Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball

The Minnesota Gophers began the Big Ten season with an 11-1 record and their fans believing that the Gophers could be the surprise dark horse candidate to win the Big Ten.

Expectations among fans for a Big Ten title, however, were tempered with the realization that freshman post player Maurice Walker had torn his posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in one of his knees and was lost for Big Ten play.

Walker was not a huge scoring threat as he was averaging only four points a game, but he was good role player who added much-needed depth to Minnesota’s big tough and rugged front line. 

Big Ten title hopes were further dampened when the Gophers stumbled and dropped their first two games in Big Ten conference play with losses to Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Because few teams win in Madison and East Lansing, Minnesota’s losses, while damaging, were not fatal to their Big Ten’s title hopes.

The Gophers then “lost” another player; junior guard Devoe Joseph decided to transfer from Minnesota apparently over a dispute concerning playing time.

Joseph started the season with a six-game suspension but Joseph’s decision was surprising because he had worked himself nicely into the rotation as he was averaging slightly more than 11 points in 25 minutes of playing time at the time of his announcement.

Joseph was a key player last year in securing Minnesota’s NCAA tournament bid as he was one of the few players who could create their own shot in crunch time.

Many pundits wondered who would pick up Joseph’s offensive production and if the chemistry of the team would be affected by his departure.

As expected, Minnesota came out flat in their next game after news of Joseph’s transfer.

Indiana took advantage of the uncertainty among the Gophers by getting off to a 32-26 halftime lead.  However, Minnesota went into the locker room and regrouped coming back to win the game 67-63.

Now standing at 1-2 in the Big Ten and facing the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, Minnesota is in a very precarious position.

If the Gophers lose to the Buckeyes, the Gophers will be three games behind the Illinois, Purdue and Ohio State, and two games behind the Spartans and Badgers.

Any chance of winning the Big Ten title outright will be likely disappear with a loss in Columbus.

If Minnesota wants to win the Big Ten title, they need to go to Columbus and make a statement by handing the Buckeyes their first loss of the season.

In order to upset the Buckeyes, Minnesota will need the following to occur:

5. Ralph Sampson and Colton Iverson will need to show up.

Jared Sullinger is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds a game which is about the combined output of Sampson and Iverson.  The super freshman is likely too aggressive for Sampson and too quick for Iverson; however, Ralph and Colton will need to figure out how to neutralize Sullinger's post presence. 

Iverson has scored more than 10 points only twice this season and one of the two games was against South Dakota State.  Hopefully Iverson will post a 15-point, 10 rebound effort similar to what he was able to pull off against West Virginia.

4. Trevor Mbakwe will need to create matchup problems and hit his free throws.

Mbakwe, similar to Sullinger, is a force in the low post and will create problems for the Buckeyes.  Trevor is too quick for Dallas Lauderdale and he should be too strong for Deshaun Thomas. 

Mbakwe, however, has not knocked down his free throws on a consistent basis this season as he is shooting less than 60 percent from the free throw line; coach Thad Matta may employ a strategy of putting Mbakwe on the line and if he does Trevor is going to need to hit his free throws.

3. Neutralize Jon Diebler and David Lighty.

Ohio State’s two seniors Diebler and Lighty have been overlooked by many Big Ten fans given the production of freshmen Buckeyes Sullinger and Thomas.  Diebler is one of the best three point shooters in the history of the Big Ten and Lighty is one of the best all-around players in the Big Ten who can step in and take over a game when needed. 

The problem for the Gophers is that Lighty and Diebler are taller and bigger than any guard the Gophers can put on them.  Rodney Williams may be called upon to match up with Lighty and Diebler to use his height and athleticism to keep Ohio State’s seniors in check.

2. Al Nolen will have to stay out of foul trouble.

Minnesota will need to stay on the floor as much as possible in order for the Gophers to be able to control the tempo of the game and provide tough perimeter defense.  Nolen’s perimeter defense will be needed to keep Diebler and Lighty from getting on track.  Joseph’s absence will likely be felt most when Nolen goes to the bench this season and today’s game will be first real test challenging the Gophers' depth at guard. 

