Does Ben Johnson have any defenders left?

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MNVCGUY said:
We certainly are not getting the high profile transfers but right now it is all on paper as to how good our transfers are in relation to other teams. Until we see all the reshaped teams in action we have no way of knowing for certain how our guys are going to stack up.

The roster churn over the past few years has definitely sucked. But some of you act like this is just a Johnson or Minnesota thing when in fact we have teams in the conference and all over the country getting decimated by the portal and having to essentially start over. Some of those teams have far more established coaches and they still are not immune to what is going on right now in college basketball.

All that said the general consensus among basically everyone here is that this is a make or break year for Johnson. There is no more honeymoon period (if there every was one) or leeway for having roster management issues. If he can't build a successful team for 24/25 it will be very surprising if he is back again the following season.
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"Everybody is struggling" is quite obviously wrong. Plenty of teams are thriving. Dozens of them made the NCAA Tournament, or finished high in their conference last year. I wager very few won fewer conference games over the past 3 seasons

And quite honestly, the transfer portal is just as much an opportunity as it is a burden. Plenty of coaches are using it as such.
I'd go so far as to say it should be easier to assemble a good roster in 2024 than it was just a few years ago. Whatever you need is in the portal, reay to help on opening day in the fall. No more waiting for some high school junior to graduate, get on campus, and develop into a D1 player. Just have the ability to go get the help.
 

EasyThere Pilgrim said:
We had no seniors. We had guys showing the start of their high potential.

Until we get theses basic facts and common-sense down...no wonder we can't agree on anything in here.
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You keep saying we didn't have any seniors when we had 3 guys that have been out of HS at least 4 or more years. We weren't a young team or anything.
 

Gophers7633 said:
You keep saying we didn't have any seniors when we had 3 guys that have been out of HS at least 4 or more years. We weren't a young team or anything.
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I think he was emphasizing that everyone could have returned next year
Rather Than that they were young.
 

USAF said:
"Everybody is struggling" is quite obviously wrong. Plenty of teams are thriving. Dozens of them made the NCAA Tournament, or finished high in their conference last year. I wager very few won fewer conference games over the past 3 seasons

And quite honestly, the transfer portal is just as much an opportunity as it is a burden. Plenty of coaches are using it as such.
I'd go so far as to say it should be easier to assemble a good roster in 2024 than it was just a few years ago. Whatever you need is in the portal, reay to help on opening day in the fall. No more waiting for some high school junior to graduate, get on campus, and develop into a D1 player. Just have the ability to go get the help.
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If you listen to coaches even the teams that are winning are struggling with this new era of unrestricted free agency and pay for play. Some are having more success than others but I bet you would have a really hard time finding coaches that like the current system. They are being asked to manage their rosters in a way they have never had to before and we are breeding a generation of players that are far less willing to work to earn their playing time and many are just looking to cash in.

You are correct that the portal does provide more chances for the "quick fix" but you way over simplify the whole process. You have tons of teams all going after the same players in a compressed window of time. You have to quickly evaluate the player/person to determine if they are a good fit for your program both on and off the court. At the same time you have to make sure your current players aren't going to jump ship on you. The entire thing is a mess.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
and round and round we go.

there are valid questions being raised, but they are also very difficult to answer, because they rely on hypothetical situations.

If you removed Ben Johnson and brought in a different coach - but with the same roster and same NIL situation, would that make a change in the team's performance? Fun to discuss, but in reality, if Johnson leaves, the roster would change, so it's still not an apples-to-apples situation.

If the Gophers had Coach X instead of Johnson, would Coach X have been able to keep Payne, Hawkins or Christie from leaving? again, no way to prove the question - it's based on hypotheticals.
If you replace Ben Johnson with Coach X, would that - by itself - lead to more NIL $$? or are NIL donations dependent on the team's performance? also hard to answer in the abstract.

my point - you may very well believe that if MN fired Johnson and hired Coach X, that it would result in a better team, more NIL, whatever. But the only way to prove or disprove your theory is to make the change. until that happens, it's all hypothetical. It's like me saying I would be happier if I won the lottery. easy to say - harder to prove.
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Side note: Anyone know how to post a GIF? Is it possible, because if it is I can't figure it out ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
 


This year was Ben’s greatest collegiate success! Let’s enjoy it
 

I say keep Ben and fire Coyle. Its the only way to be sure.
 
