Cup of Coffee

February 21, 2013: Solo

82 Comments

The Milkmaid is gone as of last night for four days (which didn't dawn on me until about four hours before I had to take her to the airport...I'm occasionally poor with dates...). I look forward to finding out which little things I forget to do to keep operations running smoothly.

82 thoughts on “February 21, 2013: Solo”

  3. On the one hand, the Wolves put together a fairly solid game and beat Illadelphia 94-89 behind Pek's 27 pts & 18 rebounds. I'd agree with the intelligent portion of the fanbase and media that this team has the pieces to be winners and is generally moving in the right direction.

    On the other hand, the Gophers manage to follow a 21-point blow-out at Iowa with an even worse effort against Ohio, losing by 26. They managed to close to within 3 before the half at 23-26 and then Aaron Craft hits a last second 3-pointer (after an uncalled travelling) to put them down by 6. Came back in the second half and went a stretch of nearly 10 minutes without a single bucket, allowing the Buckeyes to go on a 16-0 run. That sealed it...game was basically over at the 8-minute mark.

    The offense is boring and has no flow (a consistency of the Smith era). The mental mistakes pile up (shot clock violations and other turnovers, bad offensive possessions and repeated lapses on defense) and Tubby stands there looking annoyed or angry (as his players generally look confused).

    There’s talent on the squad and more waiting to be recruited if the team were more appealing, i.e., winning. I think that the coaching staff doesn’t know how to make (or maybe teach/incorporate?) adjustments, both during individual games and throughout the course of the season. They start hot and then hit a slump during league play. I’d argue because there’s enough tape on them for a good coach to prepare. When the other team knows what to expect from them on offense & defense, no amount of hustle can make up for poor shooting and vanilla half-court play.

    Heard from a friend yesterday that the UofM is still paying for the buy-outs of Mason, Monson and Brewster. I don't know if that would be enough for the administration to stand pat, but I'm sure it plays into their decision making. Well, that, and the recent 5-year extension. I generally don't like to call for a coaching change, but I think we've seen all there is to see with Tubby. I know, I know, before he took over this was a 9-win program. But this is his squad, his recruits, his system (and coaches) and this team seems closer to where they were than where we'd expect them to be.

    1. I was out last night and when I got home it was already the second half and the Gophers were down 10. I knew the game was over then and flipped to the Wolves game.

      Here is how you beat the Gophers: play a zone defense. They cant score against a zone.

      After the Iowa loss I was thinking would firing Tubby really be that bad of an idea? Is Gopher basketball like Gopher football where if you replace a constantly underachieving coach (Mason could never get over mid level status) with someone new would the program completely fall apart?

      If they do replace Tubby, they better have someone lined up for the job (can Flip Saunders recruit? does his coaching style even translate to college? Shaka Smart?)

      1. I don't think Mason underachieved. True, he didn't quite get the Gophers over the hump, but he had an offensive philosophy and he recruited players that fit that philosophy. They had big, beefy offensive linemen and running backs that weren't afraid to pound defenders. They didn't get the top level QB, but that kind of style with a little better players is a plausible road to Pasadena. Mason's tenure, short of maybe Holtz's brief run, is the highlight of the last 40 years of Gopher football, no question about it. If they had to get rid of Mason and maybe they did, hiring Harold Hill was real problem. Jerry might get there, he might not, but the damage created by hiring Mack Brown's water boy was extensive.

        Tubby won with Rick Pitino's players and he otherwise underperformed at Kentucky. He's earned a ticket out of town more than Mason ever did. But, you are correct. They better have an answer in place or off into the wilderness they go.

      2. I said this after the Iowa loss and I'll say it again after tOSU loss (because, although losing by 26 sucks, this should never have been a particularly expected win): this team's resume as currently constructed is still comfortably in the NCAA tournament, and if they make the tournament Tubby's not going anywhere this year unless he chooses to. If they split their last four games and win a game in the B1G they'll be in.

        Now, I don't trust these guys to do that with confidence any more (I'm expecting a loss at Purdue now, and even though Nebraska is terrible, I wouldn't even count on a win at them), so if they go 1-3 and go out the first day of the B1G, all bets are off. Either way, though, Shaka Smart is not walking through that door - he turned down a better job and more money than Minnesota can offer from Illinois last year.

