The Gopher’s need to turn things around to save this season. What will be their key to do just that? Or maybe more accurately who will be their savior?
Team defense isn’t the Gophers problem. It wasn’t their problem last year either. Defense is assuredly our strong-point. In only two of our seven current losses we have given up 70 or more points. With the loss of Al Nolen our perimiter defense is bound to slip and so are our steals. Devoe Joseph and Justin Cobbs are presumably going to pick up Nolen’s minutes. While both players together average 1.2 steals per game to Nolen’s team high 2.4 per game they both play above average team defense and I’m sure just due to more minutes their combined steal number are bound to go up. Plus Cobbs is a freshmen, just feeling his way through his first season with the Gophers and I think that this is one of the better scenarios that could happen to improve his game.
What the Gophers haven’t seemed to be able to figure out all season is how to initiate their half-court offense. Nolen has an above average transition game, which suits his defensive tenacity well. Nolen’s half-court game is nothing to write home about. In my opinion Nolen has been poor enough in the half-court that I’ve questioned his spot in the starting rotation. I think moving Joseph into the starting rotation could be the move that saves our season. Joseph can create his own shot via the drive or jump-shot. Joseph’s ball handling skills open up perimeter shooters like Hoffarber and Westbrook and it also creates lanes/channels for secondary drives or easy post moves. Creating a more free-flowing connected half-court offense is going to cut down on our turnovers. Cutting down on turnovers more then makes up for Nolen’s steals and takeaways.
When you factor in the fact that Nolen had been averaging roughly 25 minutes a game that has to move Joseph into the 26-30 range night in and night out. Cobbs will probably play somewhere around 17-20 a night with the remaining minutes filtering down among the other guards but mainly my guess is Devon Bostick will pick up roughly five a night. Nolen is averaging a meager 6.6ppg in his 25 minutes. Bostick is averaging 3.3ppg in less then 10 minutes a game, Bostick needs to show us something here in this second half of the season and picking up Nolen’s offensive slack would be a great start. Bostick needs to show his worth this season because he’s a freaking senor.
The hot rumor around town is that Royce White might play this week. Against either Northwestern at home on Tuesday or possibly at OSU on Saturday. What ever day he plays its going to be a game too late, but I’ll take him anyway. The Gophers can’t lose on Tuesday, if they do they are going to have to pull off a few upsets to make the NCAA tournament. Getting White on Tuesday to help give him a little game time before the OSU game would be a good thing but I’ll believe it when I see it.
In summary I think the loss of Nolen is a blow. Nolen is proven in the Big Ten and he’s a great defensive players. Losing Nolen is a huge addition to the offense that out-weighs the defensive losses. I think that Devoe Joseph has a great chance to step-up and show he is a world class player. Of all the guys on the current roster Joseph and White are probably the best pro-prospects, let me know if I’m wrong in the comment section but I see those guys going the NBA before anyone else at present. Also, if Joseph is playing and playing well that’s got to make it a lot harder for his little brother Cory to not come to Minnesota. Think of a back-court tandom for the next few years with those two at the 1-2. White, Sampson and Iverson down low with Williams slashing in from the outside. Could be something special, but it should still be something near or next to special this season. That’s why we’ve got to get our offense clicking and losing Nolen is going to be the best way to get that done.
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Plus Devoe can help deliver Cory Joseph, the 7th rated prospect according to rivals.com. That might be the biggest asset he brings.