Arugs Leader: Much better Gopher team headed this way

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per the Argus Leader:

Perhaps the biggest indication that the Gophers are better this year is that several of the people contributing are different. The leading scorer is true freshman Amir Coffey, a former Hopkins, Minn., player whose father Richard is a former Gopher.

The younger Coffey, a 6-8 guard, is averaging 14.6 points a game. Guard Nate Mason, a 6-2 junior, is averaging 12.7 points. Sophomore guard Dupree McBrayer averages 11.4 and returning starter Jordan Murphy, a 6-6 sophomore who represented the Gophers’ hope for the future a year ago, is averaging 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Reggie Lynch, a 6-10, 250-pound transfer from Illinois State who sat out last season, is averaging 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while playing 20 minutes a game.

“They have taken pride in restoring the image of our basketball program on and off the court,” Pitino wrote in his blog this week. “By no means have we arrived but I like the direction we are headed.”

http://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/2016/12/02/much-better-gopher-team-headed-way/94798126/

Go Gophers!!
 


The article should be written by the strib about a game against Vandy at Williams instead of about a game sold to Denny Sanford because the athletic dept is desperate for hoops revenue. I know that season ticket holders should shed tears of gratitude that Pitino/Coyle brought in two non tourney teams with recognizable names this year, but let's not forget that the STH's are, in effect, subsidizing the outsourcing of a good game by purchasing tix to the dozen or so scrimmages on the schedule.

The U really can do better. It has substantial control of the schedule.


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I'm not seeing this game showing up under any broadcasts.
Not even the 10 bucks a month BTN plus.
What the heck? Am I seeing correctly?
 



jamiche said:
The article should be written by the strib about a game against Vandy at Williams instead of about a game sold to Denny Sanford because the athletic dept is desperate for hoops revenue. I know that season ticket holders should shed tears of gratitude that Pitino/Coyle brought in two non tourney teams with recognizable names this year, but let's not forget that the STH's are, in effect, subsidizing the outsourcing of a good game by purchasing tix to the dozen or so scrimmages on the schedule.

The U really can do better. It has substantial control of the schedule.


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Click to expand...

The question is would you rather play fewer games or all of the cupcakes? Because (based on name recognition) this is one of the most recognizeable schedules we've had in a long time. Look at other BIG home schedules (neutral court games not included)

Indiana: Umass lowell, Liberty, Miss Valley St., UNC(ACC v big ten), SIU edwardsville, Southeast missouri state, Houston baptist, Deleware state, Austin peay

Wisc: Cent. Arkansas, chicago state, Prairie view a&m, Syracuse(ACC v. BIG), Oklahoma, Idaho state, Green Bay, Florida A & M.

MSU: Miss Valley St, FGCU, Oral Roberts, Youngstown St, Tennessee tech, Northeastern, Oakland

OSU: N. Car. Central, providence, Western Carolina, Jackson state, Marshall, Fairleigh Dickerson, Florida Atlantick, Connecticut, Youngstown st, UNC Ashville.

Outside of Uconn(@OSU) and Oklahoma (@wisc) is there even any other power conference games outside the Challenge? my point is that you can complain all you want but that is just the state of college basketball schedules. Not a whole lot different than before (I had an earlier post on how the # of recognizable teams has stayed the same but the # of games has increased). not a whole lot different than college football non-conference. You're just getting old and grumpy and not living in a fact based world.
 

spackler said:
I'm not seeing this game showing up under any broadcasts.
Not even the 10 bucks a month BTN plus.
What the heck? Am I seeing correctly?
Click to expand...

The viewership numbers for the B1G football championship game takes precedence, nothing is going to be allowed to impact that.
 

Tim1406 said:
The question is would you rather play fewer games or all of the cupcakes? Because (based on name recognition) this is one of the most recognizeable schedules we've had in a long time. Look at other BIG home schedules (neutral court games not included)

Indiana: Umass lowell, Liberty, Miss Valley St., UNC(ACC v big ten), SIU edwardsville, Southeast missouri state, Houston baptist, Deleware state, Austin peay

Wisc: Cent. Arkansas, chicago state, Prairie view a&m, Syracuse(ACC v. BIG), Oklahoma, Idaho state, Green Bay, Florida A & M.

MSU: Miss Valley St, FGCU, Oral Roberts, Youngstown St, Tennessee tech, Northeastern, Oakland

OSU: N. Car. Central, providence, Western Carolina, Jackson state, Marshall, Fairleigh Dickerson, Florida Atlantick, Connecticut, Youngstown st, UNC Ashville.

Outside of Uconn(@OSU) and Oklahoma (@wisc) is there even any other power conference games outside the Challenge? my point is that you can complain all you want but that is just the state of college basketball schedules. Not a whole lot different than before (I had an earlier post on how the # of recognizable teams has stayed the same but the # of games has increased). not a whole lot different than college football non-conference. You're just getting old and grumpy and not living in a fact based world.
Click to expand...

