or via trade I just don't see how this bullpen will not be an achilles heal all season.
* The fielding through three games looks horseshit as well. Nishioka/Casilla combo looks out of whack. The rundown attempt during the opening game was atrocious (Morneau's fault, but Nishi didn't help matters). The outfield is still slow as hell...to the point where either Young or Kubel needs to be traded just to clear up some of the unathleticism they have on their roster. I wouldn't mind trading one of those two and bringing up a youngster (Revere or Hicks) or just playing Repko in place of them. Play either the youngster or Repko in center field and move Span to one of the corner spots so I don't have to see his noodle arm limp it in on two bounces to Nishi on a gapper.
SBG
* I like Blackburn and believe he'll have a bounce back year. There are two reasons I love him...he was drilled in the face with a ball and came back without a hitch, or mental lapse. I mean I'm pretty sure Scott Baker and/or Kevin Slowey would be out of the league if that had happened to them. Also, his game 163 performance against the White Sox was clutch even though the Twins ended up losing it 1-0.
* The lineup is overrated. I think it's as good as Gardy can make with what he's got on the roster. But, this lineup makes middle of the road pitchers look like All-Stars more often than not. Quick run down: Span - singles hitter, Nishi - overrated, adjusting to MLB pitching, Mauer - please drive the fucking ball, Morneau - head issues = subpar year at the plate, Young - made strides last year, but he still has crappy, impatient at-bats all the time, Cuddyer - I'm done with him, Valencia - I like this kid, except he's slow as hell on the base paths, Casilla - will he even last the year as a starter?, Kubel/Thome - good pop, but how frequent will they actually produce?
* Drew Butera is growing on me. Twins get spanked in first two games against Jays with Mauer as the catcher. Butera catches the finale of the series and Jays only score three runs compared to the 19 runs combined they scored in the first two games. Now his actual batting prowess is a different story...but, this kid handles all the pitchers on the staff well when he's behind the plate.
* Not a fan of the bullpen. I mean I think Gardy and Rick Anderson will still work miracles with what they have out there, but there is no way in hell this resembles a post-season type bullpen right now. No power arms from either side, even Capps and Nathan pitch more to contact at this stage of their careers. Unless someone emerges through the farm system or via trade I just don't see how this bullpen will not be an achilles heal all season.
* The fielding through three games looks horseshit as well. Nishioka/Casilla combo looks out of whack. The rundown attempt during the opening game was atrocious (Morneau's fault, but Nishi didn't help matters). The outfield is still slow as hell...to the point where either Young or Kubel needs to be traded just to clear up some of the unathleticism they have on their roster. I wouldn't mind trading one of those two and bringing up a youngster (Revere or Hicks) or just playing Repko in place of them. Play either the youngster or Repko in center field and move Span to one of the corner spots so I don't have to see his noodle arm limp it in on two bounces to Nishi on a gapper.
SBG
Monday, March 28, 2011
2nd Annual OBBT Review
We hosted our 2nd annual bean bag tournament at our house this year. Here were the highs and lows of the tourney:
* Weather was around 25-30 degrees the whole day. We had two and a half patio heaters going out in the yard that didn't seem to warm up anything unless you were right under it.
* We rented out bleachers (about five rows high...seats 40 maximum). A lot of people seemed to make use of them throughout the day...either to stay warm (two of the heaters were out there initially) or to just to get away from the cigarette smoke.
* We didn't fucking finish the tourney. It was pitch black when we finally threw in the towel and four teams were still left: Garett/Kia, myself/my lovely wife, Dave/Carol and Brad/Laura. We divied up the pot money for what I thought was fair for each of the teams. Garett/Kia were undefeated at the point so they walked away with $300...everyone else was somewhere between $100 and $180. I mean but seriously...not only does every Minnesota sports team suck this year but our very own event has us without an actual winner of our own bean bag tournament. I felt like Bud Selig at the All Star Game debacle.
* All 32 co-ed teams showed up without a hitch. Last year was brutal...I believe we had to get two teams the morning of the tournament to cover all 32 spots.
* Raised $300 for Patrica Quale and her 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. We toppled last year's amount $240.
* I find it odd that we're raising money for breast cancer and more than half the participants are smoking cigarettes. So we're against breast cancer, but apparently cool with lung cancer.
SBG
* Weather was around 25-30 degrees the whole day. We had two and a half patio heaters going out in the yard that didn't seem to warm up anything unless you were right under it.
* We rented out bleachers (about five rows high...seats 40 maximum). A lot of people seemed to make use of them throughout the day...either to stay warm (two of the heaters were out there initially) or to just to get away from the cigarette smoke.
* We didn't fucking finish the tourney. It was pitch black when we finally threw in the towel and four teams were still left: Garett/Kia, myself/my lovely wife, Dave/Carol and Brad/Laura. We divied up the pot money for what I thought was fair for each of the teams. Garett/Kia were undefeated at the point so they walked away with $300...everyone else was somewhere between $100 and $180. I mean but seriously...not only does every Minnesota sports team suck this year but our very own event has us without an actual winner of our own bean bag tournament. I felt like Bud Selig at the All Star Game debacle.
* All 32 co-ed teams showed up without a hitch. Last year was brutal...I believe we had to get two teams the morning of the tournament to cover all 32 spots.
* Raised $300 for Patrica Quale and her 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. We toppled last year's amount $240.
* I find it odd that we're raising money for breast cancer and more than half the participants are smoking cigarettes. So we're against breast cancer, but apparently cool with lung cancer.
SBG
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
PMA
PMA was a motivational acronym we used at our cellar dweller football program in college. Positive Mental Attitude. I mean doesn't this sound like something that Tim Brewster would say to his troops after getting blasted week in and week out. Well, I'm going to try to put it to use here today and list some of the positives that we have going around here for our Minnesota sports scene.
* Twins infield. I'm not even really talking about Morneau either. I'm anxious to see Casilla, Valencia and Nishioka play under Gardenhire. Will Gardy have the quick hook if one or more of these guys are in a slump? Casilla has the shortest leash of them all even though he's been clutch in tight spots for this club. If you throw Morneau back in the mix...we'd be back to the good ol' days with the "League of Nations Infield" (Koskie, Guzman, Rivas and Dougie M...yes, I'm too lazy to look up to see how to spell his last name).
