Let me try this, but don’t expect much in the way of complete sentences or proper punctuation. We are officially in uncharted territory and I am as close to being at a loss for words as possible. It is a very good thing this is in writing, the facial cramp resulting from a giant smile the last several minutes has rendered me speechless. All I know is that the Gophers somehow, someway, with their backs against the wall and the season on the line knocked off Michigan State, who has dominated the Gophers in recent years, in over time of all things, with the season on the line.

Heartbreak after heartbreak, blown lead after blown lead, this has been the most frustrating, heart wrenching painfully predictable season that has summed up every Minnesota sports cliche/curse, until now.

The Hoffarber shot a few years ago was great, but it didn’t matter. It moved the Gophers from a 8 seed in the NIT up to a 4 seed. This win might have nudged the Gophers on the right side of the bubble. More importantly, it was the first win of the Tubby Smith era against Michigan State, the Big Ten standard bearer, and national runner-up a year ago.

It is almost impossible to count how many times the Gophers gave the game away, only to take it right back. Devoe Joseph nearly gave the game away in regulation with his refusal to pass, only to keep on not passing and knocking down a long clutch three pointer in overtime. Lawrence Westbrook was equal parts clutch and abhorrently reckless, only to put the game away with clutch free throws. Blake Hoffarber hit the threes, grabbed important rebounds, but it was his balance and strong pivot foot, found nowhere near a box score, that allowed him to get the ball to Paul Carter and Paul Carter to the line. And at the top of the list, a big kid from a small town. Colton Iverson played the best game of his career so far, and maybe ever (and I am expecting big things next year from him).

From dead in the water to floating on a bubble. This season hasn’t gone the way anyone expected. So why not  continue to expect the unexpected. The Gophers might be dancing.

No related posts.

Coming into this week, it seemed obvious that the Gophers would need to win at least two games in the Big Ten Tournament, and even three not might be enough depending on the always shifting bubble. Well, in a bit of good news, that bubble has been remarkably stable, and hasn’t shrunk one bit (St. Mary’s was already in the dance all you naysayers). Now, three wins should lock the Gophers into the NCAA tournament, assuming that those three wins come against the Penn State, Michigan State, and Purdue. A win against a team who upsets Purdue is less  helpful.

The Gophers have never made it to the final game of the Big Ten tournament, but they have a decent chance this year. They know they can beat Penn State, and they lost to Michigan State and Purdue by a combined two points at home.

Penn State is playing their best basketball of the season, by far. However, they didn’t become the 11th seed in an 11 team tournament by some kind of cosmic accident. They still can’t rebound or play defense, and they still are a one man show with that one man unwilling or unable to trust his teammates (though I don’t blame him one bit).

Michigan State, whom the Gophers would play if they beat Penn State, narrowly escaped Williams Arena after the Gophers choked away one of their infamous 13 point leads. Minnesota won’t be intimidated, and will want to atone for what could have been a season changing victory over a top ten team. Chris Allen, who torched the Gophers for four three-pointers in the soul-crushing lost, has been suspended indefinitely for reasons ranging from lack of leadership to academics, or being the deciding health care vote in the house of representatives.  We know the Gophers have trouble defending three pointers, and Chris Allen just so happens to be the best shooting Spartan.

Game three, no longer a must win if various teams continue to burst their own bubbles, would likely be against the very beatable Purdue Boilermakers. The loss of Robbie Hummel has made Purdue look very ordinary in a four point win at Penn State and positively 2009-Gopheresque in scoring only 44 points at Michigan State.

Of course, none if this matters if the Gophers don’t show up, a strange problem this season in must win games against seemingly beatable teams. Motivation shouldn’t be an issue this time around. Just finding themselves in a position to play themselves back into the NCAA tournament, considering all the off court issues and all missed chances, should be enough to bring out maximum effort from the Gophers. And if the Gophers have been paying any attention at all, they should have more than a little chip on their shoulders. Penn State has been the trendy upset pick in the Big Ten tournament. Damian Johnson was left off the Big Ten All-Defensive team, an indefensible decision considering he should have been the Defensive Player of the Year.

