So what does everyone think

[ilovethebarn]

of Al Nolan this season? I personally feel like he has regressed. There were a couple of times tonight where I questioned his decision making ability and vision of the court. His drives into the lane end mostly with him being smothered and making a suspect pass out of it. The point where he cut baseline to the basket and was fed the ball right underneath and didn't go up with it was frustrating.

With all of this being said I think he is great at handling the ball and bringing it up against the pressure. Most of the time he is a calming influence on the floor. I don't know, but something seems off this year.

[The Big L]

Of course someone has to find something to complain about after this win!!

But I kind of agree with you. Nolen did force it a couple times, a didn't look for the dish. missed a bad lay-up to. But he broke the press with ease, and brought us into our offense well. And he played great D (everyone did, really).

[Dr.Don]

I don't believe it. The Gophers win a big one, and we have to dwell on a point or two of negatives. If everyone played a perfect game 100% of the time we would have won 59 to 0 tonight. Come on people, be real.

[MNSnowman]

If everyone played a perfect game 100% of the time we would have won 59 to 0 tonight. Come on people, be real.Actually, if we played a perfect game, we'd have made all of our shots which I calculated would have made it 138-0. (Missed 9 FTs, 12 3pt shots and 17 2 pt shots. Of course, we scored some put-backs, so I'm prolly a tad high. :p)

[maliksealy]

i think al had a very good game. he controlled the tempo and handled the ball great

[Notorious PLD]

Not to dwell on the negatives, but.....

Al tends to drive to the lane out of control and then throw up some garbage. Tonight he could have drove and dished to Blake on at least two occasions for wide open J's but got his stuff blocked. He's just in a funk since NW, he'll realize his flaws and his Offensive IQ will catch up with his freaky good D and press break ability.

[What Up Guy]

Al is fine, he played a very good game. You are only taking in half the equation. That Illinois PG, what's-his-name, the one with 5.5 assists per game, we didn't hear a peep out of him the entire game. Nolen had him on a leash all night. Offensively, maybe he missed a few passes where he could have kicked it, but he ran the offense very well and did a good job of attacking tonight.

[GopherLady]

I feel like anytime Nolen doesn't score a lot of points, people rag on him. Al Nolen is a complete player, he only had 6pts, but he also had 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and only one turnover.

Does he drive in the lane sometimes and take poor shots? Yes. But I'll take those few instances to get the whole package.

And Big L was right, he was imperative in breaking the press - as a matter of fact, it seemed like right when he got back in the game, they stopped pressing because they knew what he was capable of.

[EG#9]

Don't overlook the pressure Nolen puts on other teams guards. Al's valuable because he's a good on the ball defender and he's rarely affected by other teams pressure when he has the ball. Without Nolen's ability to both handle the ball and disrupt opposing pg's, this team wouldn't be nearly as successful.

[rrjackIII]

I don't believe it. The Gophers win a big one, and we have to dwell on a point or two of negatives. If everyone played a perfect game 100% of the time we would have won 59 to 0 tonight. Come on people, be real.

Blago doesn't believe it either - former IL Governor lost 59-0 yesterday. (And I doubt the IL legislature is perfect either.)

[Blizzard]

Al did have a good game. Al wasn't perfect though and Tubby gave him the hook a few times. If Illinois hadn't started to press, after Al made a few mistakes in a row and Tubby subbed Devoe back in, Al probably would have sat.

[Bayfieldgopher]

I have been critical of Nolen forcing the drive often in an uncontrolled manner. Same with Westbrook at times. He often forces the issue instead of waiting for the right time to drive. But we need PG's that can penetrate. That's a weapon Tubby now has and I think the other players are doing a better job of helping Al out when he gets in trouble. I would still like to see more motion in the offense especially weakside situations, which will allow for better opportunities for Nolen and Westbrook to drive with more success. I would hope a goal for Nolen in the off season is to improve his right hand.

[ilovethebarn]

Don't overlook the pressure Nolen puts on other teams guards. Al's valuable because he's a good on the ball defender and he's rarely affected by other teams pressure when he has the ball. Without Nolen's ability to both handle the ball and disrupt opposing pg's, this team wouldn't be nearly as successful.

This is a very good point EG. I like Al, all I was saying is that this season he has regressed in my opinion. Sorry to be negative after a win. I loved the game it was great. This was just something I have been noticing over the past couple of games.

[jamalo]

He is able to drive into the lane at will given his quickness. I agree that he is out of control at times this year, but once he improves on the finish, that is going to be an incredible weapon in upcoming years.

[Blizzard]

This is a very good point EG. I like Al, all I was saying is that this season he has regressed in my opinion. Sorry to be negative after a win. I loved the game it was great. This was just something I have been noticing over the past couple of games.

I don't think it's negative at all but they are valid points. What I also wanted to say was that when Al was pulled and I'm not sure how much time was left but before Illinois started their press in the huddle Al appeared to be acknowledging what mistake(s) he had made and JAS especially was rallying around him, putting his arm around him, patting him on the back. I'm only commenting on what I was seeing or thought I was seeing and couldn't hear what was being said obviously. As an aside I also thought it was a great leadership moment for JAS.

