5 Worst losses of the Glen Mason Era

The offseason is here and there is little to keep the blogging juices flowing. So I wanted to look back and give my top 5 worst Glen Mason losses. This is not meant to pick open the Mason scab and scratch it till it bleeds again, but I thought it would be an interesting topic and give a springboard for others to give their thoughts on worst losses.

To be fair I will post my top 5 Glen Mason wins and one could easily argue that none of these losses was as bad as losing to North Dakota State at home.

#5 - Houston (45) @ Minnesota (43)
9 / 27 / 1997 - Mason's first season

In what would prove to be a Mason staple, his first season presented us with a cupcake non-conference schedule. After losing to Hawaii (not as considered a 'good loss' in 1997) and beating what would be a 1-10 Iowa State team, we got to see a couple CUSA teams to kick the Mason era into high gear. We beat 4-7 Memphis on the road then Houston came to the Metrodome to get us ready for the Big Ten.

This game makes the list because it was the first of embarrassing losses in the Mason era. This game was no nearly as close as it appeared on the final box score. A touchdown and 2-pnt conversion were scored to 0:03 left on the clock to bring this game to single digits. While technically it was a 2 point loss, this essentially was a 10 point loss to a CUSA team, AT HOME.

This game was the first in a line of games in which Mason's teams somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

• Min outgained Hou
• Min had six more first downs than Hou
• Min had fewer penalties that accounted for 45 yds
• Minnesota's starting QB was 25/35, 368 yds, 3 TDs and two rushing TDs

I realize these are not dominating statistics, but outgaining, fewer penalties, more first downs and a great game from your starting QB rarely end up in essentially double-digit losses to weak teams from weak conferences at home.

#4 - Minnesota (43) @ Indiana (51)
10 / 21 / 2000

This game makes the list because of it's impeccable timing. Coming into this game Minnesota was 3-1 in conference and had just upset Ohio State on the road. Their remaining schedule including @Indiana, Northwestern and a down Iowa team. A loss at Wisconsin was expected but this was shaping up to be the year we made a run at the Rose Bowl.

Instead of winning the games they were supposed to win, the Gophers followed up with Ohio State win by giving up 611 yards and 51 points to the Hoosiers. Despite our awful defense we were able to take the lead and hold it till the final 17:18 of the game. But then we allowed 27 points, scored a meaningless TD late to keep this from being a 16 point blowout.

MN was 3-1 in 2000 in B10 having Ind, NW and Iowa (3-9) on the schedule. This after winning @ OSU. Up with 10:13 in the 3rd only to be outscored 27-14. This started a tailspin that ended with another awful loss to NW at home during homecoming.

Ultimately this started a tailspin for the Gophers who then lost at home to Northwestern by being outscored 27-7 in the 2nd half, and then lost @ Wisconsin by giving up the final 21 points after being tied in the 4th qtr. Those games merit consideration for this list but they were fueled by the loss to Indiana.


#3 - Texas Tech (44) vs. Minnesota (41)
Insight Bowl
12/29/2006

This was the final embarrassment for AD Joel Maturi and was Mason's final game. One could argue that this game should be #1 on the list for that very reason, but this loss doesn't hold the same embarrasment factor as the top 2 simply because it was played in a meaningless bowl game, watched by few on the NFL Network and most Gopher fans will admit they weren't all that surprised.

Up 35-7 at halftime and actually was up 38-7 (that is 31 points) with under 5:00 in the 3rd qtr. Besides giving up 31 consecutive points in the last 20 minues, the vaunted Gopher defense racked up some rather impressive stats...

• a grand total of 3 stops on 3rd down
• 1 forced punt
• 445 yds passing allowed
• the five final scoring drives for TT each took less than 3:00

The offense didn't help much either. In their final five drives of the game they managed to go 4 yds, 35 yds, 6 yds and -5 yds. The final two drives of regulation began just shy of midfield after failed onside attempts by TT and resulted in back to back three and outs.