* Blake Hoffarber. What a shitty way to end your college career...but, I hope the The Barn recognizes and appreciates what this kid has done to help this program along. No hatred towards Al Nolen, but this kid has done it on and off the court for all four years while improving his individual game every year.
Also, what's your favorite Gopher basketball moment that wasn't tarnished by academic scandal? I mean does it get any better than a white kid that was hardly recruited by Division I schools going up to grab a 3/4 length court out of bounds pass between taller, more athletic players and then having the wherewithal to spin and shoot a floating sideways one footer jumper that goes in and beats the Hoosiers IN Indianapolis to move on to the next round of the Big Ten Tourney. *My personal story on that game...I had Big Ten Network...my dad didn't have that channel yet (lots of posturing with cable companies)...he stayed on the phone while I was depressed that we blew the game and then Blake goes Christian Laettner on us and all I could say to my dad was a whole bunch of expletives over and over. My dad was confused up until I settled down after the 3rd or 4th replay.
* Kudos to Kevin Love. I think his double-double streak is a little water-downed by playing for a 15 win team currently. However, within that streak he's had some monster games that the T'wolves actually ended up winning (30-30 game against the Knicks and a 20-20 game against the Pistons). I always liked the energy he's brought to the court, now it seems that the "energy" is being validated by this current streak.
Other than what I mentioned above...our sports suck balls right now. But, remember...we have to have PMA.
SBG
* Twins infield. I'm not even really talking about Morneau either. I'm anxious to see Casilla, Valencia and Nishioka play under Gardenhire. Will Gardy have the quick hook if one or more of these guys are in a slump? Casilla has the shortest leash of them all even though he's been clutch in tight spots for this club. If you throw Morneau back in the mix...we'd be back to the good ol' days with the "League of Nations Infield" (Koskie, Guzman, Rivas and Dougie M...yes, I'm too lazy to look up to see how to spell his last name).
* Blake Hoffarber. What a shitty way to end your college career...but, I hope the The Barn recognizes and appreciates what this kid has done to help this program along. No hatred towards Al Nolen, but this kid has done it on and off the court for all four years while improving his individual game every year.
Also, what's your favorite Gopher basketball moment that wasn't tarnished by academic scandal? I mean does it get any better than a white kid that was hardly recruited by Division I schools going up to grab a 3/4 length court out of bounds pass between taller, more athletic players and then having the wherewithal to spin and shoot a floating sideways one footer jumper that goes in and beats the Hoosiers IN Indianapolis to move on to the next round of the Big Ten Tourney. *My personal story on that game...I had Big Ten Network...my dad didn't have that channel yet (lots of posturing with cable companies)...he stayed on the phone while I was depressed that we blew the game and then Blake goes Christian Laettner on us and all I could say to my dad was a whole bunch of expletives over and over. My dad was confused up until I settled down after the 3rd or 4th replay.
* Kudos to Kevin Love. I think his double-double streak is a little water-downed by playing for a 15 win team currently. However, within that streak he's had some monster games that the T'wolves actually ended up winning (30-30 game against the Knicks and a 20-20 game against the Pistons). I always liked the energy he's brought to the court, now it seems that the "energy" is being validated by this current streak.
Other than what I mentioned above...our sports suck balls right now. But, remember...we have to have PMA.
SBG
Friday, February 18, 2011
Depressing...
Gopher basketball is hanging by a thread for their NCAA tourney hopes only because of their Puerto Rico performance (North Carolina and West Virginia) back in November. And to make matters worse...Big Ten Network is showing the 1997-98 Gopher team...our roster was sick. Clem played ten guys and at least three guys (for sure) could create their own shot (Jacobsen, Jackson and Lewis) all on their own. Who can do that on this years squad...maybe Chip Armelin...a guy that Tubby plays maybe a whole ten minutes per game.
* You know what separates the elite Big Ten basketball programs from the rest of the pack? The elite teams year in and year out play man to man defense and play it extremely well. Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin refuse to play zone. Ohio State throws an occasional zone because they only play 6-7 players in their rotation and try to stay away from foul trouble with their own guys. Most of them recruit pretty well...but, how does Wisconsin manage year in and year out when they have their infamous black point guard and four white guys playing every year. I absolutely HATE zone. There is no accountability since they are guarding space...and the rebounding and/or art of blocking out an opponent is thrown out the window. I know Tubby is playing with a short deck...but, I don't think primarily sitting in a zone all game, every game is going to do these guys any good against perimeter oriented teams they'll face the remainder of the year.
* I'm watching The Greatest Games on BTN between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Clem's offense isn't much different than Tubby's. Every time down if Bobby Jackson doesn't try to go one on three in transition, they work the the high/low game with the posts. Which gets me thinking...our guards suck. I mean they were running high/low sets with Winter and Tarver...let me repeat...Trevor Winter and Miles Tarver...and get this...they were getting good shots.
Who had the longer college basketball playing career: Sam Okey or Jess Settles?
Another nugget...Paul Grant is playing...yes, the Timberwolves 1st round draft pick. I wouldn't have drafted him based on his free throw routine. He dribbles (more like slapping at the ball like a grade school kid) 8-9 times before he shoots it. Thanks, Kevin McHale.
* How has Tubby not addressed upgrading his guard (specifically, point guard) positions through recruiting in four years? Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber were Monson recruits. Justin Cobb and Maverick Ahanmisi were pretty much late editions/leftovers (not exactly rated high) to their respective classes. Devoe Joseph was a shooting guard that was forced to run the point while he was here. It's great that we have a plethora of big men...but, good guard play is what wins you games.
* If everyone comes back...how do rotate bigs next year. You'll have: Iverson, Sampson, Mbakwe, Walker and Eliason...plus, Oto. I only bring this up because through three years...Tubby has babied Ralph Sampson III. Ralph has not progressed thus far...what happens next year when we have legitimate bigs that should be playing over him...or at least comparable minutes to him.
