Have A Good Weekend

I'm off to Atlantic City for a night of poker and heavy drinking, so I'll be gone until late Sunday or Monday.

I'm going to try and sneak away to the hotel room to catch portions of the Colorodo State tilt against the Gophers basketball team at Williams Arena tonight.

Before I leave you, there are a few Gophers items to bring your attention to.

Colorodo State is coached by former North Dakota State University coach Tim Miles. The Star Tribune's Myron Medcalf has a look at Colorodo state here. The Pioneer Press' Marcus Fuller also takes the Miles angle in a story here.

Meanwhile in this preview from The Coloradoan, today's opposition talks about being star-struck by Tubby Smith.

Down With Goldy suggests that Colorodo State is "not a scary team." I completely agree. Tim Miles' former team seemed to be more positioned to make an upset than the Colorodo State Rams.

In his blog, Fuller informs us that Tubby is bringing the Gophers national attention and Fuller breaks down the numbers to show us just how much impact he has had.

ANd now, I'm off. Ski-U-Mah, and wish me luck in Atlantic City. I want to be up a few grand by the time the Gophers begin so I can throw some money down on them.

Dennis Green: You Are Who We Thought You Were

And that would be a kook.

That descriptor isn't used lightly. But when someone takes perhaps their most un-flattering moment, where they come across as someone Nurse Ratched should be observing, and brings that back into the public eye, um, yeah, that would be considered kooky.

Dennis Green is trying to capitalize on his post-game meltdown last year after his Cardinals blew a large lead against the Chicago Bears. And by capitalizing, I mean that Green is apparently going to try and trademark the phrase "They Are Who We Thought They Were."

This would fall into the category of simply not being able to make it up. Here's the YouTube clip in case you are in need of a good laugh.



I say, why not take it one step further. The Sheriff could take his desire to capitalize on his insanity by trademarking "High Performance Helicopter." Another Denny Green conundrum.

(HT-AOL FanHouse)

BTB Roundtable -- Reviewing The Season That Was

Our friends at Boiled Sports have done the legwork to put together one last Big Ten Bloggers roundtable for the 2007 college football season. The Gophers season, as we all know, was one to forget. But the questions posed below will give an opportunity for both positive and negative reaction.

Here we go ...

1. What was your biggest surprise of the season (positive)?

By the end of the season, the Gophers were playing competitive football. A close loss at Iowa and at home against Wisconsin ended a forgettable 2007 season. But there seemed to be some progress from a player and coaching standpoint. Also, freshman quarterback Adam Weber learned on the job and performed admirably.

2. What was your biggest disappointment of the season?

Not winning one Big Ten game was highly disappointing. I'm not sure many Gopher fans expected such a regression, from the mediocrity of the Glen Mason era to the putridness (is that a word) of the first installment of Brewster-ball. Time will tell if this past season was a sign of things to come, or simply a typical down year when a new coach arrives with new systems.

3. What are you excited about for the '08 season?

The progression of Adam Weber, the younger receivers, and a recruiting class that by all accouts has exceeded anything Glen Mason ever put together.

4. What are you least looking forward to in the '08 season?

Getting excited listening to Brewster talk about roses but then failing to win a conference game.

5. What effect, if any, will a bowl have on Minnesota's football program?

Well, we're at home now. A bowl this season would have been nice. Some Gopher fans will say they tired of the AAA-Popeye's Chicken bowl games. A return to a bowl next season will show immense progress.

6. How and when will Tim Brewster's career end at Minnesota?

Brewster still is enjoying a honeymoon of sorts. While a Fire Tim Brewster site has emerged, most Gopher fans are still pleased Mason is gone. He'll have three to four more years to prove he can coach. He's recruited well so far, despite a one-win season. If he can't win with these players down the line, he'll be kicked to the curb and talked about often in the same breath as Jim Wacker in Gopher football lore.

7. Who frustrated you the most this season?

Tim Brewster. His rhetoric needs to be adjusted to reality. On a national scale, Kirk Herbstreit falls into this category.