Austin Hollins, one of the three underclassmen backing up Nolen, is the likely beneficiary of extra playing time with Joseph no longer being on the team but the likely reality is that Nolen is going to see more minutes the rest of the season. 

Last year, Nolen averaged 25 minutes of playing time; this year he is currently averaging 29 minutes of playing time but that number will likely go over 30 soon provided that he stays out of foul trouble.

1. Blake Hoffarber will need to hit some timely three-point shots.

Hoffarber is currently playing over 33 minutes a game and posting solid offensive numbers with 14 points, five assists and three rebounds.  While Hoffarber may be able to increase his offensive production, he can’t make up the entire offensive production of Joseph. 

What Hoffarber can do is hit some timely three-point shots. If Blake can hit some deep bombs he should be able to stretch the defense and not allow early double teams in the post when Minnesota sets up its half-court offense. 

Additionally, Blake has done a better job taking advantage of defenders running out to him at the three-point line as his assist to turnover ratio is almost 3-to-1.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers got off to one of their strongest starts in recent memory this fall, winning the first six games of their 2010-2011 season including impressive victories in the Puerto Rico Tip Off  Tournament over then eighth ranked North Carolina, and a strong University of West Virgina squad in the tournament championship game.

After a convincing victory over North Dakota State the following week, the Golden Gophers were poised to showcase their high powered offense and swarming defense in a nationally televised matchup versus the University of Virginia.

Instead, the Gophers suffered a letdown at home against the Cavaliers in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge for the first loss of their young season.

The Gophers would not be deterred by their loss however, winning matchups with Cornell, St. Josephs, Eastern Kentucky and Akron before heading into their final non-conference tuneup against South Dakota State at Williams Arena.

Entering play on Thursday, the Gophers had compiled a 10-1 record, and owned the number 16 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.

The Gophers do still have a number of question marks heading into the Big Ten season. The team has yet to be tested by top tier talent, and with the Big Ten as strong as it's ever been, the wins surely won't come easy for the Gophers as the conference season progresses.

Also in question is the health of guard Al Nolen. After missing most of last season due to academic ineligibility, Nolen made a strong impact on the team this fall before a foot injury forced Nolan to miss the last five games.

During his absence, the Gophers were clearly at a defensive disadvantage, especially around the arc, allowing opponents to stay within reach with their perimeter shooting.

Nolen showed some rust in his return to the lineup, turning the ball over twice in the first half, and shooting two of five from the field while scoring only eight points. Nolen was however perfect from the free throw line against the Jackrabbits on Thursday evening and provided key steals down the stretch.

After coming off the bench tonight against South Dakota State, Nolen will resume starting duties while his replacement Devoe Joesph is slated to come off the bench for the remainder of Big Ten conference play.

Gopher guard Blake Hoffarber was held in check for the most part, finishing with four points while shooting one of four from the field. Guard Rodney Williams provided a solid effort against the Jackrabbits, scoring 13 points and pulling down six rebounds while not turning the ball over once, a problem that has plagued Williams this season.

Throughout the non-conference season, the Gophers enjoyed a strong rebounding advantage, outrebounding opponents by nearly eight boards per game, thanks to the tenacious defense of forwards Colton Iverson, Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III.

On Thursday, the Gophers barely managed to hold pace with the undersized Jackrabbits, barely coming out ahead in the box score.

Jackrabbit guard Clint Sargent carried the majority of the load for his team, scoring 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting. Sargent was also effective from behind the arc, shooting 5 of 11 from behind the three point line.

The game was closely contested for most of the evening, with both teams' efforts being halted by turnover issues and forced shooting from the field. Late in the second half, the Gophers would pull away from the Jackrabbits, thanks in part to clutch shooting from guard Devoe Joseph and a strong effort on the glass from Iverson.

As the Gophers pulled away with an 85-73 victory over the Jackrabbits, Tubby Smith was pleased with the effort that his team put forth, but was still believed that the squad has a lot to work on if they plan on making their Big Ten conference season a success.

The Golden Gophers will open the Big Ten season next Tuesday in Madison against the Wisconsin Badgers, a team that rarely loses at home in the Kohl Center.