* How sad is it that I just wrote about "next year"...that's how depressing it is watching the Gophers lately.
SBG
* You know what separates the elite Big Ten basketball programs from the rest of the pack? The elite teams year in and year out play man to man defense and play it extremely well. Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin refuse to play zone. Ohio State throws an occasional zone because they only play 6-7 players in their rotation and try to stay away from foul trouble with their own guys. Most of them recruit pretty well...but, how does Wisconsin manage year in and year out when they have their infamous black point guard and four white guys playing every year. I absolutely HATE zone. There is no accountability since they are guarding space...and the rebounding and/or art of blocking out an opponent is thrown out the window. I know Tubby is playing with a short deck...but, I don't think primarily sitting in a zone all game, every game is going to do these guys any good against perimeter oriented teams they'll face the remainder of the year.
* I'm watching The Greatest Games on BTN between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Clem's offense isn't much different than Tubby's. Every time down if Bobby Jackson doesn't try to go one on three in transition, they work the the high/low game with the posts. Which gets me thinking...our guards suck. I mean they were running high/low sets with Winter and Tarver...let me repeat...Trevor Winter and Miles Tarver...and get this...they were getting good shots.
Who had the longer college basketball playing career: Sam Okey or Jess Settles?
Another nugget...Paul Grant is playing...yes, the Timberwolves 1st round draft pick. I wouldn't have drafted him based on his free throw routine. He dribbles (more like slapping at the ball like a grade school kid) 8-9 times before he shoots it. Thanks, Kevin McHale.
* How has Tubby not addressed upgrading his guard (specifically, point guard) positions through recruiting in four years? Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber were Monson recruits. Justin Cobb and Maverick Ahanmisi were pretty much late editions/leftovers (not exactly rated high) to their respective classes. Devoe Joseph was a shooting guard that was forced to run the point while he was here. It's great that we have a plethora of big men...but, good guard play is what wins you games.
* If everyone comes back...how do rotate bigs next year. You'll have: Iverson, Sampson, Mbakwe, Walker and Eliason...plus, Oto. I only bring this up because through three years...Tubby has babied Ralph Sampson III. Ralph has not progressed thus far...what happens next year when we have legitimate bigs that should be playing over him...or at least comparable minutes to him.
* How sad is it that I just wrote about "next year"...that's how depressing it is watching the Gophers lately.
SBG
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Barn: Buckeyes @ Gophers
My buddy Big Head Mike scored some sweet seats for this game. He had two on press row, plus two more seats that were 17 rows up right on the half court line. I was on quasi-babysitting duties for the day, so I took my son Cullen and we took the latter of the set of two. We also had "Club Passes" that came in handy for the pre-game and halftime festivities. Here's some of the highs and lows:
* I can't confirm this, but we were walking into the Barn at about 11:45 am (tip is at 1 pm) and Big Head Mike says he saw Ralph Sampson III pulling up in his ride to park. Isn't that a little late for a player (that plays a lot by the way) to be rolling in. He probably didn't want to expend much energy since he hardly has any to begin with.
* The Barn was ready for an upset...I thought the place was electric, and although Ohio State controlled the game from start to finish there were about 4-5 moments (when the lead was only around 5-6 points) throughout the game that the Gophers could have broken through had they converted some points on the offensive side.
* Where was our so-called NBA prospects (Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe) today? By the way...I think all that talk for those two are crazy...neither even have a mid-range jumper (or can even consistently knock down free throws) in their arsenal. They are the elite athletes on our team and they were pretty much non-existent the whole day. I think that speaks volumes on where their basketball skill level sits at today.
* Gopher basketball alums in attendance: Quincy Lewis, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Kevin McHale and Trent Tucker.
* I hate Thad Matta. He's basically a clean version of John Calipari. He has mastered his way around the "one and done" rule in college basketball by simply out recruiting everyone else in EVERY class. Plus, he plays only 6-7 players in his rotation so he's living on the edge with any major injury to one of those players could hamper their preference of style of play for the rest of year. So add in that he has the BEST recruiting class every year plus he plays the least amount of people in his rotation...he is either the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth or he has some ridiculous sixth sense on the state of his program from year to year.
* Jared Sullinger is basically the Shaquille O'Neal of the college basketball world. Not based on skill, but based on the referees having no idea on how to call anything regarding to him down in the post. At the beginning they didn't blow the whistle at all concerning any plays down on the block...on either end of the floor. Then all of sudden it was full blow on every touch foul...I mean some of the "and one plays" he had were flat out ridiculous in comparison to the precedent that THE REFS themselves started at the beginning of the game.
* Lone highlights for us: Chip Armelin's dunk over Lauderdale. Student section chanting "You're a pussy" towards Sullinger after he flops and draws a foul. My son not having to go to the bathroom during the game or worse...at halftime.
* You know what's worse than our half court offensive sets...?? The under the basket out of bounds plays where we usually have to lob to Ralph or Colton out on the corner of the court (ball side). I'm not looking for an easy two on an out of bounds play every time, but how lame and lazy is that play. Plus, what is the benefit of Ralph or Colton catching it in the corner? First off, they are in a corner...a trap may come to non ball-handler forcing a turnover. Secondly, they have their back to the basket and have no intention of looking down low, much less passing it down there. Plus, they usually make that dangerous pass backwards to a guard near the top of the key just so we can start our pathetic offense...sounds GREAT to me.
SBG
* I can't confirm this, but we were walking into the Barn at about 11:45 am (tip is at 1 pm) and Big Head Mike says he saw Ralph Sampson III pulling up in his ride to park. Isn't that a little late for a player (that plays a lot by the way) to be rolling in. He probably didn't want to expend much energy since he hardly has any to begin with.
* The Barn was ready for an upset...I thought the place was electric, and although Ohio State controlled the game from start to finish there were about 4-5 moments (when the lead was only around 5-6 points) throughout the game that the Gophers could have broken through had they converted some points on the offensive side.
* Where was our so-called NBA prospects (Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe) today? By the way...I think all that talk for those two are crazy...neither even have a mid-range jumper (or can even consistently knock down free throws) in their arsenal. They are the elite athletes on our team and they were pretty much non-existent the whole day. I think that speaks volumes on where their basketball skill level sits at today.
