Shama: U NCAA Tourney Run Looks Unlikely

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

Golden Gophers players and fans are understandably excited about the team earning an invitation yesterday to the NCAA Tournament, but it will probably be a “short dance” for coach Richard Pitino’s team.

After 34 games, including many against quality opposition, there are no more secrets about this club. Before the season a lot of media didn’t think the sixth edition of the Pitino era was talented enough to qualify for the “Big Dance,” but the Gophers mostly rode the twosome of forward Jordan Murphy and guard Amir Coffey to several successes including defeating nationally ranked Purdue twice this month.

Coffey at No. 7 in points per game and Murphy at No. 11 are among Big Ten’s best scoring combos. Only Indiana’s Romeo Langford at No. 6 and Juwan Morgan at No. 9 are a higher scoring duo in the Big Ten.

Coffey saved his best for last this season, averaging 23.8 points per game in helping Minnesota win four of its last six games. He is a multi-skilled player who offensively gives the Gophers outside and inside scoring, including in the deciding moments of games. “His skill set is off the charts,” said CBS analyst Grant Hill during Saturday’s Minnesota-Michigan game in the Big Ten Tournament.

Coffey is averaging 16.3 points per game, while Murphy is at 14.9. Few college players are better inside scorers than Murphy who consistently bulls his way to the basket. Without Murphy’s Big Ten leading rebounding, the Gophers could not have come close to putting together a 21-13 season. That record earned the Gophers an NCAA Tournament assignment to play Thursday in Des Moines against Louisville in a East Region game.

Minnesota is likely to struggle in the tournament, though, because there isn’t enough talent and experience on the roster to complement Coffey and Murphy. The Gophers went a combined 3-8 against the Big Ten’s five best teams (over .500 records in league play). They were 2-1 against Purdue, split two games with Wisconsin and finished 0-1 versus Michigan State, 0-2 against Maryland and 0-3 in matchups with Michigan.

In every Gopher game, it’s an unknown as to which player—if anyone—steps up and complements Coffey and Murphy. Sometimes it’s been freshman starting center Daniel Oturu, who has the talent to some day be All-Big Ten like Coffey and Murphy. Fellow freshman guard Gabe Kalscheur shows promise offensively and defensively, but inconsistent shooting is a problem. That’s true, too, of senior guard Dupree McBrayer.

The better teams, the ones who advance far in the tournament field, don’t struggle to score points, including three pointers. At 5.2 made three pointers per game, few teams have found shooting beyond the arc any more challenging than Minnesota. Opponents are averaging 6.7 three pointers converted and have 50 more makes than the Gophers.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

Beat Louisville. Then Bradley gets hot from 3 point range (they can shoot!) and beats Sparty on an off day for them. We beat Bradley and play Maryland to get to the Elite 8...... How hard can this be?
 

Beat Louisville. Then Bradley gets hot from 3 point range (they can shoot!) and beats Sparty on an off day for them. We beat Bradley and play Yale to get to the Elite 8...... How hard can this be?

Fixed it
 

per Shama:

Golden Gophers players and fans are understandably excited about the team earning an invitation yesterday to the NCAA Tournament, but it will probably be a “short dance” for coach Richard Pitino’s team.

After 34 games, including many against quality opposition, there are no more secrets about this club. Before the season a lot of media didn’t think the sixth edition of the Pitino era was talented enough to qualify for the “Big Dance,” but the Gophers mostly rode the twosome of forward Jordan Murphy and guard Amir Coffey to several successes including defeating nationally ranked Purdue twice this month.

Coffey at No. 7 in points per game and Murphy at No. 11 are among Big Ten’s best scoring combos. Only Indiana’s Romeo Langford at No. 6 and Juwan Morgan at No. 9 are a higher scoring duo in the Big Ten.

Coffey saved his best for last this season, averaging 23.8 points per game in helping Minnesota win four of its last six games. He is a multi-skilled player who offensively gives the Gophers outside and inside scoring, including in the deciding moments of games. “His skill set is off the charts,” said CBS analyst Grant Hill during Saturday’s Minnesota-Michigan game in the Big Ten Tournament.

Coffey is averaging 16.3 points per game, while Murphy is at 14.9. Few college players are better inside scorers than Murphy who consistently bulls his way to the basket. Without Murphy’s Big Ten leading rebounding, the Gophers could not have come close to putting together a 21-13 season. That record earned the Gophers an NCAA Tournament assignment to play Thursday in Des Moines against Louisville in a East Region game.

Minnesota is likely to struggle in the tournament, though, because there isn’t enough talent and experience on the roster to complement Coffey and Murphy. The Gophers went a combined 3-8 against the Big Ten’s five best teams (over .500 records in league play). They were 2-1 against Purdue, split two games with Wisconsin and finished 0-1 versus Michigan State, 0-2 against Maryland and 0-3 in matchups with Michigan.

In every Gopher game, it’s an unknown as to which player—if anyone—steps up and complements Coffey and Murphy. Sometimes it’s been freshman starting center Daniel Oturu, who has the talent to some day be All-Big Ten like Coffey and Murphy. Fellow freshman guard Gabe Kalscheur shows promise offensively and defensively, but inconsistent shooting is a problem. That’s true, too, of senior guard Dupree McBrayer.

The better teams, the ones who advance far in the tournament field, don’t struggle to score points, including three pointers. At 5.2 made three pointers per game, few teams have found shooting beyond the arc any more challenging than Minnesota. Opponents are averaging 6.7 three pointers converted and have 50 more makes than the Gophers.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!

Well this really gets me fired up about tourney! Nobody in the media was thinking Pitino would get the job done this year. Now were in tourney and this is what were writing about? I mean give the program at least 48 hours before you bring them down lol
 

Should be a good game if MSU can get past Bradley. #MTSU
 



Beat Louisville. Then Bradley gets hot from 3 point range (they can shoot!) and beats Sparty on an off day for them. We beat Bradley and play Maryland to get to the Elite 8...... How hard can this be?
I like it!

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk
 

Shama is a dink.

Isn't a tourney run unlikely for nearly every team in the tourney?
 

I would think it’s unlikely for 70-85% of teams
 



I guess he didn't want to include the Curry and now Stockman situations in his article, either. Their success is less likely with Stockman out, but it seems like he totally threw water on any chance they have.
 

The tournament is about hope and excitement. What a trash headline. But hey this is Minnesota.


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