***OFFICIAL CONCORDIA AT MINNESOTA IN-GAME THREAD!!!!***

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Bigg Robb said:
I was very impressed with Murphy. He looked good. We're going to be good as long as him and Reggie can stay on the floor. I was not overly impressed with Fitzgerald and yes, that jumper is unbelievably ugly. It's like a cross between an Anthony Mason free throw and Bill Cartwright.
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Not much competition but I thought Fitzgerald looked good tonight, he doesn't get much elevation and I wonder if that doesn't impact the way it looks. he's around the basket on his shots, I've have seen much worse.
 

Love this quote. Pitino is going to have to pull the reigns back on IW somewhat in this early part of the schedule without squeezing the life from him and neutering what makes him a great player.

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ForecastingAWin said:
Jelly
Forced it far too often, but looked really, really good at times. It's game 1 tho. If he learns (which I think he will) to take what is there, he will be great. Played some solid defense. Think he will contribute a ton this year! Welcome to the era of the#Jellygoph :) Can't wait!
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Solid defense is not how I would describe him. I was very concerned with his defense coming out of that game, lazy on rotations (pointed for others to move while he made switches that were easy) rarely locked down the man he was defending, kind of understood they were not talented and guarded them as such. Didn't help much, didn't rebound.
 

Gold Vision said:
I was probably most pleasantly surprised with Jamir Harris. He seemed very confident with the ball and active on defense. He’s not just a spot up shooter.
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I would agree. He looked much better than Dupree did as a freshman.
 


Winasota Gopher said:
Solid defense is not how I would describe him. I was very concerned with his defense coming out of that game, lazy on rotations (pointed for others to move while he made switches that were easy) rarely locked down the man he was defending, kind of understood they were not talented and guarded them as such. Didn't help much, didn't rebound.
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We're getting a bit nit-picky for an exhibition game against a D-2 school. If Washington doesn't play much defense against Providence or Miami, then we can be concerned. While you want everyone to play consistently hard all the time, it's just not going to happen. He strikes me as a competitor who will take his game to the next level when it matters.

The biggest key with IW is the frontcourt must have its eyes up at all times with him on the floor. He's able to find space in the paint when it doesn't look like there's anything there, and he dumps off passes when guys aren't looking or aren't ready. That will fix itself with more time and chemistry.

Watched on BTN Plus last night in bits and was impressed by Fitzgerald. Hasn't played a game in 2 years and didn't look at all lost on the court. Spread the floor nicely and was in the right spot for rebounds. Jumper needs work, but it was only the first game and he played with a lot of confidence for somebody who has had 2 ACL injuries. It's huge to have him on the court with Curry out.

I was very impressed with Jamir Harris, his 3-point misses were halfway down. He'll be a big perimeter weapon this year, and he wasn't afraid to drive the lane. The hope is he takes the shot when it's open, there were a few times last year when Hurt had open shots and didn't take them, like he was afraid to miss and give up a possession. Play with confidence, let it fly.

This team will be at its best when it's in transition. It seemed like after almost every missed shot last night, they immediately looked for the outlet and ran. Led to open looks and dunks, fun to watch. And the length of Coffey and McBrayer, with a year of experience together, will make that motion offense tough to beat when it's running right.

Barring major injuries or foul trouble, this will be a fun team to watch this year.
 

Hey everyone, I was at the game yesterday. I get that it's against D2 Concordia, but here are my thoughts:

Washington: The Gophers have not had a point guard like this in my lifetime (31 years). He has quick hesitation moves, has the ability to get in the paint at will, flashy passer (many players weren't ready for his no-look passes), breathes confidence, and no shot scares him. Struggled at the free throw line. He tends to get out of control. So Pitino will have a task on his hands... you want to unleash him, but you want to reign him back a bit to consistently make smart plays. He's a Sportscenter highlight waiting to happen. We have a future star on our hands Gopher fans.

Murphy: Was a total beast in the paint. I still think he'll lead the team in scoring this year.