It still amazes me how close the Gophers were, despite all that happened on and off the court, to not just making the NCAA tournament, but securing a good seed. Another point at Northwestern and at Indiana to keep those games out of overtime would give the Gophers a very safe eight or nine seed. One more defensive stop against Texas A&M, Michigan State, and Purdue would have given the Gophers a top five seed and first and second round games as close as Milwaukee. So close yet so far away…but in March in college basketball, all things are possible. The conference tournament and potentially the NCAA tournament are the ultimate second chance.

Related posts:

1. By the Numbers: Nine to Go
2. Gophers Big Ten schedule released, and the Gophers are Big Time
3. Two Big Ten pieces added to schedule puzzle

However, the Gophers did not lose.  They won.  Big.  And finished the regular season an NIT-worthy 18-12.  They officially start the postseason on Thursday against an underrated Penn State team with nothing to lose.  A scary team to have to face in the first round for sure, but an opponent the Gophers should handle (heard that one before?).  And who would’ve thought that after all of the ups and downs of the season that Minnesota would still be involved in the bubble conversation.  In fact, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi predicts the Gophers would just miss inclusion in the tournament were the committee to select the field today.

What does this mean?  It means the Gophers still have a chance….somehow.  It doesn’t matter how or why, but Minnesota’s Big Dance dreams still have a pulse.  Head-scratchingly enough, Lunardi predicts the Illinois Fighting Illini, a team with an identical record that the Gophers beat on the road, will make the tournament.  How that makes any sense is a different argument, but the point is that national analysts believe that the Gopher resume is strong enough to warrant bubble talk.  *high five*

Before we pop the champagne and put on the party hats, it’s important to recognize that the Gophers are still on the outside looking in.  They currently haven’t accomplished quite enough to make the field of 65 as it stands today and have to do a bit of winning in order to turn that sentiment around.  But the million dollar question is this:

What do the Gophers need to do to get selected?

I tend to think it’s pretty simple, at least on paper.  Beat Penn State and then beat Michigan State.  I’m not going to break down the entire Goofer Gopher resume, but two wins is 20 in total for the season.  A win over Michigan State (RPI:25) gives the team quality wins over Ohio State, Butler, Wisconsin and Illinois in addition to the hypothetical victory over the Spartans.  That’s a lot of good wins.

Of course, it’s easy to say and extraordinarily difficult to do, but a win over Michigan State is not too much to ask.  Anyone can beat anyone in the Big Ten and I strongly believe that a win over the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament enhances the Gopher profile to a point where it will be well-received by the Selection Committee on Sunday.  Of course, it’s easy to overlook a team like Penn State, so taking care of business in the first round of the the Big Ten tourney is essential.

Until then, keep hoping for quick Illinois, Memphis and Arizona State exits in their tournaments.  We need all the help we can get.

Related posts:

1. A chance to dance, but it will take two to tango
2. By the Numbers: Nine to Go
3. Two Big Ten pieces added to schedule puzzle

Pathetic.  Embarrassing.  Unbelievable.  What ever negative word someone wants to use to describe the Gophers effortless, aloof performance against the Michigan Wolverines would probably be deserved.  At a time when Minnesota needed to come out firing against a team with nothing to play for, a time that called for nothing more than a solid performance to continue an unnecessary late-season run to the postseason, the Gophers came out and did what they do best.  Blow it.

In their worst loss of the season, Minnesota came out flat against a Michigan team winding down its own disappointing season in front of a crowd that really didn’t even want to be there.  Chucking shots, not playing defense, turning the ball over, not forcing turnovers – the Gophers did everything they could to ensure that they got blown out at a time where lack of execution and poor concentration meant the end of a run to the postseason.

One question though:  Was this really a surprise?  This team has made believers at times this season of even the darkest, most pessimistic regions of Gopher Nation, only to revert to head-scratching breakdowns and violence-inducing losses.  From the three game neutral court skid in the beginning of the season to the double digit leads that slipped away to nationally ranked teams to the overtime loss to a JV Indiana team, this team refused to capitalize at times that required it the most.  It only follows, then, that they would give away their entire season at a crucial, winnable contest in Ann Arbor.

