Tubby Ball Year In Review Part 3

PJS Note: This is the third installment in an ongoing series looking at the season that was for Minnesota's men's basketball team. Previously we've discussed the three departing seniors and the impact Tubby Smith had on player progression.

Part 3: Defense

In the final year of the Dan Monson/Jim Molinari era, the Golden Gophers allowed on average 66 points per game. In Tubby Smith's first season, the Gophers allowed on average 63 points per game.

Not a huge difference, right? Maybe, but the change in defensive philosophy can be more easily seen in other areas. In 2006-07, Gophers opponents turned the ball over 390 times. In that year, the Gophers themselves turned the ball over 456 times. In Tubby's first season, those numbers changed dramatically. Minnesota caused or was the beneficiary of 560 turnovers made by opponents. Playing a more up-tempo game, the Gophers' turnover numbers rose as well (482 turnovers), but more times than not the Gophers were winning the turnover battle. The number of steals also rose dramatically, from 150 under Monson/Molinari to 298 under Tubby Smith.

Why the improvement in these categories? It wasn't for an influx of talent. But instead it came from a change in philosophy. After the first couple games of the season, returning players from Monson/Molinari's teams were quoted as saying Tubby Smith was orchestrating a 180 as far as their defensive thinking went. Instead of playing back, giving defenders a step or two because of a concern that opponents were more athletic than Minnesota, Tubby Smith instead decided to set the tempo himself.

The Gophers would apply full-court pressure against inferior, equal and superior opponents. Against lowly teams nicknamed such atrocious things as the Jackrabbits, this strategy allowed the Gophers to run up the score and gain confidence. Most importantly, however, the Gophers were playing aggressive basketball instead of playing basketball on their heels. One game specifically stands out.

In the second Big Ten game of the season, the Gophers travelled to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions. This was Geary Claxton's last full game for Penn State and he led his team to a seemingly insurmountable double-digit second-half lead. Last year's Gophers wouldn't have had a shot. They would have sat back, playing not to lose, instead of increasing pressure. Tubby Smith decided with about 15 minutes left in that game to ramp up the full-court pressure. This did two things: caused turnovers and lengthened the game allowing Minnesota a chance to come back. Come back they did and an Al Nolen steal sealed the improbable comeback.

Aside from the full-court pressure, which admittedly did lessen as the Gophers played top-notch Big Ten foes, the Gophers executed Tubby Smith's ball-line defense fairly well. This meant Gophers defenders who were one pass away from the ball tried to deny passing lanes. Defenders two passes away would sag to help out. This leaves teams susceptible to the skip pass, but it also resulted in numerous deflections, steals and fast-break points, something the offensively challenged Gophers desperately needed.

Finally, a couple players deserve some plaudits for helping the Gophers improve defensively. Damian Johnson led the team in blocks (46) and was second in steals (59) and most likely led the team in deflections. Al Nolen led the team with 64 steals. Just how good was Nolen in this department? Let's look at Ken Pomeroy's tempo-free stats. Nolen ranked 9th nationally in Steal Percentage, which is, according to Pomeroy's site "the percentage of possessions that a player records a steal while he is on the court. It is computed by Steals/(%Min * Team Possessions). Anything greater than 5% is very good."

Nolen's steal percentage was 5.2 percent, which was the highest for any BCS conference player. For comparison, Kansas' Mario Chalmers, who demonstrated his defensive aptitude during the Final Four, was #17 by those rankings and finished with a Steal Percentage of 4.75. The Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year, Purdue's Chris Kramer, finished right behind Chalmers.

Damian Johnson wasn't far behind, ending the season ranked 21st in Steal Percentage.

These numbers might not say everything--considering former Gopher Rico Tucker finished right ahead of Chalmers for his work out west for Pepperdine--but they do indicate how proficient Nolen was at pick-pocketing opponents.

Conclusion: Tubby Smith came in and completely changed the way returning Gophers thought on the defensive end. Playing not to lose wasn't the plan any more. The aggressiveness certainly cost the Gophers on possessions here or there, but overall the increased intensity and focus on creating turnovers helped the Gophers win games. A big reason why the Gophers won 11 more games in Tubby Smith's first year than they did in the last year of Molinari/Monson was the new defensive mindset. The offense is a different story. And that will be the next installment.

