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