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EasyThere Pilgrim said:
The coaches at the big-paying schools are facing the same challenges as CBJ ??

That's like saying The Kardashians are facing the same challenges as Helen Keller.

Until we get theses basic facts and common-sense down...no wonder we can't agree on anything in here.
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All coaches have to manage the roster, coach and are expected to win. Coyle and CBJ knew CBJ had no experience as a head coach, yet Coyle offered and CBJ accepted. Recruiting/managing the roster has been CBJ's biggest challenge and the results reflect the level of success. As far as big-paying schools go, those schools win, get better players and most likely the players get more NIL. They all have the same opportunity to get the players though.
 

The Hawkins departure was the shocker.

Christie is headed to the NBA. And some are saying the coach laid an egg by coaching a player to the NBA? Take the money, Christie. Congrats! You did it!

Garcia is coming back. Love to watch that guy play.
 






Sane24 said:
Their situations are not comparable.
Eastern Washington is not in an urban area, has no professional teams in any sport and no nearby college rivals.
There are virtually NO similarities between the U of M and WSU.
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This is really difficult to understand..... Eastern Washington is not WSU. Spokane, WA is just 30 miles from WSU. Spokane metro population is probably a bit over 500,000. Also, referring to "nearby college rivals" is interesting, what qualifies as "nearby"? The perception of distance is much different out west than it is east of the Rockies. Illustration, UW is "Only" about a 4 1/2 hour drive from the U of O. By western standards that's pretty close and that's a rival.
 



Sane24 said:
I guess I am saying that it is easier to recruit local kids at WSU.
No competition really.
Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Eastern Oregon are not competitive with WSU.
Other Pac12 schools are a long distance away.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Just my impression.
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If you are talking basketball you might want to check out where Gonzaga is located.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I think there is a massive difference between the Men's college basketball portal and the one on the women's side or football. I had to dig a little and it looks like there are 1300 women's players in the portal so they are seeing high roster churn but I would bet the pay for play money needed to secure a transfer on the women's side is significantly lower than what we are seeing on the men's side.

Have said before that after seeing what things are like on the basketball side it makes the football portal/pay for play look like nothing. Not that there isn't a lot of roster churn but you don't hear the same ridiculous pay for play figures being tossed around in football outside of maybe some of the top players.
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I disagree completely in football.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has said that a good quarterback in the transfer portal can cost $1 million to $2 million, and that some teams pay $6 million or more to their players.

In the days following Michigan’s win in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State is reportedly spending at least $10 million and perhaps $13 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money to retain and add key roster pieces.

Damien Martinez turned down $400k from Oregon State to remain in Corvallis.

That's the very very tip of the iceberg.
 

leib0039 said:
I disagree completely in football.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has said that a good quarterback in the transfer portal can cost $1 million to $2 million, and that some teams pay $6 million or more to their players.

In the days following Michigan’s win in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State is reportedly spending at least $10 million and perhaps $13 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money to retain and add key roster pieces.

Damien Martinez turned down $400k from Oregon State to remain in Corvallis.

That's the very very tip of the iceberg.
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Not saying there isn't craziness in football. The QB carousel has been ridiculous and the money being tossed at QBs specifically is off the charts.

And I am sure the handful of teams at the top of college football are having to spend a ton of money to get and keep the top players. But those programs had those players before open pay for play, now they just have to work harder to get and retain them.

The unrestricted free agency/pay for play era we are living in right now is a mess for football but I stand by my belief that it is far more disruptive in men's basketball than it is in football.

Nature of the beast.....you can win in basketball with just a few top players. Much harder to do that in football due to the number of guys on the team.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Not saying there isn't craziness in football. The QB carousel has been ridiculous and the money being tossed at QBs specifically is off the charts.