In Tribute To Bobby Knight, Monson Apparently Throws Chair

Via the Daily 49er, Long Beach State's student newspaper, Dan Monson reportedly did his best Bobby Knight impersonation last weekend in a loss at home to UC Irvine.

The 49ers have barely managed to squeak out four wins and have suffered 16 losses - eight of which were by 15 or more points. The most recent, Saturday night in The Walter Pyramid, was a quick and easy 22-point beat-down by center Darren Fells and the rest of the Anteaters.

Tip-off was at 7:05 p.m. and I was done with post-game interviews and on Second Street drinking within two hours. And trust me, alcohol was needed after this game. The 49er defense was absolutely thrashed by threes, the offense was purely the Donovan Morris show and head coach Dan Monson went Bobby Knight on a chair after sophomore guard Chris Peys tried to put up an "Oh my god, what are you doing?" 3-pointer.

Stay hot, Dan Monson.

Seriously, however, I've always had a tremendous deal of respect and admiration for Mr. Knight. For a very well done look at his remarkable career, head to Hoopraker.

Chatting With The Enemy

PJS Note: I teamed with John at The Hoosier Report in a get-to-know-the-enemy question and answer session. John tells us about the expectations of IU fans, the perception of Kelvin Sampson and he even thinks the Gophers will win tonight! I'm posting the first half of the Q & A here. The second half with predictions will be posted at The Hoosier Report.

Paging Jim Shikenjanski: On one Minnesota message board, some fans are calling the Indiana-Minnesota game Thursday night a "phone out." They plan to bring cell phones and wave them (and perhaps play interesting ring tones) at Kelvin Sampson, who we all know likes to bend NCAA rules on phone calls. At least when Bobby Knight embarrassed IU it was entertaining. What do you make of this tomfoolery?

The Hoosier Report: I'm disappointed, obviously. IU fans are as proud as the program's scandal-free history as we are of the five NCAA championship banners. When Sampson was hired, most of us were willing to forgive the transgressions that occurred at Oklahoma as long as nothing of the sort happened at IU. Now, obviously it has happened at IU. What's sad is that I really do think Sampson was making a good faith effort to avoid violating the sanctions. During the entire no-call period that stretched from May 2006 to May 2007, Sampson didn't make a single outgoing call on his IU-issued cell phone. I'm not just talking about calls to recruits. He was so paranoid that he didn't make a single outgoing call on the phone, period. In light of that, it's unthinkable to me that Sampson would have staked his career on ten three-way calls. Still, what happened happened, and the fact that assistants were making unlogged calls from their home phones shows a shocking lack of leadership and oversight on Sampson's part and on the part of the athletic department. I don't know how things are going to turn out, and the whole affair casts a shadow over what should be IU's best season in 15 years. At this point, I don't think Sampson should be dismissed, but if the NCAA investigation finds more, I certainly could get to that position.

On the other hand, I am somewhat amused about the indignation from fans of Big Ten programs whose coaches have done far worse in the not-so-distant past. Indeed, Minnesota's students need only look up at that 1997 Final Four banner to be reminded...oh, wait, it's not there anymore.

The late 1990s scandal does have some relation to my first question. Dan Monson, in eight seasons in Minneapolis, never quite got the Gophers back on track. How much of that do you relate to the NCAA sanctions and how much to Monson? Also, the knock on Tubby during his later years at Kentucky was recruiting. How is that going, and generally, what do you think is the program's ceiling under Smith's leadership?

Paging Jim Shikenjanski: Yes, yes, our fan base deserves to be reminded of the season that wasn't when we gleefully revel in the unfortunate circumstances at other institutions. But after a decade of futility, in part because of those sanctions, I think we can be forgiven for being proud that once again we have a program poised to compete by playing by the rules.And that's why Dan Monson was hired in the first place. He came to Minnesota from Gonzaga, where he, not Mark Few, had done the hard work necessary to make a previously unknown program into a national contender.

In hindsight, Monson probably shouldn't have taken the job. He had to overcome hurdles presented by considerable sanctions and repair the reputation of a recently-on-top program. While he was able to clean up the program, he could never deliver in a couple areas. Alumni and media types questioned his ability to develop players. And Monson never seemed to have control of his team. Good players transferred. Others left the Gophers for the NBA far too early--think Rick Rickert and Joel Pryzbilla who is just now performing at the highest level.

