Marcus: All those transfers shouldn't cause concern, Tubby Smith says

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On the surface it would appear that Cobbs is the only player of the four who have left to transfer because the coach was too demanding

Carter-family reasons
White-legal problems, suspension never really joined the team
Cobbs-lack of playing time, disliked playing style
Joseph-pending suspension

White and Joseph left because they couldn't follow team rules. If a coach enforcing team rules is too "demanding" for a player its better off that they're gone.

These two weren't suspended for breaking ticky tack little team rules, they were being suspended for arrestable offenses (if Joseph was suspended for failing a drug test).

Grouping the four transfers together to infer something about Tubby or his coaching style is absolutely absurd.
 

Tubby is such a class act. I am so glad Minnesota landed him. If we lose him, we lose an honest, hard-working, and good basketball program. Onto OSU!

On a flip note, poor decision on the name of this article - "Smith says" is just pandering for argument and skepticism. Take a stand or sit down with the article. If you have a problem state your territory, if not then don't equivocate...just sayin.
 

Seems like when writers state opinion, they are told that they should be stating only facts...and when they state fact, they get blasted for not taking a stand.
 

I enjoyed Mav's comments;

Ahanmisi didn't know why Joseph or others transferred, but he doesn't see it as a bad sign. He said some players might not be able to handle playing for a demanding coach. But he likes it.

"He is a hard coach to play for if you can't really take criticism," he said. "He'll yell, but he yells so that you learn."

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"It's unfortunate," Smith said of Joseph and Cobbs. "I'm worried how they're adjusting to the social life. . . . They might think it all has to do with basketball, and not playing enough. Most people think they're better than they are.
 


NurumbiCongo said:
I enjoyed Mav's comments;

Ahanmisi didn't know why Joseph or others transferred, but he doesn't see it as a bad sign. He said some players might not be able to handle playing for a demanding coach. But he likes it.

"He is a hard coach to play for if you can't really take criticism," he said. "He'll yell, but he yells so that you learn."
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I really like this quote from Mav. If you cant take criticisms as a player from a demanding coach, how will you ever take criticisms from a demanding boss? All things considered, I'm enjoying Mav's contributions to our team.
 

Goph4phan said:
I really like this quote from Mav. If you cant take criticisms as a player from a demanding coach, how will you ever take criticisms from a demanding boss? All things considered, I'm enjoying Mav's contributions to our team.
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+1

I think it is terrific that Tubby is demanding - that is what he gets paid for. If the players can't handle it they should leave. I don't want that type of player anyway. Not tying to place blame, if the match is not good, better for both parties to separate. Regardless, wish Devoe the best.

Dumb question. One or two articles on the young Mr. Ahanmisi's high school days indicate his nickname is Rick (e.g, Maverick (Rick) Ahanmisi). Does he go by Mav or Rick?
 

Gopher in Texas said:
+1

I think it is terrific that Tubby is demanding - that is what he gets paid for. If the players can't handle it they should leave. I don't want that type of player anyway. Not tying to place blame, if the match is not good, better for both parties to separate. Regardless, wish Devoe the best.

Dumb question. One or two articles on the young Mr. Ahanmisi's high school days indicate his nickname is Rick (e.g, Maverick (Rick) Ahanmisi). Does he go by Mav or Rick?
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I am just gonna refer to him as......... AHA!
 

You don't think that other coaches are not just as "demanding"? Izo, etc...
 



Heck, I wouldn't see it as a bad sign if I was Mav either. Playing time could or will increase.
 

Goph4phan said:
I really like this quote from Mav. If you cant take criticisms as a player from a demanding coach, how will you ever take criticisms from a demanding boss? All things considered, I'm enjoying Mav's contributions to our team.
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I'm not a proponent of yelling at players. A lot of coaches get praised for "teaching" and turning boys into men when all they are really doing is bullying and abusing. There are lots of demanding bosses in the work place who get the best out of their employees without yelling at them. The best way for Tubby and other coaches to get their points across is the same way its done in the workplace: praise and compensation in the form of minutes. Coaches who spend a lot of time yelling at nineteen year olds are lazy.
 