And I am sure the handful of teams at the top of college football are having to spend a ton of money to get and keep the top players. But those programs had those players before open pay for play, now they just have to work harder to get and retain them.

The unrestricted free agency/pay for play era we are living in right now is a mess for football but I stand by my belief that it is far more disruptive in men's basketball than it is in football.

Nature of the beast.....you can win in basketball with just a few top players. Much harder to do that in football due to the number of guys on the team.
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Exactly.

We just had our entire basketball team decimated. Wiped out. And no...it's not because Ben's coaching or charisma isn't as good as PJ's.
 

leib0039 said:
I disagree completely in football.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has said that a good quarterback in the transfer portal can cost $1 million to $2 million, and that some teams pay $6 million or more to their players.

In the days following Michigan’s win in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State is reportedly spending at least $10 million and perhaps $13 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money to retain and add key roster pieces.

Damien Martinez turned down $400k from Oregon State to remain in Corvallis.

That's the very very tip of the iceberg.
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top 10 NCAA NIL recipients as of Feb 2024. JJ McCarthy was at $ 1MM.

  1. Bronny James: The son of NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James, who plays basketball for USC, tops the list with a valuation of $5.8 million1.
  2. Shedeur Sanders: Another son of a famous athlete, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), follows closely with a valuation of $4.7 million1.
  3. Livvy Dunne: Livvy Dunne (LSU) ranks third with an NIL valuation of $3.5 million1.
  4. Arch Manning: Arch Manning (Texas), part of the famous Manning football family, is fourth on the list with a valuation of $2.8 million1.
  5. Travis Hunter: Travis Hunter (Colorado) is fifth, valued at $2.3 million1.
  6. Quinn Ewers: Quinn Ewers (Texas) comes in sixth with a valuation of $1.9 million1.
  7. Angel Reese: Angel Reese (LSU) is seventh, valued at $1.7 million1.
  8. Jalen Milroe: Jalen Milroe (Alabama) ranks eighth with an NIL valuation of $1.6 million1.
  9. Carson Beck: Carson Beck (Georgia) is ninth, valued at $1.5 million1.
  10. Evan Stewart: Evan Stewart (Texas A&M) rounds out the top 10 with a valuation of $1.4 million1.

leib0039 said:
I disagree completely in football.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has said that a good quarterback in the transfer portal can cost $1 million to $2 million, and that some teams pay $6 million or more to their players.

In the days following Michigan’s win in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State is reportedly spending at least $10 million and perhaps $13 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money to retain and add key roster pieces.

Damien Martinez turned down $400k from Oregon State to remain in Corvallis.

That's the very very tip of the iceberg.
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Where's the proof of what you're alleging. The highest paid college qb was arch manning @ 2.8 MM. 3 other QB's in the top ten NIL, all under $ 2mm.
 

dbmn said:
top 10 NCAA NIL recipients as of Feb 2024. JJ McCarthy was at $ 1MM.

  1. Bronny James: The son of NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James, who plays basketball for USC, tops the list with a valuation of $5.8 million1.
  2. Shedeur Sanders: Another son of a famous athlete, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), follows closely with a valuation of $4.7 million1.
  3. Livvy Dunne: Livvy Dunne (LSU) ranks third with an NIL valuation of $3.5 million1.
  4. Arch Manning: Arch Manning (Texas), part of the famous Manning football family, is fourth on the list with a valuation of $2.8 million1.
  5. Travis Hunter: Travis Hunter (Colorado) is fifth, valued at $2.3 million1.
  6. Quinn Ewers: Quinn Ewers (Texas) comes in sixth with a valuation of $1.9 million1.
  7. Angel Reese: Angel Reese (LSU) is seventh, valued at $1.7 million1.
  8. Jalen Milroe: Jalen Milroe (Alabama) ranks eighth with an NIL valuation of $1.6 million1.
  9. Carson Beck: Carson Beck (Georgia) is ninth, valued at $1.5 million1.
  10. Evan Stewart: Evan Stewart (Texas A&M) rounds out the top 10 with a valuation of $1.4 million1.