* Gopher basketball alums in attendance: Quincy Lewis, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Kevin McHale and Trent Tucker.
* I hate Thad Matta. He's basically a clean version of John Calipari. He has mastered his way around the "one and done" rule in college basketball by simply out recruiting everyone else in EVERY class. Plus, he plays only 6-7 players in his rotation so he's living on the edge with any major injury to one of those players could hamper their preference of style of play for the rest of year. So add in that he has the BEST recruiting class every year plus he plays the least amount of people in his rotation...he is either the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth or he has some ridiculous sixth sense on the state of his program from year to year.
* Jared Sullinger is basically the Shaquille O'Neal of the college basketball world. Not based on skill, but based on the referees having no idea on how to call anything regarding to him down in the post. At the beginning they didn't blow the whistle at all concerning any plays down on the block...on either end of the floor. Then all of sudden it was full blow on every touch foul...I mean some of the "and one plays" he had were flat out ridiculous in comparison to the precedent that THE REFS themselves started at the beginning of the game.
* Lone highlights for us: Chip Armelin's dunk over Lauderdale. Student section chanting "You're a pussy" towards Sullinger after he flops and draws a foul. My son not having to go to the bathroom during the game or worse...at halftime.
* You know what's worse than our half court offensive sets...?? The under the basket out of bounds plays where we usually have to lob to Ralph or Colton out on the corner of the court (ball side). I'm not looking for an easy two on an out of bounds play every time, but how lame and lazy is that play. Plus, what is the benefit of Ralph or Colton catching it in the corner? First off, they are in a corner...a trap may come to non ball-handler forcing a turnover. Secondly, they have their back to the basket and have no intention of looking down low, much less passing it down there. Plus, they usually make that dangerous pass backwards to a guard near the top of the key just so we can start our pathetic offense...sounds GREAT to me.
SBG
Monday, January 24, 2011
Big Ten Power Poll (Hater's Edition) 1/24/11:
Here's a look around the league on some of the players/subjects I hate the worst:
1. Bruce Weber's Orange Blazer - You either need to wear this every (or at least every home game) game or not wear this at all. Otherwise, it's just called a distraction...and the last thing your inconsistent team needs is a distraction.
2. Northwestern and NCAA talk - Dead. Wisconsin...yes, the slow paced, work the shot clock team hammered the Wildcats 78-46 on their OWN FLOOR. Only 46 points for a team for team that probably boast to future recruits that they have scored 90+ points in six games this year...but, refuse to name the opponents.
3. John Beilein's post game speeches - I was watching The Journey on the Big Ten Network last night. Michigan falls to 1-5 in conference play with the last two losses coming against Indiana and Northwestern (not exactly upper-tier teams). Afterwards...he said of Northwestern's home court advantage: "...not many teams will win here." Re-read #2 on this blog. Beilein was also preaching to his team that they can still make the NCAA tourney if they just believe. They must not be believing hard enough that they can indeed get a rebound here and there then as well?
4. Misinformed McCaffery - McCaffery was also doing a spot on The Journey and was informing us on the transition from Siena over to Iowa. He stated that coming over to Iowa was great because it's one of the ten best programs in the country. I shit my pants when he said this...Iowa is not even a top ten program in the Big Ten, much less the country. I, seriously hope one of my sons is a top flight recruit so I can hear first hand all the bullshit that comes out of these guys' mouths. I would chuckle in the corner as they spout off ridiculous exaggerations about the minimal success they have endured.
5. Colton Iverson having the ball in his hands anywhere on the court, except on the block - Oh. My. God...he was horrendous with the ball at Michigan. And he wasn't even under duress at all by any defenders. His passes were wretched (outlet and at the elbow/free throw line area). His catching was pathetic...yet, somehow he made some of the prettiest (ok not pretty, but very solid) post moves he's made all year during that game. I'm a Colton fan, but boy was that hard to watch.
6. The term "best athlete" by basketball analysts - This is the worst thing you can be called if you consider yourself a basketball player. See: Rodney Williams and Kelsey Barlow. It pretty much means you don't know how to play the game and you are only getting by on pure genetics at this point.
7. Word just broke that Nolen will need surgery on a broken foot - This sucks more than #7, but I'm too lazy to put it at number one and then change all the rest of the items to the corresponding number. I like Al. He stymies his opponents...and realistically he lets us play man to man because he dominates his matchup and we rebound a helluva lot better in man to man than we do when we're in a zone. If there is a positive in this news...it should be on the offensive side. Maverick is a capable shooter. Chip Armelin will get more time and seems to be in attack mode on offense. Austin Hollins has been invisible lately, but he'll have to step up. Blake will probably not get as many good looks now with more point guard duties, but he's always a steady player...so, it sucks on one end of the floor but may be a better long term answer for us on what we need for next year. The scary part is we'll probably be playing a zone on defense from here on out.
8. Ryne Smith - My hatred for 'Ryne' continues...he was the inbounder for JaJaun Johnson's game winner for the Penn State game. He celebrated as if he hit it himself. He models his celebratory cheers/actions after Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen, but 'Ryne' is way more annoying.
9. Thad Matta - Simply for being 20-0 while playing maybe 6.5 players at the most. They usually just roll with six players (Sullinger, Lighty, Diebler, Craft, Buford and Thomas...Lauderdale gets the honor of starting every game and then rides the bench the rest of the way) and still have not been defeated. Three guys (Diebler, Lighty & Sullinger) played all 40 minutes at Illinois. That's absurd.
10. Michigan's roster - A putrid 11 team rebounds for the whole game against Minnesota. Once again, I ask what the hell are you recruiting, Mr. John Beilein...?? This is the Big Ten...we bang it out ugly in this league...there are no pretty points for your three point shooting dandy team in this league.
SBG
1. Bruce Weber's Orange Blazer - You either need to wear this every (or at least every home game) game or not wear this at all. Otherwise, it's just called a distraction...and the last thing your inconsistent team needs is a distraction.
