I think by far losing Johnson is the biggest issue for the gophers going into next season. We have plenty of talent at guard in Nolan and Joseph to be able to replace Westbrook, and Bostick is a joke but trying to fill Johnson's shoes is going to be an issue IMO. Can Carter step up and fill that role, or will White be able to fill those shoes maybe? I don't have an answer but hopefully Tubby can figure something out
How are we going to replace D.Johnson?
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mapleleaffan5
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I think carter has decent offensive ability, just needs to develop his Defensive game
Mbakwe... Dominique Dawson keeps saying he's the best player (defensively) in practice by a lot... even with Dame... and that Trevor's also got some offensive ability because he can take people in the post ... I'm excited for next year.
samloupete
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DJ
LOL
LOL
The beauty of College Basketball is that when someone leaves, someone else steps up and takes over. Just like when I retired as a very popular proctologist...another stepped in to replace me. Life is what it is.
If Mbakwe is cleared and plays next year, there are no worries in filling DJ's spot. Mbakwe does it easily. Could also see Ralph playing some big forward with Colton at center. Carter will get minutes, too. Mbakwe is key. He comes back, we're golden.
beowulftom
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Never seen the words "popular" and "proctologist" together before....
Sort of has a nice ring to it.
Easily replaced. DJ was a nice player, and developed into more than anyone could have hoped for. However, he was a player without a position. Too easily muscled in the post, to slow and unskilled to play the wing. Give him credit for working hard and committing himself to a solid career with the maroon and gold, but I don't see the loss of any of these seniors and leaving a considerable hole on this team.
beowulftom
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I see what you're saying though I disagree somewhat. Maybe between positions....
I think he would have been a solid sf though, not pf where he in essence ended up for us. He was a great man on man defender, but not a great scorer or rebounder. Because we had needs in those areas, his flaws look bigger than they actually were. With a legit 4 and a scoring "horse" in one of the guard spots, he would fit right in, and on a loaded team where he could be the "glue" guy coming off the bench, he would have excelled.
We needed him to be more than he was.
But he was pretty darn good.
We'll miss him, but the composition of next year's team as whole looks to be better than this years. I see Mbakwe as our 4 and Carter or Williams at the 3.
march madness
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replacing DJ
Dj spent the majority of his minutes at the 4. Dj was a great defensive player, but he was a liability on the boards at the 4. He also didn't have the outside shot to play the three.
I think minutes at the 4 will go to whoever is on the team between Trevor and Royce. Sampson might get a few minutes there as well.
I think Carter will start at the 3. He has trouble on the defensive end, but he is a great rebounder at the 3, has an ever-improving 3pt shot, and he is a decent ball handler. I hope he becomes more aggresive (decisive) on his drives. I expect the main backup here to be Rodney Williams. When we go three guards, the Hoff will see minutes here as well.
Hopefully Nolen is eligible and he is back by Corey Joseph, if not then hopefully Cobbs is still here.
At shooting guard, I like Devoe with the Hoff off the bench, but playing major minutes still.
If I ran this team, Iverson would start until Sampson outplays him. No one should automatically get a starting spot.
Dj spent the majority of his minutes at the 4. Dj was a great defensive player, but he was a liability on the boards at the 4. He also didn't have the outside shot to play the three.
I think minutes at the 4 will go to whoever is on the team between Trevor and Royce. Sampson might get a few minutes there as well.
I think Carter will start at the 3. He has trouble on the defensive end, but he is a great rebounder at the 3, has an ever-improving 3pt shot, and he is a decent ball handler. I hope he becomes more aggresive (decisive) on his drives. I expect the main backup here to be Rodney Williams. When we go three guards, the Hoff will see minutes here as well.
Hopefully Nolen is eligible and he is back by Corey Joseph, if not then hopefully Cobbs is still here.
At shooting guard, I like Devoe with the Hoff off the bench, but playing major minutes still.
If I ran this team, Iverson would start until Sampson outplays him. No one should automatically get a starting spot.
Al will be back and I still assume it's his job at the beginning of the season, Cory (not Corey) will have to prove himself in practice and off the bench before he win's over the starting spot during the season.
What has Mbakwe done in three years of College ball to lead anybody to believe he is a beast?
1.5 pts per game and 2.1 rebounds per game at Marquette
DNP this year.
He had some good games at Community College but everybody seems so sure he will start and be a HUGE factor
1.5 pts per game and 2.1 rebounds per game at Marquette
DNP this year.
He had some good games at Community College but everybody seems so sure he will start and be a HUGE factor
Gopher4Life
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DJ wasn't a major player; he was just the best we had. We still need to improve at every position, so any of our losses are replaceable. We'll worry about replacements when we're replacing all-conference players.
DJ was a very good college player that would've looked much better with better talent around him. DJ was a true 3 who developed his offensive game enough to be a solid complementary scorer. He could hit open shots, put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, and post up smaller guys. As said earlier, with a true 4 and a true scorer at the 2 spot, DJ would be a perfect fit.
Gopher4Life
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We'll progress as a team when we no longer have to treat very good role players as starters.
That makes 0 sense. Every team outside of championship teams like recent UF, UNC and UConn squads have role players as starters. We'll never have 4 NBA players starting at the same time. DJ is regarded as maybe the best defender in the conference with the ability to score around 10-12 points a game without running any plays for him. Don't know what's so bad with that. He'd start for every team in the B10 outside of MAYBE MSU and Purdue and that's because they both have NBA level talent at the 3/4 spot that Johnson plays
GophersOnTheRise
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You're an idiot.
GophersOnTheRise
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Harrison Barnes and Brandon Knight both averaged 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists at the collegiate level this year. Should we assume that they will be non-factors for their college teams next season? Sometimes you just know a player is going to do well even if they haven't put up the stats yet. We all know you don't like Mbakwe and you think that you know he's guilty. Get over yourself.
cncmin
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Paul Carter was basically already just as good of a player as DJ this year, and, it seemed, a better rebounder. He didn't get as many blocks or steals, but got more rebounds and I thought Carter's positioning, overall, was better. Carter is the man to replace DJ, and isn't a significant step backward, if a step backward at all.
underground629
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Wow. Easily replaced by who? How was he a player without a position? Because he's versatile and was forced to play somewhat out of position this year when we lost our two PFs?
underground629
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After Nolen became ineligible, the starting pg spot became CJ's to lose if he decides to come.
underground629
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Didn't know it made someone an idiot because they aren't 100% sold Mbakwe and Royce will be playing next year let alone ready to step in and be All Americans and fight eachother for the player of the year award like some people on here think.