8. What team and/or player opponent of Purdue this season was least impressive to you?

They were all sweet. We won one game in overtime against a MAC school. We sucked, they didn't.

9. Despite all the grousing we do, is Minnesota football on the right track (If not, what would get the program back on track)?

Recruting wise, yes. Coaching wise, I think the jury is out. But if I was forced to answer, at this point I'd say no. Brewster needs to show some maturity (not going into Big Ten media day next year talking like he's the next coming of Lou Holtz. Quiet confidence anyone?

10. Looking at next year's schedule, what's your early thought on critical games?

The Florida Atlantic Owls come to the Metrodome in Week 4 next year. Avening that embarrassment in Miami from this season should be considered critical.

11. Does it ever get old making fun of Fat Charlie the Manatee?

If by this question you are referring to Charlie Weis, no. Tim Brewster is good at that, reportedly.

12. Will Minnesota win a football national championship in our lifetime?

Now you're just upsetting me with these questions.

13. What is more likely for the Gophers and why: a football championship or a basketball championship?

A basketball championship. Why? Tubby Smith. Also, it wasn't too long ago Bobby Jackson and company were in the Final Four. Granted, we cheated to make that happen. But still, Gopher basketball has a much better track record.

14. After Brewster retires (or is fired), would you rather get a coach that is a better recruiter or is a better game day coach?

I'm leaning towards game-day coach. Glen Mason was neither. So Brewster at least is an improvement in the recruiting department. Is the combination of good game-day coach and good recruiter too much to ask?

15. If you had to choose another coach from the Big Ten to coach Minnesota, who would you pick?

A sentimental choice, I'd choose Joe Paterno. Love him. Respect him. Always have. As the saying goes, he's forgotten more about football than our current coach may ever know. But since he's 104 years old, it's not anything more than sentimental. Aside from JoePa, I'd agree with the boys at Boiled Sports in suggesting that if Ron Zook can turn around Illinois, he could do the same at Minnesota.

NDSU Review: The Lightning Rod Known As Dan Coleman

Monday night it was proven just how much impact Tubby Smith has had on the Golden Gophers. The defensive intensity was abundant--traps were set quickly and aggressively, defenders were quick to deny passing lanes, tip passes and be a complete pest nagging at the North Dakota State Bison.

And thank the heavens that Tubby Smith has arrived, because North Dakota State isn't a bad collection of basketball players. And had the Bison come into Williams Arena and won, our friends of Fargo-fame would have bragging rights in both football and basketball.

And while Minnesota's 88-56 win can't be described as anything but dominant, there were certainly some areas where the Gophers still need to improve. I'll go through a handful of items that stuck out to me, both good and bad.

** Let's start with the lightning rod known as Dan Coleman. The burgeoning Minnesota Gophers blogosphere has been all over him. Here are a few takes.

Down With Goldy wrote: Danny Coleman scored 15 points, had 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Sounds like a pretty good line, and if you hadn't watched the game, you'd be pretty impressed. Don't be. Coleman hasn't developed at all. Against this team, he should have completely controlled the game, and he most certainly didn't. He floats around, looks lost half the time, and just seems kind of out of it.

Jon at The National Anthem Before A Cubs Game wrote: Coleman was, up until tonight, probably the lone Gopher not meeting expectations for the year. The head coach had questioned Coleman's effort and heart, and he was losing minutes to Damian Johnson. But on Monday, Coleman came out and showed again why he's one of the "big three" on this Gopher team, leading the team in points (15, tied with Nolen), rebounds (eight), and assists (four, tied with Kevn Payton). Not surprisingly, Coleman was also the only Gopher to play more than 30 minutes.

In writing that Coleman and Kevin Payton led the Gophers to victory, From The Barn noted: The Gopher forward is on his way back. Though he still needs to return to form in a few areas, he filled the stat sheet last night. ... Most importantly, he showed determined effort on both ends of the court, at one point rebounding his own miss three or four times before getting the tip in. He also stuck to what he is best at, finding openings in the zone for easy dunks and 10 foot jumpers. Of course, in what has so far been a disappointing season for Coleman, the story was not all positive. He committed four fouls in what was a very strangely officiated game, and also had four turnover including a dunk he missed by 10 feet (really). The stats were a bit inflated due to the opponent, but it was at least a game that can be build on.

