Interesting Twitter back and forth between M.Fuller and T.Hines on Minnesota vs ISU

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EG#9

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On the subject of a home and home series between Minnesota and Iowa State, some highlights:


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nothing to gain for Hoiberg “<a href="https://twitter.com/TravisHines21">@TravisHines21</a>: I'm with you, but with the way ISU is attempting to recruit up there I think it's a long shot.”</p>— Marcus R. Fuller (@GophersNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/GophersNow/statuses/416076927338680320">December 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/GophersNow">@GophersNow</a> Thinking the other way around. Would Pitino let ISU say "You'll play at home at least once" or let ISU get exposure in MPLS?</p>— Travis Hines (@TravisHines21) <a href="https://twitter.com/TravisHines21/statuses/416078214306332672">December 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Later, everyone's favorite ISU insider Doogie chimes in

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>You got me thinking, <a href="https://twitter.com/GophersNow">@GophersNow</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/TravisHines21">@TravisHines21</a>, so I just checked. Word is the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gophers&src=hash">#Gophers</a> need to say yes. ISU in on board for next year.</p>— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenWolfson/statuses/416080671925223424">December 26, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Travis Hines (ISU reporter) is right and Marcus Fuller is wrong. The Gophers have nothing to gain from playing a home and home with Iowa State, except one more highly attended game every other year. Iowa is not fertile recruiting ground and we already get exposure to that state by playing Iowa every year. Plus (as Hines points out in another tweet), the Gophers wouldn't want Hoiberg to be able to tell Minnesota recruits that they would get to come home to the Barn every other year. If the Gophers are going to upgrade their non-conference schedule, a team from the East Coast (St John's? Georgetown?) or non B1G Midwest state (Kansas State? Missouri?) makes the most sense.
 

That's a strange tweet by Fuller, because just a week or two ago he brought up the same topic and he seemed to agree with me when I pointed out that an ISU-Minnesota matchup would pretty much stink for Minnesota -- that we have nothing to gain from playing ISU. He sometimes has really interesting observations, and then other times he has some really ignorant ones (like suggesting Hoiberg has nothing to gain from playing Minnesota).

We already play Iowa twice a year. I have no interest in playing Iowa's little brother too. There is no recruiting there, and they are not a high profile program (don't tell me what they're ranked right now because it means little. We were ranked #8 about this time last year). Agreeing to this matchup would be a mistake for the Gophers.
 

A bit off thread, but it's a real possibility that Hoiberg will be offered the Timberwolves job for next year, with a pretty good chance he accepts it.
 





I say let them come here, we can kick the **** out of them and that will make the biggest statement about which program Minnesotans will want to play for. Kids will want to stay home if they can play for a winner
 

EG#9 said:
Iowa is not fertile recruiting ground
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High-major (AQ) recruit signings, 2009-2013:

Minnesota: 13

Iowa: 12

The 2014 class was historically good for Minnesota, and Iowa's was particularly bad. Aside from that, the two schools produce roughly the same amount of high-major and Division I talent during any given period. And the states surrounding Iowa produce vastly more than those surrounding Minnesota. If anyone has "nothing to gain" from recruiting by playing at the other's building, it's Iowa St.
 

Perhaps a bit harsh, but if I were Coach Pitino, I would not schedule any games with high major teams that have a local recruit that he wanted. It serves no purpose to reward a guy who spurned our offer with a free trip home and a chance for his entourage to fill our arena. No games with Stanford or Duke the next four years.

Much different for guys that we didn't think fit our system or didn't think could play Big Ten basketball. The Northern Iowa's and South Dakota State's are welcome any time as long as we are getting some other decent games at home.
 



