Can anyone remember a more disappointing stretch of basketball?

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EG#9

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I went back and looked at Tubby's tenure and couldn't find a situation where we lost 4 games in such disappointing fashion as we have lost in this last 5 game stretch. The one stretch that came immediately to mind was the stretch to being the B1G in Pitino's second year. I looked it up and we lost 72-68 to start the season at Purdue (believe we blew a lead in that one and it was the same day as the Citrus Bowl? I might be wrong) second game was a 12 point loss at no.12 Maryland (similar to the Northwestern game in the 5 game stretch now as it was expected result and the outlier) third game was a 74-72 loss at no.22 Ohio State in overtime, fourth game was a 62-57 loss at Michigan that I remember came down to the final minute with some bad Gopher possession, fifth and final game was a 77-75 loss to Iowa where the Gophers melted down and gave it away late. I believe they spotted Iowa a huge lead early in this game and then came back only to no execute late and blow a lead.

Even that 5 game stretch seems to pale in comparison to this one given the stakes. The Gophers started with a week off to prepare for an Iowa team that has been terrible on the road. Iowa even gets a starter hurt in their blowout loss to Indiana and they had a short turnaround to get to Minnesota (Thursday night to Sunday noon I believe). Gophers should have won this by 15. They don't score in the last 5:25 and lose a game they really never played well in. I believe Iowa was giving up 86 a game on the road and the Gophers scored...55. They then get an Indiana team at home who was equally inept on the road and get out to an early lead against a Hoosier team that had no real interest in competing that night. Unfortunately, the Gophers let them hang around and then they basically quit when Indiana took the lead. Gophers blew a sizeable early lead to a team that had only beat Nebraska on the road and got outscored 40-25 in the second half. This was the worst body language game of the season and, along with Iowa, the worst performance of the season. Game 3 was a much needed break at Northwestern where the Gophers won easily but couldn't do anything to help their season other than get a cosmetic win for their record due to Northwestern being inept. Game 4 was the blow 17 point lead over Maryland where the Gophers couldn't do anything right for much of the second half and seemingly nothing right for the last couple of minutes of game time. This would be Maryland's biggest comeback win in more than a decade and it happened in the Barn! Game 5 capped it off (for now) with the two-possession lead under 2 minutes loss at Wisconsin. Once again the Gophers cannot execute down the stretch and once again it's another blown lead and gut punch of a loss. That's a 5 game stretch that could have/should have been 5-0 that ended 1-4. That's the difference between 11-7 in conference play and possibly being ranked and 7-11 in conference play and pretty much guaranteed to be in a play in game in the B1G tournament and having no shot at the NCAA tournament.

This many gut punches in a row when the stakes were so high seems unprecedented even for us Gopher fans who have experienced way more than our fair share of them over the past two decades.
 

The Barn may have one of the saddest atmospheres we've seen in a while next week. It's the start of spring break and a non-tourney contender, crappy opponent, and lack of any notable seniors isn't giving anyone much of a reason to stick around until Sunday.
 

EG#9 said:
I went back and looked at Tubby's tenure and couldn't find a situation where we lost 4 games in such disappointing fashion as we have lost in this last 5 game stretch. The one stretch that came immediately to mind was the stretch to being the B1G in Pitino's second year. I looked it up and we lost 72-68 to start the season at Purdue (believe we blew a lead in that one and it was the same day as the Citrus Bowl? I might be wrong) second game was a 12 point loss at no.12 Maryland (similar to the Northwestern game in the 5 game stretch now as it was expected result and the outlier) third game was a 74-72 loss at no.22 Ohio State in overtime, fourth game was a 62-57 loss at Michigan that I remember came down to the final minute with some bad Gopher possession, fifth and final game was a 77-75 loss to Iowa where the Gophers melted down and gave it away late. I believe they spotted Iowa a huge lead early in this game and then came back only to no execute late and blow a lead.

