Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball

The last month for Golden Gopher basketball has not been an exciting one for Gopher fans.

First, they had to watch the Gophers stumble their way out of NCAA Tournament contention, lose in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, and then even miss an invitation to the NIT.

To make things worse, they had to watch rival Wisconsin advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Amidst this misery, however, Gopher fans received two pieces of good news in the past week. The first announcement came when Junior College point guard Julian Welch informed Tubby Smith and the Gophers that he will be wearing Maroon and Gold in Minneapolis next winter.

Secondly, it was recently announced that Gopher recruit Andre Hollins was the recipient of this year’s Mr. Basketball award for the state of Tennessee.

Julian Welch will provide leadership and scoring for a team that failed to produce from the guard positions this year, outside of senior Blake Hoffarber. He also answers the question of who will start at point guard for the Gophers next season.

Welch started his collegiate career at University of California-Davis where he averaged 7.8 points in 18.5 minutes per game. These efforts, combined with his 35.1 percent shooting from three-point range, earned him honors as the Big West Freshman of the Year.

His next stop was Yuba Community College in California, where Welch averaged 19 points and five assists per game. He was consequently named the Bay Valley Conference MVP for 2010-2011.

The Gophers are hoping Welch can translate these efforts into success at the Big Ten level. Most importantly, they are hoping for a leader who can stabilize the guard position and provide minutes at a position where there are no other upperclassmen.

One underclassman who should benefit from the arrival of Julian Welch is incoming freshman guard Andre Hollins. Not only will Hollins be able to play his natural shooting guard position, but he also will also have less pressure on himself due to the arrival of Welch.

Hollins received some great news last week in receiving the award of Mr. Basketball for the state of Tennesee. One of the finalists for this award was Rivals.com five-star forward Adonis Thomas, who is headed to Memphis next year.

Hollins helped lead White Station High School to a 30-7 record, including a 46 point performance against national powerhouse Findlay Prep.

Many believe he will be coach Tubby Smith’s best recruit yet during his time at Minnesota. Hollins is also an excellent student, as shown by his offers to Stanford and Harvard.

The arrival of Welch will hopefully allow Hollins to play more of his natural shooting guard position and give them an offensive boost that was badly missed in the 2010-2011 campaign.

Combine these two additions with the final incoming freshman, Joe Coleman—recently named Mr. Basketball for the state of Minnesota—and Minnesota fans have something to be excited about, despite an otherwise disappointing March.

Multiple departures from players.

Nine losses in the last 10 games.

Two NCAA Tournament first-round losses.

Criminal charges and academic instances for more than one player.

Tubby Smith has had to deal with all of these things in the past couple of years. These are definitely uncommon waters for Tubby to tread in. His last season in which he had less than 20 wins was back in the 1992-93 season. Yes, his second year at Tulsa. Now, with all the criticisms of his team in Minneapolis, is this the end of Tubby as the leader of the Golden Gophers?

His hiring was one of the more positive, yet unexpected events to ever happen for Gopher Nation. Kentucky had slowly pushed him out the door, because quite frankly, second round ousts in the tourney in three out of his last four years was never going to cut it in Lexington.

He started out very well with the Gophers program. His first recruiting class included a number of star-studded names that led people to think that Tubby could return the Gophers to Final Four territory. Better yet, he managed a 20-14 season with a bunch of Monson guys that didn't fit his system.

A nice NCAA Tournament appearance followed the next year, and then the problems hit.

One of the most prized recruits in Gopher history, Royce White, ran into all kinds of trouble and might have even turned Tubby's head completely gray. If that didn't do the job, the transfer of Paul Carter and Justin Cobbs, criminal charges against Trevor Mbakwe, and the academic issues of his point guard, Al Nolen definitely did the trick.

Player issues have continued into this year with the transfer of Devoe Joseph. Tubby may be at fault for these problems, but that is up for discussion. Nonetheless, he has probably not enjoyed dealing with them.

This year, the performance of the team has to be taken into consideration as well. They are a measly 17-13, having lost nine out of their last 10.

Who is to blame?

Although the roster is really not all that talented, this one is on Tubby. He has lost control of this team. He never makes proper in-game adjustments, and his timeouts actually seem to hurt the team. He truly was a product of the program's prestige at Kentucky, and his true coaching abilities are now coming to light.

