Post Bulletin: Gophers remain dangerous tournament team when Lynch stays on court

per the Post Bulletin:

BOESE: The Gophers remain a dangerous tournament team when center Reggie Lynch can stay on the court. He simply hasn't been able to do that lately, fouling out of seven of the last 12 games. He's a game-changer defensively inside, so that's been the biggest issue. The offense still sputters too often for my liking, particularly in late-game situations. Why call a timeout to have four guys standing while one attacks? Only Tubby Smith would be proud of that action.

Murphy went through a funk, but he's been unstoppable of late. I'm actually a huge fan of freshman Eric Curry, Murphy's backup. He needs to add weight, but his defense and versatility is a nice asset off the bench.

Barring a disaster, the Gophers will be dancing next month. It might be a short stay, but that's an important step for a program on the rise.

http://www.postbulletin.com/sports/...cle_f8296c9a-f17a-5832-9e93-6534c5103f50.html

Go Gophers!!

I keep waiting for this team to fire on all cylinders. Mason had some great games early, Springs was red hot for some games, Lynch looked unstoppable once or twice, Coffey has had flashes of brilliance and Murphy has been unbelievable the last two games. I know it's the nature of basketball for players to get hot, which means there were times they were cold. Just feel like there should be one big ten home game where we fire on all cylinders or at least 4 out of 8 and destroy someone.

LakerFan said:

I keep waiting for this team to fire on all cylinders. Mason had some great games early, Springs was red hot for some games, Lynch looked unstoppable once or twice, Coffey has had flashes of brilliance and Murphy has been unbelievable the last two games. I know it's the nature of basketball for players to get hot, which means there were times they were cold. Just feel like there should be one big ten home game where we fire on all cylinders or at least 4 out of 8 and destroy someone.

Click to expand...

Agree that it is frustrating that they just can't seem to put it all together for a full game. The exciting part is that there are flashes of just how good this team can be when they go on some of those amazing runs. I hate the idea of wait till next year but with the players coming in and the guys on the roster gaining another year of experience this team has a chance to be special next year.

It's tough to get multiple guys enough touches for 4-5 guys to go off in one game. The Iowa game was close but it was 2 overtimes.

Otis said:

It's tough to get multiple guys enough touches for 4-5 guys to go off in one game. The Iowa game was close but it was 2 overtimes.

Click to expand...

This is why they need to push the speed of the game more. Let's be honest, they aren't good yet at half court sets anyways.

Otis said:

It's tough to get multiple guys enough touches for 4-5 guys to go off in one game. The Iowa game was close but it was 2 overtimes.

Click to expand...

Yep. We've seen guys go off when they get plenty of touches and into a rhythm and build confidence. Its rare to have a guy that shoots well off of few touches. Thats why something like Murphy being really active off the ball is huge because he scores with getting plays ran for him.

Well guys, remember that before that very special run of 1990, where the team came within one basket of going to the Final Four, a game which I was at, btw.


They suffered through a season where the team only won 1 road game in conference play, if that? There was talk about their not making the NCAA tournament. I think they suffered a late season 4 game losing streak, losing the first game of that streak by 38 points, and the next two by double digits. The streak didn't start until the middle of February and the 4th loss was on MARCH 2nd.


But that team ended up getting to the Sweet 16.


When you look at this team, it has a good chance of finishing with more wins in conf play, it already has 4 road wins with 2 left to go, including road wins vs Top 25 ranked teams. And suffered its losing streak early in the conf season, so has more time to build up confidence.


Honestly, when I compare this team to past teams, it's resume looks almost more like the 1990 team than it does the 1989 team. In fact, if we beat either Wisconsin or Purdue on the road and win all our home games, they will have the same 11-7 conf record that the 1990 team had. And similar home and road records, too.


Only difference, which I acknowledge is a factor, is that this year's squad hasn't beaten any Top 5 ranked teams like those 89 and 90 squads did. But in this team's defense, those wins were almost all home games, and The Barn rocked a lot back then, in the pre-scandal days.



But this team, although it could lose one of its home games still, could also win BOTH of its remaining road games, and all of its home games. Confidence is building on this team, its still a young lineup so all of the players seem to be improving and the coach also is young and seems to be improving as he goes. This is a team that could go on a run, either to finish the season, or in the BTT, or in the NCAA tourney, or all of those?!


What I'd like to see is for this team to EXCEED what the 1989 team did, and then for next year's team to EXCEED what the 1990 team did.


Whether that means getting to the Sweet 16 and giving that Sweet 16 opponent a better game than the 89 team did or maybe winning that game and getting to the Elite 8, doesn't matter to me. That is my REALISTIC high hope for this year's squad. And next year's squad almost has to be better, just how much no one can be for sure, because with a couple new recruits coming in, can they make up for the loss of Springs, or hopefully MORE THAN make up for his loss, and make this team even better and also DEEPER. If anything, we almost have to be a team with more depth next season.


Well, no matter, I've only been this excited about the future of Gopher bb twice before in the past, during the 89 and 90 seasons and during the 97 season. Although I do have to admit that I had pretty high hopes for that 99 team as well, until the sky fell down upon GopherNation that is. All indications are that Pitino is not going to end up becoming Haskins 2.0 and having suffered through the Haskins sh1t, I don't think the U admin would ever let anything like that happen again, not for a very very long time at least.