2. Northwestern and NCAA talk - Dead. Wisconsin...yes, the slow paced, work the shot clock team hammered the Wildcats 78-46 on their OWN FLOOR. Only 46 points for a team for team that probably boast to future recruits that they have scored 90+ points in six games this year...but, refuse to name the opponents.
3. John Beilein's post game speeches - I was watching The Journey on the Big Ten Network last night. Michigan falls to 1-5 in conference play with the last two losses coming against Indiana and Northwestern (not exactly upper-tier teams). Afterwards...he said of Northwestern's home court advantage: "...not many teams will win here." Re-read #2 on this blog. Beilein was also preaching to his team that they can still make the NCAA tourney if they just believe. They must not be believing hard enough that they can indeed get a rebound here and there then as well?
4. Misinformed McCaffery - McCaffery was also doing a spot on The Journey and was informing us on the transition from Siena over to Iowa. He stated that coming over to Iowa was great because it's one of the ten best programs in the country. I shit my pants when he said this...Iowa is not even a top ten program in the Big Ten, much less the country. I, seriously hope one of my sons is a top flight recruit so I can hear first hand all the bullshit that comes out of these guys' mouths. I would chuckle in the corner as they spout off ridiculous exaggerations about the minimal success they have endured.
5. Colton Iverson having the ball in his hands anywhere on the court, except on the block - Oh. My. God...he was horrendous with the ball at Michigan. And he wasn't even under duress at all by any defenders. His passes were wretched (outlet and at the elbow/free throw line area). His catching was pathetic...yet, somehow he made some of the prettiest (ok not pretty, but very solid) post moves he's made all year during that game. I'm a Colton fan, but boy was that hard to watch.
6. The term "best athlete" by basketball analysts - This is the worst thing you can be called if you consider yourself a basketball player. See: Rodney Williams and Kelsey Barlow. It pretty much means you don't know how to play the game and you are only getting by on pure genetics at this point.
7. Word just broke that Nolen will need surgery on a broken foot - This sucks more than #7, but I'm too lazy to put it at number one and then change all the rest of the items to the corresponding number. I like Al. He stymies his opponents...and realistically he lets us play man to man because he dominates his matchup and we rebound a helluva lot better in man to man than we do when we're in a zone. If there is a positive in this news...it should be on the offensive side. Maverick is a capable shooter. Chip Armelin will get more time and seems to be in attack mode on offense. Austin Hollins has been invisible lately, but he'll have to step up. Blake will probably not get as many good looks now with more point guard duties, but he's always a steady player...so, it sucks on one end of the floor but may be a better long term answer for us on what we need for next year. The scary part is we'll probably be playing a zone on defense from here on out.
8. Ryne Smith - My hatred for 'Ryne' continues...he was the inbounder for JaJaun Johnson's game winner for the Penn State game. He celebrated as if he hit it himself. He models his celebratory cheers/actions after Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen, but 'Ryne' is way more annoying.
9. Thad Matta - Simply for being 20-0 while playing maybe 6.5 players at the most. They usually just roll with six players (Sullinger, Lighty, Diebler, Craft, Buford and Thomas...Lauderdale gets the honor of starting every game and then rides the bench the rest of the way) and still have not been defeated. Three guys (Diebler, Lighty & Sullinger) played all 40 minutes at Illinois. That's absurd.
10. Michigan's roster - A putrid 11 team rebounds for the whole game against Minnesota. Once again, I ask what the hell are you recruiting, Mr. John Beilein...?? This is the Big Ten...we bang it out ugly in this league...there are no pretty points for your three point shooting dandy team in this league.
SBG
Monday, January 17, 2011
Big Ten Basketball Power Poll (Hater's Edition):
Here's a Power Poll on the Top Ten figures/subjects in the Big Ten that I hate the most:
1. Thad Matta - He compared his freshmen duo (Craft and Sullinger) to playing like Stockton and Malone against Penn State. OK...do you watch basketball or just recruit? First off, your playing an improved Penn State...but, in all honesty they are still Penn State. Second of all...no pick and rolls were converted by those two...that was a staple of Stockton/Malone. This is what happened the majority of the time: feed Sullinger in the post/one on one he usually scores...feed Sullinger/double team comes and he kicks it to WIDE OPEN Craft because they didn't care if he shot the ball...rather have him than Diebler, Lighty or Buford get a good look.
2. Bo Ryan - Ugly, ugly game against Illinois. There were probably about 50 fouls called. No flow...majority of points were all scored at the free throw line = win for Wisconsin. Memo to Bo Ryan: Quit complaing to the refs...if you don't like the blocking calls they are calling on your guys than you should probably stop recruiting the slow footed white guys that can't keep up with the McCamey's of the world.
3. Luka Mirkovic - Can we darken that see through protective mask so we don't have to see your face when you go berserk every time you score? This is not hockey...scoring actually happens frequently in basketball...even in the Big Ten. I can't wait until you meet Minnesota's front court.
4. Ryne Smith - He's one of those asshole three point assassins. Cocky as hell when he's on. He'll make his shot and leave his follow through up in the air as he's running back on defense/or the huddle during a TV timeout. Plus, his parents had to give him the 'Ryne' Sandberg spelling for his first name...for that alone...he'll be present on this poll for a long time.
5. Michigan's Roster - What is John Beilein doing? If you can shoot a three at a decent clip, you should ask Mr. Beilein for a scholarship. They didn't have one single REBOUND (offense or defense) in the first TEN minutes against a bad to moderately bad Indiana team. Guess what he recruited for next year...yep, two more guards. Plus, if you add in that Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims were more Tommy Amaker's recruits than his, then what has John Beilein actually done? He did not inherit a massive mess like Indiana and Iowa (twice) were when new coaches came on the scene for those programs...this is ridiculous. With all this said...they'll probably beat Minnesota this coming Saturday night.
6. Feeding the Post/Minnesota Style - I have a feeling Jared Sullinger would be just OK in a Gophers uniform, simply because for whatever reason we can't make an entry pass into the post. We have a distinct size advantage over pretty much everyone else in the league, however we can't take advantage because we can't get the ball down there. Is it the guards simply not being able to or don't want to...or the post guys not sustaining position...?? I was so excited last year during the Big Ten tourney because I thought the lights went on during that run and everything clicked that it all starts with pounding the ball inside...well, I guess not.