After returning from Madison, the Gophers schedule will only get tougher, as Tubby Smith's squad will face Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State and Purdue in the coming weeks.

The Gophers have shown that they have the talent to beat the best teams in the country, but it will take consistently effective performances for the remainder of the season if they hope to earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament next spring.

Before heading into Wednesday night's match-up with St. Joseph's University, Golden Gopher head coach Tubby Smith spent the earlier part of the week emphasizing the lack of defensive pressure the squad had been playing with.

The Gophers came into Wednesday night's game allowing more points than any other Big Ten team at 70 per game, and had been especially weak guarding the perimeter since an injury sidelined guard Al Nolen in late November.

The Gophers got off to a slow start, falling behind the Hawks immediately. The first half the Gophers would stage a quick comeback, ultimately taking the lead away from the Hawks, and would head into the half with a 10 point lead.

The Hawks wouldn't be deterred as the second half started, as they outscored the Gophers 11-2 to start the second half, thanks to determined guard Carl Jones, who finished the game with 29 points, five rebounds and six assists.

The Gophers received solid performances from their guards, as Devoe Joseph and Blake Hoffarber would both finish the game 4-of-6 from 3-point range, tallying 19 and 14 points respectively.

Another dominating night on the glass from forward Trevor Mbakwe proved to be too much for the Hawks to handle, as Mbakwe would record 16 boards on the night. Mbakwe added 12 points to earn his sixth double-double of the season as the Gophers would finish off the Hawks with an 83-73 win.

Despite allowing another 70 point performance from an opponent, the Gophers managed to hold the Hawks to 36 percent from the field, and outscored the Hawks bench 26-8.

No. 20 Minnesota will return to campus on Saturday to face Eastern Kentucky.

After a letdown at the hands of Virginia earlier this week, Gopher basketball head coach Tubby Smith had to regroup his squad to ensure that the team didn't face the same fate on Saturday at the barn.

While the team didn't show the same brilliance that it did in wins against North Carolina and West Virginia during the Puerto Rico tip-off, their performance was just good enough to get a win over Cornell.

After allowing 10 three pointers during Wednesday's game against Virginia, Minnesota's perimeter defense faltered again, allowing 14 to drop from behind the arc against Cornell, four each by guards Andrew Ferry and Chris Wroblewski.

With the second consecutive letdown on the perimeter, the Gophers are anxiously awaiting the return of guard Al Nolen, who missed his second consecutive game with a foot injury.

What the Gophers lacked in perimeter defense, however, they made up for inside the paint. The Gophers big men dominated on the boards, out-rebounding Cornell 45 to 29.

Forward Trevor Mbakwe led the way with an impressive 16 rebounds. Senior Blake Hoffarber contributed 13 points and 5 rebounds in 33 minutes.

The size advantage proved to be extremely important down the stretch as Cornell mounted their comeback. The Gophers aggressive pursuit in the paint allowed them to get to the free throw line 44 times.

Even though they were only able to sink 26 of the shots from the line, it proved to be enough as the mounting fouls would prove to be too much for Cornell to overcome.

A fierce dunk from Ralph Sampson III with just seconds left would seal the game for the Gophers.

The Gophers are off until Wednesday when they will travel to Philadelphia to face the St. Joseph's University Hawks.

The No. 13 ranked Minnesota Gophers led the Virginia Cavaliers at halftime 39-29 and should have given the Big Ten a 1-0 led in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Unfortunately, the Gophers lost their composure in the second half.  As a result, the Gophers were soundly defeated by the Cavaliers and their brief flirtation among the top teams in the country has come to a very quick end.

Starting point guard Al Nolen missed tonight’s game due to a foot injury and he could miss several more weeks recuperating.   Nolen is one of the premier perimeter defenders in the Big Ten and most commentators believed that his absence would be most acutely felt by the Gophers on the defensive end. 

Nolen’s absence however was evident on the offensive end in the second half of tonight’s game.

Virginia came out aggressive in the second half and at the 9:22 mark in the second half, they had wrested the lead from Minnesota at 59-54.

