They have no confidence in themselves, in each other, or (IMO) in their coaches. You can't keep going like this and not start to question everything. Also, there is no leader to get them through the critical times. Just hope somebody develops into a Green or Taylor type. Joe or Andre maybe? Don't see it happening to anyone else although there are some pieces there.
Of all the things you mentioned, I think leadsership on the court is the biggest thing.
You need a guy that will control the game and say, I am the coach on the floor, follow me. I will take the charge on the game winning drive, I will rebound the missed free throw to give us the lead. I will make the perfect pass to the open shooter to win it. The guy who when he has the ball, everyone trusts. Usually that is the PG, but this year for us it was Trevor. For MSU it is Draymond. Wisconsin it is Taylor. My hope and thought is that Andre will be that guy soon. I don't think he was ready this year, but hopefully next year.
The guy doesn't have to be able to create a shot and hit a fall away with 4 defenders on him to be that, he just has to be smart and confident in whatever he does. If it is a screen, a pass, playing defense, etc. and he has to set the tone for his teammates and get them to realize they can do this. They have to realize Tubby is the coach on the sideline and they are the coach on the court. They have control over the game. They need to be confident that even if they go against the coach, they won't get in trouble because they know they are right. They see things that the coach doesn't since they are on the floor.
Ever seen an NBA huddle and guys like Kobe, MJ, will take the clip board from the coach and tell the guys what to do. They know what they see out there. They know the scouting report word for word and they don't care what the coach says, because they know, 100% what is going to work. Not saying the Gophers need Kobe or MJ, but they need a guy confident enough to do that. Not just to shoot, but to make the right call.
Someone said Welch was attacking at the end of the MSU game and stopped because Tubby yelled. If Welch KNOWS that is the right play to attack and KNOWS he can finish it, take it. If he does that and they win, what is Tubby going to say? The guys just have to be confident enough that they know what to do to win the game.
That coach on the floor is so important to any team. Westbrook was very good at that. He played BIG minutes. Tubby may have yelled at him, but whatever. Westbrook was confident in himself. Sometimes too confident in the shot rather than a pass, but he knew what it took to win and he did it. You just can't let the yelling get to you and play your game. Every coach yells.