One thing that this loss further drives home is that the 2009-10 Gopher team, though ranked in the top 20 to begin the season, just isn’t that good.  Sure, they can play up to teams frequently, and even put scares into Michigan State and Purdue…but they didn’t win.  In fact they lost in incredibly pathetic fashion in a couple instances.  Granted, the team lost a HUGE part of its original core with losses of Royce White, Trevor Mbakwe and Al Nolen, so maybe expectations were far too high to begin with.  But after this Michigan game it’s readily apparent that the team is no better than a mediocre Big Ten squad.  No leadership, poor offensive execution and suspect confidence is no way to win games, but a great way to lose them.  Here’s hoping for an NIT bid.

Game notes:

• Damian Johnson continued to prove that he is the only one on the team close to being a “go-to” guy, leading the team with 13 points and five rebounds and showing good hustle.  Unfortunately, he was the only player on the team doing anything worth applauding.
• Lawrence Westbrook finished with three points on 1-6 shooting and didn’t get to the free throw line.  He did put up six assists, which were negated by his on and off-court pouting.
• Colton Iverson scored 10 points off the bench, marking the first time since early December that he put up a double digit scoring effort.  His performance would be more exciting if his entire season hadn’t been one long blooper reel.
• Ralph Sampson actually continued to show that his offensive game might be taking a step forward, nailing a couple hook shots, scoring seven points and pulling in five rebounds.
• Another semi-positive:  Rodney Williams looked energized and got some solid playing time, racking up 18 minutes and six points including a highlight reel 360 breakaway dunk.  Nice to see Rodney capitalizing on his minutes when the starters were not.
• Blake Hoffarber was held to under 10 points for the fourth straight game.  Not that it’s his fault, but for the record the Gophers have won only two games all season when Hoffarber scores under 10 points.
• Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims again destroyed the Gopher defense, racking up 45 points on 18-28 shooting.  That’s including only two three pointers.

(Photo by Tony Ding, Associated Press)

Related posts:

1. It’s a Blowout!: Gophers 81 – Indiana 58
2. Bubble burst(ing) Michigan 71 – Gophers 63
3. Game 19 Preview: Gophers vs. Michigan State

Don’t look to hard at that 8 point Gopher loss on February 11th. The Gophers aren’t the same team, and in a lot of ways, have altered their strategy specifically to defeat teams designed like Michigan. In the earlier loss, the Gophers were torched by their inability to guard defenders one on one. Despite a massive size advantage, they were dominated in the paint. Even though they had everything to play for, it is hard to argue that they showed up at all.

Now the Gophers have gone big, gone zone, and gone on a 3-1 run with only a one point loss to Purdue.  Back on the bubble, the Gophers aren’t likely to come out flat again like they did against the Wolverines. They can’t afford to. They also can’t afford to let Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims play  two on five and dominate. Thanks to the zone the driving lanes won’t be open, and whomever is stuck guarding Sims will have automatic weak side help.

Tuesday’s game will come down to what every game since the zone switch comes down to, hoping and praying that the threes don’t fall. Tubby Smith’s defense of choice, the ball-line defense was always predicated on the simple fact that three pointers are more difficult to make than two pointers. Minnesota’s zone takes this to the extreme.  The Gophers have given up an average of nearly 27 three point attempts per game over the last four games. Michigan attempts 43% of their field goal attempts from behind the three point line, making less than 30% from distance.

Basketball is often not a complicated game, and a few simple changes have turned everything around. If you can’t guard one on one, then don’t. If a three is harder to make than a two, then let them shoot threes. With a little luck and some poor Wolverine shooting, the Gophers will be a simple win away from their best Big Ten finish since 2005, and maybe, just maybe a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Related posts:

1. Gophers vs. Michigan Preview with an assist from UMHoops.com
2. Save the season in six simple steps!

Still holding on!

A ten point half time lead was surprising. A seemingly insurmountable 19 point lead with just over seven minutes left was shocking. The final score, a 62-60 victory for the Gophers was only unexpected because the Gophers won.

