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GophersOnTheRise

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Frustrating game and tough to watch, but it's not worth calling the season off. If there are a few bright spots:

-I don't know if there is a team in the country that Ohio State wouldn't have beaten today. They shot an unreal percentage and have arguably the best player in the country in Evan Turner. It's not like we're losing to Iowa. If Turner had never gotten hurt they would be ranked much higher right now.
-Rodney has kept the game worth watching (for me). 13 points right now, 5/5 from the field, 1/1 from three and a few impressive dunks.
-I can't name a team in the country who would be competing with ranked teams on the road when they are missing 2 of their three best players and starting point guard. This bodes well for the teams future when they return.
-If we take care of teams at home and beat a couple on the road we still have a good chance at the tournament.

If you want to jump ship, go right ahead. I'm not ready yet.
 

Your delusional! Unless this team wins the Big 10 tourney it is NIT bound. Please come back to reality.

I agree that MN will be better next year assuming White, Mbakwe, and Nolen come back to the team. Those are big assumptions at this point.
 

Nothing in "GophersOnTheRise" post said we were NCAA Tourney-bound.

You're equating a successful season with making the tourney. He's equating a successful season with taking steps forward and building.
 

How can you assume that 2 players that have never played are 2 of your best three players?
 

salem79 said:
How can you assume that 2 players that have never played are 2 of your best three players?
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Hard to assume. People also assumed that LW and DJ would have good years as well.
 


Um, GophersOnTheRise's post specifically said: "-If we take care of teams at home and beat a couple on the road we still have a good chance at the tournament."

I guess he didn't state that it was a given that the U will take care of teams at home and win some on the road, but he did mention it. I don't follow the bracketology nearly as close as some of the better posters here, but I am starting to think it will take a couple major upsets for the Gophs to go to the tourney this year. It hurts that Mbakwe and Royce are out, and now Nolen, but with what the team returned from last years tourney squad its disappointing they haven't had a better showing this season.
 

We are currently 4-5 in conference play with the remaining schedule looking like this:

@PSU
@NW
MICH
WIS
IND
PUR
@ILL
@MICH
IOWA

If we lose two games will be 11-7 in the Big Ten and would surely make the tournament. If we lose three we'll be 10-8 and would still make it in my opinion. I disagree that we can't win 6 of our next 9 games.
 

I think the team looked a lot better offensively and if they play defense well (which they can, not today, not against a fired up OSU team, but they can) anything can happen.

However this year goes, I'm not jumping ship either.
 

Not saying we will win 6 of the remaining 9, but to say we can't is a bit premature, especially if Royce comes back.
 




salem79 said:
How can you assume that 2 players that have never played are 2 of your best three players?
Click to expand...

I'm not basing my opinion off of this, but it kind of supports what I said:

Myron on Trevor and Royce:

"I've been told that Mbakwe destroys Sampson and Iverson every day. And on person told me that Royce White looked like "the best player on the floor" when he returned to practice last week."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...yc:aUycaEacyUs

Royce could be our go to player on the offensive end and take pressure off of everyone else including Blake so he could get more open looks. Mbakwe would be a huge help on the boards not to mention on defense and as a scorer in the post. Even if you don't think they could be 2 of our 3 best players, I'm sure you could agree that we would at least be a better team with them on the floor.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
Not saying we will win 6 of the remaining 9, but to say we can't is a bit premature, especially if Royce comes back.
Click to expand...

6 of 9 won't do it without a big run in the BTT tourney that has us playing on SS. Our resume has nothing on it. We aren't even on the tournament radar screen right now.
 




Pretty fair points. OSU's jumpshooting was pretty ridiculous. Our offense actually seems to be alright against OSU by our halfcourt standards but our turnovers were ridiculous. Iverson was horrendous. What happened to DJ and Sampson after the first half? That always seems to happen. They'll have a solid half on offense and then just completely disappear. The one bright spot today was definitely Rodney Williams. I wish he would always play that aggressively.

Anyone else sick of the announcers always talking about Evan Turner?

GophersOnTheRise said:
Frustrating game and tough to watch, but it's not worth calling the season off. If there are a few bright spots:

-I don't know if there is a team in the country that Ohio State wouldn't have beaten today. They shot an unreal percentage and have arguably the best player in the country in Evan Turner. It's not like we're losing to Iowa. If Turner had never gotten hurt they would be ranked much higher right now.
-Rodney has kept the game worth watching (for me). 13 points right now, 5/5 from the field, 1/1 from three and a few impressive dunks.
-I can't name a team in the country who would be competing with ranked teams on the road when they are missing 2 of their three best players and starting point guard. This bodes well for the teams future when they return.
-If we take care of teams at home and beat a couple on the road we still have a good chance at the tournament.

If you want to jump ship, go right ahead. I'm not ready yet.
Click to expand...
 

Rodney's outside shot has gotten better (even though he was a better shooter in high school than some gave him credit for), which is huge in terms of defenders playing him more honestly. I think today's game was probably a confidence booster for him and can only help in terms of him playing more agressively. It will be a lot of fun to watch him progress.
 

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