Prediction:
Mav-or-Rick Ahamnisi will make serious contributions to this years team and next year emerges as the teams starting pg.
 

Roy Christensen said:
Prediction:
Mav-or-Rick Ahamnisi will make serious contributions to this years team and next year emerges as the teams starting pg.
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well yea hell be the starter, already being groomed for it coming in at spot times this year...significant contributions i suppose we'll have to see, im with you on it though
 



I don't think people would be nearly as concerned with the transfers if the Gophers were winning more games and bringing in highly regarded recruits. We saw what happened last season when unexpected transfers lead to a disappointing season and some last minute Spring recruits.

I don't see Maverick as a starter in the Big Ten at all, and certainly not for a program that has designs on competing for a conference title.
 

Tough "old school" coaches like Bobby Knight, Tubby Smith, Dean Smith, John Wooden endear those players who hang in there and Choose to learn from their coach Life Lessons that transcend Basketball. One Example is Bill Walton, Early in his career at UCLA he could have choose to rebel, not learn, complain, question authority, and look at what he would have missed out on had he taken a different path.

I wish Devoe Joseph Success and I hope later on in his life that he looks back on his time with Tubby Smith and "see" the life lessons he learned while under
Tubby's "Old School" approach .......
 

Demanding shouldn't be an issue in any situation. But it has to be accompanied by an environment that allows and encourages you to succeed. One without the other is just bullying and it doesn't work.
 


jamiche said:
I'm not a proponent of yelling at players. A lot of coaches get praised for "teaching" and turning boys into men when all they are really doing is bullying and abusing. There are lots of demanding bosses in the work place who get the best out of their employees without yelling at them. The best way for Tubby and other coaches to get their points across is the same way its done in the workplace: praise and compensation in the form of minutes. Coaches who spend a lot of time yelling at nineteen year olds are lazy.
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all coaches yell
 

Sorry, Marcus. Crappy article. To loop together Carter's transfer with the rest is just unfair to the reality of the situation, but I suppose it doesn't help the premise of the team having "mass defections." Everything Tubby said was right on. This is big time basketball and most of these guys have dreams that might boarder on delusional as to what their "upside" is. That by itself may make coaching at this level at this time incredibly difficult. It is an environement that requires discipline on and off the court, and without neither the individual or the team succeed. These guys have to know that when they arrive. They have to know that virtually anywhere there will be discipline. I am not for brow beating, either, but to think a soft method of discipline will work when results are needed in the short term and with the kind of egos D-1 players have is misguided. The key is finding the method that works best and gets the most out of a player.

The only transfer to be moderately concerned about is Cobbs. He had a good shot at playing time and was a decent player and there was no reported discipline problems. He also was far away from home. Every other transfer had a legit explanation to it. It is clear that Devoe had some off court issues that were hounding him. I hope he gets his act together and can make the most of his talent.

Marcus could have dropped some numbers about typical transfers/discipline problems at the D-1 level. The numbers tossed around here suggest that if anything, the Gophers might be below average in that migration.
 

Cobbs falls under your delusions of grandeur category. In his mind he could do know wrong, and everything was someone else's fault. You just needed to watch him on the court to see that he thought he was much better than he actually was.
 


Holy Man said:
Sorry, Marcus. Crappy article. To loop together Carter's transfer with the rest is just unfair to the reality of the situation, but I suppose it doesn't help the premise of the team having "mass defections." Everything Tubby said was right on. This is big time basketball and most of these guys have dreams that might boarder on delusional as to what their "upside" is. That by itself may make coaching at this level at this time incredibly difficult. It is an environement that requires discipline on and off the court, and without neither the individual or the team succeed. These guys have to know that when they arrive. They have to know that virtually anywhere there will be discipline. I am not for brow beating, either, but to think a soft method of discipline will work when results are needed in the short term and with the kind of egos D-1 players have is misguided. The key is finding the method that works best and gets the most out of a player.

The only transfer to be moderately concerned about is Cobbs. He had a good shot at playing time and was a decent player and there was no reported discipline problems. He also was far away from home. Every other transfer had a legit explanation to it. It is clear that Devoe had some off court issues that were hounding him. I hope he gets his act together and can make the most of his talent.

