Tubby Ball Year In Review: The Final Chapter

PJS Note: This is the final chapter in a five-part series looking back at the first season of Tubby Ball at the University of Minnesota. Previously, we looked at the play of the three seniors, offense and defense under Tubby and player progression. Today, we give out grades to each of the non-seniors for their 2007-08 campaigns.

Part V: Grading the Players and Projecting to 2008-09

If I were a teacher, my fictional students probably wouldn't like me much. I'm probably overly critical and have never been good at giving compliments just so someone feels good. So, keep that in mind as you go through my year-end grades for the Gophers men's basketball team. Yes, I know it is about nine months since the season ended, but my procrastination on this can be summed up by stating that there is no sports season I enjoy more than college hoops. Ending this series, for me, ends my coverage of the 2007-08 Gophers. ***Tears***

Now, on to each non-senior, their grades, and a projection for the year(s) to come.

Jonathan Williams: Like almost all of the Minnesota big men, Williams, a St. Cloud native, struggled with Tubby Smith's demands to play more aggressive basketball. Reports came out that Williams played a dominating brand of basketball in practice. But once the ball was tipped in meaningful games, Williams oftentimes played a soft brand of basketball Dan Coleman would endorse. Statistically, you could argue he regressed. He started eight games as a sophomore, and only three as a senior. His minutes declined by about two minutes on average. His scoring dropped a point and he corralled one fewer rebound per game. Defensively, however, Williams was usually up to the task. He did well manning up DJ White in the Big Ten Tournament when Spencer Tollackson was out with an injury. And he showed flashes of being able to produce offensively, but he also showed many more signs of being slightly overwhelmed by the competition. At 6'9, 285, Williams should be a bruiser on the interior. He seldom was, and has never been able to establish a low post offensive game.

Grade: C-

2008-09: Look for Williams' minutes to increase slightly as a senior and he might even see a starting role while the incoming players progress. Don't expect him to turn into anything resembling an offensive threat. However, if all he is asked to do is play solid defense, the Gophers could do worse.

Jamal Abu-Shamala: Speaking of statistical regression, this junior from Shakopee went from 23.7 minutes per game to just over 13. He shot 43 percent (44-102) from three under Monson/Molinari in 2006-07 but that production fell dramatically to 34 percent (21-61) in 07-08. Abu-Shamala's game didn't change. He was a three point specialist who couldn't create his shot under Monson and he was the same thing under Tubby Smith. A couple things changed, however. The Gophers didn't want to settle for the perimeter shot as often under Tubby Smith. And Tubby Smith seemed to covet multi-dimensional players who could take the ball to the basket. Abu-Shamala couldn't do that. But his minutes also declined because of the arrival of Blake Hoffarber, a similar player with slightly greater athletic ability. Abu-Shamala seemed to be the biggest Gophers cheerleader even when he rode the pine. Because of that we have tremendous respect for the senior-to-be, even if we cringe when he touches the ball in the open floor.
Grade: D

2008-09: Expect his minutes to decline even more, though he'll surely come in against Northwestern and light up the Wildcats.

Travis Busch: Some will disagree, but I will continue to argue that the Cal Poly transfer and Mounds View native doesn't have the talent to compete in the Big Ten. If intensity and toughness were quantifiable, however, Busch would certainly have what it takes. Tubby Smith often turned to Busch when he needed just that. It's kind of starting that at 6'4, 220, Busch was Minnesota's most physical player when he was on the floor. He manned up Indiana's mammoth center. He sacrificed his body for loose balls and battled for rebounds. Early in the season I cringed when Busch came on the floor, but he soon earned his playing time. Simply put, Busch did what he was asked to do, and that wasn't to score, block shots, make great passes or dominate the boards. He was asked to provide occasional energy and toughness. On that score he delivered.

Grade: B

2008-09: Expect his minutes to be exceedingly minimal but for him to do everything he can do get the job done once he is on the floor.

Damian Johnson: No Minnesota player as large a step forward as did Monson recruit Damian Johnson. An afterthought in 2006-07, Johnson became Minnesota's best shot-blocker, defensive player and arguably its best rebounder. A tweener type, Johnson took minutes at both small forward and power forward. He showed a surprising ability to play on the inside against the Big Ten's big men and on the perimeter against slashing forwards. In my mind, Johnson was this team's MVP. He ran the floor, showed signs of developing an outside shot and a back-to-the-basket game. He needs to firm up his outside shot and his free throw shooting--55 percent won't get it done--but if he can take a similar step forward this upcoming season as he did under the first year of Tubby Smith, the sky is the limit.