The next four minutes of the game were fatal to the Gophers chances for success.  Trevor Mbakwe and Blake Hoffarber each missed the front end of one-and-one free throw attempts.   The Gophers also went one for eight during the five minute stretch with one turnover.

Minnesota saw the Cavaliers push their lead to 68-57.  What made the four minute stretch so disheartening to Gopher fans was how quickly Minnesota settled for jump shots with getting the ball into the low post.

If Nolen had been available he likely would have taken control of the tempo of the game and made sure that each Gopher possession was a quality trip down the court.

Coach Tubby Smith called a timeout at the 5:23 mark to encourage his troops to regroup and make one final hard run at the Cavaliers.

The Gophers unfortunately came out immediately firing long jump shots and three point attempts completely abandoning the concept of chipping away at the lead by working the ball into the low post or at least moving the ball around the perimeter to get a good look.

Of the last 16 shots taken by Minnesota in the game only two of the shots came from a post player. 

There was no need for the Gophers to panic being down 11 points with five minutes to go at home.  However, Minnesota lost its composure.

The only post player that came to play tonight for Minnesota was Trevor Mbakwe who scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had five blocked shots.

Ralph Sampson III was missing in action.  Sampson scored only two points and grabbed only four rebounds.

On the defensive end, Sampson was played very timidly.  Sampson was also late in creating double teams and providing help.

Sampson’s disappearance was highlighted by the fact that Virginia’s back-up Center Assane Sene had his best game of the season scoring seven points and six rebounds.   Sene had not scored more than four points or garnered more than two rebounds prior to tonight’s game.

Sene was not the only player from Virginia’s bench that did damage against Minnesota.  Guard Mustapha Farrakhan scored a career high 23 points including making all four of his three point attempts.

Virginia as a team shot very well as they made 10 of 13 shots from beyond the arc and made 25 of their 30 free throws.

Coach Tubby Smith acknowledged how well Virginia played after the game but he did not mince words about the defensive effort of this team.  “That was probably as pathetic an effort defensively as we’ve had in a long time,” said Coach Smith.

Senior Co-Captain Hoffarber was in agreement noting, “It was probably one of our worst defensive games in a while.  Hopefully, this will be a wakeup call for us.”

The Minnesota Gophers have won their first two games in Puerto Rico and are now poised to play West Virginia for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Championship game. 

Minnesota’s path to the championship game indicates that the Gophers are poised and ready to bring back some trophy hardware to the Twin Cities.

Minnesota opening round game against Western Kentucky in the Puerto Rico Tournament Tip-Off went pretty much according to plan.

Western Kentucky was scrappy and conceded nothing to their larger more physical opponent.  Minnesota needed a three point shot by senior captain and point guard Al Nolen at the buzzer at the end of the first half to extend their lead to six points.

Minnesota however was not to be denied utilizing a good mix of trapping zone play and man to man pressure to frustrate the Hilltoppers.  Minnesota led by more than 10 points for the most of the entire second half and never was seriously challenged by Western Kentucky.

If the Gophers could have done better from the free-throw line, Minnesota would have blown out Western Kentucky by more than 20 points.

Western Kentucky decided to play man to man defense and focused most of their attention on trapping the guards and small forwards of Minnesota.  The strategy was to create turnovers and prevent Minnesota from getting into their half-court offense.

Unfortunately for Western Kentucky fans, their team wasn’t able to create enough turnovers with their strategy.

Ralph Sampson III took advantage of Western Kentucky’s reluctance to double-team in the low post by scoring 22 points.

Sampson’s work in the offseason was on display as he patiently worked himself into position in the low post.  When Sampson got to a spot he was comfortable, Sampson shot soft baby hooks that would have made Kareem Abdul-Jabbar proud.

The most impressive aspect of Sampson’s shooting was that he was equally adept with his right and left hand in making his hook shots.

Next up for the Gophers was the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels with the first preseason first-team All-American freshman in the history of college basketball, Harrison Barnes.

Minnesota answered the challenge for the opening tip-off playing stifling defense on North Carolina’s big men contesting every shot and allowing the guards few open three-point opportunities.