Assembly Hall has been a house of horrors for the Gophers for decades. The last win at Illinois came in 1996, a one point win against a mediocre at best Illini squad in Lou Henson’s final game. I don’t remember March of 1996 particularly well. Apparently the country was riveted with the case of Eric and Lyle Menendez, Mad Cow disease fears gripped the British Isles, and the Chechnya-Russia conflict was just heating up. The win didn’t send the Gophers to the NCAA tournament despite the 10-8 conference record, and it didn’t count. You’d have to go all the way back to 1978 for an official victory at Illinois. Back then, Tubby Smith was still a season away from his first game as an assistant with Virginia Commonwealth. So no, a win wasn’t going to be easy, and there would not be a blowout in Assembly Hall.

Big Ten critics must have been thrilled by the 24-14 halftime score. It was everything that so many want to believe the Big Ten is, boring, slow, and full of incompetent offense. No team should have a lead if they score only 24 points in a half, and 14 points in 20 minutes should never keep a team in a game, but this is the Big Ten, where all things are possible. Minnesota’s defense was spectacular statistically, but those statistics were misleading. Illinois couldn’t handle a nearly stationary 2-3 zone. The Gophers just stood there, and so did Illinois, content to shoot rushed three-pointers with the shot clock running out. It was pathetic, really. Even in the most passive days of the Gopher zone offense, they showed more initiative to score.

The Gopher offense wasn’t humming along in the first half, but they did pick their spots well. Eighteen of the first half points came in the paint, with four different players scoring four points and seven different players getting on the board. Six of the 11 Gopher field goals came by way of an assist, many of the spectacular variety leading to opportunities.

The Gopher offense really woke up in the second half in road outburst that Gopher fans haven’t seen since a big win in Iowa City during the opening days of the Big Ten season. The Gophers reeled off a 27 to 15 featuring a lucky buzzer beating corner 3 pointer by Rodney Williams that hit everything before falling in. The shot came  off a whirling dervish of an assist from a completely out of control Lawrence Westbrook. The rally ended on a Williams three point play with the ugliest free throw to fall, maybe ever. If those shots could fall, particularly under those circumstances, the streak had to end? Yes, but not easily of course.

Purdue’s student section has been furiously pushing the slogan “Defense lives here” for most of the season, as if defense is a living creature with an endemic habitat. If The Barnyard were to devote such energy to slogan slinging, the only option would be “No lead is safe.” After the Williams three fell, the wheels fell off the Gophers.

Bruce Weber suddenly remembered that the Gophers were playing without a true point guard, and turned on the full court pressure. For some reason this was the first real effort to pressure Gopher ball handlers since Al Nolen became ineligible, and it won’t be the last until the Gophers learn to dribble. The Gophers committed five turnovers in the final seven minutes, equaling their total over the previous 33 minutes. Turnover woes didn’t figure to be too damaging with Illinois’ still anemic offense, but that too eventually awoke.

Bill Cole is an almost perfect weapon against the zone. He is tall enough at 6′9” to see and shoot over most perimeter defenders, and unlike most his size, he can knock down the three. In the first half he attempted only one shot. In the second he made five three pointers, and nearly brought Illinois all the way back. The Gopher lead didn’t disappear instantly, but instead steadily and excruciatingly slowly. The Gophers crumbled again, and when D.J. Richardson knocked down back to back three pointers to bring the Illini within one point with 1:24 left in the game, the only question remaining was at what point they would break the Gophers’ hearts, again, and how much time the Gophers would have to miss the last shot, again.

But that never happened. The Gophers stopped panicking, perhaps realizing that one more basket would be enough to secure a win. And when Ralph Sampson hit a streaking Paul Carter to put the Gophers up three with 32 seconds left it was enough. Illinois had two more chances, thanks to the Gophers missing three of four free throws in the final 22 seconds. Fourteen or 32 year droughts don’t end easily.

That last win at Illinois wasn’t enough to get the Gophers into the NCAA tournament. They were the first team in conference history (since the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams) to be left home with 10-8 conference record. In a couple weeks the Gophers could very well find themselves in the same position. Michigan is beatable, and Iowa is Iowa. Two more wins and the Gophers will finish above .500 for the first time since 2005 and will have improved their conference win total in each year of the Tubby Smith era. And unlike 1996, they’ll have an opportunity to solidify a spot in the 65 team field during the Big Ten tournament.