Grade: A

2008-09: I expect Johnson to be a leader on the new Gophers team and to have solidified either his perimeter shot or his interior game. If he can add both, he will be the closest thing the Gophers have had in awhile to an all-around player. He will likely start, and he's earned it.

Kevin Payton: The would-be junior from Camden, NJ regressed more than any player in Tubby Smith's first year on the sidelines. And maybe it's not that he regressed, but that he was identified as a liability on the court. After playing in all 31 games, and starting 14, as a freshman, Payton received the dreaded DNP-Coaches Decision in seven Big Ten games. Payton was tentative all season. He had no confidence in his shot and shot a disastrous 15 percent from three point land. He couldn't seem to handle high-intensity pressure in the back court, failed to get the Gophers into the offense and really, provided nothing, other than an occasional spurt of solid defensive play. To his credit, Payton kept a smile on his face at least publicly. That said, he was highly over matched and Tubby Smith knew it.

Grade: F

2008-09: If Payton wants more minutes he'll need to dramatically improve his ball-handling, decision making, outside shot and just about every other facet of his game.

Lawrence Westbrook: For a player who was stung with the reputation as a prep player as being selfish and a ball-hog, Westbrook certainly hasn't lived up to that hype. Good, right? Kinda, I suppose. It's never good to have a me-first player on your team, but the Gophers could benefit from Westbrook taking the team on his shoulders an providing the scoring lift he's capable of more often. Westbrook started all 34 games as a sophomore. He shot 42 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three and averaged 8.5 points per game. He also proved to be a very solid defender, a trait that probably earned him the playing time that Tubby Smith gave him. Perhaps it is because he was a sophomore, or because Coleman and McKenzie were the first two scoring options, but Westbrook was a tad streaky. However, the Hoffarber Miracle doesn't happen if Westbrook doesn't put the Gophers on his back after for a career-high 17 points in the Big Ten tourney opener against Northwestern.

Grade: B+

2008-09: If Westbrook can look for his own shot more often, and take the ball to the basket more often and have success at it, he could be the Gophers' leading scorer this upcoming season.

Al Nolen: Defensively, Al Nolen played like a savvy fifth-year senior. Offensively, Nolen played like a raw high school kid. He led the Gophers with 64 steals. He also missed the rim quite a bit and shot 29 percent from three. Coupled with the poor perimeter shooting, Nolen also never displayed a knack for penetrating defenses either to score or to draw defenders and dish. Thrust into a role as Minnesota's only true point guard, Nolen did as well as anyone could have predicted. He kept his composure and ran Minnesota's offense, if he didn't propel it with his own scoring. And he sparked Minnesota's full-court defense. Overall, Nolen was a pleasant surprise in 2007-08, even if it is clear he has plenty to work on.

Grade: B

2008-09: Because Tubby Smith was unable to land a point guard in the incoming class, look for Nolen to start and perhaps split time at the position with incoming combo-guard Devoe Joseph. If Nolen can improve his outside shot, look for his game to explode. A decent outside shot should open up lanes to penetrate, drive and kick. If he's not shooting 1,000 shots per day, he should be.

Blake Hoffarber: The Hopkins grad is what he is: A spot up shooter with a deadly outside touch and a flare for the dramatic. We will never forget the Hoffarber Miracle against Indiana. And his 42.7 percent (70-164) set a freshman record at the U. On many nights, Hoffarber was the first player off the bench, giving the Gophers some much-needed instant offense. When he was able to get free off of screens and in transition he provided that punch. When defenders didn't give him an inch, Hoffarber was typically unable to create his own shot by running off of screens, penetrating or creating space any other way. Defensively, Hoffarber wasn't exactly a liability, but he wasn't a game changer either. When applying full-court pressure, Hoffarber was more often than not on the bench.

Grade: B-

2008-09: Unless Hoffarber can dramatically increase his quickness, he will continue to be a lights-out three point shooter when the Gophers can get him space. He'll need to learn how to more efficiently run himself off screens and set up his defenders. However, if all he is is a guy who makes 70 threes a year and can't do much else offensively, I think we'll take that.