Marcus could have dropped some numbers about typical transfers/discipline problems at the D-1 level. The numbers tossed around here suggest that if anything, the Gophers might be below average in that migration.
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Great post, Holy. Esp. agree about the difficulty of being the reality check for these kids. They better be learning about more than just BB as most won't make it to where they want to go.
 


Holy Man, iirc a big reason Cobbs transferred was the logjam he would have faced at guard nolen, hoff, joseph, williams, ahanmisi, hollins, etc... as well as the distance from home.
 

White...good riddance...we had to offer him a scholarship as he was an absolute star from the hometown and wantd to be a Gopher. But it just appears he was just a bad egg. Legal troubles, maturity issues...better off without him...no blame for Tubby

Carter...I miss him a lot, as does the team. He was a great representative of The U...but he had to do what was best for him and his family...no blame for him or for Tubby...sometimes life gets in the way of our "perfect world" of how things should be with our beloved rodents. God Bless you and your family, Paul...Gopher Nation still loves you!

Cobbs and Joseph...now here is where I wish things could have gone differently and think they should have. Joseph IMO was our best player--carried us to the B10 Championship game last year...he's a huge loss. And Tubby starts Nolen and gives him the bulk of the playing time this year? Nolen IMO hurts us more than he helps us (bring on the Nolen lovers) most games. I think we were better without Al and I think the resuls show it. And Cobbs was a capable back-up. Not great but IMO still better than Al long-term....short-term I coud make an argument that giving Cobbs playing time as a back-up (with Joseph as the starter) would be better than Nolen (as the starter) and Joseph (as the back-up), which was Tubby's choice.

The loss of Cobbs and Joseph are huge for the program. It means that Mav needs to step his game up to be the main man (I am convinced Al can't be) and we must rely on him and the 2011/2012 recruits at PG...scary proposition!
 

Indiana Gopher said:
Joseph IMO was our best player--carried us to the B10 Championship game last year...he's a huge loss. And Tubby starts Nolen and gives him the bulk of the playing time this year?
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Is it really that difficult to understand why Tubby might start Al over Devoe at the start of the season? Please review this chart that I posted elsewhere, but seems to escape some people's brains.

2010-2011 Minnesota Gopher Men's Basketball Regular Season Schedule

Game 1: Wofford - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
Game 2: Siena - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
Game 3: W. Kentucky - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
Game 4: N. Carolina - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
Game 5: W. Virginia - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
Game 6: N. Dakota St. - D. Joseph - DNP (team suspension)
 

Well, since the suspension you refer to is reportedly in part due to Devoe's attitude about being passed over for playing time, it appears the decision to start Al/Hoff/Williams over Devoe was made well before Devoe incurred any of the six "DNP"s mentioned in your post. With the way Devoe played last year, the starting line-up should have been consutructed with him in it an the other pieces complementing him, not around a starting lineup which started with Al! If I was Devoe, I would have had a real issue with that decision, which was made way before the tip-off of game #1 or the beginning of Devoe's suspension.
 

P.S. Al Nolen currently 1 for 7 shooting and we're down by 11. If Devoe is taking those shots, I'd guess he makes 3 or 4 of them and we're within 5 of the Buckeyes!
 

GopherJake said:
Is it really that difficult to understand why Tubby might start Al over Devoe at the start of the season?
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Yes. It is that difficult, at least for some of us.

Even if we assume the season-starting suspension was due to something that Tubby HAD to suspend Joseph for, once the suspension was served, Joseph deserved his starting spot back. He's the better basketball player.
 

Indiana Gopher said:
Well, since the suspension you refer to is reportedly in part due to Devoe's attitude about being passed over for playing time, it appears the decision to start Al/Hoff/Williams over Devoe was made well before Devoe incurred any of the six "DNP"s mentioned in your post. With the way Devoe played last year, the starting line-up should have been consutructed with him in it an the other pieces complementing him, not around a starting lineup which started with Al! If I was Devoe, I would have had a real issue with that decision, which was made way before the tip-off of game #1 or the beginning of Devoe's suspension.
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That doesn't even makes sense because he was suspended before the season started. How can it be solely on playing time when the season hadn't even started?
 

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