It looks like I'm in the minority so far, but I say bring teams like this in. We are going to lose in state talent to other teams regardless if we play an Iowa St or not. You have to also look at things from a different angle though and realize that Pitino is recruiting other areas and scheduling games like this will help in recruiting those players. It can't hurt to tell Elijah Thomas that he is guaranteed this game on the schedule instead of Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The bigger picture is what matters here...not a few in state recruits that are going to pick Iowa St over MN.
 

tmvander said:
It looks like I'm in the minority so far, but I say bring teams like this in. We are going to lose in state talent to other teams regardless if we play an Iowa St or not. You have to also look at things from a different angle though and realize that Pitino is recruiting other areas and scheduling games like this will help in recruiting those players. It can't hurt to tell Elijah Thomas that he is guaranteed this game on the schedule instead of Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The bigger picture is what matters here...not a few in state recruits that are going to pick Iowa St over MN.
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Well said, it can only help the University of Minnesota to beat these teams. If we lose Vaughn to the clones I say we recruit a guy who can give five hard fouls a game and have him use them on Vaughn. Can't have him then we bludgeon him
 

bemidjigopher said:
Well said, it can only help the University of Minnesota to beat these teams. If we lose Vaughn to the clones I say we recruit a guy who can give five hard fouls a game and have him use them on Vaughn. Can't have him then we bludgeon him
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Ok, John Chaney.
 




So there's something for ISU to have gained by scheduling BYU?
 


tmvander said:
It looks like I'm in the minority so far, but I say bring teams like this in. We are going to lose in state talent to other teams regardless if we play an Iowa St or not. You have to also look at things from a different angle though and realize that Pitino is recruiting other areas and scheduling games like this will help in recruiting those players. It can't hurt to tell Elijah Thomas that he is guaranteed this game on the schedule instead of Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The bigger picture is what matters here...not a few in state recruits that are going to pick Iowa St over MN.
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I'm with you. As an Iowa State fan I want Hoiberg to bring in teams like you guys. I'd rather play a good team from a power conference home and away than buy a body bag game from Central Arkansas Tech. I understand that body bag games need to happen, but still.

People get all bent out of shape about "exposure" to recruits. Trust me, any recruit that is looking at ISU or the U of M can watch every game of either team. This isn't the 70's where a kid only got to watch the game if he was in the arena. With internet and cable the way they are, it's antiquated to think you need to play in a certain region to gain "exposure". Win your games and you will have all of the exposure you need.

When Pitino gets it rolling up there you are going to have a hard time finding willing major conference participants to come to the Barn and play.

I think the series would be good for both schools in the long run... even if ISU never signed a kid out of Minnesota again. It would be a solid game between two good teams.
 

WanderingGopher said:
That's a strange tweet by Fuller, because just a week or two ago he brought up the same topic and he seemed to agree with me when I pointed out that an ISU-Minnesota matchup would pretty much stink for Minnesota -- that we have nothing to gain from playing ISU. He sometimes has really interesting observations, and then other times he has some really ignorant ones (like suggesting Hoiberg has nothing to gain from playing Minnesota).

We already play Iowa twice a year. I have no interest in playing Iowa's little brother too. There is no recruiting there, and they are not a high profile program (don't tell me what they're ranked right now because it means little. We were ranked #8 about this time last year). Agreeing to this matchup would be a mistake for the Gophers.
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You're missing the part where we'd actually be playing a BCS Conference team instead of Pollyanna Northwest St. Granted adding Louisville next year was a huge step in the right direction.
 

YellowSnow said:
People get all bent out of shape about "exposure" to recruits. Trust me, any recruit that is looking at ISU or the U of M can watch every game of either team. This isn't the 70's where a kid only got to watch the game if he was in the arena. With internet and cable the way they are, it's antiquated to think you need to play in a certain region to gain "exposure". Win your games and you will have all of the exposure you need.
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This is so wrong it's not funny.... That's like saying Bud Light doesn't need to advertise on the Super Bowl because if someone wanted Bud Light they would go find it.....
 

Winasota Gopher said:
This is so wrong it's not funny.... That's like saying Bud Light doesn't need to advertise on the Super Bowl because if someone wanted Bud Light they would go find it.....
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Do you honestly believe people go out and buy Bud Light because of the super bowl commercials? Do you think Budweiser NEEDS to advertise at all?
 

