Game 4: Gophers Host UConn (11-19-23)

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Attendance, 10,869. Coach grabbed microphone and urged fans to return, even those wearing blue and white.

Without looking it up, I suspect it is the largest crowd since the first game when Lindsay was named head coach. However, the revenue from this game might have been higher?
 

EaganGopher22 said:
Attendance, 10,869. Coach grabbed microphone and urged fans to return, even those wearing blue and white.

Without looking it up, I suspect it is the largest crowd since the first game when Lindsay was named head coach. However, the revenue from this game might have been higher?
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Correct. Whalen's first game on November 9, 2018 drew 14, 625. Last time we were over 10,000 was a crowd of 11,121 versus Wisconsin on January 7, 2007. Some of the media reported today that they thought the crowd was bigger than the announced 10,869.
 
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fanfromthevalley said:
Correct. Whalen's first game on November 9, 2018 drew 14, 625. Last time we were over 10,000 was a crowd of 11,121 versus Wisconsin on January 7, 2007. Some of the media reported today that they thought the crowd was bigger than the announced 10.869.
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I thought it was larger too.. didn't see many empty seats from my view in 115
 


Ignatius L Hoops said:
Coming out of a second half timeout the gophers ran a motion popping Braun open for a three; but she turned it down. Plitzuweit pantomimed a jump shot

Plitzuweit is very animated on the bench. I need a translation chart. One time, she seemed to be signaling some kind "poof" explosion play. I never figured it out.
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A coach has to be themselves. But on game day it is fairly unusual in recent basketball years to have a coach who screams right in a players face consistently. Practice....sure. But on game day with people watching it has to be an adjustment. Sophie has to be tough...my gosh Coach P was yelling nose to nose with her on multiple occasions.
It must work for her...Coach P has been successful in her career. We need to win a bunch of games for players to continue to receive it though, I'd think. Maybe it is only to certain players?
 


60's Guy said:
Hey, the defense was a trillion times improved. This is game 4. Coach P will get our offense figured out. Very little passing, lots of standing on offense ...surely wasn't the plan.
The people upset Braun kept shooting have it backwards. She is our scorer, our offensive leader...if she stops we are dead.
Need the guys practice team to turn up the intensity on defense to learn how to combat tough defense.
We rebounded very well. We played much improved defense.
I think we can fix everything but the post play...that is going to take the most time on both ends.
But, Sophie has not played in a long time so maybe she hits another gear?
A lot to like...we are/were not going to be a Final Four team four games into Coach P's tenure.
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Correct on all accounts.
One thing I think this game did show is Minnesota is not deep against good teams. We know AJ and Holloway are projects. I found myself cringing every time a starter was off the court. Even Sophie.
 

Belzx009 said:
Correct on all accounts.
One thing I think this game did show is Minnesota is not deep against good teams. We know AJ and Holloway are projects. I found myself cringing every time a starter was off the court. Even Sophie
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I would be concerned if you look at boxscore. Gophers have no bench they scored 2 points and starters averaged 37 minutes by mid season that is going to be an issue and the freshman Grace should not be taking 15 three pointers. This wasn’t the typical UConn type of game.
 

It shows that Minnesota has 5 top 100 recruits….

UConn has a whole team of them.

Very concerned
 

I am for the 3 shooting. That is the new system and it works.

If you have the open look at 3 you shoot for it. Don't worry that you are not another year experienced. Take your shot.

Running a perimeter offense is the today offense. It opens up other things and when dropping runs the points up.

The key is to get players who are 3's shooters, and Grocholski is that. We will be seeing more of that. The same with. Braun who unfortunately had a bad shooting game. Sad for her.

UConn ran a sniffling defense. Battle had to hold the ball dribbling because nobody was open. It looked like ball hogging - you want to move the ball - but UConn was atiffling on defense.

Darn right Grocholski needs to take those 3 shots even if she is a freshman. Make the defense pay.

And we saw a lot of driv8ng to the basket, defense collapses two onto the Gophers attacker, and Gophers kicked it out well for an open look 3 shot.

The team moved well. Had they not slumped in the shooting percentage it would have been a close game. Being gassed in the 3rd fir the UConn run hurt, not much can do about bench depth issues.

Anyway... this is a modern offense with lots of 3 shooting. Fire away.
 



