Tom Powers: Gophers must fix flaws to avoid another trip to NIT

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Tom Powers: Minnesota Gophers must fix flaws to avoid another trip to NIT
Pioneer Press

Updated: 01/23/2009 12:12:03 AM CST


TOM POWERS

Please, God, not the NIT.

That probably was how every fan of the Gophers men's basketball team ended his or her prayers Thursday night. That one entreaty superseded the usual cry for world peace, an end to poverty and a brotherhood of men.

The Gophers have lost two consecutive games, including Thursday night's home contest against Purdue. The NCAA tournament, which seemed like a sure thing as recently as last week, now could be rather iffy. The possibility of an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament, which nobody cares about, is real.

The difference is like going from relevant to irrelevant. For example, I'm pretty sure the Gophers played in the NIT last year, but I'd have to look it up. Like most people, I don't remember.

Well, all is not lost. Minnesota coach Tubby Smith still has time to get everything straightened out. Tubby has been around the track a few times, and he wasn't panicking after the 70-62 loss to Purdue. He said he has noticed a couple of things he doesn't like over the past two games: turnovers and not getting the ball inside to the big men. I'd add a third: getting off to slow starts.

He'll go about trying to correct these flaws immediately.

"It's probably time to go to an offense that makes us go inside," Smith said calmly.

At the very least, that would stop his players from trying to go one-on-one all night. It's as if some of his players think they get extra credit for dribbling.

As for the turnovers, the Gophers had 18 against Northwestern on Sunday, 14 against Purdue. Twelve of those 14 came in a dismal first half. Minnesota fell behind 9-3 and never got close.
Tubby needs to get that figured out before it's too late. The Gophers haven't been to the NCAA tournament since 2005. Their record stands at 16-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten. But they have five of their next seven games on the road.

"It's critical," Smith said. "And we've lost two games at home now."

The coach noted that his squad had good practices leading up to the Purdue game. But they started so slowly against the Boilermakers that they couldn't recover. It wasn't that they weren't ready to play. In fact, they appeared to be too ready.

Tubby doesn't need to get his team fired up. He needs to get his guys to calm down. Maybe sing them a lullaby before they run onto the court. The Gophers, getting off to slow starts since moving into Big Ten Conference play, appear too wired at the onset. They look as if their pregame meals consist of double-espressos.

Against Purdue, they came out wild-eyed and dribbled the ball off of their feet. Instead of crisp passes, one Gopher would dribble up to another and jam the ball into his breadbasket, like a football handoff. Their shots clanged off the side of the rim. Geez, a couple of guys stepped on the ball.

The Gophers were so amped that at one point in the first half, they were 5 of 19 from the field and had as many turnovers (11) as they did rebounds. I swear they jumped three feet every time a ref blew his whistle.

Why they were so wired, so tense, is a mystery. If anybody should be jittery it's the people in the seats. It's hell getting to Williams Arena with all the roadwork going on near the new football stadium.

"Some nights we start fast and some nights we start slow," Gophers guard Al Nolen said. "We've just got to work with it. Tonight we were a little too focused on three-point shots and didn't use all our options.''

Such as getting the ball inside. Meanwhile, the Gophers shot only 27.6 percent from the field.

I figure the Gophers need five more victories to get invited to the NCAA tournament. They have 11 regular-season Big Ten games left. Five victories would put them at 21-9 overall and 9-9 in the conference. But it is very difficult to win on the road in the Big Ten.

So Gophers fans probably will keep at it as they lie awake in their beds in their maroon and gold jammies.

"... and God bless Brother Brewster ... and God bless Tubby ... and ...

"Please, God, not the NIT."

Go Gophers!!
 

""It's probably time to go to an offense that makes us go inside," Smith said calmly"

High time.
 




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