Finally, we have Gopher Nation with this take: Hats off to Dan Coleman for having his first non-sucky game of the year. ... He is NOT as good as an outside shooter as he thinks he is and he is NOT a great post scorer. Last night he finally played to his strengths and had his best game of the year.

The consensus? I guess it's that Dan Coleman didn't suck, put up some numbers but is still disappointing. I don't want to be too hard on Coleman. It's no doubt difficult to transition to a new offensive scheme, with a coach that is probably demanding that you do different things. It would be good to push Coleman out of his comfort zone, and that's what I think Tubby is doing. If by mid-season Coleman can combine his outside shooting and quick first step with an ability to effectively penetrate and get to the basket and score inside without fading away, Coleman will be a much improved version of his former self. My feel is that we're living thruogh some growing pains right now. Or that could be the long lost optimist in me talking.

What do you think?

** Jonathan Williams continues to shoot mid-range jump shots and not look awful. While I previously teased Williams about his shooting prowess, I'm starting to think that Tubby wants him to shoot that open 15-footer when he has it. I'm changing my position and am now encouraging Williams to take the shot when he has it.

** People can question Spencer Tollackson's talent (my brother played against him in high school and trashes him incessantly) but no one can question his desire and intensity. The boy brings it, whether his game is going well offensively or not. It's a pleasure to watch you, Spencer.

** I'm loving the defensive intensity and the trapping in the post and the corners. The Gophers didn't play horrible defense last season, but this new version of Gophers seems to be playing with a certain tenacity on the defensive end.

** Damian Johnson was not a one or two game wonder. He's playing with confidence and continues to be a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. I'm excited about his future. I've previously suggested that one way to measure Tubby will be by watching the progression of the younger players. Johnson, at times, has been the best player on the floor for Minnesota. That's quite the endorsement for Tubby. Who thought Johnson would be this solid game in and game out?

** I predict that when things get tough in the conference season, Tubby will shorten his bench to at least nine, and maybe eight. I think Blake Hoffarber has earned time with his shooting and all-around play. That means that when the bench shortens, I beleive Kevin Payton and Jamal Abu-Shamala will see their playing time limited. Though Abu-Shamala will continue to get minutes when we need his outside shooting.

** Finally, a personal note. I had intended to offer this synopsis yesterday, but my life, professional and personal, got in the way. It was a great pleasure to know--as I made a long drive home tonight--to know that I had begun this blog post yesterday. I knew I was going to escape into the process of finishing it. I'm flattered by how many of you show up here everyday, but I'm pretty sure I'd continue this blog if it were still just me and my brother reading it. It's been an escape for me, while I've tried to forget about the highly insane world of my daily life. For me, that's a job in politics, which these days--I guess always, actually--is much more about personal destruction and spin than an actual desire to do good things. So, thanks for reading. It's a pleasure having you along for the ride.

God Knows Minnesota Basketball

News that freshman guard Alex Legion is transferring out of Kentucky is interesting on a number of fronts. First, it will be hard for some of the Tubby Smith obsessed UK fans to blame this on their former coach. Second, God was wrong apparently, but he's telling me that Minnesota is on the verge of becoming a basketball giant.

When things happen concerning Kentucky basketball, PJS always first turns to it's favorite Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue. Certainly we'll find here that there is no way Kentucky fans can blame Tubby Smith for Legion leaving. Legion, a Billy Gillespie recruit, leaving can't have anything to do with Tubby, right? Apparently not.

The message boards are nuts, and lots of people are taking the name of Tubby Smith in vain. Don't ask me how Smith managed to create this situation, but according to many, it is so. I always suspected that Smith was the real force behind global warming and high gas prices. Now, I'm sure of it, and even from Minnesota, his icy clutches have frozen our collective hearts yet again. How is this possible? The Wrath of Jobu, I tell you! I'll bet he's sticking a pin in a voodoo doll of Billy Gillispie even as I write this ...