In the offseason the Gophers tried hard to sign Frannie Hottinger from the transfer portal. She shoots 3's, an important part of this offense. She instead went to Marquette projecting to be an NCAA tournament again.

So instead Gophers signed Sanders. She's fine, more try to drive, hut not a shooter like Hottinger.

Next season Gophers have McKenna Johnson coming in as a freshman from Wisconsin. She is a shooter.

Gophers also have defender Tori McKinney coming.

gophersports.com

Gophers Sign Johnson, McKinney for 2024-25 - University of Minnesota Athletics

Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit announced that McKenna Johnson and Tori McKinney have signed their National Letters of Intent to join the Minnesota ...
gophersports.com gophersports.com
 

I tuned in to the second half. I like our coach, she is intense and gets after it!!

Our team looks slow!! I understand that we were playing UCONN, but the Gophers looked really slow. We don't have a blow by guard to create. But in all, better than last year so far.
 

SHGopher said:
I am for the 3 shooting. That is the new system and it works.

If you have the open look at 3 you shoot for it. Don't worry that you are not another year experienced. Take your shot.

Running a perimeter offense is the today offense. It opens up other things and when dropping runs the points up.

The key is to get players who are 3's shooters, and Grocholski is that. We will be seeing more of that. The same with. Braun who unfortunately had a bad shooting game. Sad for her.

UConn ran a sniffling defense. Battle had to hold the ball dribbling because nobody was open. It looked like ball hogging - you want to move the ball - but UConn was atiffling on defense.

Darn right Grocholski needs to take those 3 shots even if she is a freshman. Make the defense pay.

And we saw a lot of driv8ng to the basket, defense collapses two onto the Gophers attacker, and Gophers kicked it out well for an open look 3 shot.

The team moved well. Had they not slumped in the shooting percentage it would have been a close game. Being gassed in the 3rd fir the UConn run hurt, not much can do about bench depth issues.

Anyway... this is a modern offense with lots of 3 shooting. Fire away.
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Yep! I can’t think of any shot taken that I went “what a terrible shot”. GG Braun and Heyer are good 3 point shooters. Had to release quicker than they are used to. This game will make them better. UConn is also probably better than the 8th best team. They also just beat Maryland by 32 points.
 

I like how this team is being coached. They got good looks and they were so much better defensively. These ladies are going to be a force over the next few years. This game, especially the first half, provided a lot of hope for this program.
 




60's Guy said:
A coach has to be themselves. But on game day it is fairly unusual in recent basketball years to have a coach who screams right in a players face consistently. Practice....sure. But on game day with people watching it has to be an adjustment. Sophie has to be tough...my gosh Coach P was yelling nose to nose with her on multiple occasions.
It must work for her...Coach P has been successful in her career. We need to win a bunch of games for players to continue to receive it though, I'd think. Maybe it is only to certain players?
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As long as she doesn't throw chairs across the court, strangle her players, or assault police officers (like the late Bobby Knight), I don't mind a coach with high expectations.
 

Yesterday’s game was so unlike a BIG conference game. 2 teams committed to half-court defense virtually every possession. Excepting Indiana, the BIG didn’t play much half-court defense last season. Will be interesting to see Coach P take on the BIG with a commitment to D.
 

Watched my first Gopher women's game ever as I have young daughters and the hype around the game was good.

One thing that I noticed was how UCONN was long and lean and with the exception of a few Gophers (just thinking of the one's who played the majority of the minutes: Braun, Battle, Heyer)...it honestly looked like we were playing a few players who I have concern about their health.

Can someone educate a new Gopher women's semi-fan why we don't go for more long/lean players who can play a faster style versus the slower / larger players who can only hit an open three and do nothing else? Is it a Big Ten recruitment style or something?
 

It was an interesting game and good for Gopher basketball. UConn had better athletes at every position. They looked like track stars and were ready to run a 440. When a UConn player got the ball, they made an instant decision on what to do with the ball. When a Gopher player received a pass, they spent too much time thinking "should I shoot it" or "should I pass it?" Minnesota played their starters ~35+ minutes to keep the game from being a huge blowout.
 

Wet_Blanket_Guy said:
Watched my first Gopher women's game ever as I have young daughters and the hype around the game was good.

One thing that I noticed was how UCONN was long and lean and with the exception of a few Gophers (just thinking of the one's who played the majority of the minutes: Braun, Battle, Heyer)...it honestly looked like we were playing a few players who I have concern about their health.