Even that 5 game stretch seems to pale in comparison to this one given the stakes. The Gophers started with a week off to prepare for an Iowa team that has been terrible on the road. Iowa even gets a starter hurt in their blowout loss to Indiana and they had a short turnaround to get to Minnesota (Thursday night to Sunday noon I believe). Gophers should have won this by 15. They don't score in the last 5:25 and lose a game they really never played well in. I believe Iowa was giving up 86 a game on the road and the Gophers scored...55. They then get an Indiana team at home who was equally inept on the road and get out to an early lead against a Hoosier team that had no real interest in competing that night. Unfortunately, the Gophers let them hang around and then they basically quit when Indiana took the lead. Gophers blew a sizeable early lead to a team that had only beat Nebraska on the road and got outscored 40-25 in the second half. This was the worst body language game of the season and, along with Iowa, the worst performance of the season. Game 3 was a much needed break at Northwestern where the Gophers won easily but couldn't do anything to help their season other than get a cosmetic win for their record due to Northwestern being inept. Game 4 was the blow 17 point lead over Maryland where the Gophers couldn't do anything right for much of the second half and seemingly nothing right for the last couple of minutes of game time. This would be Maryland's biggest comeback win in more than a decade and it happened in the Barn! Game 5 capped it off (for now) with the two-possession lead under 2 minutes loss at Wisconsin. Once again the Gophers cannot execute down the stretch and once again it's another blown lead and gut punch of a loss. That's a 5 game stretch that could have/should have been 5-0 that ended 1-4. That's the difference between 11-7 in conference play and possibly being ranked and 7-11 in conference play and pretty much guaranteed to be in a play in game in the B1G tournament and having no shot at the NCAA tournament.

This many gut punches in a row when the stakes were so high seems unprecedented even for us Gopher fans who have experienced way more than our fair share of them over the past two decades.
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I don't remember the specifics of the games, but the 2002-2003 team started out 8-4 in the B1G and only needed one more win to clinch an NCAA bid. They lost the last 4 games and the 1st game in the BTT.
 

After reading your post title but before reading the post, my first thought was Richard's second year. There were NCAA expectations that year, and they fell on their face. Then came his disastrous third season, arguably the worst in school history.
 



I feel awful for both coach and players. They have had nothing go their way. Yet they have continued to play hard. I still feel like if they could somehow win the last two and avoid Wednesday it would be so fun to see them turn it around and win the Big Ten tournament.

The free throw shooting,and the unbelievable shooting slumps of Demir and Kalscheur have cost us what could have been a solid season and another NCAA.
 


Bad Gopher: The stretch I mentioned was to begin the conference season in Richard's second year. That was terribly disappointing. I'd say this last stretch was worse due to the stakes being more clear later in the season, 3 of the 4 losses coming at home, and the way in which the games were lost.

Ewert86PC: I certainly don't forget the 2015-2016 season, but there was nothing good in that season, so it was hard to ever be disappointed. The Gophers were losing to low major schools in non-conference play and there were never any stakes to the games played that season.

I didn't mention Tubby's 4th year when we lost our last 9(?) conference games to finish 6-12 and go from a ranked team to missing the tournament. The reason why was we played the vast majority of that time with Blake at PG after losing Devoe and Al Nolen. Things seemed hopeless as that time really had no depth (they also had to try to play Trevor, Colton, and Ralph together with so few guards left) so the losses weren't as suprising or crushing at least for me.

howeda7: Thanks for bringing up the Monson year. Wiki only has season summary's going back so far and I couldn't find individual game results going back past the last year or two of Monson's tenure. Of course I remember the loss at home to Illinois which is probably the most ridiculous soul crushing loss of all of them. If they don't collapse in that game, it's entirely possible that Monson's tenure turns out completely different as he would have had some momentum that he never had after that. Not sure if that was the season you are referring to, but that's the game that immediately comes to mind.

We're definitely due for some things to celebrate around here.
 

It's Gopher basketball so we've been bludgeoned before with getting our hopes up only to have them crushed. But to lose so many games when all you needed was a stop and a basket really takes it out of you. You're right about the stakes; being right there and not closing; the games at home; and one after another. "Frustrating and depressing" might be the words I would choose.
 



Same cycle over and over
 

So many disappointing stretches to choose from over the last several decades. does this even make the top ten?
 

Was the at Penn State game not disappointing as well? We had just crushed Becky at home, and we had beaten PS at home.

They were up huge in the 2nd half, but they did cut the lead down to 3 with about 5mins left.
 

EG#9 said:
howeda7: Thanks for bringing up the Monson year. Wiki only has season summary's going back so far and I couldn't find individual game results going back past the last year or two of Monson's tenure. Of course I remember the loss at home to Illinois which is probably the most ridiculous soul crushing loss of all of them. If they don't collapse in that game, it's entirely possible that Monson's tenure turns out completely different as he would have had some momentum that he never had after that. Not sure if that was the season you are referring to, but that's the game that immediately comes to mind.

We're definitely due for some things to celebrate around here.
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The heartbreaking loss to Illinois was 2002, not 2003.
 



Nothing will ever compare to the day the Pioneer Press broke the Gangelhoff story and it become clear my favorite stretch of Gopher basketball would come crashing to a bitter end. I know it doesn't really fit in this particular thread but that was the ultimate letdown as the story played out.
 


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