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.

Stick A Fork In Penn State's Season

Unfortunate news out of State College, Pa. today, we learn that senior Geary Claxton is done for the season after an ACL injury in the first half of a loss against Wisconsin.

Claxton has been on the receiving end of many jokes because it seems that he has been a Nittany Lion for decades. And it has seemed like that. But the truth is, he was one great competitor and a joy to watch in the Big Ten. With the current team, the Nittany Lions weren't going to challenge for a conference championship, but they had the tools to pull a few upsets and fight for an NIT berth.

But now, Ed DeChellis and the Nittany Lions may as well write this season off. Without Claxton leading the way, Jamelle Cornley, Talor Battle and company will be lost. If the loss to the Gophers wasn't deflating enough--the Badgers came out last night and destroyed the Lions--this news is surely a crushing blow. Expect the Nittany Lions to struggle immensely the remainder of the season.

Big Ten Chronicle has more here. And if you don't read Big Ten Chronicle, you should, even if the blogger thinks a recurring role on Law & Order means Fred Thompson would be a good President. Run Up The Score has the Penn State reaction here.

I'll be back later today with a first look at Indiana. The Hoosiers come to Minneapolis for a nationally televised tilt Thursday night.

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.

Gophers Face Tough Road Test At Penn State

When the national pundits talk about improved teams, it's becoming commonplace that Tubby Smith and the Golden Gophers are mentioned. While the Gophers might enjoy basking in some positive attention, the talking heads are ignoring another Big Ten turnaround that's taking place in Happy Valley.

Ed DeChellis' Penn State Nittany Lions entered last season hoping to build off of a 6-10 conference record that included an upset of the Illini (then a top 4 team) on the road. But last year's Nittany Lions fell flat, reverting back to their laughingstock ways with a 2-14 conference record. Flashback to the current season and we see that DeChellis might finally be turning the corner many thought Lions would a year ago.

After a tough stretch to begin the season—that included losses at Rider and Central Florida, and a loss at home against South Carolina—DeChellis' team has beaten Virginia Tech and Seton Hall and has went on the road to claim two Big Ten wins against Illinois and Northwestern. Much like the Gophers, the Nittany Lions (10-4, 2-0) enter Saturday's tilt at the Bryce Jordan Center with a sense of confidence the program hasn't had in quite some time.

The Nittany Lions are led by swingman Geary Claxton (pictured), a 6'5" senior who is averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds per game. Strikingly, in Claxton's last three games, he has been on the floor for 38, 40 and 38 minutes. There is no question that Claxton is a battle-tested senior leader. But he's not the only reason the Nittany Lions are off to a nice 2-0 Big Ten start.

Junior power forward Jamelle Cornley, a thick 6'5" 250 pound specimen, can lead the Lions on the interior and take some scoring pressure off of Claxton. Against Illinois, Cornley went to the free throw line 11 times, an indication he is taking the ball strong to the basket. Freshman newcomer Talor Battle, a 5'11" point guard from Albany, NY, has been steady, leading the team with 3.4 assists per game to 2.4 turnovers. Battle has struggled, however, from beyond the arc, converting on just 14 of his 66 three point attempts.

But while Battle might not be the three point threat, he is bailed out by Claxton, Danny Morrisey and Mike Walker. All three are shooting about 35 percent or higher from beyond the arc. The Gophers' strong perimeter defense should be able to keep these three from doing too much damage.

While Claxton is able to be a nuisance in numerous ways, including on the boards, the Gophers should have an advantage inside. Dan Coleman, Spencer Tollackson, Damian Johnson and Jon WIlliams should be ready to attack the offensive and defensive boards aggressively, like they did against Northwestern. Likewise, the Gophers would benefit from running their offense from the inside out--Bo Ryan style--to assert our dominance in the paint. Claxton and Cornley are nothing to scoff at on the interior, but PSU's inside depth consists of relatively unproven underclassmen.

Keys to the game:

** The Gophers need to contain Claxton on offense and on the boards. He has the ability to single-handedly destroy us ala Raymar Morgan. If the Gophers play man defense, I'd like to see either Dan Coleman or Damian Johnson try to shut him down. If we play our 2-3 zone, the Gophers must know where Claxton is at all times, because he can hurt us on the perimeter and in the paint.

** Create turnovers. When Northwestern came into The Barn, they sported a nice assist to turnover ratio. The Gophers were able to change that. Likewise, the Nittany Lions have done a good job protecting the ball (215 assists to 169 turnovers). Our extended defensive pressure needs to create turnovers.

** The Gophers need to be diverse offensively. Too often this season the Gophers have failed to establish an inside presence. Spencer Tollackson will be the biggest man on the floor and needs to play like it.

** Dan Coleman has disappeared in big games so far this season against quality opponents. He needs to lead the Gophers Saturday. Another double-double performance would go a long way to securing a much-needed road win.

** Al Nolen must play within himself, something he has done for the most part. Talor Battle should be an easier match up than MSU's Kalin Lucas was. Nolen needs to create turnovers and run the offensive efficiently.

** Sid Hartman reported today that Lawrence McKenzie has been bothered by a bum hand. That's the first I've heard of that unless I missed something (Thank you beat reporters). The Gophers can get by against teams like Northwestern without much from LMac, but in hard-fought road contests we'll need him to provide his offensive spark and senior leadership.

PREDICTION: I'm heading to Penn State Saturday morning from my Northern Virginia home and I'm hesitant to jinx my journey. However, I believe the senior leaders on the Gophers know the importance of winning on the road and will come poised and ready to play. I expect Spencer Tollackson to have a nice game on the inside and Al Nolen to take another step forward and win the point guard match up with Battle. Gophers by six, 72-66.

A couple other things: There will not be a Game Day Prep for this game as I'll be on the road early Saturday morning. I probably won't post again until I return from Happy Valley on Sunday morning.

Also, what's up Rick Majerus? At one time the former Utah coach seemed to be a favorite to succeed Dan Monson. But last night Majerus' St. Louis Bilikens put up a ghastly 20 points in a loss to George Washington. 20 points! Seven in the first half! The point total was a record low in the shot clock era. Wow.