“We lost our composure from the first moment of the game,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.  “They were the more aggressive team right from the start and we did all the backpedaling. We didn’t react.”

North Carolina shot just 37 percent from the field and only 22 percent from beyond the arc.  Barnes ended up six points, all from the free-throw line, as he went an abysmal 0-for-12 from the floor. 

Minnesota took the lead going into halftime at 27-24 and never relinquished the lead finishing off the Tar Heels 72-67.

Ralph Sampson III had another solid performance posting scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds.  Sampson’s game has clearly improved from last year and while he would be best served returning to college basketball for another year, he is clearly developing into a NBA talent.

Trevor Mbakwe continues to provide the tough interior presence that has been lacking in Minnesota.  Mbakwe scored 12 points and snatched nine rebounds falling one rebound short of recording his fourth consecutive double-double on the season.

Colton Iverson and freshman Maurice Walker made significant contributions coming off the bench combining for 12 points and 15 rebounds.

The big men for Minnesota clearly won the battle in the trenches.

“They are tough,” North Carolina 7’0" center Tyler Zeller said.  “We had a hard time getting through the screens.  It’s effective the way they use everyone.  If one [big] gets tired, then the next one comes in and is very talented.  It makes it very difficult.”

Blake Hoffarber ensured that the Gophers won the battle in the air making five three-point shots on his way to 20 points.  Hoffarber will undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary of the improved interior post player of the Gophers.

The player of the game for Minnesota however was Al Nolen.

Nolen was constantly make hustle plays throughout the night and possibly had the best night in his Gopher career running the team.

Nolen was patient and didn’t force a bad pass into a tight situation or fail to initiate the offense such that a poor shot would need to be taken to simply avoid a shot clock violation.

On a couple of occasions when there was a long rebound, it was Nolen who was fighting to get to the ball first. 

The play that epitomized Nolen’s night, however, did not happen on the court during the game but occurred during a timeout.

At the 3:08 mark in the second half with the Gophers leading the game 62-57, Maurice Walker took and missed an ill-advised three-point shot from the top of the key.  Minnesota had at least 15 seconds left on the shot clock.

On the ensuing trip down the court, North Carolina pushes the ball and Walker inexplicably late in transitioning back on defense picks up a blocking foul attempting to take a charge on a driving Tyler Zeller.

Coach Smith immediately calls a time out.

Before the players get to the bench, Nolen is in the ear of Walker telling the young freshman that his last shot was a mistake and that he compounded his error with the foul. 

Nolen, being the senior leader on the team, however also makes sure that he takes the time to repeatedly slap the backside of Walker to tell him that the play is over and that he is got to ready for the next play.

No doom and gloom on the Gopher bench.  Everyone understands that a mistake was made but is now ready to move on and listen to what Coach Smith has to say in the timeout.

Iverson secures the North Carolina missed free throw after the timeout.  North Carolina would never get closer than five points again.

The Gophers run their offense getting the ball into the hands of their best free throw shooter, Hoffarber, who drains two free throws.

On the next possession, the feisty point guard, Nolen steals the ball away from North Carolina which subsequently results in Minnesota putting two more points on the board with free throws.

Minnesota now gets the privilege of playing West Virginia.

The Mountaineers are very similar to the Gophers in that they play very solid aggressive defense, they have an outstanding perimeter shooting in Casey Mitchell and Darryl Bryant, their eight man rotation is comprised of upperclassmen with experience and they have a head coach who is highly regarded in college basketball.

The only real difference between the two teams is that Minnesota is the bigger team. 

If Minnesota can use its height and size advantage to win the battle in the paint, they should win the game and put the rest of the Big Ten on notice that they intend to contend for the Big Ten championship.

The Minnesota Gophers started off the season well winning their first two games against two teams, Wofford and Siena—which made the NCAA tournament last spring. 

The wins were more impressive to the casual Gopher fan because star player Devoe Joseph is out due to indefinite suspension.

Minnesota begins the Puerto Rico Tip Off just outside the AP Top 25 teams in the country.  If the Gophers play well they may get a chance to play No. 8 North Carolina or teams that are on the bubble for breaking into the Top 25, West Virginia and Vanderbilt.