All I ask for at the beginning of each basketball season is for things to stay interesting until the very end. February and March are brutal in Minnesota without something to look forward to. Thanks to the Gophers, who we all left for dead a few weeks ago, waiting for spring is going to be pretty fun.

Who did what?

• Damian Johnson largely disappeared in the second half when the Gophers were desperately in need of some senior leadership. His two made field goals came in the early going. Thankfully, he did pick up a steal that eventually led to the Paul Carter dunk that saved the game for the Gophers.

• Blake Hoffarber never got on track, making only one of five field goal attempts on the day. He spent the last five minutes of the game on the bench due to his lack of ball handling skills including a travel towards the end of Illinois’ big run. In his defense though, he was thrown to  ground on that travel, just one of several bizarre calls that went Illinois’ way.

• Lawrence Westbrook is good for clutch free throws even when everything else is falling apart. He knocked down two freebies to stem the tide briefly to stretch Minnesota’s lead back to ten with four minutes left. Exemplifying how shaky the Gophers were against the press, Westbrook became the primary ball handler in the closing minutes, and somehow managed to bring the ball up better than any other Gopher.

• Devoe Joseph sparked the rally in the second half that gave the Gophers their big lead.  He scored 16 points and made 7-8 free throws. He also managed to not record a single assist and pick up four turnovers. Joseph is still making the mistakes of a freshman point guard, which isn’t so surprising since he rarely had to be the primary ball handler a year ago. Luckily, his mistakes are more a product of lack of experience and not lack of skill, and we may look back in two years, thankful that Joseph had an extra half season at point guard under his belt.

• Ralph Sampson didn’t follow up his career best game the way he wanted, but his assist to Carter was probably the most important play of the day. His lack of production, only 4 points, was mostly due to lack of opportunity, only 5 shot attempts. The sophomore center needs more touches for the team to jump to the next level.

• Paul Carter is looking more and more like he’ll be able to step in where Damian Johnson leaves off at the end of the season. He came up with a huge ten points including the most important two, along with four rebounds. The junior forward has been on a tear lately, making 50% or better of his field goal attempts in seven straight games. Not bad for a guy who made only 39% of his two point attempts last season.

• Colton Iverson only scored four points, and they somehow came when no one on either team could buy a basket. He also picked up three rebounds and avoided turnovers in his 15 minutes of work.

• Justin Cobbs was steady for 11 of his 12 minutes, but even a freshman knows not to pick up stupid fouls miles away from the basket with the game on the line.

• Rodney Williams played his best game as a Gopher with eight points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of action. His offense may have a lot to do with luck, but the freshman put himself in position to make a play.

Related posts:

1. Turnaround Time: Gophers 65 – Northwestern 61
2. Game 15 Review: Not too embarassing
3. Three streaks down, another to go?

Related posts:

1. Big Ten Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini
2. Quick Thoughts: Gophers 89 – Northern Illinois
3. Gophers crush Illinois for a streak of their own

Every team at this stage of the season has an identity. For the Gophers, it is an inability to win close games. It is what it is, and it isn’t likely to change over the next few weeks, but the team’s attitude has changed and future looks a lot brighter than it did after the horrid home loss against Michigan.

Despite losing, again, in heart breaking fashion, the Purdue game should raise every Gopher fan’s spirits. A quick perusal of the box score is a reason for hope.  Next year’s nucleus played important roles, and even in areas that they did not contribute, there is potential waiting in the wings.

Ralph Sampson showed that he has the ability, and yes, the fire to be a corner stone to build around.  He scored 21 points on only 11 field goal attempts against Jujuan Johnson, the so-called best center in the Big Ten. It was only the fifth time in his career that he has attempted at least 10 shots, and that should and will change. He isn’t a consistent scorer yet, but he has made more than half his shot attempts throughout his career. If the shots come so will the points.