Final Analysis: Tubby Smith did more with the talent he had on the roster then even I thought was possible. The Gophers won 20 games, finished in the upper-half of the Big Ten and played more defense in 2007-08 then in the entire Monson/Molinari era. Tubby Smith brought a new attitude to the Gophers, and while the roster still has some dead weight on it, Tubby was able to maximize what he did have. Who would have thought Damian Johnson would mature into a game changer? Certainly not me.

Gophers Disappear Down The Stretch Against Indiana

The script seemed oddly familiar to those that have played out for the Gophers all season. They played stretches of great basketball, and stretches of mistake-filled basketball. And the Gophers had a chance during the last 5-10 minutes to earn a statement victory, but fell short. Unlike some other close losses, at Indiana Wednesday night the Gophers vanished for the stretch run of the game.

Barring an amazing run in the Big Ten tournament, the loss to Indiana effectively ends any longshot dreams of earning an NCAA Tournament bid.

In Assembly Hall, the Gophers were a two-man show offensively. Lawrence McKenzie continued his hot-shooting ways, scoring 22 points on 6-11 shooting. Dan Coleman, who might have played his best all around game of the season shot with confidence from the outside in scoring 14 points. But Coleman impressed most with his hustle, grabbing eight rebounds and proving to be a factor in the shot blocking department.

But aside from those two seniors, the Gophers had nothing to offer. Blake Hoffarber was ineffective in 12 minutes and went scoreless. Spencer Tollackson was also ineffective in just 11 minutes (there was no foul trouble) and went scoreless. Damian Johnson and Jon Williams were OK off the bench, but Coleman and McKenzie alone couldn't carry the Gophers.

For the Hoosiers, Eric Gordon was mighty impressive. His shot wasn't falling, but he continued to find a way to get himself to the foul line and he did well to penetrate Minnesota's zone and kick to open shooters once the defense collapsed. Gordon scored 20 points, including 12-14 from the line. Impressive.

Gordon's ability to create is the exact piece the Gophers' offense lacks. McKenzie is a streaky shooter who can get red hot. But if McKenzie's shot isn't falling, he can't create for others the way Gordon does.

The Hoosiers won 69-55, but for three-quarters of the game the Gophers were trading blows with the Indiana. But the Gophers lacked the consistency to keep up. Same story, different game.

Other observations:

JAS: The junior walk on turned scholarship player started and played 10 completely awful minutes. He didn't score. He grabbed one rebound. He turned the ball over twice. JAS is a defensive liability and against teams with even a semblance of perimeter athleticism he is completely ineffective on offense. Can anyone make an argument for why he's playing (and starting!!).

Free Throws: Three Gophers ventured to the free throw line Wednesday night. McKenzie was 6-11, Lawrence Westbrook was 4-4 and Jon Williams was 0-2 with an air ball mixed in. I point this out only because it still amazes me at how little our big men get to the foul line. Coleman had a nice game, but he's never been able to be a physical, foul-drawing force on the interior.

Up and Under: I absolutely loved to see Jon Williams execute an old school up and under early in the first half. DJ White (I think it was) joined the IU faithful in calling for travelling. It wasn't. It was Kevin McHale-esque. Beautiful.

Up Next: The Gophers wrap up the regular season with a trip to face the Illini this weekend. A win would bring the Gophers back to .500 for the conference season, and that would be one hell of an improvement over last season. A win would also give the Gophers a chance to claim that 5th seed in the conference tournament.

Back To .500

It was as if two different Minnesota men's basketball teams took on the Penn State Nittany Lions during a matinee at Williams Arena Sunday afternoon.

One group of Gophers made me want to toss my remote control in disgust. After a decent start through five minutes, the Gophers went ice cold from the field. After a couple shots rimmed out, the Gophers sped things up a little too much offensively. Perimeter shots were settled for without any semblance of ball movement. Transition threes were launched under duress. Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, the Nittany Lions moved the ball crisply. They created wide open three point shots and hit an astonishing percentage to build a double-digit lead.

Then something changed. The Gophers calmed down. A couple threes fell and, most importantly, the Gophers began taking the ball to the basket. By halftime, the Gophers had trimmed the Nittany Lions lead to two. And as soon as the second half began, the Gophers took over. Lawrence Westbook penetrated and drew fouls. Dan Coleman finished with a dunk instead of fading on layups. On offense and defense, the Gophers were the aggressor.