With the team heading into the Big Ten Tournament as the third worst seed, maybe it is time for Tubby to take a step back and decide if this is the right place for him.

I enjoy having him here because of the increased publicity and accessibility of recruits. Still, Tubby, it's your time to move on. 

The 2010-2011 Minnesota Gopher team has had more than its shares of highs and lows for a college basketball team.

And the road ahead looks just as tumultuous.

As we head toward the final stretch of the season it is good to look back to see what we have learned as prepare for the final seven games of the season.

10. Al Nolen’s absence at the point guard position illustrates how important it is to have a confident ball handler who can distribute and play solid perimeter defense. Against Purdue and Ohio State, the Gophers struggled in their half-court offense without Nolen running the point. How good would this team be with a healthy Nolen?

9. Blake Hoffarber has shot the ball exceedingly well in Nolen’s absence over the past four games, but it is clear that calling upon Hoffarber to play 37 minutes a game is wearing him down. Hoffarber received treatment on his bursa sac behind his left knee after playing a noticeable limp during the second half of the Ohio State game.

8. In the last two games, Minnesota has had more turnovers than assists as a team. The Gophers can expect to see more three quarter court ball pressure the rest of the season, or at least until they can show their opponents that they can take better care of the ball. Illinois is going to come with pressure from the opening tip to try and disrupt Minnesota’s offensive game.

7. Colton Iverson’s numbers are slightly better than last year, but it is painfully evident that he has hit a plateau as a player. Iverson needs to develop a 15 foot jumper; in the Gophers high court offensive set, teams are daring Colton to shoot from the free throw line by sagging into the middle of the lane.

6. Ralph Sampson III is the most inconsistent player on the Gophers squad, and the Ohio State game was a great illustration of how he can show flashes of brilliance and a complete lack of focus in the same game. Sampson used a nice repertoire of shots on his way to 14 first half points, and got his hands on several passes when Minnesota went to 1-2-2 press. However, in the second half Ralph went to sleep on a couple of out of bounds plays under the Gopher basket which lead to a couple of Dallas Lauderdale dunks.

5. Minnesota is ninth in the Big Ten defense allowing opponents to score on average 67.9 points a game. Minnesota is last in rebounding defense in the conference. Minnesota is dead last in the Big Ten in free throwing shooting connecting on an anemic 65 percent of their shots. Yes, numbers can be deceiving, but how is this team only 5-6 in the conference?

4. Trevor Mbakwe is a good player with his ferocious dunks and relentless pursuit of rebounds, but he will be a great player next year. Unlike Iverson, Mbakwe has accepted the challenge of shooting from the top of the key. Trevor’s shooting stroke is still a work in progress, but he is developing enough of a mid-range game that he could wind up in the NBA.

3. Rodney Williams is the most exciting dunker on the team, but at the close of his sophomore year one has to wonder if he will ever be more than a role player. Williams is shooting only 47 percent from the free throw line and just 15 percent from beyond the arc. Rodney is a solid player on defense but he is far from being an elite shut down defender. One has to wonder if the hype of him being a possible one and done player stunted his growth and development as a player.

2. Does Coach Tubby Smith go with freshman Chip Armelin or freshman Austin Hollins to play point guard down the stretch? Trick question as neither player really plays the point guard position. Armelin is a drive first pass later player in the mold of Lawrence Westbrook and Hollins doesn’t look comfortable enough handling the ball. The Gophers will continue to play point guard by committee.

1. Will Minnesota fail to make the NCAA tournament if they lose to Illinois? No, the Gophers still have enough time to make the tournament but a loss will drop them to 16-8 with only six games to play and given the competitive nature of the Big Ten no NCAA tournament bid is assured. If Minnesota doesn’t win they immediately become a bubble team for the NCAA tournament.

Minnesota looks to continue their four game winning streak as they head into Mackey Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Purdue has lost three of their last five, beginning with a 67-70 loss at The Barn on the 13th. 

This is by no means a "must win" for Purdue, but they have to be feeling a sense of urgency with their recent slide, including a blowout at unbeaten Ohio State on Tuesday. 

