Welcome to NIT- Doogie

[Roy Christensen]

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/84340952.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD 3aPc:_Yyc:aUKcOy9cP3DieyckcUsI

[Doc1001]

I also cant understand how Nolen could be academically ineligible if Tubby had a tight grip on his academic situation. Shouldnt Tubby have known about this? If he didnt that is bad. If he did shouldnt he have had his butt firmly on the bench until he got his act in gear--and not making road trips up until the end. Tighten it up Tubby.

[akgopher]

Congrats to Doogie for becoming the first media-type to speculate on the possibility of Coach Smith departing for another job in a warmer climate. I'm tempted to take my criticism a step further and question Doogie's motive or logic for arbitrarily choosing where he thinks Coach Smith would be more comfortable. But I won't.

[Gopher Warrior]

Congrats to Doogie for becoming the first media-type to speculate on the possibility of Coach Smith departing for another job in a warmer climate. I'm tempted to take my criticism a step further and question Doogie's motive or logic for arbitrarily choosing where he thinks Coach Smith would be more comfortable. But I won't.

The article says, "Presumably, his name will come up again this year for openings in the ACC (think North Carolina State)... Could he view the Wolfpack job as far less of a dire situation than the Gophers' job?"... on Friday, NC State's AD essentially said Lowe would be back as head coach next year... I'm not sure the guy has any specific motive or logic in his comments.. rather, 'Doogie' is simply not a very bright guy.

[Go4]

this article is garbage and doogie knows it. If he doesn't know it then he should not be in journalism. I love how doogie talks about guys that haven't improved. every team has a few guys but he ignores the guys that have improved like Blake, Johnson, Nolen. In addition, if he thinks Ralph hasn't improved then doogie proved us all right that he just doesn't watch the games. sure doogie sat courtide for one game and ralph didnt play well but most everyone can see that Ralph is developing. doogie has no accountability. the last "article" he wrote he got ripped on the board and there was some valid criticism and of course doogie didnt take the time to defend himself because he knew he was wrong.

[alltimetwinsfan]

And this year’s schedule is easier (they don't play Wisconsin or Illinois twice plus the non-conference portion was laughable). Unless they win out – which has about the same chance of happening as Gophers football coach Tim Brewster agreeing to do a radio interview with Patrick Reusse on ESPN 1500 -- they will be NIT bound.

What I find best about this article is that a little birdie told me that Tim Brewster is actually going to be Ruesse's first guest on Monday, so I guess anything can happen!

[From the Barn]

By every conceivable measure the schedule was tougher this year, he could at least get that right.

[playhosea!]

Another piece of sh*t article from Doogie, which largely duplicates his last Gopher basketball piece. Again he sounds like an idiot claiming Ralph Sampson has not improved from last year. Again he makes the same lazy, unsupported statement that the incoming recruits are "not program changers," whatever that's supposed to mean. If he wanted to find someone who has actually watched the recruits play the game and include their observations, that would be great. But why do I get the impression Doogie has just looked at some recruiting "top 100" list and stopped researching?

He also says he has yet to hear to Tubby "take responsibility" for the players on the roster. Interesting. Did you try asking him the question, Doogie? Because I really doubt Tubby would point the finger elsewhere. I would think that even the laziest "journalist" would ask that question before implying that Tubby refuses to take responsibility, but I guess not.

[alchemy2u]

Doogie...doogie....doogie.....

What a hack job! You obviously do not know what you are talking about. What do you think Tubby or any recuirt will say when they read that POS article? I hope you at least got a chance to talk to Tubby once because he will never give you the time of day with those sorts of unfounded attacks on him. What an idiot, why don't go out and get a real job flipping burgers or something because you got no future in sports!!!

What was the purpose of the article, were you trying to show you know basketball better than Tubby? Did you just want to show how you could attack some one like the "big boys"? It had absolutely no purpose than to just spout off.

[MRJ]

Doogie's take is basically a panic attack in print.

Having said that, he raises a couple of valid points; namely, that this team should be much better than it is. Also, the halfcourt offense is disjointed most of the time and there have certainly been times when the guys have looked confused on both ends of the court.