Colton Iverson has gotten a lot of grief for a panicked put back attempt that ultimately led to Purdue’s first lead in several minutes, but what is lost is that he got to the loose ball. He has been getting to more loose balls and making more subtly spectacular plays in recent games that have led to extra possessions, and extra points. He is an above average passer in the post that will get the ball to Sampson in a position to score. Most importantly, the kid is tough. Sampson may become a good scorer, a decent rebounder, and a solid defender, but he isn’t going to strike fear into anyone. Iverson and his elbows already do.

The back court story isn’t quite so optimistic. If Al Nolen doesn’t get his academic act together there will be a hole to fill at point guard, but Devoe is learning. He has shown over the last few games that he can get to the rim and actually finish, something Nolen has always struggled with. His game management skills have also improved. The offense has been humming since he moved into the starting line-up. He doesn’t force shots, though he doesn’t make many either. A summer of shooting should improve that. Joseph’s real problem is his momentary lapses. A few times each game he’ll attempt a dumb pass or forget to rebound.  They are signs of immaturity, and they’ll diminish with experience.

Blake Hoffarber plays smart and can shoot like no one else in the country. He isn’t as well rounded as he could be, and he can be an athletic liability, but he won’t bite off more than he can chew. Most importantly, he keeps the defense honest. There won’t be many double-teams of Sampson with Hoffarber on the floor, and the zone defense, which crushed Minnesota’s offensive confidence early in the season, has all but disappeared from opponents’ defensive arsenals.

Damian Johnson will be missed, but he isn’t irreplaceable either. Paul Carter and Johnson are remarkably similar players, with remarkably similar statistics if Carter’s are adjusted for his relative lack of playing time. In fact, Carter’s scoring and rebounding averages are slightly better than Johnson’s on a per minute basis. And no one will question his leadership.

The future is bright, and that is not something I expected to be writing about after the Michigan game. There are bound to be continued growing pains. I fully expect the Gophers to come out flat against the Illini, and why wouldn’t they after another close loss. There will be moans and groans if they only make the NIT, especially with pre-season expectations so high. The destination isn’t what anyone had in mind, but the journey has been fun.

Related posts:

1. The Worst: Michigan 83 – Gophers 55
2. Bubble burst(ing) Michigan 71 – Gophers 63
3. That 8 year old who sang the national anthem

On his first field goal attempt of his college basketball career, punt returner/point guard rolled in a three pointer. Moments later he hit Justin Cobbs on a three-quarter court bounce pass that led to a thunderous dunk. A second later it was Rodney Williams streaking to the basket, too contested to dunk but not for a pretty finger roll. And the bench exploded. This wasn’t the typical celebration during a time-out. It was a loud full throated jubilation as the players streamed on the court.

Lawrence Westbrook was the first player to reach Cobbs, jumping into his arms like so many catchers after a no-hitter. Trever Mbakwe got to Allen, picked him over his shoulder, and spun him around a few times. The always sulking, occasionally selfish, always maligned senior captain could barely contain his joy. The junior college transfer who has watched his entire season slip away, with his future soon to be decided by 12 strangers, wasn’t about to let his past or future uncertainty get in the way of celebrating his new teammate’s accomplishment.

This isn’t the same Gopher team that sat idly by as Michigan walked out of Williams Arena with a shockingly easy victory. It wasn’t the same team whose starting back-court couldn’t get through a team meeting without starting a shoving match.  For the last two games at least, it isn’t the same team that couldn’t hold double digit lead.

Forgive the Gophers for not having fun until last Thursday. Forgive them for wanting the season too. We all did. The Gophers used to think basketball was everything, and if basketball was everything, then everything was going wrong. Too many blown leads, too many off the court issues, too many clashing personalities, criticism from coaches, media and the fans led to the Gophers getting too down, and just wanting to get out.

In a lot of ways it isn’t a bad thing that the Gophers lost perspective. They are just kids after all. One of the great joys of being a kid is having completely out of whack priorities and a distinct lack of perspective. Life is rough, and perspective and reordered priorities don’t happen until something goes wrong. Immensely talented 19 and 20 year-olds don’t learn that basketball isn’t life until life gets in the way.