Of course, the Gophers can’t look too far ahead as they first must win their opening round game against Western Kentucky.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith clearly isn’t looking ahead saying that his players needed to drastically improve on and off the court.

After Devoe Joseph was suspended indefinitely for violating unspecified team rules last week, starters Colton Iverson and Rodney Williams faced the wrath of Coach Smith and were disciplined for team violations. 

Coach Smith did not elaborate as to what Iverson and Williams specifically did except to say that it was something “we’re just not going to tolerate.” 

Coach Smith added that his senior captains Blake Hoffarber and Al Nolen may need to start “taking control” of the team to make sure things like that did not happen again. Iverson and Williams came off the bench against Siena.

Two players that took advantage of Iverson and Williams getting benched were Austin Hollins and Trevor Mbakwe.

Hollins, a freshman, was impressive in the three summer exhibition games he played in Canada.  Hollins scored 12 points against Siena including two three point shots during an 11-0 run in which Minnesota took control of the game. 

If the Gophers are to have a successful tournament in Puerto Rico, Hollins will likely need to score some scoring to pick up the slack in Joseph’s absence.

Mbakwe tallied his second double-double of the season against Siena scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.  Trevor, 6’8 and 240 pounds, is built like an oak tree and is the power forward force that was missing from the Gophers last season.

Because Mbakwe is physical and attacks the basket at both ends he presents match-up problems on the offensive end and can be a solid force on the defensive end because of his ability to defend either power or small forwards.

“I’ve been impressed with [Mbakwe] from day one,” Smith said.  “He has good stamina, endurance; he’s the strongest guy on the team...he’s intense...he’s got nice touch around the basket and he’s physical...he’s got the total package...that’s what we were missing in the past.”

The opening round game against the Hilltoppers will be an interesting matchup for the Gophers as Western Kentucky has three small forwards who are capable of scoring baskets in bunches.

Sergio Kerusch (6’5, 220) is averaging 20 points, Juan Pattillo (6’6, 220) is averaging 19 points and Steffphon Pettigrew (6’5, 230) is averaging 18 points.

Mbakwe may be the key player in the opening round game as his combination of size and strength will present match-up problems for Western Kentucky. 

Minnesota twin towers of Ralph Sampson III and Iverson will also see meaningful minutes in the opening round game as the Hilltoppers don’t have enough size among their front line to match up against Minnesota. 

If the Gophers get past Western Kentucky, Minnesota will likely face No. 8 North Carolina.

Minnesota will not enjoy any height advantage over the Tar Heels.   An upset over North Carolina will ensure the Gophers will be among the top 25 teams in the country next week.

Even if Minnesota drops its game against North Carolina, the Gophers can enhance their resume among AP voters by winning their final game in the tournament as their likely opponent will be either West Virginia or Vanderbilt.

Of course, the first step that Minnesota needs to address is taking care of Western Kentucky.

Minnesota junior guard Devoe Joseph, arguably the Gophers' best player, has been suspended indefinitely from the team.

The start of the season is one of the most wonderful moments of the year as it brings the promise of what might be possible and allows the troubles of the past to be forgotten.

Minnesota unfortunately is learning that for every rule there is an exception and the Gophers appear to be the exception to the rule.

Last year, three Gopher players missed playing time due to violation of team rules or off-court incidents—Lawrence Westbrook, Al Nolen and Devron Bostick.  Nolen missed half the season for failure to make adequate academic progress last year.

Two Gopher players, Trevor Mbakwe and Royce White, were indefinitely suspended and never saw the floor.  White subsequently transferred to Iowa State.

Coach Tubby Smith has never before experienced the loss of so many players due to suspensions in one season in his entire coaching career. 

Mbakwe fortunately resolved his off-court issues this summer and has rejoined the team.  Mbakwe’s play over the summer has impressed many observers and the expectations are high that he will have a breakout year.

Nolen is back for his senior year and he appears to be a much more mature individual ready to lead the Gophers once again.