Monson was dealt a bad hand at the university, but he didn't do much of anything to gain traction aside from clean up the program. Now that Tubby Smith is on board, the atmosphere surrounding the program has done a 180 degree turn. Despite his reputation as a lacadasical recruiter at UK, Tubby has brought in a top-10 to top-20 class nationally, led by 6'10" standout Ralph Sampson III, the son of the former Virginia great, who was recruited by Billy Gillispie, among others. In mere months, Tubby has turned Williams Arena into Minneapolis' hottest ticket, delivered a top notch recruiting class and is off to a fine start on the court as well.

The program's ceiling under Tubby? He can transform the program into a perennial Big Ten contender.

And what about at IU? Any buyer's remorse on Sampson, aside from phone call gate? And speaking of recruiting, does Illinois coach Bruce Weber have reason to be so upset over the recruitment of Eric Gordon? Finally, I'll pose the same question to you: What's the ceiling for a Sampson-led IU program?

The Hoosier Report From the public's perspective, Sampson came out of nowhere. None of the talking heads mentioned him until he already had been hired. I think there were a couple of reasons that he wasn't on the radar screen: 1) the NCAA stuff and 2) he lost a Final Four game to Mike Davis. Still, I have been pleasantly surprised and I think that the vast majority of IU fans have embraced the on-court version of Sampson. His stern, defensive minded approach, his even keel, and the like have been a breath of fresh air.

As for the ceiling, the expectations at IU are high. IU fans expect the program to compete for the Big Ten title more often than not and to make a run at the NCAA championship at least occasionally. Can Sampson get there? Well, in 12 years at Oklahoma, a B-list program, he won over 70 percent of his games, won a couple of conference titles, and went to the Final Four. I think it's reasonable to think that Sampson, at a school where basketball is king and with more recruiting advantages, can make IU a top 10 caliber program. That's if the NCAA stuff doesn't get in the way.

One of the reasons that I do think Sampson can win big at IU is that he has recruiting advantages that he hasn't had before, which leads to the Eric Gordon discussion. Another unfortunate aspect about Sampson's NCAA trouble is that it prevents an honest discussion about the Gordon issue. Because Sampson has NCAA trouble on his resume, the Gordon recruitment is lumped in with other "dishonesty" and "shenanigans." That's unfortunate, because I think all of this "coaching fraternity" stuff is bunk.

The whole idea of it really boggles the mind. Kelvin Sampson is paid over a million dollars a year to coach IU's basketball program. Eric Gordon is Indiana born and raised and would have strongly considered IU but for the coaching situation. He committed to Illinois long before most kids his age were gathering college applications, let alone making final decisions. If this whole "coaching fraternity" canard is to be believed, then Kelvin Sampson owes a higher duty to Bruce Weber, his highly paid counterpart at a competitor school, than he owes to the institution that pays him handsomely or to a 17 year old kid who has changed his mind about where to go to college.

I think it might have been nice if Sampson had called Weber, but I don't think it was a moral or ethical requirement. It was obvious to anyone with multiple brain cells during the summer of 2006 that Gordon was considering IU. Keep in mind, a verbal commitment is a two way street. If Bruce Weber wanted to do so, he could have told Gordon, "look Eric, you say you're still going to Illinois, but I keep reading about your trips to Bloomington. I'm going to open up your scholarship and give it to the first kid who will give me a firm commitment, whether it's you or someone else." Weber didn't do that. He gambled and lost. Weber put lots of time into the Gordon recruitment, and the Illini certainly could use someone who can shoot, but I think he should stop acting like a two year-old. I would have expected any new IU coach to test the strength of Gordon's commitment to Illinois. The NCAA legislates everything from the number of pages in the media guide to the to-the-second length of official visits, no contact periods, evaluation periods, and on and on and on. The absence of a rule about recruiting committed players says something.

On to my question, I've seen a bunch of games in Assembly Hall and a handful at Mackey Arena, but none in any other Big Ten venue. The only one that I am absolutely dying to see is the Barn. They aren't really going to replace it, are they? Didn't you guys learn your lesson with the football stadium? I haven't heard anything since Tubby's initial comments. How was the idea received by Minnesota fans?