        1. I'll say this: Tubby could have left before and didn't. He is probably staying unless he gets a pink slip.

        2. Either way, though, Shaka Smart is not walking through that door...

          I wish I could disagree, I really do. And, I whole-heartedly agree with dw & SBG - Tubby had very little to do with the National Championship he won at Kentucky and they better have a plan before they make any change at Williams Arena. My hope is that Teague can do what he did at VCU*: identify a high-quality, high-upside assistant coach à la Grant & Smart. My concern is that the only way Tubby leaves is by termination. edit: again, I agree with the Boss...

          *Funny to note that Tubby started his coaching career at VCU.

          edit: Also funny to note that the "long-awaited" 3-year contract extension was finalized less than a month after Teague was hired. Especially considering It had been "in progress" since the previous off-season. I'm sure that Norwood had to sign off on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tubby saw the writing on the wall.

              1. That's pretty cold comfort.

                Ferentz never got the Hawkeyes to Pasadena (two shared B1G titles), but he did get them to six January Bowl games (4 wins) and a win in a BCS Bowl game. In the 48 years that I've been on the planet, the Gophs have never played a game in January. The Gophs have not finished higher than fourth in the conference since 1976*. They've had 9 winning seasons in the Conference in my lifetime, with four of those happening from 1965-68, the first four seasons of my life (two more under Mason, hence my he did not underachieve opinion). Frankly, the Gophs should wish to be in the situation that Iowa is in, if they could also have the run Ferentz had before things went sour.

                I feel bad for picking on them. Since they will likely never play NDSU again (except in the FCS playoffs, maybe) and also because football is really bad for those who play it, I hereby resolve to never, ever again make fun of the Gophers football program at this or any website related to this one. My antipathy for the Gophs is really about basketball anyway, because, believe it or not, I was once a huge college BB fan (before I outgrew that). My team was Indiana and therefore I hated all other B1G teams, but most of all Minnesota.

                Since I don't care about that anymore (even Indiana's current team has me not motivated enough to actually watch), as a resident of Minnesota, I'd like to see the Gophs succeed generally in basketball. Football is a lost cause, of course. And of course, I don't care about Hockey, except that they must beat UND (or at least keep UND off their schedule, which is just as good).

                *At 4-4, they were in a four way tie for third.

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                1. Oh yeah, I agree with everything you said. I just wanted to grasp at some kind of straw. And Ferentz's contract, whatever he did in the past (which is plenty), is really bad looking forward. But you're right. That's why it's also more fun for me to get pissed at Bo Pelini winning nine games and then getting utterly depantsed every time anyone pays attention every year than getting pissed at anything about Gopher sports.

                  1. I will admit to watching Mason's Gophers teams and pulling for them. I felt bad when the Michipacolypse happened. And when they just about beat Wisconsin only to botch the snap to the punter. Those were actual, quality B1G football teams.

                    1. They were fun teams to watch when thing were going good.

                      I was at both those games, and they pretty much sucked out any serious emotional investment I was willing to give the Gophers (and maybe for all sports, actually), even though I'm clearly still a "fan" and talk about them and follow them.

    2. RandBall ‏@RandBall
      Tubby Smith is 44-60 all-time in #B1G games, Bo Ryan is 142-58, and I just threw up in my mouth a little.

      1. No wonder teh Gophers lost:

        In the wake of the loss at Wisconsin -- which several Buckeyes called "an embarrassment" -- Matta had his staff put together an inspirational videotape of a speech by the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis. In it, Lewis -- in graphic terms -- made the point that it was up to individuals to get motivated.

  4. Comparisons:

    The use of long putters is up 12 percent in the past three years for one reason: It makes it easier to putt. So do gimmes. Does Finchem want to allow them?

    "But these things have been around 30 years," Jim Furyk says. "It's kinda late now to go backward."

    Couldn't you say the same thing about steroids?

    And also, I've heard that Hitler liked belly putters!

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  5. Steve Aschburner ‏@AschNBA
    Wolves C Nikola Pekovic had 27p/18r last night. Timofey Mozgov, Denver C allegedly sought by Minn via trade, has 27p/16r in past month.

  8. and the sleet has started. everything that wasn't called off last night has been called off or cancelled now. looking forward to the 2/10" of freezing rain on top of it all

  10. things are pretty bleak around Twins Territory, could it be as bad as the mid to late 90s?

