The Clippers is a pretty good landing spot for him, IMO. They've done a good job with Amir Coffey out there, he averaged 20mpg last season and played in 70 games after signing him as an undrafted FA.
Hoping Christie pans out. Would love to see more Gophers in the NBA.
Reportedly chose the Gophers over OSU:
https://twitter.com/Marcus_R_Fuller/status/1807397042144112808
And their NC schedule is again embarrassing.
I thought they added in a solid tournament...
No idea if he can play, but at least ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for the name.
https://twitter.com/DushawnLondon1/status/1831361672562507873
Gophers lose to North Texas at home. This will be an absolute disaster of a season.
https://twitter.com/gophermbb/status/1856898677765206117?s=46&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
So basically, if I have the gist of things around here, the Twin Cities basketball teams are both total cheeks this year, while the hockey teams are world-beaters.
This is acceptable.
Gophers lose to North Texas at home. This will be an absolute disaster of a season.
https://twitter.com/gophermbb/status/1856898677765206117?s=46&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
They had the worst start I've ever seen yesterday. They shot 3/21 from the field in the first half with 8 turnovers. It was brutal to watch.
Mike Mitchell's injury made an already thin team even more thin. I haven't heard an update on him but if he's out for an extended period of time they're going to be in trouble. He's been such a good distributor for this team in the first two games. Without him yesterday the offense was just too stagnant.
They are going to be in trouble with him. The team is a major step down from last year. Ben Johnson will be out of a job in February.
Ben seems like a good enough guy, but he can’t keep losing like this. I checked some preseason rankings. Most I saw we were 18 out of 18 in the big ten. That’s not going to cut it.
They are going to be in trouble with him. The team is a major step down from last year. Ben Johnson will be out of a job in February.
True. Outside of Dawson Garcia who remains extremely good, they don't appear to have a lot. Asuma I think is going to be a very good player but it's a big step up in competition for him.
@snowcool08 Whalen got fired for less. I think it is time for the U to seriously consider facilities and making a new BB arena.
Ben seems like a good enough guy, but he can’t keep losing like this. I checked some preseason rankings. Most I saw we were 18 out of 18 in the big ten. That’s not going to cut it.
I have nothing against the guy personally, I understood the impetus for hiring him even if he was way underqualified. He definitely cares about the program and I liked the idea of building locally and trying to build teams through cohesion and growing together over time. But college basketball isn't like that anymore. You have to show serious progress quick or no one is going to throw money at the program for NIL. (ugh I hate all of the money in college sports) The fact that we fired Pitino for him and Pitino is turning around a program in way worse shape than ours is not a good thing either...
Thing is, next year the team is going to stink most likely anyways because Garcia is like 90% of our offense so the time is right. A new coach can come in and really start from scratch without people having any expectations and if anyone leaves no one is going to really lament it. I already see the Nico Medveds and Craig Smiths thrown out there...personally I hope they aim a little higher but this has to be a hire that feels like improvement from day 1. I am not paying attention enough anymore to really know who that is though 🙁
Ben seems like a good enough guy, but he can’t keep losing like this. I checked some preseason rankings. Most I saw we were 18 out of 18 in the big ten. That’s not going to cut it.
I have nothing against the guy personally, I understood the impetus for hiring him even if he was way underqualified. He definitely cares about the program and I liked the idea of building locally and trying to build teams through cohesion and growing together over time. But college basketball isn't like that anymore. You have to show serious progress quick or no one is going to throw money at the program for NIL. (ugh I hate all of the money in college sports) The fact that we fired Pitino for him and Pitino is turning around a program in way worse shape than ours is not a good thing either...
Thing is, next year the team is going to stink most likely anyways because Garcia is like 90% of our offense so the time is right. A new coach can come in and really start from scratch without people having any expectations and if anyone leaves no one is going to really lament it. I already see the Nico Medveds and Craig Smiths thrown out there...personally I hope they aim a little higher but this has to be a hire that feels like improvement from day 1. I am not paying attention enough anymore to really know who that is though 🙁
There's 0% chance Ben is back next year, right? If he is back, Coyle should be fired.
I would say there is a very high likelihood next year's team will be better if we get a new coach. New coach can just bring in 7 transfers and upgrade the roster.
Never say never...but short of a massive run I don't see how. The buyout is nothing and season ticket sales are pathetic and he has no high end talent coming in.
We scored 19 points in the first half against f’n Yale. I don’t know why I’m watching this.
Gophers get a nice, relatively relaxing win against Cleveland State where more than just Dawson Garcia scored points (including 10 from MN native freshman Isaac Asuma).
Then today Ben lands a nice commitment from a Top 150 recruit
https://twitter.com/TiptonEdits/status/1859443665241829567?t=QhPoi1PfkiF_3jyy0zhPCA&s=19
I got $5 he never plays for Ben...hell I would put it 2-1 he never plays here period.
The Gophers beat juggernaut Central Michigan 68-65 at home. Woof.
Women's star Mara Braun out indefinitely after re-injuring her right foot. This sucks; Gophers are 7-0 so far.
Mara Braun Injury
Gophers are losing 21-20 at halftime to FDU as 19 point favorites… what a total disaster this team is.
Gophers are losing 21-20 at halftime to FDU as 19 point favorites… what a total disaster this team is.