Coffee: Like Murphy, as he plays well, the team plays well. I hope he becomes more assertive on the offensive end this year. Played solid, nothing specific to say.

Lynch: Had a terrible (non-blocking) foul a few minutes into the game. My father and cousin groaned immediately. He needs to stop with those! Other than that, he looked solid. Clearly no issues stemming from offseason knee surgery.

Mason: Clearly the team leader. Under control the entire night. Like Lynch, showed no issues from that ankle injury weeks back or that offseason hip surgery.

McBrayer: He and Mason played very well together. Definitely better chemistry between those two than last year. Like the others, no issues could be seen regarding offseason foot surgery.

Fitzgerald: This was the big one folks. I went into this game knowing I'd be watching him like a hawk. He is much bigger than I expected and has wide shoulders. Played good defense and rebounded well. Has a bit of an odd shot, but who cares. He looks like he'll be a reliable stretch forward that can make some threes. Biggest play of the night: he hustled down the court on the right side and was passed the ball in transition, then proceeded to one-handed dunk with ease. Very good to see, considering his recovering knee. Was a little rusty. After watching him play, as long as he stays healthy, my worries about a back-up for Murphy are over. He doesn't have the quickness or offense that Curry provides, but I think he will be a fine player off the bench for us. He's only going to get better as he gets more comfortable with that knee.

Harris: Missed a bunch of threes, but wasn't afraid to take them! I like the confidence out of the freshman. Plays hard on defense.

Hurt: Was more assertive, but defenders had no problem cutting him off when he tried to drive. Missed the three pointers he took. I know it's only one game, but if last night was any indication, he won't be giving us much again this year. I hope I'm wrong.

Konate: Got burned a couple of times on pick and rolls, same thing that happened many times last year. Plays hard. The exact same Konate as last year.

The common theme, as you can see, is that we looked HEALTHY! That was great to see. Go Gophers!
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Solid defense is not how I would describe him. I was very concerned with his defense coming out of that game, lazy on rotations (pointed for others to move while he made switches that were easy) rarely locked down the man he was defending, kind of understood they were not talented and guarded them as such. Didn't help much, didn't rebound.
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His D is pretty relaxed, one thing I have noticed from his NY highlight videos to ProAM to now is he basically lets people shoot threes on him. Does a fake attempt at two hands up jumping towards the shooter that will not alter the shooters shot or be anywhere close to blocking the shot.

I'm hopping Pitino puts an end to this lackadaisical defense quick.

jelly.JPG
 

Fitz & Jelly

gopherguy15 said:
Hey everyone, I was at the game yesterday. I get that it's against D2 Concordia, but here are my thoughts:

Washington: The Gophers have not had a point guard like this in my lifetime (31 years). He has quick hesitation moves, has the ability to get in the paint at will, flashy passer (many players weren't ready for his no-look passes), breathes confidence, and no shot scares him. He tends to get out of control. So Pitino will have a task on his hands... you want to unleash him, but you want to reign him back a bit to consistently make smart plays. He's a Sportscenter highlight waiting to happen. We have a future star on our hands Gopher fans.

Murphy: Was a total beast in the paint. I still think he'll lead the team in scoring this year.

Coffee: Like Murphy, as he plays well, the team plays well. I hope he becomes more assertive on the offensive end this year. Played solid, nothing specific to say.

Lynch: Had a terrible (non-blocking) foul a few minutes into the game. My father and cousin groaned immediately. He needs to stop with those! Other than that, he looked solid. Clearly no issues stemming from offseason knee surgery.

Mason: Clearly the team leader. Under control the entire night. Like Lynch, showed no issues from that ankle injury weeks back or that offseason hip surgery.

McBrayer: He and Mason played very well together. Definitely better chemistry between those two than last year. Like the others, no issues could be seen regarding offseason foot surgery.