Can someone educate a new Gopher women's semi-fan why we don't go for more long/lean players who can play a faster style versus the slower / larger players who can only hit an open three and do nothing else? Is it a Big Ten recruitment style or something?
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Because UConn, S. Carolina, Iowa, etc. land them first. When Minnesota has more success in basketball, the program will be more attractive to the elite athletes.
 

SHGopher said:
In the offseason the Gophers tried hard to sign Frannie Hottinger from the transfer portal. She shoots 3's, an important part of this offense. She instead went to Marquette projecting to be an NCAA tournament again.

So instead Gophers signed Sanders. She's fine, more try to drive, hut not a shooter like Hottinger.

Next season Gophers have McKenna Johnson coming in as a freshman from Wisconsin. She is a shooter.

Gophers also have defender Tori McKinney coming.

gophersports.com

Gophers Sign Johnson, McKinney for 2024-25 - University of Minnesota Athletics

Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit announced that McKenna Johnson and Tori McKinney have signed their National Letters of Intent to join the Minnesota ...
gophersports.com gophersports.com
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Frannie shot 28% from three last year and 20% this year… last year averaged almost 4 three attempts per game this year a shade over one attempt per game… it appears Marquette does not see her three point shooting as a major strength
 

I was unable to watch this game. Looking at the box score only 12 turnovers which is good… less turnovers the more shots you get up.. got up 65 shots obviously did not shoot well. Did the Gophers get up quality shots? Looks like they rebounded ok… defense was solid… some positives..
 

Roland Brooks said:
Frannie shot 28% from three last year and 20% this year… last year averaged almost 4 three attempts per game this year a shade over one attempt per game… it appears Marquette does not see her three point shooting as a major strength
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Thanks. You are right about that. My perception was a bit off.

Frannie Hottinger - Women's Basketball - Lehigh University Athletics

Frannie Hottinger (20) Guard/Forward - WHY LEHIGH? "I chose Lehigh because it has the perfect balance of everything I looked for in a college through the great
lehighsports.com lehighsports.com

Last season she attempted 125 3's and 500 2's. Her 3's percentage was down. She did acore 630 points last season.

The two seasons before her 3's percentages were .345 and .323.
 

walleye said:
Because UConn, S. Carolina, Iowa, etc. land them first. When Minnesota has more success in basketball, the program will be more attractive to the elite athletes.
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I wouldn't include Iowa in that list. With the exception of Clark (and perhaps Doyle before her), Iowa has Gopher level recruits/athletes. In fact, Iowa recruited Braun and Hart hard.
 

the-boneyard.com

UConn - Minnesota post game thread

As nice as the Maryland game felt, this one not so much. UCONN outscored Minny by 15 in the third quarter. The rest of the game (Q's 1,2, &4) by 3 total. There were some nice things done by individual players, but the offense never really seemed to find its' groove save for some stretches in the...
the-boneyard.com the-boneyard.com


At that link are post-game reactions from UConn fans.
 

Wet_Blanket_Guy said:
Watched my first Gopher women's game ever as I have young daughters and the hype around the game was good.

One thing that I noticed was how UCONN was long and lean and with the exception of a few Gophers (just thinking of the one's who played the majority of the minutes: Braun, Battle, Heyer)...it honestly looked like we were playing a few players who I have concern about their health.

Can someone educate a new Gopher women's semi-fan why we don't go for more long/lean players who can play a faster style versus the slower / larger players who can only hit an open three and do nothing else? Is it a Big Ten recruitment style or something?
Click to expand...
UConn has been a national power for decades now, with multiple national championships. They are able to recruit nationally (they do not have one CT native on their roster) and, because of their resume, are able to land the best players. That's why Bueckers is on their roster and not ours. Also, don't sell Battle, Braun, or Heyer short. By the time they are seniors, I expect the Gophers to be very good. Two players that didn't see much time last night are Holloway and A. Johnson. Both of them are long and lean, and with experience, should fit the style you're describing. One more thing. This roster is a reflection of the former coach. We don't really know yet what the Gophers will look like after Dawn has been here a few years.
 