Sigh.

Legion, you might remember if you follow basketball recruiting, originally committed to play at Michigan. Legion is a Michigan product, afterall, but was granted his release after Tommy Amaker went to coach at Harvard. It was around this time God entered the fray and swung Legion's recruitment in favor of Kentucky.

Legion's mother, you should know, is a prophet. Here is a rather lengthy snippet of her conversation with Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The Almighty steered [Alex Legion] to prestigious Detroit Country Day, a private high school that has produced such basketball stars as Chris Webber and Shane Battier. Then the Holy Spirit let it be known that he should transfer to prep school powerhouse Oak Hill Academy for his senior year. Divine intervention brought him to UK, a college he had not been considering.

"I had no clue Kentucky was a basketball school. No clue," Annette Legion said. "But God knew."

When asked about God's interest in her son, she quietly, almost as an aside, made a startling claim.

"Me being a prophet, he has truly ordered my son's steps," she said matter-of factly.

Prophet? Did you say prophet? Like Isaiah and Ezekiel of the Old Testament? "I'm a prophet," she said, "someone who can prophesize about your future and what's going on in your life."

Apparently God got this one wrong, eh Annette?

Many of the still fuzzy reports out of Kentucky indicate that Mrs. Legion was upset with the way Gillespie was treating the players. And there is even speculation that another Kentucky player could be on the way out. While I'll continue to take some sweet joy in watching Billy Gillespie's team implode, now is time for the typical sepculation of where Legion will transfer to. He could end up back at Michigan. I would imagine other schools that were recruiting him heavily--Florida, Kansas and others--will be knocking on Mrs. Legion's door. But some have suggested he could be interested in playing in the Big Ten. If that were the case, Alex could find a home in Minnesota.

Mrs. Legion probably is aware, being a prophet and all, that Tubby Smith is a Godly man. I don't even need to provide a link to discuss something else that is widely known: Many of Tubby Smith's players end up looking up to their ball coach. By the time his seniors graduate, Tubby is as much a father figure as he is a coach. That would be a stark contrast to the way Legion was coached at Kentucky, where reports are coming out that indicate Billy Gillespie is kind of a jerk.

Alex and Annette should also know that Tubby's recruiting class has two top-notch big men, in Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iversen. Tubby's 2008 class also includes two high-profile JUCO players in junior Devron Bostick and sophomore Paul Carter. And it includes the best point guard in Candada in Devoe Joseph. A shooting guard of Alex's skill could certainly have people, even God, talking about Minnesota basketball.

I'm apparently not the only one who thinks Legion could end up in Minnesota. And if that happens, I'll be sure to bring you all of the insane reaction in Kentucky. That would be fun, wouldn't it?

Bison Looking To Exert Dominance In Border Battle

Gameday: Minnesota vs. North Dakota State
Place: Minneapolis - Williams Arena
Time: Monday - 8 p.m. CST
Television: Big Ten Network

It was just a few short months ago when the North Dakota State University Bison came into the Metrodome and demolished our Golden Gophers. The basketball Bison will enter Williams Arena Monday night with their eyes set on embarrassing Tubby Smith's Gophers and staking ownership to this border rivalry most Minnesota fans would like to pretend doesn't exist.

The Bison are now competing in the new Summit League, which was formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference--the league that formerly served as home to Valparaiso.

A few years ago, I viewed any matchup with the Bison--football or basketball--as a free win on the schedule. It was a cupcake game, designed to boost attendance and appease our neighbors to the west. That's not the case anymore.

The football Bison whacked us this year, and if the Gopher men aren't careful Monday night, the basketball Bison could do the same. In their first game of the year, the pesky Bison put a scare into the defending natinoal champion Florida Gators. I could shrug that off because it was the Gators' first game with a lineup that didn't include Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and company. But this NDSU team returns four starters from a team that finished 20-8 last year, including a win against Tom Crean at Marquette.

