If Tubby gets crap for transfers, then the Dutch deserves a little too...

The "reunion" of the 1982 Big Ten Championship team left me wondering, "I wonder who would've been on that team

if things had gone another way?" So, for those who don't know...

LEO RAUTINS, 6-8 Forward from Toronto - Would've been a senior in '82
With Gopher: Averaged 8.3ppg and 4.1rpg as a freshman in '78-'79.
After Gopher: Transferred to Syracuse. Averaged 9.3ppg/5.4rpg as a sophomore, 13.3ppg/5.9rpg as a junior and 14.2ppg/7.3rpg as a senior. Drafted in the 1st round (17th pick) of the 1983 NBA draft. Played 2 seasons in the NBA.

BEN COLEMAN, 6-9 Forward from Minneapolis - Would've been a junior in '82
With Gopher: Averaged 1.8ppg/1.2rpg as a freshman in '79-'80 and 8.4ppg/5.1rpg as a sophomore.
After Gopher: Trasferred to Maryland. Averaged 15.1ppg/8.1rpg as a junior and 15.3ppg/8.4rpg as a senior. Drafted in the 2nd round (37th pick) of the 1984 NBA draft. Played 7 seasons in the NBA.

MARK HALL, 6-2 Guard from Springfield, MA - Was a senior in '82, but didn't play many games
With Gopher: Averaged 8.5ppg as a freshman in '78-'79, 11.6ppg as a sophomore and 14.5ppg as a junior.
Eligibility revoked for not being admitted into a degree-granting program. Hall sued U of M on Dec 15, 1981 on grounds that his eligibility was revoked without due process. Won a temporary restraining order mid-season and returned to roster, but booted for good for making long-distance calls on university phones.
After Gopher: Drafted in the 5th round of the 1982 NBA draft.

BRIAN HANSEN, 6-3 Guard from Duluth East - Would've been a junior in '82
With Gopher: Freshman in '79-'80.
After Gopher: Disappeared from face of earth after his freshman year. Probably got no time due to plethora of guard talent.

BRIAN PEDERSON, 6-10 Center from Prior Lake (1977 Mr. Basketball) - Would've been a senior in '82.
With Gopher: Freshman in '77-78 and Sophomore in '78-'79. Played 45 games in 2 years averaging 2.6ppg and 2.6rpg. Not on roster in '79-80, but listed again in '80-'81. Not clear what happened to him...guessing injuries played a role.
After Gopher: ??

KENNY PRINGLES, 6-1 Guard from Wheaton, IL (walk-on transfer from Central Junior College in AZ) - Would've been a senior in '82
With Gopher: Played approximately 10 minutes of garbage time. Apparently gave up basketball due to lack of playing time.
After Gopher: ??

Difference being Dutch still won the Big Ten title.

station19 said:

Difference being Dutch still won the Big Ten title.

Click to expand...

+1. Dutcher did a great job winning a B1G title even after the departures. He had built depth through consecutive years of solid recruiting. The cupboard didn't go bare just because some talented kids (Rautins and Hall in particular) didn't last four years.

But think of what COULD have been!

Nobody minds transfers. It's when they are replaced by lesser talent that it becomes an issue.

What could have beens are always fun to contemplate (I do it often), but rarely do we consider the possible negatives in the case of all these players sticking around-if Coleman and Rautins are on that team, does Breuer develop the way he does? If Hall is around, is the chemistry in the backcourt or on the team affected? If I recall comments from others on the board, Daryl Mitchell was a disappointment until his senior season-would he have been the same player sharing minutes with Hall? Would he have had the ball in his hands at the end of the game when Iowa fouled him with no time remaining?

Regarding Mitchell, when I was looking up info on Leo, I often found that Mitchell was the prize recruit of that class.

Coleman was a bigger loss than Rautins given the make-up of the roster, IMO. I don't have the roster in front of me, but less depth and offensive ability at forward (Holmes and Howell) than on the wing (Tucker, Davis)

Keep in mind alot of these transfers occured two or three years before the 82 title, that group took its lumps in 80 and 81. I'm not say the gophs will win a title in 13, but keep in mind alot of the guys who are replacing the tansfers are freshman and sophmores and the odds you're going to replace bluechippers with other bluechippers at the u is next to nothing. Also, Dutcher didn't have to deal with as much media scrutiny as there is in this day and age scrutinizing your every move. Lets just see how this plays out

Coleman was a bigger loss than Rautins given the make-up of the roster, IMO. I don't have the roster in front of me, but less depth and offensive ability at forward (Holmes and Howell) than on the wing (Tucker, Davis) unless you use the multiplier of Rautins kid might have been a Gopher also.

Bruce, weren't you ON that 82 championship team? Z Howell became a credible rebounder and contributor but Coleman was more capable as a scorer and rebounder. Anyways, while the ACC was always a power conference back then the Big East hadn't yet become a recruiting mega force the way it is now. Thus it was easier for Dutch to recruit nationally back in the late 70s and early 80s. Those were the days when the Gophers did not rely on in state or regional recruits.