In their first contest, Blake Hoffarber carried the Gophers with 26 points. 

This, however, came before the recent injury of point guard Al Nolen. 

Wednesday's win over Northwestern was the first chance to see Minnesota play without Nolen, who is undoubtedly their best defensive player and a big contributor on offense as well. 

Tubby Smith opted to put Hoffarber at point guard for much of the game, realizing that inexperienced freshmen are behind him in Chip Armelin and Maverick Ahanmesi. 

Skeptical of Hoffarber's ability to put up his usual numbers, he managed to score 20 (5-10 FG, 8-8 FT).  For Minnesota to have a chance at winning, he must stay heavily involved in the offense. 

Another huge key to victory on Saturday—get Ralph Sampson III going. 

He's scored in double figures the past three games, but in the last match against Purdue he finished with six points and two rebounds, while allowing JaJuan Johnson to finish with 29 points and 11 rebounds. 

It was surprising that Minnesota pulled off a victory given that line, but the Gophers likely won't have similar success if this happens again. 

What would an upset win mean for Minnesota? 

For starters, they would be tied for third in the Big Ten standings. 

The second-place Badgers will be facing Purdue, Michigan State, and Ohio State in three of their next five, potentially setting them back in the standings.  Meanwhile the Gophers will be traveling to bottom-feeders Indiana and Iowa, with a home-stand in between the two games against Illinois, and unbeaten No. 1 Ohio State.

Can the Gophers still make the tournament with a loss on Saturday?—Absolutely. 

Could they keep the dream of a Big Ten Championship alive with a win?—Well, look at their schedule.  It'll make things interesting if Minnesota leaves West Lafayette tomorrow with a W. 

The recent news from the Twin Cities concerning point guard Al Nolen is not good.  Nolen has broken his right foot and will have surgery Jan. 26.

No timetable has been set for Nolen’s return. The most optimistic scenario for this season would be for Nolen to return just in time for postseason play.  

However, it is very likely that Nolen will not return this season, and will instead opt to request an additional medical redshirt year.

Nolen is a critical player to the success of the Gophers because he is their best perimeter defender, and the team lacks depth at the point guard position since Devoe Joseph left the program earlier this month.

The importance of Nolen’s ability to defend the three was glaringly evident when he failed to play, due to injury, in the Gophers' 87-79 loss to Virginia in the Barn when the Cavaliers shot 10-of-13 from beyond the arc.

If Nolen is unable to play again this season, the first question on the lips of most Gophers fans is whether Minnesota can make a deep run into the NCAA tournament.

Of course, in order to make a deep run in March Madness, Minnesota first needs to get into the tournament. 

Currently, the Gophers are 15-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten.    

Minnesota has 11 games left on its schedule, and conventional wisdom would suggest that if it could finish 5-6 the rest of the season, it would guarantee itself a bid to the tournament with 20 wins on the season and .500 record in one of the best, if not the best, conferences in the country.

Ordinarily, a 5-6 finish for a top-20 team would not be a daunting task, but unfortunately, the Big Ten is loaded this year.

Minnesota has to play three ranked opponents on its schedule.

The three ranked opponents left for the Gophers are No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 29, No. 1 Ohio State on Feb. 6 and No. 21 Illinois on Feb. 10. Purdue is the lone road game among remaining ranked opponents.

Minnesota needs to try and win at least one of these three games to give itself some breathing room in securing an NCAA bid. Psychologically, Purdue could be the one of the three games the Gophers could win, because Minnesota has already beaten the Boilermakers this year.

The Gophers, however, might also be able to defeat the Illini, as Illinois has not played well away from home and has a tendency to be inconsistent in its perimeter shooting.

Additionally, Minnesota has several difficult games against unranked teams that have NCAA tournament aspirations and stars that can almost single-handedly defeat it.

The Gophers play Northwestern and John Shurna in a home and away series. Shurna is averaging 19 points a game and is shooting a ridiculous 54 percent from beyond the arc.

Minnesota also has to take on Talor Battle and Penn State twice. Battle is a two-time All Big Ten selection who has done a nice job incorporating his teammates in the offense while still managing to score 20 points a game.