After that, things get dicey on the credibility front. I would venture to say that he hasn't the faintest idea what the incoming recruits will bring considering he hasn't seen them play. He therefore goes off of what the experts are saying, which is that they are role players. However, since these same experts have been proven wrong on multiple occasions, I'll hold off on judgment there until they actually play a game or two (or maybe even a whole season).

Doogie also seems to believe Smith still might jump at any old offer as long as it's in the ACC or the SEC. To that, all I can say is here we go again. In other words, Doogie is painting the worst possible scenario and running with it, which is fine (that's his perogative as a journalist). In all, it implies the team will stink, Tubby can't recruit or develop players, Tubby will also leave for the SEC or ACC and the Gopher program is on it's way down the toilet. If that's the slant that he wants to pursue, then fine. I for one doubt many of these things will happen, since there is no evidence to back up any of it other than the current players not living up to expectations.

[Berkshire]

Doogie's take is basically a panic attack in print.

Having said that, he raises a couple of valid points; namely, that this team should be much better than it is. Also, the halfcourt offense is disjointed most of the time and there have certainly been times when the guys have looked confused on both ends of the court.

After that, things get dicey on the credibility front. I would venture to say that he hasn't the faintest idea what the incoming recruits will bring considering he hasn't seen them play. He therefore goes off of what the experts are saying, which is that they are role players. However, since these same experts have been proven wrong on multiple occasions, I'll hold off on judgment there until they actually play a game or two (or maybe even a whole season).

Doogie also seems to believe Smith still might jump at any old offer as long as it's in the ACC or the SEC. To that, all I can say is here we go again. In other words, Doogie is painting the worst possible scenario and running with it, which is fine (that's his perogative as a journalist). In all, it implies the team will stink, Tubby can't recruit or develop players, Tubby will also leave for the SEC or ACC and the Gopher program is on it's way down the toilet. If that's the slant that he wants to pursue, then fine. I for one doubt many of these things will happen, since there is no evidence to back up any of it other than the current players not living up to expectations.

Excellent post - couldn't have said it better. As an aside, a quick scroll through the comment section at the Strib suggests that UK fans are still stalking Tubby around the net. Obsess much guys?

[Doogie]

Congrats to Doogie for becoming the first media-type to speculate on the possibility of Coach Smith departing for another job in a warmer climate. I'm tempted to take my criticism a step further and question Doogie's motive or logic for arbitrarily choosing where he thinks Coach Smith would be more comfortable. But I won't.

I'll go one-by-one ... I didn't randomly throw out NC State.

[Doogie]

The article says, "Presumably, his name will come up again this year for openings in the ACC (think North Carolina State)... Could he view the Wolfpack job as far less of a dire situation than the Gophers' job?"... on Friday, NC State's AD essentially said Lowe would be back as head coach next year... I'm not sure the guy has any specific motive or logic in his comments.. rather, 'Doogie' is simply not a very bright guy.

Gopher Warrior -- If you believe everything and A.D./coach/management type says, I have some oceanfront property in International Falls to sell you.

[Doogie]

this article is garbage and doogie knows it. If he doesn't know it then he should not be in journalism. I love how doogie talks about guys that haven't improved. every team has a few guys but he ignores the guys that have improved like Blake, Johnson, Nolen. In addition, if he thinks Ralph hasn't improved then doogie proved us all right that he just doesn't watch the games. sure doogie sat courtide for one game and ralph didnt play well but most everyone can see that Ralph is developing. doogie has no accountability. the last "article" he wrote he got ripped on the board and there was some valid criticism and of course doogie didnt take the time to defend himself because he knew he was wrong.

Go4 -- I love the back-and-forth ... if I didn't respond, it's because I didn't see it ... I am on here as much as my schedule allows, but not all the time ... I couldn't find one person I talked to on Thurs. that thinks Ralph has gotten better ... I will breakdown the stats later, but how many double-doubles does he have this year compared to last? How many double-digit scoring games does he have this year compared to last? Maybe I am stupidly asking these questions without looking up the numbers, which I will do later, but I will also trust my naked eye in making the statement.

[Doogie]

By every conceivable measure the schedule was tougher this year, he could at least get that right.