When you do the research I think you will find that the U has hosted fewer Power 5 teams during the preseason over the last five and even ten seasons than any of those schools. Another question would be the comparative RPI rankings of those Power 5 teams that do come into the home arenas (e.g. IU usually has a home and home with KY and the other schools listed always play high end teams in the B1G/ACC Challenge).

I don't think my frustration/concern is age related. As I look around a nearly two thirds empty Williams during some of the preseason games the emptiest part of the building is the student section.


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jamiche said:
When you do the research I think you will find that the U has hosted fewer Power 5 teams during the preseason over the last five and even ten seasons than any of those schools. Another question would be the comparative RPI rankings of those Power 5 teams that do come into the home arenas (e.g. IU usually has a home and home with KY and the other schools listed always play high end teams in the B1G/ACC Challenge).

I don't think my frustration/concern is age related. As I look around a nearly two thirds empty Williams during some of the preseason games the emptiest part of the building is the student section.


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Click to expand...

I think this is winning related. look at losing teams across the country... they nearly all have attendance problems. attendance in football is likely down for 2 reasons (for bad teams) one is the lack of winning and the other is the length of the game (On ESPN or ABC consistently 4 hours long). Basketball only has one of those issues and thats lack of winning. Now how do you build a winning team? It's not by playing Duke, Kansas Kentucky (As if they would even play us as we do nothing for them) it's by playing teams that we have the chance to actually beat. And maybe after the program is built we will see stronger opponents. I think next years schedule should be a touch harder (so long as Pitino is still the coach, which he needs wins to save his job...)

Edit: Do we really think the arena would be packed for Duke? I don't. I think that people would stay away knowing we don't stand a chance. (more full than now? yes.
 



Idk who could complain about the non-con schedule this year....has it been too soft in previous years? Yes, definitely. But 4 low to mid level power conference teams with at least one of those on the road is a good schedule for the level the gophers are usually at. I hope non-con schedules are similar to this year every year.
 


Towards the end of Dan Monson's term as coach the non conference scheduling really went down, Tubby continued the trend, prior to that it was always pretty good.
 

adchester said:
Idk who could complain about the non-con schedule this year....has it been too soft in previous years? Yes, definitely. But 4 low to mid level power conference teams with at least one of those on the road is a good schedule for the level the gophers are usually at. I hope non-con schedules are similar to this year every year.
Click to expand...

The noncon schedule is better this year. I think it's unfair to season ticket holders to schedule a rare name brand opponent in Sioux Falls.


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Tim1406 said:
I think this is winning related. look at losing teams across the country... they nearly all have attendance problems. attendance in football is likely down for 2 reasons (for bad teams) one is the lack of winning and the other is the length of the game (On ESPN or ABC consistently 4 hours long). Basketball only has one of those issues and thats lack of winning. Now how do you build a winning team? It's not by playing Duke, Kansas Kentucky (As if they would even play us as we do nothing for them) it's by playing teams that we have the chance to actually beat. And maybe after the program is built we will see stronger opponents. I think next years schedule should be a touch harder (so long as Pitino is still the coach, which he needs wins to save his job...)

Edit: Do we really think the arena would be packed for Duke? I don't. I think that people would stay away knowing we don't stand a chance. (more full than now? yes.
Click to expand...

I would be shocked if Duke, KY or Kansas didn't sell out Williams.

We know that playing non stop cupcakes doesn't build a winning program. That's been tried. You aren't going to grow and improve as a time unless you have some competition.


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jamiche said:
The noncon schedule is better this year. I think it's unfair to season ticket holders to schedule a rare name brand opponent in Sioux Falls.


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Click to expand...

Most years I would agree with you. But we did have St. Johns and Arkansas at home this year. Those are 2 games outside of the big ten acc challenge. I just think that of all of the years to complain this year is a bit off. that is why I've been pushing back against you and others with that line of thinking. If the Vand. game was instead on the road would you still be complaining?
 

Can't wait to go to game tonight, best part, it's only 30 min. from my house!
 

spackler said:
Thanks GII, I just saw that too.
I'm not as pissed now ��.
Would be nice to have it on tv though.
Click to expand...

Combination of other B1G games today and the conference championships. I'm not sure what the excuse was for the Arkansas game though.
 


Tim1406 said:
Most years I would agree with you. But we did have St. Johns and Arkansas at home this year. Those are 2 games outside of the big ten acc challenge. I just think that of all of the years to complain this year is a bit off. that is why I've been pushing back against you and others with that line of thinking. If the Vand. game was instead on the road would you still be complaining?
Click to expand...


As I said in an earlier post, the noncon schedule is better this year, meaning it's not embarrassing. That doesn't mean that it is acceptable to sell a decent game to Denny Sanford. Given the intermediate history of scheduling that tests the loyalty of season ticket holders and substandard performance of the team during Pitino's tenure, I would advise Mark Coyle to get the games that are likely to get big crowds at Williams. Some NJIT games are a reality in Power Five college basketball, but I think there's a correlation between the weak schedule and the moribund program over the last few years.
 

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