Three juniors lead the way for the Bison. Ben Woodside (pictured), a 5-11 junior from Albert Lea, MN, leads the team in points (26.4), minutes (36.6) and assists (5.4). Brett Winkelman is a 6-6, 200 pound forward from Morris, MN who averages 20.9 points per game and leads the Bison in rebounding with 8.9 rebounds per game. The third junior is Mike Nelson, a 6-4 off guard from Madison, WI. Like Woodside and Winkelman, Nelson is on the court for 30 minutes per game.

Holding down the paint along with Winkelman are junior center Lucas Moormann and freshman forward Michael Tveidt. Moormann is a big boy, standing at 6-9, 250 pounts. Tveidt is the lanky variety of forward, with a 195 pound 6-7 frame.

Many Bison will have extra motivation Monday night. Woodside and Winkelman, two of NDSU's leaders, are Minnesota products. But the roster has quite a few more Minnesota natives. Freddy Coleman is a freshman guard from St. Paul. Matt Rosenberg is a junior guard from Golden Valley. Eric Carlson is a freshman forward from Shakopee. Josh Vaughan is a sophomore guard from Braham. And Sam Sussenquth is a sophomore forward from Wilmar.

My point is, this isn't your run-of-the-mill non-conference game for these Bison. Not only are they a quality opponent, but they will be coming into Minneapolis with that grudge on their shoulder the football Bison have had the last two years.

We do have this going for us: The Gophers were able to defeat a stronger Bison team last year (St. Paul native Andre Smith led in the Bison 2006-07) with Dan Monson on the sidelines. Down With Goldy would suggest that would make the Gophers a large favorite Monday night.

And if I was forced to, I'd predict a Gophers win. But for those of you looking at NDSU on the schedule and expecting a free win, I'd suggest you think otherwise. I anticipate a close game Monday night. And we'll need senior leadership--that means actual production from Tollackson and Coleman and consistency from McKenzie--if we're going to defeat that pesky western border rival.

Sensationalism Saturday, Or Why Kirk Herbstreit Should Shut His Mouth

On a day when the crazy college football season should have taken center stage, some goof named Kirk Herbstreit stole the thunder from Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, LSU and others.

And since ESPN likes to market every Saturday during the college football and basketball season with a ridiculous name, I decided I'd lend a hand to the geniuses in Bristol, Conn. and name this past Saturday for them: Sensationalism Saturday. Beacuse that's what reporting is about at the 4-letter. It's about Internet hits and clicks. It's about gossip, not actual reporting.

The latest display of ESPN's tacky journalism began early Saturday morning on College GameDay, when color commentator and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit decided to offer his best John Clayton imitation. Herbstreit cited a "source," who may or may not be close to the situation, who had apparently told him that Les Miles would be bolting from his position at LSU to take a job at his alma mater in Ann Arbor. Shortly thereafter, ESPN had a story up on its Web site. Miles was on his way to Michigan, ESPN was reporting just hours before LSU was to meet Tennessee in the SEC title game. Meanwhile, eager Michigan bloggers began sending readers over to ESPN to read the good or bad news, depending on their perspective.

But it quickly became clear that Herbstreit's reporting was shoddy. Other reports trickled out that indictaed Miles was going to have a presser with his LSU bosses and announce his plans to stay in Louisiana. Here's the text of Miles' brief meeting with the press:

There was misinformation on ESPN and I think it’s imperative that I straighten it out. I’m the head coach at LSU, I will be the head coach at LSU, I have no interest in talking to anyone else. I have a championship game to play and I’m excited about the opportunity of my damn strong football team to play in it. And that’s really all I’d like to say. It’s unfortunate I had to address my team with this information this morning. With that being done, I think we’ll be ready to play. There will be no questions for me; I represent me in this issue, please ask me after. I’m busy. Thank you very much, and have a great day.