We can probably breakdown the strength of schedule from many different angles ... my point is this: The Big Ten is weaker top-to-bottom this year, they don't have to travel to Madison, and don't have to play a borderline NCAA team in Ill. twice.
No non-conference game this year equals the toughness factor of Louis. last year ... this year on the non-conf. I see Tenn. Tech, SFA, something called Utah Valley, Brown, and Morgan State ... yes, also cupcakes on the sched. last year, but you can use overall RPI or Ken P's rankings ... I say this year's sched. is easier.

[Doogie]

Another piece of sh*t article from Doogie, which largely duplicates his last Gopher basketball piece. Again he sounds like an idiot claiming Ralph Sampson has not improved from last year. Again he makes the same lazy, unsupported statement that the incoming recruits are "not program changers," whatever that's supposed to mean. If he wanted to find someone who has actually watched the recruits play the game and include their observations, that would be great. But why do I get the impression Doogie has just looked at some recruiting "top 100" list and stopped researching?

He also says he has yet to hear to Tubby "take responsibility" for the players on the roster. Interesting. Did you try asking him the question, Doogie? Because I really doubt Tubby would point the finger elsewhere. I would think that even the laziest "journalist" would ask that question before implying that Tubby refuses to take responsibility, but I guess not.

Thanks for reading ... if you would've been there, I did talk to Tubby postgame Thurs. He is limited to only a certain amount of questions by the S.I.D., and Myron, Marcus, and Dave from the AP also had questions, but so did I.
Those blogs are called "Your Voices" ... they want me to take stands ... they don't want me quoting people left-and-right.
Disagree on the tone, but lazy I am not ... trust me ... will challenge my work ethic vs. yours any day of the week.

[Doogie]

Doogie...doogie....doogie.....

What a hack job! You obviously do not know what you are talking about. What do you think Tubby or any recuirt will say when they read that POS article? I hope you at least got a chance to talk to Tubby once because he will never give you the time of day with those sorts of unfounded attacks on him. What an idiot, why don't go out and get a real job flipping burgers or something because you got no future in sports!!!

What was the purpose of the article, were you trying to show you know basketball better than Tubby? Did you just want to show how you could attack some one like the "big boys"? It had absolutely no purpose than to just spout off.

No future? I have 13-years in this marketplace with multiple companies, and just turned 30... Tubby is a Hall-of-Famer ... should be in now ... just wondering when that iconic touch will translate to my alma mater.

[Doogie]

Doogie's take is basically a panic attack in print.

Having said that, he raises a couple of valid points; namely, that this team should be much better than it is. Also, the halfcourt offense is disjointed most of the time and there have certainly been times when the guys have looked confused on both ends of the court.

After that, things get dicey on the credibility front. I would venture to say that he hasn't the faintest idea what the incoming recruits will bring considering he hasn't seen them play. He therefore goes off of what the experts are saying, which is that they are role players. However, since these same experts have been proven wrong on multiple occasions, I'll hold off on judgment there until they actually play a game or two (or maybe even a whole season).

Doogie also seems to believe Smith still might jump at any old offer as long as it's in the ACC or the SEC. To that, all I can say is here we go again. In other words, Doogie is painting the worst possible scenario and running with it, which is fine (that's his perogative as a journalist). In all, it implies the team will stink, Tubby can't recruit or develop players, Tubby will also leave for the SEC or ACC and the Gopher program is on it's way down the toilet. If that's the slant that he wants to pursue, then fine. I for one doubt many of these things will happen, since there is no evidence to back up any of it other than the current players not living up to expectations.

When did I imply the the program is on its way down the toilet? Sure, provided some doom-and-gloom, but certainly not that bad. He darn near took the Virginia job, the Maryland job is his dream job, so why not think about the NC State job if it opens up?
Fair point on the two verbals ... deferred to a few different clippings I read and one person I talked to ... wouldn't know either if they were in our ch. 5 sports office right now, so fair enough to say we can wait to pass judgment.

[Doogie]

Thank you for taking the time to read ... I apologize for not saying that earlier.

[fan of Ray Williams]

Doogie, no matter what I think of your article, which I did read, kudos for coming on and posting.

[akgopher]

He darn near took the Virginia job
Do you have a primary source, a source who speculated, or your speculation?

the Maryland job is his dream job
Is he on record stating this?

Why would he want to leave for UVA? Why would NC State want a 58 year old coach? Tim Brewster's hometown is only 250 miles from Tubby's and he coached at warmer locales in UNC, Texas, San Diego, and Denver- why don't people like you throw out Minnesota being too cold for him and speculate that he desires the next job South of the Mason-Dixon?