7. Northwestern having TWO basketball analysts on BTN - I've brought this up in other social forums. Northwestern has NEVER made the NCAA Tournament EVER. And they have Tim Doyle and Shonn Morris both working games as analysts. I'm not doubting their basketball acumen, but I just find it a tad regional and biased that they both have jobs on the Big Ten Network doing the same job(s). And not to rip on Northwestern any more (I do however have a $30 bet that they wouldn't make the NCAA tourney though...and it's looking good up to this point), but basketball has been one of the more balanced sports in the conference (unlike football)...and they still haven't done anything in their existence.
By the way, Quinn Buckner was doing the Indiana vs Michigan game on Saturday night...what happened to his career...he was ahead of Clark Kellogg at one point on CBS.
8. Tom Crean - Kind of subtle...but, I re-winded and re-winded it again...and Tom Crean is an asshole. After his FIRST Big Ten victory of the year over Michigan...he flew through the line with quick bullshit handshakes and stormed out of the arena like his shit doesn't stink. Are you serious...?? You're on rebuilding year number three and still very minimal progress has been made by your program. I'd slow your roll if I was you.
9. Michigan State's comebacks - These are getting old already...two in one week against both Wisconsin and Northwestern. I will say I saw the collapse of both, and at least there were no significant calls that normally Izzo gets just because he's Tom Izzo that altered the result of the game(s).
10. Hype on Penn State - They defended their home court well and competed and stuck with Ohio State. But, let's not get too crazy on the Penn State bandwagon...they've already got seven losses (UGLY one to Maine) and look at their remaining Big 10 schedule. They only get Indiana (already played them) and Iowa once this year on their schedule...good luck in the NIT.
SBG
1. Thad Matta - He compared his freshmen duo (Craft and Sullinger) to playing like Stockton and Malone against Penn State. OK...do you watch basketball or just recruit? First off, your playing an improved Penn State...but, in all honesty they are still Penn State. Second of all...no pick and rolls were converted by those two...that was a staple of Stockton/Malone. This is what happened the majority of the time: feed Sullinger in the post/one on one he usually scores...feed Sullinger/double team comes and he kicks it to WIDE OPEN Craft because they didn't care if he shot the ball...rather have him than Diebler, Lighty or Buford get a good look.
2. Bo Ryan - Ugly, ugly game against Illinois. There were probably about 50 fouls called. No flow...majority of points were all scored at the free throw line = win for Wisconsin. Memo to Bo Ryan: Quit complaing to the refs...if you don't like the blocking calls they are calling on your guys than you should probably stop recruiting the slow footed white guys that can't keep up with the McCamey's of the world.
3. Luka Mirkovic - Can we darken that see through protective mask so we don't have to see your face when you go berserk every time you score? This is not hockey...scoring actually happens frequently in basketball...even in the Big Ten. I can't wait until you meet Minnesota's front court.
4. Ryne Smith - He's one of those asshole three point assassins. Cocky as hell when he's on. He'll make his shot and leave his follow through up in the air as he's running back on defense/or the huddle during a TV timeout. Plus, his parents had to give him the 'Ryne' Sandberg spelling for his first name...for that alone...he'll be present on this poll for a long time.
5. Michigan's Roster - What is John Beilein doing? If you can shoot a three at a decent clip, you should ask Mr. Beilein for a scholarship. They didn't have one single REBOUND (offense or defense) in the first TEN minutes against a bad to moderately bad Indiana team. Guess what he recruited for next year...yep, two more guards. Plus, if you add in that Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims were more Tommy Amaker's recruits than his, then what has John Beilein actually done? He did not inherit a massive mess like Indiana and Iowa (twice) were when new coaches came on the scene for those programs...this is ridiculous. With all this said...they'll probably beat Minnesota this coming Saturday night.
6. Feeding the Post/Minnesota Style - I have a feeling Jared Sullinger would be just OK in a Gophers uniform, simply because for whatever reason we can't make an entry pass into the post. We have a distinct size advantage over pretty much everyone else in the league, however we can't take advantage because we can't get the ball down there. Is it the guards simply not being able to or don't want to...or the post guys not sustaining position...?? I was so excited last year during the Big Ten tourney because I thought the lights went on during that run and everything clicked that it all starts with pounding the ball inside...well, I guess not.
7. Northwestern having TWO basketball analysts on BTN - I've brought this up in other social forums. Northwestern has NEVER made the NCAA Tournament EVER. And they have Tim Doyle and Shonn Morris both working games as analysts. I'm not doubting their basketball acumen, but I just find it a tad regional and biased that they both have jobs on the Big Ten Network doing the same job(s). And not to rip on Northwestern any more (I do however have a $30 bet that they wouldn't make the NCAA tourney though...and it's looking good up to this point), but basketball has been one of the more balanced sports in the conference (unlike football)...and they still haven't done anything in their existence.
By the way, Quinn Buckner was doing the Indiana vs Michigan game on Saturday night...what happened to his career...he was ahead of Clark Kellogg at one point on CBS.
8. Tom Crean - Kind of subtle...but, I re-winded and re-winded it again...and Tom Crean is an asshole. After his FIRST Big Ten victory of the year over Michigan...he flew through the line with quick bullshit handshakes and stormed out of the arena like his shit doesn't stink. Are you serious...?? You're on rebuilding year number three and still very minimal progress has been made by your program. I'd slow your roll if I was you.
9. Michigan State's comebacks - These are getting old already...two in one week against both Wisconsin and Northwestern. I will say I saw the collapse of both, and at least there were no significant calls that normally Izzo gets just because he's Tom Izzo that altered the result of the game(s).
10. Hype on Penn State - They defended their home court well and competed and stuck with Ohio State. But, let's not get too crazy on the Penn State bandwagon...they've already got seven losses (UGLY one to Maine) and look at their remaining Big 10 schedule. They only get Indiana (already played them) and Iowa once this year on their schedule...good luck in the NIT.