Coach Smith had to feel that the 2010 season would be different from last year with Mbakwe and Nolen back in the fold.

Yesterday, Coach Smith announced that his program had indefinitely suspended Joseph.

Joseph did not play in Minnesota’s 78-72 exhibition victory over Winona State on Monday night.

“There some things he has to address,” Smith said Thursday night.  “He’s committed to doing it.  We’re certainly going to miss him, especially for the foreseeable future.  Hopefully he gets what he has to get done, so he can get back on board at some point in time during the season.”

When asked about the length of the suspension, Smith called Joseph’s suspension “a long term thing [that was related to] off-the-court issues [and] some other things.”  According to Smith, Joseph will be allowed to practice with the team but won’t be able to travel.

Coach Smith would not give a definitive date for Joseph’s return to the team.  The St. Paul Pioneer Press has cited an unknown source saying that Joseph could return to the team for the December 4 game against Cornell.

The loss of Joseph could be significant as Minnesota opens the season against two teams, Wofford and Sienna, which made the NCAA tournament last year and would love to post an early win over a Big Ten opponent.

Joseph was a key player in Minnesota’s rotation last year and was named to the Big Ten tourney all-tournament team last year.  Joseph averaged 9.4 points and three assists a game while shooting 39 percent from three-point land last season.

Joseph’s value to Minnesota the team is that he can play the point guard position and reduce an opponent’s defensive pressure as well as create his own shot from the 2 position in the half-court offense. 

“One guy isn’t going to be able to fill his shoes,” Nolen said.  “Everybody is going to have to step up and play well.  We’re going to need Rodney [Williams] and Blake [Hoffarber] to really be on their P’s and Q’s scoring the ball.”

If there is any silver lining to Joseph’s suspension, Minnesota could get a chance to give Williams and Mbakwe more opportunities earlier in the season to work themselves into the Gophers offense. 

Minnesota last year struggled at times to get good shots in their half-court offense due to the lack of one-on-one scorers.

Williams and Mbakwe could help solve the Gophers' problem of scoring in their half-court set this year as both have the ability to create their own shot outside of the low-post area. 

In Nolen’s absence last year, Joseph’s game developed and blossomed.  This year with Joseph’s absence, Williams and Mbakwe will get more opportunities to showcase their talent and ability.

Don’t be surprised if incoming freshman Austin Hollins is also given a couple of opportunities to play significant minutes in Joseph’s absence.

Tonight Minnesota faces Wofford who has two tough experienced senior guards in Cameron Rundles and Jamar Diggs who are solid defenders.  Wofford will undoubtedly attempt to upset the Gophers by applying constant ball pressure.

The first test of the season will give Minnesota a good indication of how much Joseph is going to be missed in the backcourt. 

The 2010 Minnesota Gophers could be the best team under coach Tubby Smith’s tenure at the university.  “I think it’s the most athletic team.  You still have to wait and see,” Coach Smith said.  “Hopefully, they’ll reach their potential and become the best team that we’ve had here.”

Should Gopher fans share in Smith’s optimism about their squad?  There are several reasons for optimism this year, below are 10 reasons why Gopher fans should be looking forward to the upcoming season:

10. Minnesota Returns Experienced Nucleus of Players

Blake Hoffarber, Colton Iverson, Devoe Joseph, Al Nolen, Ralph Sampson III and Rodney Williams all saw significant time last year; all of the above players with the exception of Williams averaged more than 15 minutes of playing time.

9. Al Nolen Is Back and Ready to Play

Nolen was suspended last year in December for not making adequate academic progress.  Nolan’s presence was felt last year as the Gophers struggled to find someone to put pressure on the opposition’s point guard.

Coach Smith in recent comments to the media noted the positive change in Nolen.  Nolen also appears to understand that sitting out last year might have helped him in the long run.  "Going through what I did last year definitely helped me out in life," Nolen said.  "I definitely needed some maturing to do.  And I think that helped me.  Everything happened for a reason."

8. Minnesota Had a Good Summer

During the past summer, the incoming freshmen and new players had an opportunity to get in extra practice time and play three exhibition games in Canada with the veteran players.  According to Coach Smith, “I can tell we’re ahead in some areas [as a result of our work over the summer].  Things are going well.”