[Doogie]

Love posting on here and being apart of an on-line community that is passionate about Gophers athletics ... we should have a viewing party soon, so everyone can meet, or I can possibly organize a hoops gathering for those who play.

[Doogie]

He darn near took the Virginia job
Do you have a primary source, a source who speculated, or your speculation?

the Maryland job is his dream job
Is he on record stating this?

Why would he want to leave for UVA? Why would NC State want a 58 year old coach? Tim Brewster's hometown is only 250 miles from Tubby's and he coached at warmer locales in UNC, Texas, San Diego, and Denver- why don't people like you throw out Minnesota being too cold for him and speculate that he desires the next job South of the Mason-Dixon?

Informed speculation ... as for the Maryland job, I am 100 percent on that one ... heard it the day he was hired here from two people who absolutely would know.
The weather idea is not far-fetched ... more so other family members.

[MRJ]

When did I imply the the program is on its way down the toilet? Sure, provided some doom-and-gloom, but certainly not that bad. He darn near took the Virginia job, the Maryland job is his dream job, so why not think about the NC State job if it opens up?
Fair point on the two verbals ... deferred to a few different clippings I read and one person I talked to ... wouldn't know either if they were in our ch. 5 sports office right now, so fair enough to say we can wait to pass judgment.

I guess I can see your point of view, that is if you differentiate between "some doom and gloom" and "going down the toilet." What is your difference between the two? To me, providing as much doom and gloom as you did basically, at least to me, implies going down the toilet.

And I would have to disagree about the "very nearly took the Virginia job." Didn't sound like that based on the information that was presented, but maybe you know more. The way some in the media talk, you would think Tubby is halfway out the door at all times. When and if something occurs, then talk about leaving would be warranted. But just randomly opening up "he might leave" because of having a difficult season is problematic and at this point is reaching for talking points.

[playhosea!]

Thanks for reading ... if you would've been there, I did talk to Tubby postgame Thurs. He is limited to only a certain amount of questions by the S.I.D., and Myron, Marcus, and Dave from the AP also had questions, but so did I.
Those blogs are called "Your Voices" ... they want me to take stands ... they don't want me quoting people left-and-right.
Disagree on the tone, but lazy I am not ... trust me ... will challenge my work ethic vs. yours any day of the week.

Okay, Doogie, good for you. I suggest you apply your Herculean work ethic to writing better blog entries.

[MNBadgerGuy]

You guys are ridiculous. Any journalist who writes an article that is critical of Tubby or the gophs is immediately called trash or a hack job. Good lord the media isn't supposed to spoon feed fans candy and rainbows all the time.

[howeda7]

He darn near took the Virginia job
Do you have a primary source, a source who speculated, or your speculation?

the Maryland job is his dream job
Is he on record stating this?

Why would he want to leave for UVA? Why would NC State want a 58 year old coach? Tim Brewster's hometown is only 250 miles from Tubby's and he coached at warmer locales in UNC, Texas, San Diego, and Denver- why don't people like you throw out Minnesota being too cold for him and speculate that he desires the next job South of the Mason-Dixon?

I can't tell you how close he came to taking it, but I can tell you from an excellent source that UVa offered him the world including a huge pay raise from his already high salary, so my guess is he strongly considered it.

It is for that reason that I don't think he'll leave for any job other then Maryland unless he's really, really unhappy with Maturi or something. NC State is not a better job then UVa or Minnesota. It is the 4th best job in its own state (if that) and will always be poor step-sister to Duke and UNC. Yet its fans expect everyone to be the next Jim Valvano. Basically you are put behind a giant 8-ball yet face huge expectations. I'd run far away.

[From the Barn]

We can probably breakdown the strength of schedule from many different angles ... my point is this: The Big Ten is weaker top-to-bottom this year, they don't have to travel to Madison, and don't have to play a borderline NCAA team in Ill. twice.
No non-conference game this year equals the toughness factor of Louis. last year ... this year on the non-conf. I see Tenn. Tech, SFA, something called Utah Valley, Brown, and Morgan State ... yes, also cupcakes on the sched. last year, but you can use overall RPI or Ken P's rankings ... I say this year's sched. is easier.