The Gophers still have to go to East Lansing to play former Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas and the Michigan State Wolverines.

Minnesota needs to win at least two of these five games in order to have a shot at making the NCAA tournament. 

Coach Tubby Smith has a dilemma on his hands in determining who to hand the starting point guard position.

Coach Smith has three freshman guards in Maverick Ahanmisi, Chip Armelin and Austin Hollins, who can play minutes at the point guard position.

None of the freshmen, however, are ready to inherit the position, as they have all suffered from inconsistency during the season.

The most likely heir apparent is moving senior Blake Hoffarber from shooting guard to the point guard position given his experience and position as captain on the team. 

Hoffarber’s new role will likely have a domino effect on the team’s starting lineup. Small forward Rodney Williams will likely shift to shooting guard, and Trevor Mbakwe will start in the small forward position. 

The Gophers, with Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III added to the mix, will have one of the biggest starting lineups in college basketball.

The problem for the Gophers going with a big lineup is that they don’t have any big bodies to back up the starters in case of fatigue of foul trouble. Freshman Maurice Walker, who played well earlier in the year off the bench, suffered a season-ending knee injury. 

While he doesn’t like utilizing zone defense, Coach Smith may have to start using more zone defense to avoid foul trouble for his post players.

Against Michigan, the Gophers struggled to defend the perimeter playing man-to-man defense, and as a result, the Wolverines hit several uncontested 3-point shots in the first half. Minnesota’s inability to defend the three playing man defense most often occurred when Sampson and Iverson were on the floor at the same time.

In the second half, the Gophers went to an aggressive half-court zone as their primary defense. The zone allowed Sampson and Iverson to stay underneath where they were more comfortable.

The aggressive half-court zone limited the number of open shots Michigan was able to take in the second half, and as a result, the Gophers went on to win, 69-64.

Next up for the Gophers is Northwestern. The Wildcats will pose some interesting defensive problems for Minnesota. 

Northwestern’s Michael Thompson is an above-average on-ball defender, and he will likely try to wear Hoffarber down to limit his ability to shoot 3-point shots with constant ball pressure.

The Wildcats have some size to contend with Minnesota’s interior line, as the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Luka Mirkovic and 6-foot-9, 240-pound Davide Curletti will not allow Minnesota to easily exploit the paint as they did against Michigan.

Finally, Minnesota will have to figure out how to contain Shurna. Shurna is likely too quick for Mbakwe to defend on the wing, and he is likely too big for Williams on the block to defend.

Of course, the Wildcats will also have their own share of defensive problems in playing the Gophers.

Minnesota needs five more wins to feel good about its chances of getting an NCAA bid, and a win tonight at home in the Barn over Northwestern will be important first step.  

After a shaky start to 2011, Minnesota Golden Gopher head coach Tubby Smith was hoping that Thursday night would be a statement game for his squad. A 1-3 start to Big Ten conference play has the Gophers reeling for a big win.

After getting word that guard Devoe Joseph would be granted a transfer to the University of Oregon, the state of the Gophers hit a low point this past Tuesday when star forward Trevor Mbakwe was arrested for violation of a 2009 restraining order.

After a review of the circumstances surrounding the violation itself, Smith deemed it unnecessary to suspend Mbakwe, stating rather that the incident would be used as a learning experience for the team as a whole.

The Purdue Boilermakers, on the other hand, have been streaking of late. On a current 10-game winning streak, the team hadn’t lost since an upset at home against Richmond.

JaJuan Johnson (19.4 ppg) and E'twaun Moore (18.8 ppg) have played a huge role in bringing the Boilermakers to their 15-1 record. The Boilermakers are also benefiting from the improved play of guard Ryan Smith, who is averaging 17 points in conference play.

The Boilermakers relied on their star in getting off to a fast start at Williams Arena, led by 18 first half points from JaJuan Johnson who would finish with a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds.

Gopher guard Blake Hoffarber provided a much-needed spark for the team early on, scoring 12 first half points.

Embattled forward Trevor Mbakwe would make his entrance into the game at just 3:44, the length of time that would turn out to be Mbakwe's punishment for this week's transgressions. His contributions would remain mostly on the boards, as he would finish with seven points, but haul in 10 rebounds.