7. Coach Smith Is Rejuvenated after Spending Summer in Africa

This offseason could have been very trying for Coach Smith with the adverse verdict against him in the Jimmy Williams lawsuit and the ambiguity surrounding whether Trevor Mbwake would be on the team.  Coach Smith, however, has a spring in his step as he told reporters on media day that “[t]his is the start of my 37th year in coaching, but it seems like I could go for another 37 years.  That's the kind of energy I feel and also what I feel about this team.”

6. Austin Hollins Appears Ready to Contribute as a Freshman

Hollins is the son of Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.  Austin is a solid 6’4" with excellent shooting range who can put the ball on the floor and rebound.  Hollins hit the weight room hard this summer and believes he put on 10 pounds of muscle since coming to Minnesota. 

Coach Smith is very high on Hollins and has suggested that he could potentially see meaningful minutes.  Coach Smith on the freshman phenom: “I don't think we've had a more consistent, as far as effort is concerned, player since I've been here.  That's how hard he's worked, how focused he is and how mature he is...That's what you're supposed to do.  Do the things right on the court and off the court, and you'll get your opportunity.”

5. Maurice Walker Could Be Pleasant Surprise Off the Bench

As a big man Walker gives the Gophers needed depth if Sampson or Iverson get into early foul trouble.  Walker is likely the largest freshman in the Big Ten as he came to campus somewhere in the neighborhood of 6’10" and 320 pounds; when Big Ten play begins he will likely be done around 285.  In comparison, Walker has more bulk than either Iverson or Sampson.  Some scouting services ranked Walker among the top 10 centers in the incoming freshman class.

4. The Return of the Twin Towers

Iverson (6’10" and 260) and Sampson (6’10" and 240) will pose several matchup problems for most Big Ten teams as they did against Purdue last year in the Big Ten Tournament.  

Iverson is a rugged banger who is as tough as they come in the post in the Big Ten.  Sampson may have the softest touch from beyond 15 feet for a big man in the Big Ten.  During midnight madness, Sampson put up a serious challenge to Hoffarber in the three-point shooting contest.  

If the Gophers can find a way to keep both players on the court for meaningful minutes, Minnesota may find a way to hang up a Big Ten championship banner at the end of the year.

3. Blake Hoffarber Is Best Returning Three-Point Specialist in Big Ten

Hoffarber shot an eye-popping 47 percent from three-point land last year.  Hoffarber is arguably the best pure three-point shooter in the conference. 

While Hoffarber still has difficulty creating his own shot off of the dribble, Blake almost never misses an open-look three-point shot off of a kick-out pass.  Hoffarber has also enhanced his value at the end of the game with his ability to ice games with his 85-percent field-goal shooting.

2. Devoe Joseph Is Developing into a Consistent Scorer

A quick look at Joseph’s stat line at the end of the year is likely not going to cause too many Big Ten fans to shake and quiver.  However, Joseph began to emerge as a scorer to be recognized during crunch time in the second half of the season. 

Last year, Lawrence Westbrook was way too inconsistent in the role and took too many ill-advised shots.  Coach Smith will be happier with the decisions that Joseph makes this year over the choices made by Westbrook last year.

1. The Emergence of Trevor Mbwake

The principal problem for Minnesota last year is that they did not have a player to play the traditional power forward position.  Trevor Mbwake fills Minnesota’s need at the power forward position, as he is a very solid 6’8", 240 pounds. 

Mbwake is a solid interior presence who can’t be moved from the block, yet he has mad hops.  Mbwake’s vertical is better than Williams' by two inches yet he outweighs Williams by 40 pounds; Mbwake won the dunk contest during midnight madness with some monstrous dunks.

Minnesota could be the surprise team in the Big Ten this year as they have size, a strong interior presence, a great three-point shooter, a classic tough-minded defensive point guard, a couple of freshmen that will contribute and several returning players who had quality experience from last year.

Yes, coach Tubby Smith and Minnesota fans have very good reasons to be optimistic.