Last year the Gophers played Louisville as their only moderately challenging non-conference game. This year they played Butler, Portland, Texas A&M and Miami on the road. Wisconsin was down last year. This year the Gophers play Purdue twice compared to once last year. But why let something silly like actual statistics that show this year's schedule is tougher get in the way of your view?

[akgopher]

As much as I appreciate Tubby Smith, Maryland could do better.That's mostly just based on age. When that job opens, it's going to make a lot of coaches under 55 think hard about throwing their hat in the ring. The D.C., Baltimore, Northern Virginia recruiting grounds and the Comcast Center are top notch. Maryland should be a top 10-15 job.

[Doogie]

Last year the Gophers played Louisville as their only moderately challenging non-conference game. This year they played Butler, Portland, Texas A&M and Miami on the road. Wisconsin was down last year. This year the Gophers play Purdue twice compared to once last year. But why let something silly like actual statistics that show this year's schedule is tougher get in the way of your view?

Wis. was down? They, like they have in all of Bo Ryan's years, still finished top-4, right? Miami is not good this year. Portland has some bad losses. I would rather play Purdue a second time compared to two games vs. Wis. & Ill. Plus, no game this year in Madison is huge in my mind (11-losses in 8+ years for Ryan at the Kohl Center).
We can probably agree on this: Both schedules are below-average. So arguing semantics a bit this year vs. last ... let's just agree to disagree.

[ilovethebarn]

Love posting on here and being apart of an on-line community that is passionate about Gophers athletics ... we should have a viewing party soon, so everyone can meet, or I can possibly organize a hoops gathering for those who play.

I would love to watch a game with you. Or even play basketball. That would be so much fun. Honestly, if you do this please PM me and let me know. I am not sure if this was sarcastic, but if you meant it I am game.

[howeda7]

As much as I appreciate Tubby Smith, Maryland could do better.That's mostly just based on age. When that job opens, it's going to make a lot of coaches under 55 think hard about throwing their hat in the ring. The D.C., Baltimore, Northern Virginia recruiting grounds and the Comcast Center are top notch. Maryland should be a top 10-15 job.

I tend to agree. First, I don't see Gary Williams getting fired this year, but even if he does, I think they have better options. Tubby just doesn't strike me as a guy who's going to coach more then 5 more years or so, and I'm not sure a top-flight program wants to go in for that. UVa was semi-desperate. They have a brand new arena and it was half-full. They badly needed a spark to re-fill it. Frankly, I think they ended up better off with Bennett long-term. I suppose the same can be said for NC State, but again, I'd run far away from that. That said, if the Maryland job should be offered, I think Tubby is gone. But otherwise he's hear until he retires (or has 2-3 more bad seasons.)

[Gopher Warrior]

Gopher Warrior -- If you believe everything and A.D./coach/management type says, I have some oceanfront property in International Falls to sell you.

Cool, I am always interested in prime real estate. If I buy this property, would you consider throwing in the Quesadilla Maker you got as a wedding gift? That thing looks awesome.

With respect to your NC State comment, I found it strange... first, there was no need to single out a 'potential new school for Tubby'... second, why NC State?! On the surface, it looks like an easy prediction... length of time Lowe has been there.. the 'fire Sidney' websites... but the reality is NC State has a top recruiting class coming in and the administration is afraid of the kids going bye bye if Sidney is fired. Harrow, Brown, Cothron... not too shabby. 2012's Uchebo isn't a bad guy to have a verbal commit from either.

It's not so much what the AD is saying that makes me think Lowe will be back next year, rather the fear the administration has of kids not sticking with NC State if Lowe is gone. You know how it is - I'm sure listenership dropped dramatically when you were axed from your job.

[streetfighter]

I have to agree with Doogie about Sampson and his lack of development thus far. His biggest problem is that he plays with marginal (at best) intensity. You can see flashes of greatness (a la PSU game) when he attacks, but more often then not he looks bored on the court. How many other 7 footers do you see taking fade away jumpers from 4-5 feet? That is Ralph's biggest problem and I don't see it hasn't changed from last year to now.

[Doogie]

Cool, I am always interested in prime real estate. If I buy this property, would you consider throwing in the Quesadilla Maker you got as a wedding gift? That thing looks awesome.