Miles was pissed. He had a right to be. I bolded the first line for emphasis because on at least one replay of the presser I saw on the 4-letter, the network decided to leave that intro out. But it's the end of Miles' statement that should bother Herbstreit going forward. The mark of any good journalist is to check his information. In this situation, there are any number of reasons why someone would want to leak misinformation about Miles. Perhaps someone from Michigan wanted this story out there to ruin Miles' relationship with his current employer. Who knows? Perhaps Miles leaked it through someone else as a way to pressure LSU to ante-up. We might never know. But if Herbstreit is going to pretend he's a reporter, he at least needs to learn that people have motives from time to time when they decide they want to leak information 'off the record.'

And that's exactly the reason why Herbstreit should have checked his information with an authority, like Les Miles for instance. Because of Herbstreit's arrogant reporting, Miles was forced to address his team (again, before the SEC Championship game) about his fate as coach.

My question is, couldn't this wait? I try to understand the landscape of the modern media. Videos go viral in minutes. News breaks and it's hyperlinked around the globe as quick as someone can make something up. And it's not just Herbstreit. This week, Buster Olney pulled the same crap regarding Johan Santana and the ongoing trade talks between Minnesota and Boston. Olney didn't go as far as Herbstreit, but he implied that a trade was imminent. The result? Links on Minnesota message boards to Olney's story that turned out to be bogus, or at least premature.

Herbstreit took a few moments Saturday night while he was calling the Missouri-Oklahoma game to explain the Miles incident. He didn't offer an apology. He didn't retract his reporting or offer to correct it. In fact, he implied that Miles may well still be on his way to Ann Arbor. Saying that, now with a prime time audience during a game with national title implications, Herbstreit has once again put the onus back on Miles to make another denial. And who knows? Miles could very well bolt. Stranger things have happened.

But wouldn't it all be a lot easier if Herbstreit or other ESPN hacks could wait until they have something solid to report? Here's a good ground rule: If kids' emotions are in play, say like on a day they are playing for a championship, maybe sensational, scoop-oriented reporting can wait for 12 hours until what really matters--the game--is over.

And people think they can't trust what they read on the blogs ...

Is Coleman In Tubby's Doghouse?

Updated 12/1 6:30 p.m.

The Gophers handled UC Riverside 75-38 Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena, but it seemed during the first half that one of the three seniors who was expected to be a leader for this team was not only receiving the infamous Tubby "glare," but at least for the first half appeared to be neck deep in the coach's doghouse.

Here is discussion of that, and other findings from Saturday's win, including the continued ascension of Damian Johnson.

** For the second straight game, the Tubby Smith led Golden Gophers looked better offensively and defensively with backups Jonathan Williams and Damian Johnson manning the frountcourt. Meanwhile, Dan Coleman found himself in Tubby's doghouse most of the first half, playing only the first five minutes before finding a spot at the end of the bench. Coleman finished the game 1-for-6 from the field with five rebounds in 20 minutes. It was pointed out in the comments that Coleman picked up two fouls early in the first half, giving perhaps another reason for Coleman to ride the bench for the remainder of the half. But in trying to take the ball to the basket early--at the request of Tubby--it seemed like Coleman was out of his comfort zone and began to force.

Meanwhile, Johnson continues to be all over the place, using his long frame to grab rebounds and influence and block shots. He finished with 13 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and a team-leading six rebounds and three blocks and three steals. Doghouse or not, Johnson is filling up the boxscore and Coleman isn't. Coleman better turn things around, because sooner or later Tubby is going to have to give Johnson more minutes. Where are those going to come from? Likely Coleman. After the loss to Florida State, Tubby questioned the effort and energy of his senior trio. Tubby didn't specify which player, if there was an individual, who he was upset with. If there is some other explanation for Coleman sitting all but the first five minutes of the first half, please someone let me know. Until then, I'm blogging under the impression that Coleman has some work to do to regain the confidence of his new coach.

** Neither Al Nolen or Kevin Payton graced us with their perscense in the starting lineup. Instead, Tubby started Lawrence McKenzie, Lawrence Westbrook, Jamal Abu-Shamala, Coleman and Tollackson. We continue to see Tubby flirting with different lineup combinations. We saw a three-guard lineup against Florida State. And we've seen Tubby start true freshman Nolen. I'm not sure I like starting McKenzie at point guard. He's the team's most prolific scorer. While I understand what Tubby is doing here--McKenzie is the most consistent, and trusted ball handler on the team--it would benefit the Gophers greatly if Nolen can mature rapidly to take some ball handling duties away from McKenzie.

