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.