Hoffarber and the Gophers would get off to a hot start in the second half, at one point leading by eight points before Purdue would close the gap and eventually take the lead with nine minutes to go in the game.

Hoffarber would even the score with a pair of free throws at the eight-minute mark of the second half and finish with a team high 26 points on 10 of 15 shooting (four-six from three-point range).

After an Al Nolen steal, the Gophers would have a chance to take the lead, but a Rodney Williams turnover would put the ball back in the hands of the Boilermakers.

The two teams traded baskets for much of the last few minutes of the game, but a three-pointer by guard Al Nolen would put the Gophers up for good, as the team would knock off the No. 8 Boilermakers 70-67.

The win couldn't have come at a better time for the Gophers, who will look to build on the win as the team plays host to the Iowa Hawkeyes (0-4 in Big Ten play) on Sunday.

Upcoming: Both teams will be in action on Sunday as the the Gophers will play host to the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-9; 0-4). The Boilermakers will be in West Virginia for a non-conference clash with the Mountaineers (10-4; 2-2).

GAME OF THE NIGHT: (8) Purdue 15-1 (4-0) at (25) Minnesota 12-4 (1-3)

Robbie Hummel was supposed to be a National Player of the Year Candidate for Purdue this season. Unfortunately, another ACL injury cost him his season.

The Boilermaker senior leadership banded the team together, and Purdue has gotten off to a great start in the Big Ten.

However, this trip to "The Barn," in my opinion, is the toughest game on the slate thus far for Purdue.

Minnesota is 1-3 in the Big Ten, but it's lost all three of those games on the road to ranked opponents: Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State.

PURDUE

It starts with a pair of senior leaders: guard E'Twaun Moore and forward JaJuan Johnson, the heart and soul of Purdue. 

Moore is silky-smooth with the ball in his hands. He can penetrate and create his own shot and possesses a fine floater when he gets in the lane. He's averaging 18.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.1 apg and 1.7 spg.

JaJuan is an athletic forward with a huge wingspan. He's great finishing on the break. He also has an array of moves in his post game and can step out and hit a jump shot. Johnson averages 19.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 2.5 bpg.

Role players like Ryne Smith, Kelsey Barlow, Terone Johnson, Lewis Jackson and D.J. Byrd have all stepped up.

Purdue plays tough, in your face, man-to-man defense.

MINNESOTA

"The Barn" is an 82-year-old facility, but it's one of the toughest places to play in in the country. The floor is raised two feet off the ground, so coaches and players sit below the playing surface. The only other raised floor in college basketball is at Vanderbilt.

The Golden Gophers have a balanced attack—solid both inside and outside.

Blake Hoffarber, Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III all average double digits in scoring.

Al Nolen has been good at the point guard position. His greatest asset is his ability to create turnovers. He averages 3.7 apg.

The story for Minnesota has been the stellar play of the 240-pounder inside, Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe returned to team practice on Monday after being sidelined for an assault accusation.

Mbakwe is a fantastic rebounder who averages 10.4 rpg and 13.4 ppg.

The matchup inside of Mbakwe and Johnson will be fun to watch.

PREDICTION: Min 56-54

 

THE BEST OF THE REST

CAA: Old Dominion 12-3 (3-1) at Drexel 10-4 (2-2)

If Drexel wins this one, is it possible that the Colonial can get two bids for the NCAA Tournament?

Old Dominion is the favorite, but Drexel has an impressive road win at Louisville that it can count on come Selection Sunday. 

In order for Drexel to have a shot at the Big Dance, I think it has to go at least 13-3/12-4 in conference play and get to the final of the CAA Conference Tournament.

Drex: 64-62 OT

ACC: Virginia Tech 10-4 (1-1) at North Carolina 11-4 (1-0)

The team always on the bubble in the Hokies visits Chapel Hill. This would be a nice road win for Tech.

VT: 78-75

Pac-10: (18) Washington 12-3 (4-0) at Stanford 9-5 (2-1)

Interesting road test against Stanford.

UW: 80-72

BEast: Providence 11-6 (0-4) at West Virginia 10-4 (2-2)

The Mountaineers have to take care of business at home against an inferior opponent.