Where's the proof of what you're alleging. The highest paid college qb was arch manning @ 2.8 MM. 3 other QB's in the top ten NIL, all under $ 2mm.
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NIL valuation doesn't automatically equate to how much they've made. Valuation is just an estimate, and I'd say it's probably not close to what kids are actually making.
 


dbmn said:
top 10 NCAA NIL recipients as of Feb 2024. JJ McCarthy was at $ 1MM.

  1. Bronny James: The son of NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James, who plays basketball for USC, tops the list with a valuation of $5.8 million1.
  2. Shedeur Sanders: Another son of a famous athlete, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), follows closely with a valuation of $4.7 million1.
  3. Livvy Dunne: Livvy Dunne (LSU) ranks third with an NIL valuation of $3.5 million1.
  4. Arch Manning: Arch Manning (Texas), part of the famous Manning football family, is fourth on the list with a valuation of $2.8 million1.
  5. Travis Hunter: Travis Hunter (Colorado) is fifth, valued at $2.3 million1.
  6. Quinn Ewers: Quinn Ewers (Texas) comes in sixth with a valuation of $1.9 million1.
  7. Angel Reese: Angel Reese (LSU) is seventh, valued at $1.7 million1.
  8. Jalen Milroe: Jalen Milroe (Alabama) ranks eighth with an NIL valuation of $1.6 million1.
  9. Carson Beck: Carson Beck (Georgia) is ninth, valued at $1.5 million1.
  10. Evan Stewart: Evan Stewart (Texas A&M) rounds out the top 10 with a valuation of $1.4 million1.


Where's the proof of what you're alleging. The highest paid college qb was arch manning @ 2.8 MM. 3 other QB's in the top ten NIL, all under $ 2mm.
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This might be actual NIL money, not necessarily money from collectives like DTA. You know, the NIL money that actually are a reward for your name, image, and likeness (commercials, appearances, etc).
 

dbmn said:
top 10 NCAA NIL recipients as of Feb 2024. JJ McCarthy was at $ 1MM.

  1. Bronny James: The son of NBA superstar LeBron James, Bronny James, who plays basketball for USC, tops the list with a valuation of $5.8 million1.
  2. Shedeur Sanders: Another son of a famous athlete, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), follows closely with a valuation of $4.7 million1.
  3. Livvy Dunne: Livvy Dunne (LSU) ranks third with an NIL valuation of $3.5 million1.
  4. Arch Manning: Arch Manning (Texas), part of the famous Manning football family, is fourth on the list with a valuation of $2.8 million1.
  5. Travis Hunter: Travis Hunter (Colorado) is fifth, valued at $2.3 million1.
  6. Quinn Ewers: Quinn Ewers (Texas) comes in sixth with a valuation of $1.9 million1.
  7. Angel Reese: Angel Reese (LSU) is seventh, valued at $1.7 million1.
  8. Jalen Milroe: Jalen Milroe (Alabama) ranks eighth with an NIL valuation of $1.6 million1.
  9. Carson Beck: Carson Beck (Georgia) is ninth, valued at $1.5 million1.
  10. Evan Stewart: Evan Stewart (Texas A&M) rounds out the top 10 with a valuation of $1.4 million1.


Where's the proof of what you're alleging. The highest paid college qb was arch manning @ 2.8 MM. 3 other QB's in the top ten NIL, all under $ 2mm.
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How in the world was Angel Reese worth more than Caron Beck? Or similar amount to Quinn Ewers?

Crazy,
 

Ski-U-Ham said:
This might be actual NIL money, not necessarily money from collectives like DTA. You know, the NIL money that actually are a reward for your name, image, and likeness (commercials, appearances, etc).
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Wasn't aware there were legal payments to players other than thru NIL.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Caitlin Clark is missing from that list also....
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Yeah, so is Caleb Williams.

It's like they tried to go NIL going forward for next year and forgot Angel Reese also was drafted.
 

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