2009 Minnesota Golden Gophers Prepare for March Madness Run

Minnesota opened the 2009 basketball season in the same fashion they started last season. 

The 18th-ranked Gophers overwhelmed an undersized opponent with steals, blocked shots, and balanced scoring on their way to an easy 87-50 victory over Tennessee Tech in the season opener.

The Gophers played pressure defense on its way to garnering 15 steals, 15 blocked shots, and limiting the Golden Eagles to .283 shooting from the floor. Minnesota’s defense also created 28 points off of turnovers and 14 fast break points. 

The two leading scorers for the Gophers were senior Lawrence Westbrook with 22 and freshman Rodney Williams with 14.  No other Gopher reached double-figures in scoring.  Minnesota made 34 of 63 (.540) field goal attempts and nine of 25 (.360) three-pointers.

Last season, Minnesota began Big Ten play with a 12-0 record as a result of a schedule containing several favorable home games and an upset of No. 9 Louisville in Phoenix.

This season, Minnesota should have another great record before beginning Big Ten play.  The Gophers pre-Big Ten season schedule contains seven more favorable home games and one road game test against the Miami Hurricanes. Barring an upset, Minnesota should win all nine of these games.

Unlike last year, Minnesota plays in a Thanksgiving tournament that is loaded. The team opens the 76 Classic in Anaheim against the 10th-ranked Butler Bulldogs. The field also contains ninth-ranked West Virginia and 24th-ranked Clemson, as well as two teams that just missed cracking the top 20 teams in the preseason poll, UCLA and Texas A & M.

The 76 Classic will be a good opportunity for Minnesota to enhance its NCAA résumé while containing little risk, as it is a single elimination tournament.   

If the Gophers win the tournament, they will start the Big Ten season with 12 wins, that will include two wins over ranked opponents. 

If the Gophers lose to Butler they still will likely start the Big Ten season with a 10-1 record, with their only loss coming from a ranked opponent.

Minnesota will need to stockpile wins before Big Ten play begins, as wins will be hard to come by in league play.  In addition to Minnesota, four teams in the Big Ten are currently ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation.

No. 2 Michigan State and No. 7 Purdue are talented teams that have legitimate Final Four expectations. 

No. 15 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State are not quite as deep, but depending how the Wolverines and Buckeyes mature during the season, either team could contest for the Big Ten title. 

And while Illinois and Wisconsin will not likely win the Big Ten, both have enough experience to beat any of the favorites on any night, even on the road.

Minnesota’s recipe for success in the Big Ten is more Tubby ball. Tough, hard-nosed defense, points in transition, few turnovers, and balanced scoring. 

Minnesota led the Big Ten last year in blocked shots (6.1 per game) and steals (8.3 per game). The Gophers will likely repeat the feat this year as they retain all of their key defensive players, while adding more athleticism to the team.

Minnesota has two solid veteran wing players in 6'8" junior Paul Carter and 6'7" senior Damian Johnson. Carter and Johnson are agile athletic wing players that can play shut down defense and score in traffic. 

If the Gophers weren’t tenacious enough inside already, the team added three more tough, physical players in 6'8" freshman Royce White, 6'7" freshman Rodney Williams, and 6'8" junior Trevor Mbakwe. White and Williams are widely considered as two of the top 50 players in the game today.

Unfortunately, White and Mbakwe are currently suspended because of off-court problems. Minnesota doesn’t expect Mbakwe to be eligible until after the Big Ten season begins, and White’s return to the program is uncertain. 

The absence of Mbakwe and White will go unnoticed, though, as Minnesota has two solid defensive low post sophomore players in 6'10" Colton Iverson and 6'11" Ralph Sampson, III.  If either player develops an offensive game to match their defensive prowess, the Gophers could make a legitimate Final Four run.

The perimeter game of the Gophers will determine how far the team goes this season.  At times last year, Minnesota wilted under defensive pressure, turning over the ball, and struggling to find a consistent outside game. 

Senior Lawrence Westbrook, last year's leading scorer, will provide points from the perimeter, but he needs support from either junior Blake Hoffarber or sophomore Devoe Joseph. 

Expect Hoffarber to settle into the role of a three-point specialist, while Joseph emerges as more of pure scorer. Joseph has shown some signs that he may push Westbrook for playing time by midseason.

The point guard, junior Al Nolen, is a fierce defender who will likely only be called on by Tubby to control the tempo of the game and limit turnovers.  Unlike last year, Nolen will not need to worry about supplementing his defense with scoring.

The future looks bright for the Gopher program, especially the next two games against Stephen F. Austin University and Utah Valley. Subsequent games against Brown, Morgan State, and Northern Illinois look good as well.

Minnesota went 22-11 last year, kept nine players that averaged at least 10 minutes of playing time, and added several new players who all have enough talent to make immediate, meaningful contributions.  

Sounds like a team that is ready to compete for a Big Ten Title and advance deep in the NCAA tournament in March.