Head to The Hoosier Report for our thoughts on the keys to the game, predictions and more.

Links: Brewster Getting Blasted From All Corners

If you're anything like me, by mid-afternoon on workdays you've already read every one of your favorite Web sites at least once and are clamoring for something else of interest. With that in mind, I bring you the following items that mostly relate to how Tim Brewster is now on the losing side of the public relations battle.

** CBS Sportsline took a potshot at Tim Brewster this week by first quoting the quoteable coach saying this: "I asked them in the locker room after the game, 'Who feels like they've been stuck in the gut with a searing knife?' Brewster said after a 21-16 loss to Iowa. "Everybody did, and I said that's good. That means we've got a chance."

Then, senior writer Dennis Dodd delivers the ultimate low-blow. "The Gophers are 1-10.
Big Ten coach of the year? Glen Mason. Somehow he got this bunch to seven bowl games in 10 years. Only one problem. Mason currently is working as an analyst for the Big Ten Network."

Ouch.

** It wasn't such a good start at Long Beach State for Dan Monson. He now has a 49er cheerleader on her blog suggesting "I don't think it can really get much worse." In a related post on my favorite LBSU blog, cheerleader Courtney tells us what it takes to become a "Monson Maniac." In case you missed it, Monson's new team was throttled by BYU 74-34. During a postgame interview Monson said he "wasn't concerned" with where the team is at. Shooting 19 percent from the field probably didn't worry Danny either. I'm wondering, did Minnesota cheerleaders ever bash Monson?

** The blogger from "Heading In Another Direction" uses this post to state they were "completely suckered, bamboozled and taken in by Tim Brewster." Later, the blogger calls Brewster a "snake-oil salesman." I offer this up to you without comment!

** The Star Tribune's blog titled "Yesterday's News," had an amusing tidbit about Gophers football. Here's a taste:

University of Minnesota football coach Tim Brewster needs only 135 more victories to match the school record set by Dr. Henry L. Williams, who coached the Gophers from 1900 to 1921. Gophers football was a big deal back in the day. And coaches had to do more than diagram plays, give pep talks, shill for car dealers and talk to Sid Hartman. Dr. Williams frequently tended to his players’ injuries and, in one case, performed surgery on one of his stars. The New York Times reports:

Check out the link above to see pictures of Williams tending to his player's injuries. I imagine Brewster has time on Saturday's to pick up the slack for the trainers. He doesn't call plays and all I ever see him dong is walking aroud with what looks like a tiny index card in his hand. What is that card anyway?

** And finally ........... a new blog I've hesitated to bring attention to.

Clearly everyone can tell I've been frustrated by some of the things Tim Brewster has said. But, I haven't yet gone so far to call for his dismissal, like the relatively new blog Fire Tim Brewster does. I just found this site a few days ago and I am somewhat surprised that someone would be calling for Brewster's head after one season. I previously suggested that University of Minnesota football fans need to grade Brewster on his recruiting, which so far he has excelled at. If he can't put the pieces on the field to win with the spread offense--which he is dead set on installing--then a year or two from now I'll jump on the Fire Tim Brewster bandwagon.

But now? It's way too early for that, in my opinion. I hope Brewster is humbled by his first year as a head man, tones down his rhetoric and finds a renewed energy to recruit and hopefully win some football games. This will be Minnesota's worst season in history. If that doesn't humble Mr. Brewster, I'm not sure what will.

Saturday Grab Bag

Clearly, I'm still experimenting with what I should call a group of links. I've tried numerous headlines, none of which I've particularly liked. Today's edition is no different.

But before I get started ... for those of you that follow this blog regularly, I've taken a new job outside the world of journalism and am stepping into the role of a media consultant for political campaigns. The money is more than slightly better but the hours will be more than slightly worse.

Anyway, on to an assortment of good stuff, mostly Gopher related. I'll start with everyone's favorite former Minnesota basketball coach.

** Anyone feel bad for Dan Monson? He's taking over a program in Long Beach State that is on probation and needs to replace its starting five from last year. But, Monson tells Fox Sports, those trying circumstances probably helped him land the job. And for whatever reason, Monson still can't get a point guard to play for him. He said: "We’re still trying to field a team,” Monson said. ``We don’t even really have a point guard right now." Neither do we, Danny!

