College basketball has something in common with high stakes poker. Both pastimes are a combination of skill and luck. Tubby Smith has been lacking in the latter since he began his tenure in Minneapolis. He has had to deal with health issues, an irrelevant football program, questionable decision-making by his players, and injuries. The one bright spot for fans and alumni is that he hasn’t forgotten the game since his more successful days with the most prominent program in the country: Kentucky.
Nothing could ruin a holiday weekend for a coach like a star player sidelined coupled with a loss in a tournament. Walt Disney World is supposed to provide happiness, but the Golden Gophers experienced misery in the contest vs. Dayton in Florida. Trevor Mbakwe left a tremendous void in the line-up in terms of toughness, rebounding, and scoring.
The silver lining to this news is that it creates the opportunity for others on the roster to take the initiative. It means more minutes for some others along with increased expectations that accompany that scenario. The contest against the Central Michigan Chippewas that occurred midweek provided a sampling of things to come.
It is a tremendous advantage for the coaching staff to have players who have former players and coaches as fathers. It provides a tremendous foundation for the athletes to have the comprehensive knowledge of the game from an early age. More importantly, it can show the necessity for total commitment to achieve a high standard of success. The downside is that they may become a little high maintenance with their involvement of the program. Because they are substantial in the game, they may think that there is a place for their opinion in analysis.
When taking a look at the conference schedule for Minnesota, it is appealing that Nebraska is now in the Big Ten. It gives the Gophers a realistic chance at becoming .500 in league play. This may not make fans jump out of their seats with enjoyment, but it would punch their ticket for March Madness. That should be enough in a season with the aforementioned challenges.
The conference as a whole is on an upswing this season because of the better play provided by Michigan. The Wolverines backed their way into the BCS, but will not have to do so in the basketball tournament. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, and Michigan will all be ranked in the AP top 25 at some point this season. This means that Minnesota will essentially have to be the best of the rest when considering this. I have a feeling that the Purdue Boilermakers will have something to say about this. The Gophers must beat up the bottom of the conference to stay in the mix.
Small conference favorites will need to come through for Minnesota this year. The Gophers’ fortunes may ultimately depend on the favored teams taking care of business in their conference tournaments. This would possibly allow for more available at-large bids.