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Gopher Optimism
Preceded The Season
The
Gopher basketball team ended its conference schedule Wednesday night
with its eighth consecutive loss. Minnesota’s Big Ten record, 3-13, was
the same as the 2004 Gophers achieved. Since World War II only the 1987
Gopher team with two conference wins produced fewer victories than the
2004 and 2007 teams, both of them Dan Monson
products.
Monson came to Minnesota as coach for the 1999-2000 season. He accepted
a contract buyout to leave the Gophers last fall, having produced four
teams in nine seasons that finished in ninth place or lower in the
conference standings. Only once did Monson have a team that finished in
the upper half of the standings. The current team awaits today’s games
involving Northwestern (2-13) and Penn State (2-13) to know its exact
position in the final conference standings but ninth or lower is assured
for the Gophers.
Although Minnesota had finished in 10th place in the
conference in two of the previous three seasons and the 2006-2007 team
had no full time starters returning, Monson, his staff and a program
insider suggested the possibility of competing for the Big Ten title.
Here’s what Monson said in the team’s media guide released last fall:
“I
feel our program is in the best shape it’s been since I came here eight
years ago. We’ve established a base. A coaching base, a recruiting
base, we’ve put hundreds of thousands of dollars into our facilities,
we’ve revamped our academic counseling unit. …I feel really good about
our Gopher basketball family.”
The
results on the floor were much different than expectations. The
Gophers, with a full list of deficiencies, were often no fun to watch.
Two of the troublesome areas were turnovers and scoring. Ball handling
and passing woes characterized this team literally to season’s end as
the Gophers totaled 16 first half turnovers and 28 for the game in
Wednesday’s 66-47 loss to Purdue. Lawrence McKenzie, 15.3 points
per game, Dan Coleman, 14.4, and Spencer Tollackson, 11.9
scored about two-thirds of the team’s points (team average 61.3). Often
no one else seemed capable or interested in contributing.
Not
only did Monson leave during the season but so, too, did his junior
college transfers, forward Engen Nurumbi and point guard
Limar Wilson. The departure of Wilson opens a scholarship for
next season and the Gophers will pursue a physical junior college
forward to add muscle in the front court. Perhaps another player will
leave the program and make a second scholarship available. All the
current players have at least one more year of eligibility.
Attending Gopher basketball games in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was
extraordinary entertainment. The house of pleasure often became a place
of pain for consumers who watched Monson’s teams. Fan and media apathy
have increased dramatically and attendance declined but many fans have
stayed supportive of the team. On those occasions when the Gophers
could excite the crowd this season, the fans screamed and hollered a bit
like the old days.
Give
interim coach Jim Molinari credit for repeatedly thanking the
fans and acknowledging their noise making at Williams Arena. When the
fans were on their feet, the band was playing the Rouser and the old
building was rocking a little, the pain went away for a few moments.
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