Holy cow we are over-analyzing this. Granted we seem to be tangling with Hoiberg more than normal for recruits. But we're talking about one game every other year. I think the more important goal is to upgrade the schedule for the betterment of the team's NCAA chances and for the fans. If it works out to schedule Iowa State, do it. Neither Vaughn or anyone else is going to change his decision because of one game.
 

I would be less opposed to scheduling Iowa State if it weren't for the facts that they're recruiting Vaughn, Illikainen, Jarvis Johnson, Henry Ellenson, probably more, actually have received visits from several of them, and recently had great success with Royce White (the fact that they didn't "beat us" for him is, unfortunately, mostly irrelevant by this point). I'm sure Pitino and Teague and Ellis are well aware of these facts, and we have every indication they know what they're doing when it comes to building a basketball program -- including the "who" and "how soon" of scheduling.

I'd be pretty surprised if we see ISU on the schedule next year. We already have Louisville, we have an ACC opponent, and we have the NYC tournament (likely 2 BCS opponents).
 

WanderingGopher said:
I'd be pretty surprised if we see ISU on the schedule next year. We already have Louisville, we have an ACC opponent, and we have the NYC tournament (likely 2 BCS opponents).
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Teague and Ellis have also said they understand the need to upgrade the home schedule. None of those games are at home. If they present a non-conference schedule that features SDSU as the best home game next year, the Barn will be a ghost town.
 


Apparently playing in Hilton Coliseum is a bad way to prepare for road games in the Big Ten? Seems like something to gain or else Michigan wouldn't have scheduled ISU in November.
 

dpodoll68 said:
High-major (AQ) recruit signings, 2009-2013:

Minnesota: 13

Iowa: 12
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Since EG#9 never stated that Minnesota was fertile recruiting ground, what's your point? Iowa is fertile recruiting ground?
 

Not to mention how everyone always complains about our non conference schedule and how we never get good teams to the barn. So now the talk of finally having that happen every other year is out there and it isn't ok?

The pro's of scheduling these games vastly outweigh the con's.
 

I understand why Gopher fans are taking shots at Hoiberg (because he's become a threat to getting Minnesota's best preps), but really, to donwplay what he's accomplished at Iowa State is just silly & oozing with sour grapes. And if Freddy wants to play a home-and-home with the Gophers, I say bring it on. If we're afraid to play ISU because we're afraid of losing a couple recruiting battles with Hoiberg, what does that say about the Minnesota program, especially one that has been way too reluctant to schedule decent home-and-homes since Monson left?

Can't fathom how anyone who has seen first-hand our nonconference home schedules the last seven seasons would be opposed to a home-and-home with Iowa State. In my mind it's a win-win. Quality (and interesting) road game that Gopher fans can travel to one year, quality (and interesting) home game the other. What's not to like?
 

Maximus said:
Since EG#9 never stated that Minnesota was fertile recruiting ground, what's your point? Iowa is fertile recruiting ground?
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Why should we be concerned about giving Iowa St. access to our precious home base when they have just as many recruits right at home?
 

WanderingGopher said:
That's a strange tweet by Fuller, because just a week or two ago he brought up the same topic and he seemed to agree with me when I pointed out that an ISU-Minnesota matchup would pretty much stink for Minnesota -- that we have nothing to gain from playing ISU. He sometimes has really interesting observations, and then other times he has some really ignorant ones (like suggesting Hoiberg has nothing to gain from playing Minnesota).

We already play Iowa twice a year. I have no interest in playing Iowa's little brother too. There is no recruiting there, and they are not a high profile program (don't tell me what they're ranked right now because it means little. We were ranked #8 about this time last year). Agreeing to this matchup would be a mistake for the Gophers.
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I agree with you. Why would ISU be interested in scheduling Wisconsin's unwanted step child?

Let's be real here. Outside of Minnesota killing the name sake of the ISU football stadium, no one outside of internet sports sociopaths even realize that the Gophers exist.
 

Captain Puerto Rico said:
I agree with you. Why would ISU be interested in scheduling Wisconsin's unwanted step child?

Let's be real here. Outside of Minnesota killing the name sake of the ISU football stadium, no one outside of internet sports sociopaths even realize that the Gophers exist.
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...or hockey fans.
 

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