    From the 1996 Baseball Prospectus

    The '95 season was, in many ways, the last sputtering flame of the great Twins teams, with recognizable leftovers like Puckett and Rick Aguilera, Kevin Tapani and Scott Erickson in the rotation, and Chuck Knoblauch and Scott Leius in the infield. The team opened with a dismal 24-50 start, and pundits speculated that the team had a pretty good chance of losing 100 games, even with the strike-shortened schedule. So the Twins threw in the towel, and promptly turned Aguilera, Erickson, Tapani and Mark Guthrie into Frankie Rodriguez, Scott Klingenbeck, Jose Parra, Greg Hansell, Ron Coomer, and Chris Latham.

    2. I've been making the comparison to the late '90s ever since Terry Ryan came back as GM. I hope the return to the top will be as good as it was then.

      1. In other words, better than what happened after the '95 season. I think the Twins are on a better track now than in '95. Let's see what happens. Will Morneau and Willingham get dealt? If so, will the return be Knoblauchian (Yay!) or Ericksonian (boo).

            1. I like how Durant has the balls held so that the Nike logo is front and center. Pek just grabbed a couple of balls however.

  12. So this means Butera gets cut right?

    Gardenhire made it clear he didn't like feeling trapped by lack of spare hitters. "I'm going to have a better bench this year," he insisted.— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) February 21, 2013

        1. I assume the first part of free's post was Gardy referring to his bowling ball bag. He plans two carry two additional plastic balls.

  13. Celtics make a trade.

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    1. Boston is 7th in the East and only 5 games behind NY and about 5 games ahead of the 9th seed.
      Unless they swan dive like the Timberwolves, they will be in the playoffs.
      Unless Im missing the point.

      1. with Rondo out, a swan dive is likely.

        C's were horrrrible last night in L.A. They can't play uptempo without Rondo, and their half-court offense was bad. And when Earl Clark is schooling you on the boards, well, it's gonna be a long night.

        1. Exactly.

          Plus, they may have gotten some pieces to build around by trading their aging stars to win now teams. Instead, Rick Pitino's heir will be talking about KG not walking through that door and Paul Pierce not walking through that door.

      2. Speaking of NY, I heard last night that they are 18-18 in their last 36. (Remember in 2010 when I was talking about the Twins being .500 over their last X games? Who thought then that that would be looked on now as the good old days?)

      1. although some folks in Houston seem rather breathless about the deal: headline reads "Late afternoon wheeling and dealing leads to season-defining roster overhaul"

        hahaha. If getting rid of Cole Aldrich is your definition of "season-defining roster overhaul" well, ok.

        1. “For us, it was obviously for Thomas Robinson,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “He is a very high-upside guy, plays with high energy, runs the floor, can rebound. He’s athletic. He is a guy that has potential to grow into a top-level player. When you’re building a championship contender, you have to have as many top picks as possible. We have that with James (Harden) and now with Thomas.

          “We didn’t think Thomas would be available. Patrick will go there and really stabilize the Kings. It’s tough to lose Patrick. He’s been a warrior for us and really gave us great minutes. It was tough to see him go. Cole and Toney were also solid for us. For us, this was a move we had to make.”

          Heh. Robinson is very athletic, but he's an undersized 4. So maybe Morey means he's hoping Robinson grows a couple of inches (he's more like 6'8" than the listed 6'10"). But the guy can run and jump, I'll give him that.

          Aldrich was "solid" on the bench. Toney maybe can play.

          1. You can play the 4 at 6'8 if you are good enough in today's NBA (see here, here, and here). I haven't seen the Kings all year, so I don't know if Robinson is good enough. It sounds like he isn't.

              2. As for that last guy:

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          2. I didn't know Khan had two jobs. But seriously, if he likes high picks, I think the Wolves may have had one.

    1. Anderson said he stopped using the phrase “pitch to contact,” because too many people — in uniform and out — misunderstood it. All he really emphasizes, he said, is getting ahead in the count and attacking the strike zone.

    1. He should have just waited to see if she did win so he could say he was just predicting the future.

  19. I wonder how many games Taylor Hall will be suspended for an absolute cheap knee-to-knee to Cal Clutterbuck

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