[sec105]

He often forces the issue instead of waiting for the right time to drive.

Of course we all know the right time to drive is only when it works.

[Goldy74s]

Nolan and Johnson are the MVP's of this team. They are the two irreplaceables.

[dwminn]

Al has struggled at times this year, but all I know is when the game is close and the other team is making a run I feel much more comfortable with Al in the game.

[GraniteCityGopher]

Don't know if there is a five-tool analogy for PGs, but I'd have to put 1) handling ball and tempo, 2) defending ball and disrupting, 3) shooting off set, 4) shooting off drive, and 5) assisting as the basic set (rebounding is a plus). Grading Al out, I'd give him high marks on 1-3 with improving skills at 4 & 5. All-in-all, a great contibutor and entertaining ballplayer.

[UofM Fan]

I probably have harped on Al as much as anyone on this board but I am willing to admit my mistakes of only blaming Al for his faults. I still think he gets a little out of control on his drives but I think alot of his turnovers can be attributed to our team not movig without the ball when he drives. We have done a much better job cutting off his drives the last two games.

On top of it Al puts a fantastic amount of pressure on the ball defensively and on the offensive end rarely turns the ball over on his way up the court (i only mention this because I have noticed Devoe get his pocket picked at half court a few times)

With all that said I think Al needs to learn how to throw a post entry. He may be the worst guard I have ever seen for feeding the post. He rarely throws it in and when he does he has no angle. Take the extra dribble away from the top of the key and get a good angle. No matter how good of passer and how good of post position you get, it is almost impossible to effectively feed the post from the top of the key.

[camken78]

I'm loving that al's getting to the lane hit or miss because as long as he goes there then it shows he understands the ball needs to get in the paint one way or another and thats the only way we'll win, thats our offensive identity. We dont need to settle for jumpshots

[oleboy41]

Al is a great defender and a great ball handler. He only has 2 weaknesses, IMO and they are jump shooting and finishing at the rim. He can get to the hole with ease but really struggles finishing. Part of the reason he doesn't kick it out much is because teams don't respect his ability to finish so they often stay home on their man until the last second. I would like to see mroe drive and kick but if he gets better finishing it won't matter

[Hates Monikers]

I believe Nolen has improved since last year. After the Louisville game I had a post expressing surprise that Tubby used Nolen as our go-to scorer (I wasn't surprised that he played well or scored 18 points or whatever it was, just that Tubby put the offense on Al's shoulders.) I was ripped for that view. I just hadn't seen Nolen finish or shoot well during his first year, and was surprised that Tubby essentially put the game in his hands in the second half.

Well, Nolen still doesn't finish well, and that seems to be what people are highlighting here. But he does penetrate better than ever, he handles the press with ease, I think he's a better shooter than last year (don't know if the stats support that), he's playing even better defense than last year and he's a leader. He's a difference maker. He was a good freshman last year, but now he's among the best all-around point guards in the league. That's improvement IMO.

[Moonlight]

A couple of thoughts:
- Improving offense with more movement but it will be better - I saw Westbrook standing around during offensive sets and I'm sure Tubby saw him too because out he went.
- Which brings me to another observation. Tubby pulls players and tells them what they are doing wrong and then gives them an opportunity to get it right.
- Nolen is learningg to drive to the basket, feed the post and I personally am satisfied with how fast he is progressing in adding to his amazing strengths, well outlined by GraniteCity.
- Blizzard, thanks for your observation of JAS and Nolen. One challenge for Nolen is the lack of a tutor for him at this point. Some upper classmen leadership, either at guard or the post would help him, but a good coach is making up for that. Instead, he and Damian are the leaders in my view.
- I heard Coach mention in a postgame something briefly about Al and asthma, but he backed away quickly from this comment. He seems to be helped by short breaks.
- This year is fun, next year could be even more fun as these players become more complete, which is what makes me a college BB fan!!

[calminnfan]

I think:

1. it is good for a variety of players to step up to the plate, and not have to expect one player to always be the one who has to come through. It gives opposing defenses something to have to be concerned about.

2. I think that though Nolen may have hit a wall, we will see him on the other side.

3. That a point guard has to not only score, but help facilitate others scoring.

4. It is all right for him to go through this stretch and develop from it.

5. After such a complete win, I agree that I do not understand the need for the fans to try and find something negative. Leave that to the coaches in their teaching the players. They have proven they have a much better grasp of it.

6. If Tubby is happy enough with him, that is good enough for me.

7. I think the team is starting to grow up!

[stroms7]

I have been an Al Nolen supporter and fan since his days at Henry. I thought he was excellent last year; and was superb through the Louisville game this year. Something seemed to happen to Al after that Louisville game, he hasn’t looked like the same player we have been accustomed to seeing over the last year or so.