SBG
The Barn: Hawkeyes @ Gophers
My three year old son Cullen (not named after the stupid Vampire family...just wanted to clarify) and I attended the hoops game last night while sitting in Section 209/Row 3...here's how the night transpired:
* We had to get there early because the leg room up in the upper level is cramped (I know from experience...I had to carry Cullen out one time and he proceeded to kick two people in the head in the row in front of us on our way out.), so I wanted to get the souvenirs out of the way early and get situated at our seats. Cullen wanted another glow and the dark basketball, while I also picked up a stuffed "Goldy" for his twin sister who was supposed to originally be my date for this game.
* We got there early enough to view their intro video...I've shown this video to my son at home on the computer and I name him all the guys that are shown. For some reason, he goes crazy over still photo shot of Jim Brewer's banner. By the way, they took Devoe's part off and added another Blake.
* So MANY people hyped up Austin Hollins coming into the year as a "heady" player that "knows how to play the game" because of who his dad is/was. This statement is FALSE. Once again, an opponent has a clear breakaway for an easy two and Austin decides to waste a cheap foul and let's the guy pretty much convert an easy three point play. This is about the third time I've seen this bonehead play from him this year. If you're going to foul in that situation, that ball better not come close to getting up near the rim. And now that I've seen him live in two games...he's weak with the ball and his passing is even weaker. Plus, he's just flat out not making shots...so, if this is all true wouldn't freshman Chip Armelin be a more "heady" player that "knows how to play the game"?
* Fran McCafferey gets a technical and the student section chants "Asshole" (best chant/cheer of the game). Welcome to the Big Ten, Fran. Student section was a lot better against Iowa than they were for the Indiana...but, they still lack any creativity. "Who hates Iowa, We hate Iowa" = lame. There must be some kind of rules against any chants/cheers with any creativity.
* Cullen was craving some popcorn midway through the first half. So, we waited until halftime to run and get some...however, they were introducing basketball alumni at the break and I wish we would have been in our seats. I couldn't catch all the names, but I saw Quincy Lewis (no surprise, he works with the U of M), David Grim, one of the Stanford twins...this would've been great material for my blog that nobody reads.
* Gophers blow their 10 or 11 point halftime lead within minutes in the second half. Seriously, I always revert back to the Virginia game at the Barn this year when things start to go south. They also had a 10 point lead at halftime of that game and it evaporated in minutes due to Virginia's hot three point shooting and our lackluster offense. If Tubby Smith wasn't our coach, I'd pretty much be convinced that our players were bought off to keep the game at a certain point spread for each game. The peaks and valleys (and specifically the lengths of the valleys) of this team just doesn't make sense...especially, for a team that doesn't rely on the three ball all the time. I mean we're not Michigan or Northwestern that hoist up threes at an ungodly rate.
* How spoiled is the younger generation getting to see Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe play? I mean these guys give us 5-10 highlights a game where they are violently dunking or blocking shots. I'm not saying these plays result in wins...but, as a kid is there anything better than watching these type of plays? I mean Sam Jacobson was pretty sick, but I think these two are on a different level amongst their peers.
* Gophers manage to get a win...we walk out to our car and get in. My son asks, "Why do all the girls' smile at me?"
SBG
* We had to get there early because the leg room up in the upper level is cramped (I know from experience...I had to carry Cullen out one time and he proceeded to kick two people in the head in the row in front of us on our way out.), so I wanted to get the souvenirs out of the way early and get situated at our seats. Cullen wanted another glow and the dark basketball, while I also picked up a stuffed "Goldy" for his twin sister who was supposed to originally be my date for this game.
* We got there early enough to view their intro video...I've shown this video to my son at home on the computer and I name him all the guys that are shown. For some reason, he goes crazy over still photo shot of Jim Brewer's banner. By the way, they took Devoe's part off and added another Blake.
* So MANY people hyped up Austin Hollins coming into the year as a "heady" player that "knows how to play the game" because of who his dad is/was. This statement is FALSE. Once again, an opponent has a clear breakaway for an easy two and Austin decides to waste a cheap foul and let's the guy pretty much convert an easy three point play. This is about the third time I've seen this bonehead play from him this year. If you're going to foul in that situation, that ball better not come close to getting up near the rim. And now that I've seen him live in two games...he's weak with the ball and his passing is even weaker. Plus, he's just flat out not making shots...so, if this is all true wouldn't freshman Chip Armelin be a more "heady" player that "knows how to play the game"?
* Fran McCafferey gets a technical and the student section chants "Asshole" (best chant/cheer of the game). Welcome to the Big Ten, Fran. Student section was a lot better against Iowa than they were for the Indiana...but, they still lack any creativity. "Who hates Iowa, We hate Iowa" = lame. There must be some kind of rules against any chants/cheers with any creativity.
* Cullen was craving some popcorn midway through the first half. So, we waited until halftime to run and get some...however, they were introducing basketball alumni at the break and I wish we would have been in our seats. I couldn't catch all the names, but I saw Quincy Lewis (no surprise, he works with the U of M), David Grim, one of the Stanford twins...this would've been great material for my blog that nobody reads.
* Gophers blow their 10 or 11 point halftime lead within minutes in the second half. Seriously, I always revert back to the Virginia game at the Barn this year when things start to go south. They also had a 10 point lead at halftime of that game and it evaporated in minutes due to Virginia's hot three point shooting and our lackluster offense. If Tubby Smith wasn't our coach, I'd pretty much be convinced that our players were bought off to keep the game at a certain point spread for each game. The peaks and valleys (and specifically the lengths of the valleys) of this team just doesn't make sense...especially, for a team that doesn't rely on the three ball all the time. I mean we're not Michigan or Northwestern that hoist up threes at an ungodly rate.
* How spoiled is the younger generation getting to see Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe play? I mean these guys give us 5-10 highlights a game where they are violently dunking or blocking shots. I'm not saying these plays result in wins...but, as a kid is there anything better than watching these type of plays? I mean Sam Jacobson was pretty sick, but I think these two are on a different level amongst their peers.
* Gophers manage to get a win...we walk out to our car and get in. My son asks, "Why do all the girls' smile at me?"