** Spencer Tollackson continued to struggle with his back to the basket. Against the Seminoles, Tollackson was the inferior athlete in the post. Against UC Riverside, I was baffled to see Tollackson fail to establish himself as a force underneath. This isn't to say that Tollackson's platy was all bad, but he clearly hasn't been the force underneath many Gophers fans would like to see. His final numbers look OK, 10 points on 4-for-10 from the field and five rebounds. But some of that came in complete garbage time. I have not once this year questioned Tollackson's effort. He seems to be busting his ass. But he can be a bigger force than he has been.

** In the post below this, I questioned the idea of starting Jonathan Williams. I might have been wrong. Out of our four big men, Williams looks the most comfortable in the post, and seems to have the best vision and passing ability. On multiple occasions Williams had the wherwithal to find a cutting teammate with a nice pass in the paint. Tollackson hasn't been comfortable enough in the post to make these types of passes. As long as Tubby is experimenting with lineups, how about starting Johnson and Williams for a game instead of Tollackson and Coleman?

** The Gophers still need to get to the free-throw line more often. This was an area that Tubby reportedly emphasized in practices, even tweaking the offense to provide more opportunites to get to the rim and draw contact. The Gophers got to the line 21 times against UC Riverside, an improvement to be sure. But the Gophers were still perimiter oriented and didn't have enough success in the paint to play inside-out. Also, the Gophers hit just 12 of those 21 free throws. My guess is Tubby will make the boys run a big for that 57 percent shooting from the line.

** Lawrence McKenzie put up 18, shooting 6-for-10 (5-for-7 from 3) from the floor. The Gophers need this from him every night in the Big Ten if we're going to pull an upset or two.

** Blake Hoffarber continues to impress with his quick stroke from beyond the arc. He finished in double digits for the second straight game, this time putting up 13 points while going 4-for-7 from three-point land. Hoffarber also isn't proving to be a large liability on the defensive end. That might change against more athletic Big Ten teams, but for now I'd like to see more of Hoffarber.

** Tubby continues to use a 10-man rotation. If there was a player in jeopardy of being the odd man out when Tubby shortens his rotation, I'd like it would have to be Kevin Payton. The Gophers need the scoring ability of Hoffarber and Abu-Shamala, and they need all the minutes from the four big men. Once again Saturday, Payton proved to me that he's the weakest link in the current 10-man rotation.

UP Next: The Gophers have a quick turnaround with a game Monday night at Williams Arena against North Dakota State. The Bison have started 2007 with a 4-3 mark, but that's somewhat misleading as their losses have come at Florida, at Rutgers and at Wisconsin-Green Bay. I'd expect this to be a much closer game (the Bison only lost by 10 at Florida) and it will be interesting to see if Tubby tweaks his lineup yet again.

Saturday Links: Obsessing Over Tubby

If you haven't noticed on the right sidebar I've created a couple shirts. The one that is displayed says Tubby Ball, Est. 2007 on the front. On the back side, it says "Thank You Kentucky." I think I can speak for all Minnesota fans when I say this: We couldn't be happier you ran such a respected man and coach out of Lexington. It's your loss and our gain.

That's why it's so entertaining for me to watch some blame-Tubby-first Kentucky fans struggle to find reasons for their loss to Gardner-Webb and close call this week with Stony Brook. What are the radical portions of the UK fanbase going to say if/when North Carolina comes into Rupp Arena today and demolishes the Wildcats. Right, I already know the answer: They'll blame Tubby.

