SelectionSunday
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Have always considered myself a numbers ("stats") guy. I post the following numbers understanding that stats don't always tell the whole story. What's the saying, "Figures never lie, and liars never figure"?
I think we'd all agree that each of the last two seasons the Gophers have positioned themselves for a NCAA bid heading into the month of February. The reality is playing just .500 basketball would have put them in the NCAA either year. But what have those solid November-January starts got them?
In college basketball parlance, February and March are "winning time". Teams that weren't great shakes in November-January can vault themselves into the NCAA tourney/NCAA consideration, or teams that performed well can play their way out of the tournament. Unfortunately, in each of the last two seasons, the Gophers are in the latter group. Last night was another example of the difference between a program that knows what to do when it's winning time (that would be MSU -- confidence, poise, play like they've been there before) and one that doesn't (that would be the Gophers -- unsightly late-game possessions, play scared, start looking at the clock, start playing not to lose).
The ugly numbers for the Gophers in February/March in 2010-11 and 2011-12. ...
February/March Record: 2-14
February/March (games decided by 9 points or less): 1-9
February/March (games decided by 6 points or less): 0-6
February/March (games decided in OT): 0-1
Because I'm frustrated (like most the rest of you), I'm going to limit myself to 1 positive comment and 1 negative comment. Going into a 3-page diatribe about last night serves no purpose, although this is as close as I'll get.
First, the bad. Despite about 34 minutes of the best basketball we've played in a long time, last night's meltdown is on Tubby & the staff. In the last 5-6 minutes we started playing not to lose instead of playing to win. That falls on the coaching staff, not the players. The Gophers played their guts out last night.
The possession that boggled my mind was the one right after Sparty tied the game at 58, think there was about a minute left. We have the ball and 3 timeouts left, it's the most important possession of the game -- Ralph has played his best game in a long, long time (despite foul trouble) -- we need a bucket, and Ralph is on the bench. He was a factor in this game, it's the biggest offensive possession of the game, and we don't even call a timeout to get him on the floor so that we have someone else who is a threat to score. Instead, we leave EE in the game, who basically Sparty doesn't even have to guard. Completely baffles me. If I didn't already know it, after that possession I pretty much knew it was game over.
The good? Despite a few folks indicating they saw otherwise in Evanston, IMO the Gophers have not quit on Tubby. What I saw in Evanston was a poorly played game by a group of frustrated players. Those frustrated players played poorly, but they did not quit. And last night certainly shows Tubby's guys are still playing for him. This is not a Illinois/Bruce Weber situation, not yet anyways. Weber's guys have quit on him. That's not the case here. If or when his players quit on Tubby, then I'll be concerned.
Beat Indiana.
We can still salvage something out of this season. 2 more wins of any kind, I think, should get us into the NIT. Feel free to knock the NIT. I fully understand it's the tourney no one aspires to (I know I don't), but this season for THIS PROGRAM it could serve a purpose. For better or worse, the guys playing now (save for Ralph) are our team next season, so the more games they get the better. Gophers need to find a way to end the season on a positive note, unlike last season. Last night showed we're still willing and able against a high-quality team if we can find a way to finish games. It's time to start changing the numbers listed above.
I think we'd all agree that each of the last two seasons the Gophers have positioned themselves for a NCAA bid heading into the month of February. The reality is playing just .500 basketball would have put them in the NCAA either year. But what have those solid November-January starts got them?
In college basketball parlance, February and March are "winning time". Teams that weren't great shakes in November-January can vault themselves into the NCAA tourney/NCAA consideration, or teams that performed well can play their way out of the tournament. Unfortunately, in each of the last two seasons, the Gophers are in the latter group. Last night was another example of the difference between a program that knows what to do when it's winning time (that would be MSU -- confidence, poise, play like they've been there before) and one that doesn't (that would be the Gophers -- unsightly late-game possessions, play scared, start looking at the clock, start playing not to lose).
The ugly numbers for the Gophers in February/March in 2010-11 and 2011-12. ...
February/March Record: 2-14
February/March (games decided by 9 points or less): 1-9
February/March (games decided by 6 points or less): 0-6
February/March (games decided in OT): 0-1
Because I'm frustrated (like most the rest of you), I'm going to limit myself to 1 positive comment and 1 negative comment. Going into a 3-page diatribe about last night serves no purpose, although this is as close as I'll get.
First, the bad. Despite about 34 minutes of the best basketball we've played in a long time, last night's meltdown is on Tubby & the staff. In the last 5-6 minutes we started playing not to lose instead of playing to win. That falls on the coaching staff, not the players. The Gophers played their guts out last night.
The possession that boggled my mind was the one right after Sparty tied the game at 58, think there was about a minute left. We have the ball and 3 timeouts left, it's the most important possession of the game -- Ralph has played his best game in a long, long time (despite foul trouble) -- we need a bucket, and Ralph is on the bench. He was a factor in this game, it's the biggest offensive possession of the game, and we don't even call a timeout to get him on the floor so that we have someone else who is a threat to score. Instead, we leave EE in the game, who basically Sparty doesn't even have to guard. Completely baffles me. If I didn't already know it, after that possession I pretty much knew it was game over.
The good? Despite a few folks indicating they saw otherwise in Evanston, IMO the Gophers have not quit on Tubby. What I saw in Evanston was a poorly played game by a group of frustrated players. Those frustrated players played poorly, but they did not quit. And last night certainly shows Tubby's guys are still playing for him. This is not a Illinois/Bruce Weber situation, not yet anyways. Weber's guys have quit on him. That's not the case here. If or when his players quit on Tubby, then I'll be concerned.
Beat Indiana.
We can still salvage something out of this season. 2 more wins of any kind, I think, should get us into the NIT. Feel free to knock the NIT. I fully understand it's the tourney no one aspires to (I know I don't), but this season for THIS PROGRAM it could serve a purpose. For better or worse, the guys playing now (save for Ralph) are our team next season, so the more games they get the better. Gophers need to find a way to end the season on a positive note, unlike last season. Last night showed we're still willing and able against a high-quality team if we can find a way to finish games. It's time to start changing the numbers listed above.