The Gophers eventually won 75-68 to climb back to .500 (7-7) in the Big Ten. But the game went down to the wire partly because the Gophers are playing very inconsistent. After the lackadasical first 15 minutes and the high intensity end of the first half and beginning of the second half, the Gophers let the Nittany Lions hang around. I'm not sure the Gophers have played a full 40 minutes of smart, crisp, tenacious basketball all season. It was the same story against Penn State

Westbrook's aggressivness helped him lead the Gophers with 15 points. He shot 6-6 from the free throw line. Also in double figures were Dan Coleman with 10 points (on 4-13 frm the floor), Lawrence McKenzie with 11 points (on 3-12 from the floor including 3-9 from three) and Blake Hoffarber, who finished with 10 points on 3-5 shooting (all outside the arc).

Other Observations:

** Jon Williams played his second straight very solid game spelling Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson. Williams slammed home a couple buckets with authority. It's cliche, but Williams has tended to play "soft." He was anything but Sunday.

** Jamal Abu-Shamala found himself in Tubby's doghouse midway through the first half and didn't return. A-S launched a three early in the shot clock (this was during the period when the Gophers were slightly out of control on offense). Tubby yanked A-S right after the shot and he didn't return.

** I'm really tired of watching during every Gophers telecast a highlight of Blake Hoffarber's off-his-butt shot during the Minnesota high school tournament. Unfortunately, I think we're in store for three more years of seeing this highlight.

** What's with Minnesota's free throw routines? The Gophers catch the ball from the referee, take a look at the rim and shoot. As a coach, I preached that the players needed a routine. But I've never seen an entire team employ the same routine and have it be as simple as catch, look shoot. For some this might work fine, but I don't think it gives the player time to clear his head after a miss. The Gophers shot 57 percent from the line Sunday. Coleman was 2-6. Damian Johnson was 0-3. Williams was 0-2.

UP Next: The Gophers have four regular season games remaining. And I believe the Gophers will be underdogs in each. Starting Wednesday, the Gophers travel to face the upstart Purdue Boilermakers. Then the Gophers return home next weekend to face Ohio State, before finishing the conference schedule with games on the road against Indiana and Illinois. If the Gophers want to find themselves in bubble talk later on in March, they must win three of these four games. I don't think it's likely.

Making Room For Talent

It might sound callous, and it likely isn't a topic of conversation the athlete's in the Williams Arena locker room want to discuss, but for the Gophers to have the kind of instant turn around many of us are clamoring for, Tubby Smith might have to make some tough choices with his current roster.

Fact is, Dan Monson compiled a team with the talent level reminiscent of Division II basketball program. The Gophers' incoming class in 2008 includes three freshman, a sophomore and a junior. By all analysis, the class is primed to be the best we have seen since before Jan Gangelhoff-gate.

While that infusion of talent will work towards the type of turnaround we all expect, Tubby might need to be even more aggressive to dramatically increase the talent level of this team. And by that, I mean he might need to take away scholarships or kindly nudge a player towards a transfer. Here are some prime candidates to either return to walk-on status or to find a new home.

*** Jamal Abu-Shamala was a walk-on who busted his rear and eventually was rewarded a scholarship. No one can question Abu-Shamala's heart and desire. He wants to be a Golden Gopher. But he also came to the University knowing he wasn't scholarship material. Circumstances, however, allowed the Shakopee native a chance to play as a scholarship player. But now 17 games into Tubby's tenure, Abu-Shamala's minutes have dwindled. And if it wasn't clear before, Abu-Shamala is a one-dimensional player. Abu-Shamala is obviously a good kid, but for the Gophers to add top-level talent, it might be wise if he reverted back to walk-on status. He will be a senior next year, and it would be tough to take away his scholarship. But for the good of the program, it might be the best decision.

*** Travis Busch was a transfer from Cal-Poly who lucked into a scholarship after the departures of Brandon Smith and Bryce Webster. During his time in California, Busch quickly realized that he wanted to return home. After sitting out one season because of NCAA transfer rules, Busch has played sparingly for the Gophers this season. He's not adept enough at ball handling to play on the perimeter and at 6'4", Busch isn't long enough to play inside. He's not even a tweener. He's a guard who lacks the quickness to play at this level. If Tubby Smith wants to quickly turn this program around, Busch is another candidate to revert to walk-on status.

