3-point shot: Coaches should be on watch

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3. The Minnesota staff has been high on their team for three years running. But this is the first time the Gophers truly believe there is staying power with this crew, and for a few key reasons: The returning players have completely bought into the team concept; the bench is as deep as it has been under Tubby Smith; Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe are a pair of tough, interior players who can be counted on to play their role and Andre Hollins is having an all-star season. But the Gophers will know immediately in the Big Ten if they are pretenders or contenders. Minnesota has a brutal start to the league. It hosts Michigan State and Northwestern before road games at Illinois and Indiana, with a home game against Michigan wedged in before games at Northwestern and Wisconsin -- all from Dec. 31 to Jan. 26.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...69989/3-point-shot-coaches-should-be-on-watch
 

gophersfan said:
3. The Minnesota staff has been high on their team for three years running. But this is the first time the Gophers truly believe there is staying power with this crew, and for a few key reasons: The returning players have completely bought into the team concept; the bench is as deep as it has been under Tubby Smith; Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe are a pair of tough, interior players who can be counted on to play their role and Andre Hollins is having an all-star season. But the Gophers will know immediately in the Big Ten if they are pretenders or contenders. Minnesota has a brutal start to the league. It hosts Michigan State and Northwestern before road games at Illinois and Indiana, with a home game against Michigan wedged in before games at Northwestern and Wisconsin -- all from Dec. 31 to Jan. 26.http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...69989/3-point-shot-coaches-should-be-on-watch
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I think how that kind of brutal stretch plays out will largely be a self-fulfililng prophecy. Winners look at that kind of stretch and say "good, we've got a chance to show everyone we belong with the big boys and can win in the tough environments." Losers look at that kind of stretch and say "this isn't fair, we are a good team mthat ight might lose most of those games and start off with a bad record." I think Dec.31 to Jan.26 defines this basketball team and will show us what they are really made of.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I think how that kind of brutal stretch plays out will largely be a self-fulfililng prophecy. Winners look at that kind of stretch and say "good, we've got a chance to show everyone we belong with the big boys and can win in the tough environments." Losers look at that kind of stretch and say "this isn't fair, we are a good team mthat ight might lose most of those games and start off with a bad record." I think Dec.31 to Jan.26 defines this basketball team and will show us what they are really made of.
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Exactly. It will also show us what the melt down threads are made of.
 

Cliche alert

That stretch does look daunting, however, it's not as daunting if you just choose to look at it as "one game at a time." Beat Michigan State. That's the solitary goal right now for the Gophers. Do that and you're off to a good start. Then you move on to Northwestern.

No offense to Lafayette, of course.:D
 

I think the article is a note to us fans to not panic if our start isn't dynamite. The beginning of our schedule is much more difficult then the rest, and every team in the big ten will take their losses.
 


I think this year, every team has a brutal schedule at all times. I was looking, Nebraska plays 10 ranked teams in their 18 conference games. B10 is just crazy good this year.
 

A 2-0 start should go a long way to making the rest look less daunting. A 1-3 start and the bandwagon may go in the ditch from everyone jumping off.
 

howeda7 said:
A 2-0 start should go a long way to making the rest look less daunting. A 1-3 start and the bandwagon may go in the ditch from everyone jumping off.
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Agreed. That first game has to fall into the "should win" category, we are playing a team ranked lower than us on our home court. If we drop one of the first two we "should win", the team needs to find a way to get one of the ones we "shouldn't" in the next two.
 

mcal24 said:
I think this year, every team has a brutal schedule at all times. I was looking, Nebraska plays 10 ranked teams in their 18 conference games. B10 is just crazy good this year.
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+1

I used to say that's why they call it the B10. We aren't going to know this year until they hand out the trophies.
 



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