With respect to your NC State comment, I found it strange... first, there was no need to single out a 'potential new school for Tubby'... second, why NC State?! On the surface, it looks like an easy prediction... length of time Lowe has been there.. the 'fire Sidney' websites... but the reality is NC State has a top recruiting class coming in and the administration is afraid of the kids going bye bye if Sidney is fired. Harrow, Brown, Cothron... not too shabby. 2012's Uchebo isn't a bad guy to have a verbal commit from either.

It's not so much what the AD is saying that makes me think Lowe will be back next year, rather the fear the administration has of kids not sticking with NC State if Lowe is gone. You know how it is - I'm sure listenership dropped dramatically when you were axed from your job.


The maker is great ... I even figured out how to use it, but sure, consider that done. A wild hypothetical: What if the Wolfpack promised Saul the head job in 5-7 years? Sort of a Bobby/Pat Knight situation?

[royboy]

Wis. was down? They, like they have in all of Bo Ryan's years, still finished top-4, right?

Are you really this stupid? If you knew anything about basketball, you would know that Wisconsin barely squeaked in the tournament as a 12 seed last year as one of the last four in.

[akgopher]

The maker is great ... I even figured out how to use it, but sure, consider that done. A wild hypothetical: What if the Wolfpack promised Saul the head job in 5-7 years? Sort of a Bobby/Pat Knight situation?

Come on Doogie, now you are really reaching.

Sadly, if the next 9 months of recruiting don't get back on track, Coach Smith's time here could mirror Coach Knight's in Lubbock. Although I don't think we'll be desperate enough to have to settle for Saul if things aren't rolling.

[Doogie]

Are you really this stupid? If you knew anything about basketball, you would know that Wisconsin barely squeaked in the tournament as a 12 seed last year as one of the last four in.

Maybe I am overrating them slightly, but I do happen to remember them doing OK as the 12 seed, and I do remember 2 wins over Michigan and a win at Marquette, and an above .500 record in what was one of the better years in the Big Ten in a while.
Royboy -- At least have the decency to use your real name if you are going to call me stupid. Real easy to hide behind your moniker.

[Reserve]

Maybe I am overrating them slightly, but I do happen to remember them doing OK as the 12 seed, and I do remember 2 wins over Michigan and a win at Marquette, and an above .500 record in what was one of the better years in the Big Ten in a while.

Ahh, wrong Doogie. Wisconsin lost at Marquette last year. Wisconsin was probably the last team in last year. Consider also that three of their wins came against hideous Iowa and Indiana teams and they lost at Iowa. Wisconsin rode their schedule, which was tough, two wins against Michigan, and beat Ohio State and Illinois. But, only one of the those was on the road, at Michigan.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/teams/wbg/schedule?y=2008

They made a fair showing of themselves but didn't really deserve to get in the NCAA.

I thought your article was decent but informed Gopher fans know better than to believe all of what you're saying, which really is the sad thing with the media. You guys spoon feed dubious information to an largely uniformed fan base, which they take as Gospel not knowing that you're creating a story based on flawed presumptions and facts. Well done though! I'm sure you left a lasting impression of what's going on behind Gopher basketball according to you.

[Blizzard]

You guys spoon feed dubious information to an largely uniformed fan base, which they take as Gospel not knowing that you're creating a story based on flawed presumptions and facts.

It reminds me of an article I read this week from " the badger herald ". Student newspaper I suppose that had this gem in it-


Nolen not hitting the books hard enough and White, a prize recruit, leaving the team after being arrested for stealing laptops out of university dorms completely embarrasses the University of Minnesota and the Big Ten conference as a whole.

Never let the facts get in the way of good story I always say. :)

[From the Barn]

Was it the 2 point win over Idaho State or the 2 point win over Iona that made Wisconsin great last year?

[UWOle]

Last year's UW team was probably Bo's worst in his almost 9 years in Madison. They were 10-8 in conference, which still got them 4th place, but his only other year that bad was 9-7 when Stiemsma and Landry were academically ineligible. Last year's team had no excuse for the 9 games they led late in and lost. Bo has lost 11 times in the Kohl Center, 3 of them came last season.

[ilovethebarn]

You all need to lay off of Doogie. It is in very poor class to stand behind your moniker and tear him a new one. Most of the info in his post was correct.