Well, at least most of the time. It seems that some UK fans have already gone to criticizing new head coach Billy Gillespie, per this Scout interview with prize freshman Patrick Patterson. Patterson, you might remember, is the 5-star diaper dandy that UK fans salivated over--literally frothing at the mouth I think--during last year's recruiting wars. They had to have Patterson. And even though it was clear Patterson was going to go to UK when Tubby was there, UK fans pointed to the hiring of Gillespie as a reason why Patterson picked UK. We'll get to recruiting in a second, but here's a telling quote from Patterson:

“People are out there saying this is the worst Kentucky basketball team in the history of Kentucky.”

Who is saying that to you?

“Fans, people around campus, when you are walking in restaurants and stuff like that. I have heard people say stuff about the Kentucky basketball team losing to Gardner-Webb and saying Kentucky hasn’t lost to a mid-major school since 2001 or something like that,” Patterson said. “I have heard people saying this is worst team or that we are not doing anything. On Facebook, they have stuff about Coach (Billy Gillispie). "

It almost makes you sad. Here's this young, talented basketball player, who is apparently bombarded with negativity everywhere he turns. In class? Criticism. On Facebook? Cheap shots at his coach.

But most of the conversations still center around Tubby. In this Lexington Herald-Leader article, Jerry Tipton sits down to talk with Dick Vitale and the ESPN announcer reiterates his criticism that a portion of the UK fanbase went too far in their desire to see Smith jettisoned.

And then the blog Hugging Harold Reynolds suggesting satirically this week that all UK travails begin and end with Tubby. Here's a taste:

You see, it's all Tubby's fault that UK is a mess right now. Through his lack of recruiting and inability to win consistently over his ten years in Lexington, Tubby almost single-handedly destroyed the once-storied legacy of Kentucky basketball.

Earlier this year, it was "Tubby's Fault!" the Cats lost to Gardner Webb. Saturday, it most likely will be "Tubby's Fault!" if the UNC Tarheels crush UK, as expected. Shockingly, new UK coach Billy Gillispie has come under relatively little scrutiny for a man in his position.

Some might view this as the fans just enjoying their honeymoon with him - but that wouldn't be right, because far too many of them are still kicking and screaming about a good man and coach who they ran out of town.

Even though that blogger was writing tongue-in-cheek, it's clear that the UK fan base is forever going to be obsessed with Tubby Smith. Adding salt to their wounds right now is the 2008 recruiting wars. A quick look at Rivals' rankings--there are others that are far more favorable to Minnesota and Tubby--and it would appear that Tubby is recruiting on par with Billy Gillespie, even though Billy Clyde has the UK tradition, facilities and Ashley Judd to fall back on. The Rivals rankings linked to above list UK as 19th in the country and Minnesota right behind at number 20. Tubby also won the first head-to-head recruiting battle when Ralph Sampson III picked Minnesota over Billy Clyde's Wildcats. Once again, Thank You Kentucky! And is there any way ya'll can become livid with Ashley Judd and send her north too?

Now, on to a few other things.

** Staying on the obsessing over Tubby/basketball recruiting topics ... the Wisconsin Rivals site Badger Blitz is beginning to worry about Tubby. Could Tubby be turning the tide in the border recruiting wars? Could Bo Ryan be on defense for once to keep his players home. That'd be a nice change, wouldn't it?

** Star Tribune men's basketball beat writer Myron Medcalf asks in this blog post whether Tubby should go to a big lineup. Medcalf suggests a lineup of Al Nolen, Lawrence McKenzie, Dan Coleman, Jonathan Williams and Spencer Tollackson. That'd be a big lineup, and would help us on the boards. And I think that Coleman is more suited to play on the perimiter, though I worry about how he'd matchup against quicker small forwards. It could be worth a try from time-to-time, but does anyone really think Jon Williams should start?

** The Pioneer Press and Star Tribune report that Tubby benched seniors Spencer Tollackson, Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie during the loss to Florida State Tuesday. Tubby was not happy with their leadership, energy, intensity and lack of scoring, the reports suggest. McKenzie called the development a "reality check." And Fuller also reports that Tubby has tweaked his offense some to encourage fewer jump shots and more penetration/inside play that could help the Gophers get to the foul line--an area where they struggled against FSU.