*** Kevin Payton is a product of Camden, NJ, who was recruited by Jim Molinari and was expected to be a key recruit for Dan Monson when he signed in late 2004. Before Payton dislocated his shoulder during his senior year in New Jersey, the combo-guard was averaging about 30 points per game. But as a Gopher, any offensive talent Payton possesses has been nowhere to be found. He's tentative with the basketball. He doesn't appear to have mastered some basic basketball fundamentals like the jump stop. According to a Payton interview with Rivals (subscription required) from October 2004, the teams after him were Pittsburgh, LaSalle, Binghamton and Penn State. Flash forward to Tubby's first recruiting class, and it's clear our new coach is after more substantial talent. With all of this in mind, it might be best for all parties if Payton decided to play out the remainder of his college career closer to home.

Following this season, the Gophers will also lose seniors Spencer Tollackson, Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie to graduation. Those scholarships are already accounted for with the incoming class. In order to compete at the level we all desire, the Gophers need an even larger infusion of Big Ten caliber talent.

Right now, only three returning players for 2008-09 seem to be locks to have decent careers at Minnesota. Blake Hoffarber is the best pure shooter in the conference and deserves a roster spot even if he needs to work on diversifying his game. Al Nolen has proven he can play point guard at this level. And more than any other holdover from the Monson era, Damian Johnson stands out as someone who has grasped the aggressive philosophy of Tubby Smith. After those three--and the incoming recruits--the Gophers would be well served to find ways to bring in more top-notch talent.

With the thigh injury to Nolen, it's clear the Gophers could use another point guard. Depending on who you read, Devoe Joseph is either a shooting guard or a point guard. The 4-star guard has the ability to score in bunches, and it would seem he will be a good fit to replace McKenzie at the two spot. After that, the Gophers don't have anyone on the roster who can play the point. And with the graduations of Coleman and Tollackson, the Gophers lack inside depth. Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson will help in this regard, but Jon Williams and Damian Johnson aren't your ideal Big Ten bangers. Johnson is more suited to be a shut-down defender playing small forward and Williams, who will be a senior next year, hasn't been effective in long stretches.

While it's obvious the Gophers have some talent coming in, depth is going to be an issue in the coming years if Tubby Smith doesn't make some hard choices.

Well Worth The Trip: Tollackson Impresses Throughout In Comeback Win

The Golden Gophers of one year ago would have hung their collective heads. They would have sulked back to the bench during timeouts. And they certainly wouldn't have shown the backbone and intensity needed to comeback from 16 down, with 13 minutes to play, in a hostile environment no less.

That's exactly what the Gophers accomplished Saturday afternoon, as I watched from 7 rows back slightly adjacent to the basket nearest the Penn State bench. Sure, the Penn State Nittany Lions performed like a team that didn't know how to win. They were miserable at the free-throw line and seemed to relax after building a double-digit lead. They gave away the game as the Gophers took it, leaving State College with a 76-73 win.

Spencer Tollackson played like a man all afternoon. He was the interior presence the Gophers needed to beat an athletic, but short in stature team like Penn State. He finished with 19 points, including 5-5 from the free throw line, and five rebounds. Tollackson gets my game ball for playing a hard-fought 34 minutes--many of which he played while in foul trouble--of aggressive, hard-nosed basketball.

There are other superlatives to lend out. Tubby Smith out coached Ed DeChellis. Tubby ramped up the tempo when the Gophers fell behind big in the second half. The faster pace allowed the Gophers to extend the game by ensuring they had more possessions to make the comeback. Tubby also had to mix and match his lineup all afternoon because the Gophers committed an astonishing 28 fouls (more on this later). Tubby also did well to mix up his defenses down the stretch. And the fact that he started Damian Johnson over Jamal Abu-Shamala was a great sign. Johnson was one of two Gophers who were capable playing Geary Claxton one-on-one.

Perhaps most impressively was the play of freshmen Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber. Hoffarber made a handful of clutch threes in succession to bring the Gophers back at the Bryce Jordan Center. He finished with 19 points in 25 minutes--more time than two starters. We needed his offense Saturday and Tubby knew it and gave him a chance to bring the team back.