Fitzgerald: This was the big one folks. I went into this game knowing I'd be watching him like a hawk. He is much bigger than I expected and has wide shoulders. Played good defense and rebounded well. Has a bit of an odd shot, but who cares. He looks like he'll be a reliable stretch forward that can make some threes. Biggest play of the night: he hustled down the court on the right side and was passed the ball in transition, then proceeded to one-handed dunk with ease. Very good to see, considering his recovering knee. Was a little rusty. After watching him play, as long as he stays healthy, my worries about a back-up for Murphy are over. He doesn't have the quickness or offense that Curry provides, but I think he will be a fine player off the bench for us. He's only going to get better as he gets more comfortable with that knee.

Harris: Missed a bunch of threes, but wasn't afraid to take them! I like the confidence out of the freshman. Plays hard on defense.

Hurt: Was more assertive, but defenders had no problem cutting him off when he tried to drive. Missed the three pointers he took. I know it's only one game, but if last night was any indication, he won't be giving us much again this year. I hope I'm wrong.

Konate: Got burned a couple of times on pick and rolls, same thing that happened many times last year. Plays hard. The exact same Konate as last year.

The common theme, as you can see, is that we looked HEALTHY! That was great to see. Go Gophers!
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Excellent recap.

Very encouraged by what I saw from Fitzgerald. Much different player than Curry, but will be solid part of the rotation.

Agree, it's just an exhibition game, but I have no doubt Jelly is the real deal when the ball is in his hands. He's going to make a lot of freshman mistakes, but it won't be because he's afraid. Can definitely tell he's a New York City PG. He has great vision, and doesn't need much room to make a pass. He threaded the needle at least a couple times, 1 was converted, the other Hurt fumbled away.

Until they get used to playing with him, I think we're going to see quite a few fumbled passes, and certainly he'll make some head-scratching ones, too. He sees stuff most guards don't. Guys are gonna' have to learn quickly to keep their hands up and be at the ready anytime the ball is in his hands.
 




gopherguy15 said:
Washington: The Gophers have not had a point guard like this in my lifetime (31 years). He has quick hesitation moves, has the ability to get in the paint at will, flashy passer (many players weren't ready for his no-look passes), breathes confidence, and no shot scares him.
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You're old enough you should remember Bobby Jackson. If not, go watch the videos of him vs Clemson and UCLA.

And the 1st team all-conference point guard they have on the team right now is pretty good too. : )
 

WanderingGopher said:
You're old enough you should remember Bobby Jackson. If not, go watch the videos of him vs Clemson and UCLA.

And the 1st team all-conference point guard they have on the team right now is pretty good too. : )
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Yes, quite an omission. Perhaps because he played only two years at Minnesota he was easier to forget than some others. The fact that he played in the NBA until he was 35 pretty much speaks for itself.
 

WanderingGopher said:
You're old enough you should remember Bobby Jackson. If not, go watch the videos of him vs Clemson and UCLA.

And the 1st team all-conference point guard they have on the team right now is pretty good too. : )
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I never said he was better than Bobby J's. Bobby Jackson still is my favorite Gopher of all-time. I remember going to Cub Foods when I was 11 to get his autograph during the final four year. However, Bobby was not a point guard. He was a shooting guard! Seems I remember that year better than you... :)

Eric Harris, Nate Mason, and Isaiah Washington all have different styles of play. That's what I was referring to in my postgame thoughts. I stand by my statement that the Gophers haven't had a point guard like Isaiah Washington in my lifetime.
 



NWMetroGopherFan said:
We're getting a bit nit-picky for an exhibition game against a D-2 school. If Washington doesn't play much defense against Providence or Miami, then we can be concerned. While you want everyone to play consistently hard all the time, it's just not going to happen. He strikes me as a competitor who will take his game to the next level when it matters.
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Nit Picky? I'm not sure I was nit picky. He definitely played lackadaisical defense and was lazy in rotations.

I regret my wording re: "very concerned", but given we've seen Washington play one game now and coming in his defensive work rate was a question mark, you had the Nate Mason story regarding asking him to play hard and now this... I think it's a fair critique.
 


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