Paul Carter has always known that basketball is only a small part of the big picture. The junior college transfer in his third year with the Gophers has led a nomadic existence, and his time with the Gophers is the longest he’s ever spent anywhere. He’s traveled cross-country, been uprooted, and lost everything to a hurricane. He describes himself as a man of faith, and wasn’t about to do anything to burden anyone else. So when he started shaving his head, he didn’ t tell anyone why until Damian Johnson asked.

Carter’s sister Bria had just started chemotherapy to treat life threatening but thankfully curable bone cancer. Carter shared what he and his family were going through. The Gophers shaved their heads as a sign of solidarity, grew up, and became a team.

Suddenly basketball was just a game again. Life showed the Gophers that. Those early losses and clashing personalities didn’t matter anymore. What did matter was showing support for Carter and his family, and giving Bria, who watches every game from her hospital room, something to think about other than cancer.

The Gophers don’t have great shot at making the NCAA tournament this season, but they haven’t given up. They are playing basketball like it is a game and not a burden. They know there are plenty of real people with burdens more real than losing a basketball game or two. They remembered that basketball is supposed to be fun.

Working hard, supporting teammates, and bringing a little joy to others are the new priorities for this new team, and lately, its been leading to some great basketball.

Related posts:

1. Elliott Eliason, the local perspective

With the victory Minnesota completes its first two-game winning streak since the beginning of January, a span of 12 games, and once again the team looked much unlike they have in other parts of the season.  Passes were crisp, shots were falling and the offense looked more in sync than it has all season.  As the season winds down to the final five games, it’s nice to see the Gophers settling into some comfort on both ends of the court.

The Gophers jumped out to a big 22-9 and really never looked back, taking a 44-25 lead into the half.  Led by a cool 20-point performance by Lawrence Westbrook, Minnesota registered 11 scorers in the box score.  Even Bryant Allen got into the column.  Indiana’s healthiest scorer, Verdell Jones III, was held to only two field goals and was forced to keep his tongue in his mouth.

From top to bottom the Gophers dominated a team they should dominate.  They outhustled, outshot, outrebounded and outdefended the Hoosiers.  Once again they took care of the ball, didn’t have to force shots and didn’t commit stupid fouls.  The starting five played like leaders and gave Tubby no reason to implement his “line change” format of substituting, allowing for excellent game flow once again.

The Gophers next host Purdue in perhaps the most important game left on the schedule.  The Boilermakers represent the last chance for a marquee win and a victory would inject life into the Gophers’ NCAA Tournament hopes.  With the team appearing to have found new life and confidence, there’s no reason to think that Minnesota can’t take Purdue to the wire when they come to town on Wednesday.

Game Notes:

• Westbrook started the game soundly and finished with 20 points.  Unlike other performances where he has often tried to force shots and plays, he attempted only nine shots and finished the game without a turnover — something he hasn’t done since Dec. 23.
• Damian Johnson finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.  He also posted up several times down low, showcasing yet another dimension where he excels.  Call me crazy, but at this point I’d rather have DJ down low posting up than Ralph Sampson or Colton Iverson.
• Speaking of Sampson, he scored in double digits for the second straight game and continued to show unprecedented intensity on the block.  The team desperately needs Ralph to have his game face on if they want to maintain their current level of play.
• Blake Hoffarber finished with only six points and attempted only one three-pointer.  Even when not lighting up the box score, though, Hoffarber continues to be an important part of the offense, helping the overall flow of the offense and creating open shots for his teammates just by being on the floor.
• Rodney Williams made the SportsCenter Top Plays with his first half alley-oop from Sampson.  Williams basically appeared to levitate above the rim for what seemed like several seconds before throwing down a huge dunk.  His athleticism continues to amaze.
• Along with most of Gopher Nation, it was nice to see the Gophers silence Verdell Jones III.  His tongue-out, prima donna approach to the game was incredibly annoying in the Hoosier victory over the Gophers and seeing him struggle was very refreshing.

Related posts:

1. The Worst: Michigan 83 – Gophers 55
2. Gophers vs. Indiana: Out for revenge
3. Game 18 Preview: Gophers at Indiana