And then there was Nolen. The freshman point guard, again, was up-and-down Saturday. He made an insanely stupid behind-the-back pass while in the middle of a slew of traffic in the lane during the first half. While he racked up seven assists, his five turnovers were of the sloppy variety. But .... Nolen was the hero against the Nittany Lions. With under 10 seconds to play, after the Gophers had previously handed Penn State numerous chances to win the game, Nolen jumped a bad pass from Claxton on the perimeter and dribbled the length of the floor before he was fouled. An intentional was called and Nolen nailed 3-4 free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

Earlier in the game, after the ill-advised behind the back pass, I was cursing Nolen from the stands. And at other times this year he has frustrated me. But like those other games, Nolen has tended to find a way to redeem himself. He's still playing up and down basketball, but the Gophers were at their best when he was on the floor.

With about 13 minutes left in the game, I looked at Miss PJS and said something like "Well, I'm glad we drove 2.5 hours for this." At the time, of course, the Gophers were on the verge of being run out of the BJC. Miss PJS said "They just have to give the ball all the time to Hoffarber." The Gophers did that, and with the help of Tubby, Tollackson, Nolen and others, the Gophers completed a great comeback.

Other notes from the Saturday win:

** Dan Coleman had another double-double Saturday with 10 points and 11 rebounds. But of the three Minnesota seniors, Coleman was the one who wilted down the stretch and reverted to some old Dan Monson ingrained habits. With under one minute to play, Penn State was at the line. As was the case all afternoon, the Nittany Lions missed. But this time, Coleman didn't box out. He didn't put his ass into Jamelle Cornley (I think, don't remember, it could have been Claxton) and the Nittany Lions came away with an offensive rebound. Coleman complained that he was pushed from behind, and he might have had a case, but as I stood just rows from the play, my reaction was Coleman didn't do all he could to secure the rebound. He didn't box out with energy.

While he was perfect from the free-throw line, Coleman again struggled offensively. But as has been his norm against more athletic competition, Coleman has faded away on his jumpers. And he didn't take the ball to the basket. The double-double was needed. And Coleman wasn't bad on Saturday, but he certainly wasn't leading either.

** All of the superlatives aside, the Gophers really should have lost this game. Penn State out rebounded the Gophers 38-25. And they went to the free throw line 36 times. Thankfully they shot just 47 percent from the charity stripe.

** The officiating crew of Sid Rodeheffer, Dan Chrisman and Dwayne Gladden should be ashamed. I realize that this crew's desire to call every single contact as a personal foul likely led to the Gophers winning, but fans of both teams had right to be upset with this crew all day. Big Ten basketball is known for relatively physical play. You couldn't so much as cough on your opponent Saturday without getting a whistle.

** Kevin Payton recorded some solid minutes during the second half comeback. He frustrated as usual in the first half with his inability to make crisp decisions on offense. But it's worth noting he totaled eight minutes Saturday. Lawrence Westbrook and Abu-Shamala had 12 and 1o minutes respectively.

** While A-S played sparingly down the stretch, he seemed to me to be the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines. He just wants to win and contribute where he can. That's laudable.

** Lawrence McKenzie was obviously frustrated with the officiating and he only recorded 21 minutes as a result. But, McKenzie came through down the stretch with a big-time three, even with his finger wrapped due to injury. And he was 5-8 from the floor for 12 points despite being hurt.

** Finally, on the Bryce Jordan Center. My reaction is blah. The atmosphere was very good. The Penn State crowd was into the game and that thoroughly impressed me. But the arena itself was a mini Target Center that lacked any semblence of originality. Beaver Stadium, Joe Paterno's home which sits adjacent to the BJC, is another story entirely.

UP Next: The tough stretch of Minnesota's schedule continues. This week Indiana and Michigan State come to The Barn--which better be rocking. After facing two ranked teams, the Gophers will travel to Ohio State to end a four game murders row. I completely concur with Gopher Nation, who wrote yesterday that his mantra during this next stretch is "steal one game." I'm thinking right now the Gophers could do better than that. Michigan State looked abysmal last night in a loss at Iowa.

The complete box score from Saturday's game is here.

Tubby's Gophers Brought Down To Size

For the second time this season, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team faced an athletically-superior opponent. For the second time this season, the Gophers were virtually run out of that team's gym.