[Reserve]

Most of the info in his post was correct.

Reminds me of the famous Brittney Spears Youtube ..

LEAVE DOOGIE ALONEEEEE !!

Collapses into uncontrollable sobbing.

Doogie has an opinion

Some of its on, some of its off.

He's a big boy ( with a stupid pink hat ) that can defend himself.

[tjgopher]

Go4 -- I love the back-and-forth ... if I didn't respond, it's because I didn't see it ... I am on here as much as my schedule allows, but not all the time ... I couldn't find one person I talked to on Thurs. that thinks Ralph has gotten better ... I will breakdown the stats later, but how many double-doubles does he have this year compared to last? How many double-digit scoring games does he have this year compared to last? Maybe I am stupidly asking these questions without looking up the numbers, which I will do later, but I will also trust my naked eye in making the statement.

Sampson is better this year than last.

Scoring Avg - 6.3/game last year: 8.3/game this year
Rebounding Avg - 4.2/game last year; 6.1/game this year
Double-Doubles - ZERO last year; TWO this year
Double Digit Scoring Games - EIGHT last year: SIX this year (6+ games to go)
Double Digit Rebound Games - ZERO last year; THREE this year
Block Shot Avg - 1.5/game last year; 2.1/game this year
Assists Avg - .78/game last year; 1.9/game this year
FG% - 50.3% last year; 52.8% this year
FT% - 75.8% last year; 62.7% this year (this hurts him)

[gopher_alum_2005]

Am I the only one that gets frustrated about the "it's too cold in MN" banter. I honestly hate that defense for coaches wanting to move jobs more than anything else out there.

I completely agree that the winters in MN are more harsh than other locations in the US, but I think as a university and as a state MN has more to offer then 90% of the universities in the country. Maybe it's the Marron and Gold glasses I wear, but I just don't see any of our athletic jobs as lower tier jobs because of the weather here.

[howeda7]

Am I the only one that gets frustrated about the "it's too cold in MN" banter. I honestly hate that defense for coaches wanting to move jobs more than anything else out there.

I completely agree that the winters in MN are more harsh than other locations in the US, but I think as a university and as a state MN has more to offer then 90% of the universities in the country. Maybe it's the Marron and Gold glasses I wear, but I just don't see any of our athletic jobs as lower tier jobs because of the weather here.

It drives me up a wall. Virginia, the 'warmer weather' job we were supposedly going to lose him to, has gotten more snow this year then Minnesota. I am enjoying it, but everyone is being very whiny. (It would help if it didn't take VDot 10 days to get the roads clear after every storm.) Is it still warmer here then in Minnesota? Yes. But who honestly cares if it's 20 above or 0? Either way, Tubby's a little too busy to care. Come July, I'd think he'd take 75 and sunny over 98 and suffocating.

[Gopher Warrior]

Sampson is better this year than last.

Scoring Avg - 6.3/game last year: 8.3/game this year
Rebounding Avg - 4.2/game last year; 6.1/game this year
Double-Doubles - ZERO last year; TWO this year
Double Digit Scoring Games - EIGHT last year: SIX this year (6+ games to go)
Double Digit Rebound Games - ZERO last year; THREE this year
Block Shot Avg - 1.5/game last year; 2.1/game this year
Assists Avg - .78/game last year; 1.9/game this year
FG% - 50.3% last year; 52.8% this year
FT% - 75.8% last year; 62.7% this year (this hurts him)

Ralph's 2009-10 offensive rating and turnover rate are unfavorable compared to last year. He's better than last year, but not by much and not as much as I had hoped or as much as we should expect.

A knock on Ralph for years has been the lack of competitiveness and fire... it's nothing new. And it looks like it may always be there.

I see him make a play or two most games where I think, "Wow! What has gotten into Ralph?!?! That's what I'm talking about!!!"... it's as if I'm surprised by seeing him do what I actually expect him to do more consistently. That's not a good sign. When great players make great plays, you should think, "Yes - that is what he does."... when Ralph makes great plays, I still think, "Wow - where did that come from?".

He can still be a very good player and I think he'll be a significant asset over his remaining time at the U... but I wish he could 'snap out of it' and take on the mental state of a warrior. Don't think it will happen, though.