** Tubby Smith and Vince Taylor, who have both seen Missouri State West-Plains CC forward Paul Carter play, should be happy to know that the Gophers would seem the odds on favorite to add the JUCO player. According to Rivals, Carter has named his top 4, and indicated high interest in the maroon and gold. Minnesota is ranked ahead of Charlotte, Wyoming and Baylor to land Carter's services. He also lists low interest in Kansas State and Oregon State, but those schools haven't made an offer, according to Rivals.

** In breaking down the schedules for Big Ten football teams The Fanhouse suggests Minnesota has the "weirdest game" on the docket. The game? Minnesota at Florida Atlantic in Dolphins Stadium. Here's what the blog states: "It's quite the mysterious trip for Minnesota. Big Ten schools seem kind of above traveling to play at Sun Belt teams. Not only that, but since most of the BCS schools seem intent on having at least seven home games per season, it seems odd that team from the Big Ten would waste that one road trip on such a lowly opponent." Can't say I disagree. Hopefully Tim Brewster will find more meaningful road games to schedule.

** Anyone need more proof Tim Brewster is a good salesman? Well, if you do, some of the reporters' takes about his appearance at Big Ten media day should end any speculation. Brewster served up what appears like a whopping dose of his high-octane kool-aid. And the journalists apparently slurpped it all up. The Daily Collegian, the Penn State college newspaper, describes the impression Brewster gave:

When Brewster spoke, his hands clutched firmly at the sides of the podium. He's heading into his first year as coach of the Golden Gophers, but his bellow was louder and more resolute than the six Big Ten coaches who took the stage before him and the four who would follow him.

And then we have Des Moines Register columnist Sean Keeler with this take on Brewster.

Kirk Ferentz hemmed. Pat Fitzgerald hawed. Joe Paterno chastised. Mark Dantonio sort of mumbled.

Tim Brewster shouted.

“I couldn’t be more honored and more PRIVILEGED,” the new Minnesota football coach gushed as he introduced himself to reporters today at Big Ten media days, “to be part OF SUCH A GREAT CONFERENCE!”

It was — well, OK, it was weird. You see, Big Ten media days are one of the few times all year where coaches, players and reporters are on the same page: Everybody usually wants to get it over with as soon as conceivably possible.

Not Brewster. He could’ve stood there forever. He shimmied right up to that podium. He attempted to make eye contact about 4,000 times. He pointed to Paterno, who was sitting in one corner of the audience. He pointed to Lloyd Carr, the Michigan coach, sitting in another.

“Make no mistake about it, we’re going to get the Little Brown Jug,” Brewster said, referencing the trophy bestowed upon the winner of the Minnesota-Michigan game. “Wisconsin, we’re going to get (Paul Bunyan’s) Axe. That’s the deal.”

Picture Dan McCarney. Only perkier.

“I drink a lot of coffee,” the Gophers coach said later, smiling sheepishly. “I do.”
No kidding.

And Brewster received a rave review from blogger Brian Golden, who ranked Brewster's press conference, which can be listened to here, as the best among his Big Ten coaching peers.

I came in prepared to not like this guy, but once he started talking, it became obvious immediately how he’s assembled his reputation as ace recruiter. Speaking with noticeably more volume, animation and intensity than every other coach, Brewster extolled the virtues of Minnesota football past, saying “Minnesota has always been and will always be about winning.” Brewster also said that he will take his squad to spend time around John Gagliardi at nearby St. John’s University, the winningest coach in college football history. Who knows if the fire and brimstone will translate to W’s, but one thing is certain: Brewster looks the part.

After years of the PR-challenged Glen Mason, who would have received no ink during media day, the attention Brewster got for the program is definitely a plus. Now all he'll need to do is win and back up all of this bravado.

I Heart Dan Monson

To many in a BCS conference, it would seem to be a step-down going from the Big 10 to the Big West. Dan Monson, ever the optimist, sees only positives in the move. The outquotes, which I plan to mock, are from an ESPN article by Andy Glockner.

"I think a lot of people at the mid-major level aspire to get to the next level," Monson said. "I've been there and tried that. The competition and money at the highest level -- all those things you dream about -- don't make you happy. What makes you happy is winning. Whatever the level is. That's what I want to get back to."