The first measuring-stick game came against the Seminoles of Florida State and ended with a 75-61 loss. Sunday night in the finale of the Duel in the Desert Classic, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels ran the Gophers out of the Thomas and Mack Center from the opening tip. The Rebels grabbed a quick 9-0 lead and never looked back en route to an 81-64 win.

The Seminoles and Rebels have one thing in common: athletic guards who can beat Minnesota's pressure defense, fill the basket from beyond the arc and take our less athletic defenders off the dribble. In both games the Gophers tried for a period to run with the opposition, only to find that the other team had better athletes to run-and-gun. When the Gophers (10-2) tried to slow things down against the Rebels and Seminoles, our guards were unable to effectively get the team into its offensive sets.

When the Gophers have dominated cupcakes this season, they've done so by forcing a large number of turnovers and scoring easy transition baskets. Against FSU, the Gophers lost the turnover battle 18-16. Those numbers weren't lopsided Sunday night, but UNLV had a 14-11 advantage. In both of these games, offense didn't come easy for the Gophers.

This is partially because the talent level on the Gophers is simply less than UNLV or Florida State. UNLV (10-3) was a Sweet 16 team last season and is led by outstanding junior guard Wink Adams. He was the aggressor Sunday night, leading the rebels with 20 points, including 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, and racked up 7 assists to zero turnovers. Adams' back court mate Curtis Terry did quite a bit of damage on his own, going 4-for-6 from three for 14 points. Make no mistake, UNLV is a good team and they came to play Sunday night.

This loss shouldn't cause anyone to be any less excited about the Big Ten season. The conference, for the most part, is weak. Illinois lost Sunday to Tennessee Tech. After Wisconsin, Michigan State, Indiana and maybe Ohio State, there isn't a team in the conference I don't think the Gophers can beat. The Gophers can be an upper-half Big Ten team. No one should have been having delusions of Final Four appearances before Sunday night and likewise we shouldn't take the throttling from UNLV and be any less inclined to sell out Williams Arena as the Big Ten season gets ready to begin in earnest.

Some other general thoughts from the loss at UNLV:

** As much as I preach that starting lineups aren't really that important, the Gophers would have benefited tonight had Blake Hoffarber been in the starting lineup as opposed to Jamal Abu-Shamala. Against teams like UNLV the Gophers need as many people on the floor who can A) score and B) handle the basketball. Hoffarber can do both better than Abu-Shamala. The freshman did see five more minutes on the floor against UNLV than Abu-Shamala. Additionally, the Gophers can apply pressure more effectively and handle opponents' pressure more easily when Hoffarber is on the floor instead of Abu-Shamala.

** Sticking with the lineups ... I know Tubby Smith is trying to get Lawrence McKenzie accustomed to the point guard spot. But I still feel our best lineup would be with Al Nolen at point, McKenzie at off-guard, Blake Hoffarber at the three spot and Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson underneath. McKenzie is one of two multi-threat scoring options on the team (the other being Coleman). Making McKenzie a distributor first would seem to be wasting what he does best: Score. I understand why Tubby is playing him at point, and it's hard to argue with it. The Gophers have one true point guard on the roster in Nolen, a freshman. McKenzie needs to take up minutes at the point, but in doing so the Gophers sacrifice his much-needed offense.

** The Gophers have two players who can handle the ball in pressure: Lawrence McKenzie and Al Nolen. This is going to hurt the Gophers all season against teams with quick guards. It'd be nice to see Lawrence Westbrook progress in this department.

** Dan Coleman led the Gophers again offensively, but he still has a bad tendency of fading away on most any interior shot. While leading the Gophers with 10 points on 5-for-10 shooting, Coleman didn't go to the line once. Instead of taking repeated fade away jumpers, it would be nice to see Coleman take a nice power dribble once in awhile and take the ball to the basket. He's taken small steps in this department, but can still be much more aggressive.

** Spencer Tollackson shot 2-for-7 from the free throw line. Yuck. Tollackson only recorded 16 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing just one rebound. In comparison, Jon Williams recorded 17 minutes and pulled down 4 rebounds.

The full boxscore for the game is here.

Up Next: The Gophers have five days to prepare for what will be one of their tougher road tests all season when they head to East Lansing for a meeting with Tom Izzo and the Spartans. If the Gophers are competitive next Saturday, that will show signs of progress against quality opponents.