Worried about the PG.


Ya, some posters really say stupid things, don't they Stoa.

Hey, the clips on the movie you two got coming out fit right into your comments. Go play in your couch fort boys.
 

You watched him play in the secret scrimmage?

Scrimmage at Williams. They lost by 30 in that secret scrimmage, which makes me think he didn't play very well in that one either. I fully admit I may be wrong. It's concerning because without him excelling, we have nothing,
 




As many have pointed out Lil Dre got into foul trouble early which effected his ability to attack on both O & D. Also pointed out here is that Lil Dre's game is about being quicker/faster than his opponent is stronger than him. In this game, Lil Dre faced not one, but two guards who were just as quick/fast as he was & both were stronger. That won't happen again until we get deep in the tournament.

Then add in Mason. He's exactly what I thought he would be. Mature beyond his years, aggressive, cocky, almost to a fault. He's already our second best ball handler & that will make the PG position so much stronger once he gets a bit of experience. It'll allow Lil Dre to continue to play aggressive, even when he's in foul trouble because we'll still have Mason & Dre Hollins to handle the ball.

Dre Hollins is about the best 3rd ball handler a team could ever ask for. He's not super athletic, not a natural PG, etc. but he's a very solid ball handler, with tons of PG experience at the B1G level.

3 solid ball handlers at the PG position not only doesn't have me concerned, but actually has me feeling the best I've felt about the position in years. Especially considering that over the past 5 years we've had to trust Blake Hoffarber, Julian Welch & Maverick Ahanmisi to bring the ball up court.
 


As many have pointed out Lil Dre got into foul trouble early which effected his ability to attack on both O & D. Also pointed out here is that Lil Dre's game is about being quicker/faster than his opponent is stronger than him. In this game, Lil Dre faced not one, but two guards who were just as quick/fast as he was & both were stronger. That won't happen again until we get deep in the tournament.

Then add in Mason. He's exactly what I thought he would be. Mature beyond his years, aggressive, cocky, almost to a fault. He's already our second best ball handler & that will make the PG position so much stronger once he gets a bit of experience. It'll allow Lil Dre to continue to play aggressive, even when he's in foul trouble because we'll still have Mason & Dre Hollins to handle the ball.

Dre Hollins is about the best 3rd ball handler a team could ever ask for. He's not super athletic, not a natural PG, etc. but he's a very solid ball handler, with tons of PG experience at the B1G level.

3 solid ball handlers at the PG position not only doesn't have me concerned, but actually has me feeling the best I've felt about the position in years. Especially considering that over the past 5 years we've had to trust Blake Hoffarber, Julian Welch & Maverick Ahanmisi to bring the ball up court.
Well, when you put it that way...
Yes, we'll be able to breathe quite a bit easier when our ball handlers get fouls.
 

I'm not concerned about Little Dre. What I did notice was the size differential between their guards and ours. Dre and Dre are 5'9" and 6'1" and Nate is about 6'1". Pretty small.
 



We are just as small as last yr at the 1, 2, and 3. Louisville's guards are at least as quick and taller than Mathieu. He is stronger but didnt get much change to use that upper body in this one.

I do not like seeing him struggle. Have i hit the panic button...no. Does any team in the big ten have the athletism as that Louisville team.. nope. If mason can play this well there will be some competition at the position. Mason got to the freethrow line for 10 attempts. This is a very under-rated skill.

Mathieu is quicker than every pg in the B1G except potentially Yogi, I'd say about even. Those are the matchup's he exploits. He takes it to the hole and after a few drives he is given the 3 and hits a decent amount of those.
 

Perhaps. He is a game changing player and he was the major reason for our success last year. I don't think it's unreasonable to be concerned after watching him sleep walk through a scrimmage, ex-game and a major game on national TV. In all three he's looked dis-interested.

I agree with you. Last if, in general, if Mathieu played well...we won. If he had a ton of TO's and played poorly, we lost. He set the tone.
 






So after that first half by Mathieu. I'm not too worried.
 



Between Mathieu, Dre, and Mason, our PG situation is in as good of shape I as I have ever seen.
 


Between Mathieu, Dre, and Mason, our PG situation is in as good of shape I as I have ever seen.

Yep. Hard not to like our options there. All 3 bring something a little different to the table. Only concern (vs. good teams) is their lack of size.
 

Our fears have been confirmed, over and over again.
 


Yep. Hard not to like our options there. All 3 bring something a little different to the table. Only concern (vs. good teams) is their lack of size.

Lil Dre is a shell of his 2014 self, and his 2014 self generated a fair amount of the offense. Definitely a source of concern
 

If Mathieu was as good as last year or better then we would be a tournament team this year. His regression is the team's biggest problem.
 


STrib: All at once, Gophers struggling at the point guard spot

Two and a half weeks ago, with second-year point guard DeAndre Mathieu struggling to make good decisions with the ball or approach the same player he was in non-conference play, coach Richard Pitino made a change.

The Gophers, after all, were mired in an 0-4 slump and searching for answers. The coach flipped the starting lineup on its head, but Minnesota still lost to Iowa, its fifth straight. Pitino returned the starters to their posts, with one exception: freshman Nate Mason continued his new role, over Mathieu, for two more games.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/290224881.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Minnesota coach Richard Pitino was surprised Mathieu didn't get invited to any elite point guard camps this summer, including one that NBA all-star Chris Paul held recently. Hollins was there last year.

"I was kind of mad; I'm not going to lie," Mathieu said. "I was really mad because when it comes to the best point guards in the country, I think I'm in that race. But I'm still nobody. I still have to make a name for myself. I'm going to go out there and play the same way I did and try to be as aggressive as possible and try to make my team better."
 

It appears that breast-feeding his child has taken priority over honing his basketball skills. Not condemning him for having a child, it's just too bad he couldn't wait a few years.
 

Minnesota coach Richard Pitino was surprised Mathieu didn't get invited to any elite point guard camps this summer, including one that NBA all-star Chris Paul held recently. Hollins was there last year.

"I was kind of mad; I'm not going to lie," Mathieu said. "I was really mad because when it comes to the best point guards in the country, I think I'm in that race. But I'm still nobody. I still have to make a name for myself. I'm going to go out there and play the same way I did and try to be as aggressive as possible and try to make my team better."

Your play should abilities dictate that, not your ego.

Yes until proven otherwise like the rest of nobody's that do not prove otherwise

We (fans) are still waiting.........
 





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