BBJones said:
UConn has been a national power for decades now, with multiple national championships. They are able to recruit nationally (they do not have one CT native on their roster) and, because of their resume, are able to land the best players. That's why Bueckers is on their roster and not ours. Also, don't sell Battle, Braun, or Heyer short. By the time they are seniors, I expect the Gophers to be very good. Two players that didn't see much time last night are Holloway and A. Johnson. Both of them are long and lean, and with experience, should fit the style you're describing. One more thing. This roster is a reflection of the former coach. We don't really know yet what the Gophers will look like after Dawn has been here a few years.
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I get UCONN and follow basketball very closely, just not the Lady Gopher's. I was just shocked at how some of the players, who hovered around the arc, look so incapable of moving (especially for being a top 100 recruit this past season). Maybe I need to give them more time to show their skills, but it really looked like they can only be relied upon to hit an open shot and never drive past someone as they lack speed.
 

Wet_Blanket_Guy said:
I get UCONN and follow basketball very closely, just not the Lady Gopher's. I was just shocked at how some of the players, who hovered around the arc, look so incapable of moving (especially for being a top 100 recruit this past season). Maybe I need to give them more time to show their skills, but it really looked like they can only be relied upon to hit an open shot and never drive past someone as they lack speed.
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So everyone knows, WetBlanketGuy in the men's basketball forum is a Minnesota badmouther except unfortunately he/she knows basketball well and the facts well, truth wrapped in overly-pessimistic conclusions.

Perhaps from the St Thomas applied psychology department. ;)
 

It's hard to be patient and everybody wants to win. Gophers took several steps forward. Hustle and confidence isn't lacking. Poor shooting won't happen for every game. The U Conn game was a great measuring stick for Dawn and she now knows what to work on the most. Dawn has the pieces to make a lot of noise in the B1G this season. A new coach, a new system and a lot of new players. Takes time for them to gel together. It's going to work. Hang in there Gopher fans.
 

Black N Gold said:
It's hard to be patient and everybody wants to win. Gophers took several steps forward. Hustle and confidence isn't lacking. Poor shooting won't happen for every game. The U Conn game was a great measuring stick for Dawn and she now knows what to work on the most. Dawn has the pieces to make a lot of noise in the B1G this season. A new coach, a new system and a lot of new players. Takes time for them to gel together. It's going to work. Hang in there Gopher fans.
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I agree with this. The Gophers will learn a lot from this game as now they know the bar for how the game is played nationally not just Big 10 style. It will take time and effort in practice playing the style of defense this coach expects for the bench and younger players to earn playing time. We have some quickness and ability there, just learning the new system and gelling together. One thing is evident take care of the basketball and be in the right positions on defense are not negotiable. The reason is defense can help you steal and win games where you might not have the better talent. Holloway is coming off a knee injury, she is a good athlete, and you don't want to risk over-work or injury by this part of season. She will help this squad, just got to develop her shot. AJ is newer to basketball and learning the game, but I expect her to score in the paint. GG plays because she is a shooter and understands the system and defense. That kid is a true freshmen and really young, she has decent quickness for a bigger kid. No sense in hating on a kid about look. She knows how to shoot and can help Gophers. That is sillyness to talk about fitness based off look. It's OK to have expectations, defensive effort was good the shots just didn't fall. Each game we will see the team improve I think. Hopefully Gophers can build a program that more elite players will want to be apart of. Sanders can help us at point just needs to drive to basket more and finish plays. Maggie C can slash to the basket but she has to finish those shots and score. This coaching staff has the players buy-in, at least I think so. They will see in the future the hard work and effort is worth it, the butt chewing are worth it because the coaches are making them better. I think they will see this when they are dancing in March. The effort and hard work is paying off. The bench will develop. Looking forward to more games in the barn.
 
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TD12 said:
I tuned in to the second half. I like our coach, she is intense and gets after it!!

Our team looks slow!! I understand that we were playing UCONN, but the Gophers looked really slow. We don't have a blow by guard to create. But in all, better than last year so far.
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If you watch a lot of guy's basketball, the girls look slow. Like you said we were playing UConn...they select elite players with elite quickness.

Braun was a major part of the 3 on 3 World Champion team. She is an elite scorer! She needs time to adjust to her new coach. The girl defending her was one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.

Braun is 4 games into her sophomore season...she'll be fine.

Can't argue we don't have much quickness. Holloway hasn't played many minutes and missed all last year with an ACL injury but I think she will be a quicker inside player.
We did recruit some elite quickness this summer...don't believe we landed them.

Most teams don't have more than one girl where you go...she's quick! Playing harder than the other girls is the antidote. Coach P is demanding that!
 

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