SBG
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Barn: Hoosiers @ Gophers
My wife and I attended the Big Ten home opener between two awful 0-2 squads...here were some of the highs and lows of the night:
* 6 pm start times blow. I left work early, picked up my wife and parked at around 4:50 pm. We walked into Pagoda's (I believe...Asian cuisine nonetheless) where I shoveled my face with vegetable fried rice and slammed three beers (because no alcohol is served in The Barn)...this was a horrible idea on my part, and I knew it while I was doing it.
* We left the restaurant at around 5:40 pm...witnessed a car accident while walking to the arena, where some dumbass chick hurried to make a light only to crash into the back of another vehicle to cause a three car pile up.
* We get to our seats...and I cough/puke (the sharting of the mouth) up some mucus of chinese food/beer. Great.
* Gophers PA announcer calls Jerimiah Rivers..."Jeremy" during introduction and all throughout the game. He did this around 8-10 times and only corrected himself twice. He's the fucking son of Doc Rivers...how do you screw this up that many times?
* Al Nolen turned it on late in this game...but, there have been major stretches in the last two games where he's on the court, but not really on the court on the offensive end. He may be "running the offense" but he's pretty much dribbling side to side on the perimeter. I'm not sure if he's more hurt than he's letting on or conserving himself for later in the game. But the offense isn't good enough to have lameduck possessions where they're not getting efficient, productive possessions on offense.
* The perimeter play for the Gophers is terrible. It's a bunch of spare parts. Al can drive and dish, but not finish. Blake can shoot, but can't get open or create his own shot. Rodney is athletic as all hell, but can't shoot or dribble to create anything for himself or others. Chip Armelin looked decent and at least isn't scared with the ball in his hands (even though he didn't convert some layups). Austin looked weak with the ball. And Maverick hit two threes, but outside of that I don't know what he really brings to our team yet.
* The departure of Devoe sucks. He wasn't great...but, he was 6'3'' and had good enough handles to at least create a shot (or at least a good look at the basket) of his own. And he didn't publicly carry around a "me" attitude much like Westbrook often did. And, I don't really understand the transferring decision during the middle of his junior year on his part. Is it jealously of his brother getting major minutes at a major college while he's only a freshman? I don't know...but, I'm pretty sure Fred Hoiberg has already placed a phone call to Devoe with the Cyclones picking up other misfits such as Royce White and Chris Allen in the past year.
* Tubby bashers...meet Tom Crean. He's in year three of rebuilding and no sign of even sniffing an "expanded" (mind you) NCAA tourney invitation. Tubby has done more with less and that is still true today. Tom can recruit (see: D. Wade @ Marquette)...but, can he actually coach...because all I see is him just standing on the sidelines and clapping constantly as if he's a coaching a girls' house league team every minute of every game.
* For having one of the largest student enrollments in the country...our student section is pretty lame. I'm not saying the play on the court inspired any more cheers (besides highlight type plays by Mbakwe and Williams)...but, the originality and effort to antagonize the opponent throughout the game is a FAIL.
* Did anyone miss my great insight on the Lions-Vikings matchup in week 17? Yeah, I didn't think so.
SBG
* 6 pm start times blow. I left work early, picked up my wife and parked at around 4:50 pm. We walked into Pagoda's (I believe...Asian cuisine nonetheless) where I shoveled my face with vegetable fried rice and slammed three beers (because no alcohol is served in The Barn)...this was a horrible idea on my part, and I knew it while I was doing it.
* We left the restaurant at around 5:40 pm...witnessed a car accident while walking to the arena, where some dumbass chick hurried to make a light only to crash into the back of another vehicle to cause a three car pile up.
* We get to our seats...and I cough/puke (the sharting of the mouth) up some mucus of chinese food/beer. Great.
* Gophers PA announcer calls Jerimiah Rivers..."Jeremy" during introduction and all throughout the game. He did this around 8-10 times and only corrected himself twice. He's the fucking son of Doc Rivers...how do you screw this up that many times?
* Al Nolen turned it on late in this game...but, there have been major stretches in the last two games where he's on the court, but not really on the court on the offensive end. He may be "running the offense" but he's pretty much dribbling side to side on the perimeter. I'm not sure if he's more hurt than he's letting on or conserving himself for later in the game. But the offense isn't good enough to have lameduck possessions where they're not getting efficient, productive possessions on offense.
* The perimeter play for the Gophers is terrible. It's a bunch of spare parts. Al can drive and dish, but not finish. Blake can shoot, but can't get open or create his own shot. Rodney is athletic as all hell, but can't shoot or dribble to create anything for himself or others. Chip Armelin looked decent and at least isn't scared with the ball in his hands (even though he didn't convert some layups). Austin looked weak with the ball. And Maverick hit two threes, but outside of that I don't know what he really brings to our team yet.
* The departure of Devoe sucks. He wasn't great...but, he was 6'3'' and had good enough handles to at least create a shot (or at least a good look at the basket) of his own. And he didn't publicly carry around a "me" attitude much like Westbrook often did. And, I don't really understand the transferring decision during the middle of his junior year on his part. Is it jealously of his brother getting major minutes at a major college while he's only a freshman? I don't know...but, I'm pretty sure Fred Hoiberg has already placed a phone call to Devoe with the Cyclones picking up other misfits such as Royce White and Chris Allen in the past year.
* Tubby bashers...meet Tom Crean. He's in year three of rebuilding and no sign of even sniffing an "expanded" (mind you) NCAA tourney invitation. Tubby has done more with less and that is still true today. Tom can recruit (see: D. Wade @ Marquette)...but, can he actually coach...because all I see is him just standing on the sidelines and clapping constantly as if he's a coaching a girls' house league team every minute of every game.
* For having one of the largest student enrollments in the country...our student section is pretty lame. I'm not saying the play on the court inspired any more cheers (besides highlight type plays by Mbakwe and Williams)...but, the originality and effort to antagonize the opponent throughout the game is a FAIL.
* Did anyone miss my great insight on the Lions-Vikings matchup in week 17? Yeah, I didn't think so.
SBG
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