[streetfighter]

GW - I think you're exactly right. You see those flashes and wonder "Why doesn't he do that more consistently?". It all comes down to that lack of fire. He has the size and occasionally shows the ability, but just doesn't appear to have the willpower to be great. I don't know if/how you can change something like that.

[Doogie]

Ahh, wrong Doogie. Wisconsin lost at Marquette last year. Wisconsin was probably the last team in last year. Consider also that three of their wins came against hideous Iowa and Indiana teams and they lost at Iowa. Wisconsin rode their schedule, which was tough, two wins against Michigan, and beat Ohio State and Illinois. But, only one of the those was on the road, at Michigan.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/teams/wbg/schedule?y=2008

They made a fair showing of themselves but didn't really deserve to get in the NCAA.

I thought your article was decent but informed Gopher fans know better than to believe all of what you're saying, which really is the sad thing with the media. You guys spoon feed dubious information to an largely uniformed fan base, which they take as Gospel not knowing that you're creating a story based on flawed presumptions and facts. Well done though! I'm sure you left a lasting impression of what's going on behind Gopher basketball according to you.

Yes, sorry for the mistake from the top-of-my-head ... that same week they did win at Virginia Tech.

[Doogie]

Was it the 2 point win over Idaho State or the 2 point win over Iona that made Wisconsin great last year?

From something I found from someone who follows them closely:
During a 6 game losing streak in January, the Badgers lost two overtime games, a one-point contest against Purdue, and suffered a 3 point loss in Evanston. That means Bo Ryan's team was 8 points away from winning those four, and that Wisconsin was not as average as their record suggested.

Undoubtedly, Ryan has raised the bar high enough where last year wasn't supreme, but a win over a 5-seed isn't too bad ... plus they were second in conference efficiency ... and the 10 conf. wins in a good year certainly doesn't go unnoticed.

From the Barn -- Here is where I am confused: I go to your website and clearly you do good work and come across as very knowledgeable ... why the fear in actually attaching your full name instead of your initials?

[From the Barn]

From something I found from someone who follows them closely:
During a 6 game losing streak in January, the Badgers lost two overtime games, a one-point contest against Purdue, and suffered a 3 point loss in Evanston. That means Bo Ryan's team was 8 points away from winning those four, and that Wisconsin was not as average as their record suggested.

Undoubtedly, Ryan has raised the bar high enough where last year wasn't supreme, but a win over a 5-seed isn't too bad ... plus they were second in conference efficiency ... and the 10 conf. wins in a good year certainly doesn't go unnoticed.

From the Barn -- Here is where I am confused: I go to your website and clearly you do good work and come across as very knowledgeable ... why the fear in actually attaching your full name instead of your initials?

My name is everywhere there. Just look.

[Doogie]

My name is everywhere there. Just look.

The "Who Am I" page says nothing ... and I see your initials (JF) on the first two stories I clicked on.

[Blizzard]

During a 6 game losing streak in January, the Badgers lost two overtime games, a one-point contest against Purdue, and suffered a 3 point loss in Evanston. That means Bo Ryan's team was 8 points away from winning those four, and that Wisconsin was not as average as their record suggested.

So does that mean because the Gophers lost games by 5-1-5-3-1-3 that they're not as bad as we all think they are as well? :)

Aside - Weird numbers.

[Reserve]

the Gophers lost games by 5-1-5-3-1-3

So folks like Doogie make this excuse for Wisconsin but don't translate it to Minnesota's season this year?

Really.

[leftyslefty]

as a lout without much true information. His persistance make keep him around for a while but accuracy should still count for something in reporting. If you want people to buy into your opinions, try building a case with some facts!!

[royboy]

So folks like Doogie make this excuse for Wisconsin but don't translate it to Minnesota's season this year?

Really.


I agree 100% Why is Doogie doing this for Wisconsin but not for Minnesota?

[Doogie]

Wis. still made the tourney and played UCONN, Texas, Va. Tech, and Marq. in the non-conference ... they still won 10-games in a great year for the conf. ... and a breakdown of the numbers had them as the 2nd best team in the conf.

As for Tubby's team, said on-air this morning that I am willing to give Tubby a mulligan for this year ... and that he should be in the Hall of Fame already ... overachieved last year to a degree, underachieved this year ... next year will be a big year.