I had it on but stopped watching at the half. I guess I’ll look up the score eventually or maybe just wait until the ticker on one of the games shows it.
Gophers had a battle against Ohio State on Monday night. Went to double OT and lost by 1. Team was like 12/27 from the FT line. It was brutal. Had so many chances to ice the game at the line in regulation and the first OT and couldn't get the job done.
Asuma looks like the real deal, at least.
Kadyn Betts fouled Ohio State up 2 points with 4 seconds. Abysmal free throw shooting also. It was hard to watch.
Team was like 12/27 from the FT line.
Free throws are a basic fundamental you learn from the start. There is no excuse to shoot less the 60%.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Team was like 12/27 from the FT line.
Free throws are SHOULD BE a basic fundamental you learn from the start. There is no excuse to shoot less the 60%.
FYP. I'm guessing there aren't very many fundamentals being taught at the lower levels any more. As an aside, my freshman year, everyone was required to make 5 consecutive free throws before they could leave practice. At the beginning of the season, I averaged about 60-65% from the line. By the end of the year, my average was over 80%.
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
Fundamentals may not be taught at lower levels, but the Gophers repeatedly get housed on FT%.
On the positive side of "U" hoops, the Gopher women are 15-1 (3-1 B1G) and host Rutgers tonight. In the most recent rankings they received 7 votes in the AP poll and 11 votes in the Coaches poll. All without Mara Braun, who's been out since November after re-injuring her foot.
This morning a vendor offered me tickets to tonight’s game, I assumed cause they thought tonight’s game would be a blowout. I haven’t been to Williams in a few years so I took em. Good choice, tonight’s finish was amazing, great game. The logo 3 by Garcia was Curry-like.
This morning a vendor offered me tickets to tonight’s game, I assumed cause they thought tonight’s game would be a blowout. I haven’t been to Williams in a few years so I took em. Good choice, tonight’s finish was amazing, great game. The logo 3 by Garcia was Curry-like.
Glad you went to the game... EPIC!!!
Keep your stick on the ice...
Last three Gopher men's basketball games
Win against #20 Michigan
Win at Iowa
Win against #15 Oregon
The Gophers can't be stopped. 😊
Last three Gopher men's basketball games
Win against #20 Michigan
Win at Iowa
Win against #15 Oregon
The Gophers can't be stopped. 😊
I believe the game before that they lost in OT at Maryland so they’ve been moving in the right direction. It’s a surprising turnaround as early in the season they were unwatchablely bad.
Happy win in the valley for the hoopsters.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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The Gophers get the win at USC. They are now 5-3 over their last 8 Big Ten games with wins at Iowa, at Penn State, and at USC along with home wins against Oregon and Michigan.
Michigan is in first place in the Big Ten at 11-2 so the Gophers have as many wins against Michigan as the rest of the conference combined.
Yeah....and we suck.
They're definitely not a good team but they've had some very entertaining games this season which is all I had hoped for going into the season after the departures we had.
It's too bad they lost some key players - would have been nice to see how much of a difference they could have made.
Another gutty last minute win for the Gophers.
Garcia 2nd half points: 26 UCLA 2nd half points:26
Only UCLAs 2nd home loss of the season
Patterson also clutch
Lu'Cye Patterson has been a massive part of this team's resilience this season and is playing extremely well of late after getting off to a pretty rocky start. Had a hell of a game tonight including the GW bucket and great defense against UCLA's star to draw the charge with 1.9 seconds left.
Garcia was unbelievable in the second half as well, great to see after USC mostly stifled him and UCLA looked to be doing the same in the first half.
They may not have the most talent in the world but they bust their asses and don't quit. Down by 17 tonight after being down 14 against USC and coming back to win.
Pretty crazy that the Gophers won this game with 10ish turnovers. UCLA missed like 8 consecutive FTs in the second half and the Gophers just kept the foot on the gas. Fun game to watch after it looked like it was going to get really really ugly late in the first half.
It's too bad they lost some key players - would have been nice to see how much of a difference they could have made.
The funny thing is, the "big four" that hit the transfer portal are all having worse seasons this year than they did for Minnesota last year. Carrington is getting roughly 5 more minutes per game so his ppg, apg, rpg are all slightly higher but his percentages are down. Payne, Hawkins, and JOJ all are seeing reduced stats as well.
Obviously losing them hurt, especially early in the season when we got off to such a poor start trying to find the right mix of players, but I can't help but wonder if they'd have regressed this year or if their regression is due to new teams/environments too.
Major credit to Ben Johnson and the team for turning things around. I didn’t see this one coming.
I am glad they won, shocked beyond belief actually...but if this means Johnson is given another year it sets us back very badly. We dont need excuses to keep this guy around and with what we have returning next year is going to be painful no matter who the coach is. We need to start the process of rebuilding and keeping him would be treading water.
It's too bad they lost some key players - would have been nice to see how much of a difference they could have made.
The funny thing is, the "big four" that hit the transfer portal are all having worse seasons this year than they did for Minnesota last year.
Elijah Hawkins' stats are have barely dropped off from last season but his team is 20-6, with the same happening for Pharrel Payne whose team also happens to be 20-6.
btw although his departure was much further back, look what Mashburn Jr. is doing.