WVU: 71-58

A10: Rhode Island 9-6 (0-1) at Richmond 13-4 (2-0)

The Rams haven't gotten off the quick start they've been accustomed to the last couple of years.

The Spiders have felt the effects of the loss of guard David Gonzalvez. He and Kevin Anderson complemented each other well.

I expect Richmond to patch things up in conference play and once again be an at-large selection to the tournament.

Rich: 79-66

ASun: Lipscomb 9-6 (4-2) at Belmont 14-3 (6-0)

The two best teams, in my opinion, in the Atlantic Sun do battle.

Lipscomb has forward Adnan Hodzic, the favorite to win the A-Sun Player of the Year award for the second straight year.

Belmont is the team that almost shocked Duke as a 15th seed in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. They lost to Tennessee by just a point earlier this season.

Bel: 81-78

BSouth: Winthrop 7-8 (3-2) at Coastal Carolina 14-2 (5-0)

Just like in the Atlantic Sun, the two best teams in the Big South meet up.

The Chanticleers are a potential 14/15 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they win their conference tournament. They have the size inside to hang with a BCS team in a potential first round encounter.

CC: 70-56

Minnesota Gopher forward Trevor Mbakwe was arrested for violation of a no contact order last night.  Mbakwe was charged with a misdemeanor and bail was set at $500, which Mbakwe reportedly posted earlier this morning.

Media sources are reporting that Mbakwe and his former girlfriend, Jenny Belsito, agreed to a two-year, no contact order in August of 2009.  Mbakwe allegedly violated the terms of the no-contact order when he sent Belsito a message via Facebook.

According to sources close to Mbakwe, the message sent by Mbakwe and a mutual friend, to Belsito read, “I hope all is well with you.”  Mbakwe apparently heard that Belsito was going through some type of rough period and wanted to send her well wishes.

“We are aware of the charges that have been filed against Trevor,” Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said in a statement issued by the school.  “Until we know all of the facts surrounding the charges, it would be premature for us to have any further comment.”

A source close to the program, however, indicated on the basis of the facts currently known, they did not believe that Mbakwe would be suspended.   

Mbakwe has made a strong case for the team’s most valuable player this year as he leads the Big 10 in rebounding (10.4) and in field goal percentage (.597).  Trevor is also averaging 13.4 points a game and blocking 1.63 shots a game.

The Gophers host No. 8 Purdue on Thursday.

 UPDATE - 6:30 CST

Late this afternoon, Minnesota released a statement confirming that Mbakwe is still with the team and describing his action as “a lapse in judgment” and announcing no suspension of Mbakwe from the team.

“I believe his actions were well intended, but misguided, and we have made the decision not suspend him after looking into the matter further,” Coach Tubby Smith said in the statement.  “We believe this is the appropriate thing for Trevor and the program at this time.  We view this as an educational opportunity for all of our players.”

The university also included in the news release the entire message Mbakwe sent:

"I know we haven't talked in forever and trust me I'm not trying to start any drama with nobody in your life or anything. I just wanted to wish u the best with everything and I hope all has been well with you and your family. I am still disappointed how everything played out and I do wish that in the future we could be cool again. Idk how u r going to take this msg hopefully its not bad but I just wanted to wish u a happy new year and send out a congrats for graduating. I've been well I'm finally playin bball again in everything down in miami finally got taken care of thank god. Well idk if u will respond or not but best wishes for 2011."

St. Paul prosecutor Sara Grewing said her office is reviewing Mbakwe’s case and will determine whether to bring formal charges in the next day or two.  If the decision is made to prosecute the case, Grewing said Mbakwe faces a January 20 court date.

Gophers players were unavailable to reporters on Tuesday, but Mbakwe took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend himself shortly before the school announced his playing status would not change.

"Boy oh boy this some crazy stuff. I never thought in a million years that me writing an ex of mine a fb msg would cause all this drama," Mbakwe tweeted. "Thanks to every1 who has shown their support to my family and me. I guess some ppl just want their 10 minutes of fame. ... I better be careful though don't want the cops popping up at my door for tweeting now but much love to my support group."

Mbakwe's Twitter account was taken down soon after his comments.

Information from this story was taken from the Associated Press and Minnesota Star Tribune.