We're looking forward to winning too.

Since Monson is not from the area, it will take some time to get up to speed on the local recruiting scene.

Um, that didn't work so good in Minnesota. Then again, sometimes Dan did well enough to land some big-time talent (Kris Humprhies, Rick Rickert, etc) but he wasn't able to keep them around or keep everyone happy.

Beyond the advantages of being in a region ripe with talent and having enviable weather and proximity to the beach, Brown believes having a coach with major-conference credentials like Monson will help the 49ers quickly reload a roster that lost its top seven scorers from last season and has no returning player who averaged even 10 minutes a game.

"Coach Monson is a national name," Brown said. "He has done so much with Gonzaga, Minnesota, USA Basketball. That's what we're pushing. We're selling coach."

Who knew ESPN did satire?

What could be a larger hindrance than Monson's lack of familiarity with the area is that Long Beach State is the third straight program Monson has taken over while it was on probation (the 49ers had recruiting issues under former coach Larry Reynolds' staff). Did any of this -- the step down in exposure, the new location, the sanctions -- make Monson reconsider jumping right back in?

"I didn't want to take a bottom job in a mid-major league just to be a head coach," he said. "I would have sat out if I didn't land at a job where I could have success. I had been talking to friends at high-major programs and, if winning was my No. 1 priority, then I could go to a program that is a top-10 or -20 program and be on the bench [as an assistant] and take a step back from the media and be out of the spotlight, and dealing with the parents, and all the decisions that come with being a head coach. That did kind of cross my mind, but this is a good situation and I'm excited about it.

Long Beach 49er fans, get ready for years of excuses that begin and end with a finger pointed at the previous regime.

And that ends my potshots at Dan Monson. I think I just needed to get that out at some point. I grew tired of many things about his program. I'll try not to dive back into Danny-bashing at any point.

I'd like to add that Minnesota fans have a coach in a somewhat similar position. Monson downgraded to Long Beach State after being fired. Tubby Smith downgraded to our maroon and gold after essentially being pushed out of legendary Kentucky. Both coaches have something to prove. And I hope they both prove the critics left behind at their former teams wrong. I'll just be rooting a little harder for Tubby.

Disgusted With Gopher Hoops Coverage

There were two reports today in Minnesota's perodicals indicating that former Dan Monson recruit Andrew Brommer has decided to re-open his recruitment. Brommer, a junior from Rosemount, Minn., had committed to Monson but now, according to a bare-bones report from Jeff Shelman of the Star Tribune, Brommer is reconsidering. More on Shelman's weak reporting in a second, but here is a pullout from the article, including a quote from Brommer's father.

Much has changed since Brommer gave the Gophers a commitment last fall. Dan Monson was still the Gophers coach and the idea that Smith would trade Kentucky for Minnesota seemed far-fetched. "It's important for both Andrew and the University of Minnesota to look at the situation and see if it works for both sides," Rob Brommer said.

A few things about the article by Shelman bothered me, but by comparison, all the PiPress gave Gopher fans was a blurb in Shooter Walters' column.

Shelman fails to tell us, for instance, how tall Brommer is or what position he plays. For the record, Brommer is a 6-9, 215 pound center. I don't consider myself a casual Gopher fan, but little information like that, and a description of what kind of player Brommer is, would help the general public understand what is going on. Is Brommer a can't-miss prospect? What are his strengths and weaknesses? You wouldn't find that in Shelman and Walters' offerings today.

Shelman and Walters also fail to shed any light on whether the new Gophers coaching staff is upset about this. It's true, Tubby and the coaching staff aren't allowed to comment on recruits until they sign a letter of intent. But, Shelman and Walters have other sources--like high school and AAU coaches, recruiting analysts, among others--who could help Gopher fans understand why Brommer is taking a step away from the University. Tubby has four scholarships available, now that Nate Garth has declared his intent to enroll in Minnesota, so it's plausible that Tubby is shooting for higher-rated players than Brommer.

It may very well be that Tubby doesn't want/need Brommer. Or, Brommer might have wanted to play for Monson. With the reporting Minnesota Gopher fans received, we're left only to wonder and draw our own conclusions. It would seem there is a difference between 'We report, You decide,' and the clearly poor effort demonstrated by our local sports reporters.