He seems to pound the ball 20-25’ from the basket, causing our offense to become stagnate (no player or ball movement) then we get stuck with Al penetrating (which he can do with ease) late in the shot clock and hoping for a quality shot.

I agree that he has regressed and I feel as though Joseph is the better option offensively right now, he still makes freshmen mistakes and isn’t the tenacious defender that Al is; but the offense seems to have more of a flow to it with more people involved and we seem to get better looks earlier in the shot clock.

That being said; Al’s leadership and defensive ability make him the hands down starter, I just hope we start to see the Al of old, more sooner than later! But, it is hard to complain about anyone’s play this year, as we are 18-3 and just beat IL for the first time in a decade!!!

GO GOPHERS!!!!

[borninthebarn]

OK, seriously.. We complained for the last several years about not having a PG that could drive and dish or create.

I think Tubby is trying to get Al to develop an aspect of his game that we will need to be an elite team and for Al to move on to the next level.

We are better off with Al driving and making some mistakes than just playing pass-around-the-rosy outside the ark and throwing up some junk shot with 5 seconds on the shot clock.

When Al develops his dribble-drive game a little more we will be a much better team and good things will happen much more often than not. He just needs time to develop it.

Keep taking the ball to the hoop Al, good things will come.

[GopherGold]

Nolen in a nutshell:

Rested = Good decisions (passing, shooting, defensive, etc), this increases exponentially with lead
Fatigued = Bad decisions, this also increases exponentially, but with defecit

In other words, still young

It's that simple.

[Blizzard]

- Blizzard, thanks for your observation of JAS and Nolen.

Big props to JAS last night. He didn't have a big line or many minutes but I think he's bringing solid leadership to the team.

[From the Barn]

I feel as though Joseph is the better option offensively right now

You want to back that up with a fact or two?

[MadisonRaisedGopherCrazed]

I agree Al still has a lot of things to iron out in his game, like getting it into the post and driving with a little more control, but I am more comfortable when he has the ball in his hands compared to any other gopher.

I dont know if anyone else has seen this, but IMO it almost seems as if the defense puts less on ball pressure when Al is bringing it up court as opposed to Devoe. Its almost as if they know it is a waste of energy to try and pick Al at halfcourt, but it isn't when Devoe is bringing it up.

[stroms7]

FTB,

I think with Devoe in the game the offense seems to flow better than it does with Al, not saying Devoe is a better offensive player, just saying the TEAM offense seems to be better when he is on the floor and we seem to end up with better shots earlier in the shot clock. But as i stated, Al is and should be our starting point gaurd, i just wish he would iniate the offense ealier in the shot clock, maybe give up the ball earlier, and get it back with 8-12 sec remaining if nothing else materializes.

[From the Barn]

Wouldn't the stats show that though?

[stroms7]

what stats?
team stats, including quality shots when joseph is on the floor
vs
team stats, including quality shots when al is on the floor.

i would be very itnerested in seeing this breakdown just to see if what i am watching plays out on paper.
do you know of such stats? if so id love to take a peak.

[From the Barn]

I'd start by looking at Joseph's assist to turnover ratio, which has been less than 1 in 6 games compared to Nolen's twice.

[stroms7]

i guess i'm have a difficult time conveying what i mean by "better". not looking to stir anything up, just my opinion on what i'm seeing and watching. no worries. All i care about it 18-3, improving and being successful in march.
GO Gophers!!!

[Moonlight]

I agree Al still has a lot of things to iron out in his game, like getting it into the post and driving with a little more control, but I am more comfortable when he has the ball in his hands compared to any other gopher.

I dont know if anyone else has seen this, but IMO it almost seems as if the defense puts less on ball pressure when Al is bringing it up court as opposed to Devoe. Its almost as if they know it is a waste of energy to try and pick Al at halfcourt, but it isn't when Devoe is bringing it up.
We all said the same last night.
As for Nolen, let me give an example from my own life. I'm a painter and I was studying with a mentor. I was cranking out some paintings that I was feeling pretty good about. Then I did one that I thought was pretty much crap. But my mentor said, "ah, I see you tried to something that was too hard for you. This is not a great painting but its going to take you into better work as you figure out what you're trying to do here." She was right and when I'd worked through some challenges (and some crappy paintings) I moved to a new level.
I just sense that Tubby is pushing Nolen to expand his skill set, which shows the kind of confidence Tubby has in his players. Its risky to do so, and its going to look like regression, but I don't think so. If Nolen was limited (and we've seen some limited around here in the past years) then it wouldn't make sense to push him to become a complete player. But we'll be a great team when Nolen grows into his role.

[march madness]

Al Nolen is a great point guard! We would get pressed fullcourt alot more if we didn't have him. He used to always drive and lay if off to a big for an easy bucket last year. This year teams have him scouted and that pass isn't their as often.

He does stare at the post player, and the defender takes the angle away. As soon as he looks to throw it back to the other guard, the post is open again. Hopefully he will figure out the telegraph error.

I did feel like he played great overall, guilty of overpenetrating at times and getting blocked, but that was Westbrook's liability in his past and now he is thriving.