As I mentioned before I think many Gopher fans were wary of assuming a victory at any point in this game. If the Mason era had taught us anything it was that no game was over until the coaches shook hands on the field. It was the perfect game to end his tenure and an instant classic we will all never forget.

#2 - Wisconsin (38) @ Minnesota (34)
10/15/2005

Another classic example of Mason 4th quarter game management. This game could also make an argument for #1 it was a rivalry game, at home and would have given you realistic chance at a Jan. 1 bowl game. Here is how this little gem played out...

Up 10 with under 3:00 to play.
Gave up a TD with 2:10 (up 3).
Couldn't get a first down to run out the clock.
Had to punt with under 1:00 left on the clock (still up 3).
Punt blocked after bad snap.
Badgers fall on it in endzone to take the lead with 0:30 left.

Take a knee, take a safety, anything but try to kick it on the run getting it blocked. It is hard to come down and blame this loss solely on the punter. Had your head coach said to him, if anything should go wrong take a safety, things would have likely worked out in our favor. But beyond that play when you get 258 yards rushing from Maroney and 139 from Gary Russell there is no real excuse for losing.

This day was actually the same day USC escaped with a win over Notre Dame in what was a great game to watch. I was actually at that game but that day will forever be tainted by this Gopher loss.


#1 - Michigan (38) @ Minnesota (35)
10 / 10 / 2003

This game was likely the difference between the Rose Bowl and the Sun Bowl. Entering the game the Gophers were 6-0 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten play winning two road games @ Penn State and Northwestern. That left us with 4 home games in our final 6. This was the statement game needed and with the favorable schedule a chance to be the Big Ten front-runner.

Minnesota came out and for three quarters played like they wanted it and they belonged leading 28-7 and absolutely dominating Michigan. I believe we only gave up 77 yards of offense in the first half. But this was a Glen Mason special as we gave up 31 points in the 4th quarter and managing to get just 7 to try and stop the bleeding.

When you are able to rush for 424 yards there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't be able to milk the clock and nurse a three touchdown lead for the final quarter. This one hurt and was brutal to watch.

All things being equal and turning out as they eventually did, winning this game would have put us in a tie for 1st place at the end of the season and likely a Rose Bowl berth. At the very least it would have made an incredibly strong case for something like the Capital One Bowl or another significant Jan. 1 bowl. Even with the other bad losses on his resume, getting this win would have kept Mason's job at the end of the 2006 season.

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There you have it. That is my list and I'm sticking to it. There were many others under consideration and if you look closely enough you'll be able to find several games where we gave up the last 10 points in a game to lose a close one. All were considered and were top 10 worthy but not top 5. Give me your thoughts.

Welcome to Gopher Nation Kid - Kim Royston

There is a growing club of Minnesota kids who leave the great state from which they came for the lure of 1 win seasons in South Bend, corn feeds in Lincoln, large cheerleaders in Madison and various other institutions of higher learning. But this club is more exclusive than those who just leave us, you also have to come back home to finish your career here. Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie are recent examples to come back to the raised floor of the Barn (makes you think twice about leaving for a national championship doesn't it Cole Aldrich). Earlier this spring Matt Carufel decided he wasn't getting a quality enough education at Notre Dame and heard from Sid he'd be set for life if he graduated from Minnesota so he came back to play football (or something like that). And we now have Mr. Kim Royston leaving the Badger program and coming home to play for the surging Gophers.

What makes Royston's transfer interesting is that he was not given a release from his Badger scholarship. This meant he was unable to have any contact with the Gopher coaching staff. And because he is transfering within the Big Ten Royston is not only forced to sit a season for transferring he is also forced to pay his own tuition to the U for his remaining three seasons (transfer year and two seasons of eligibility).

Apparently Royston felt he was not given a fair opportunity to compete for the starting FS position in spring football as he was promised. According to his father position battles at SS and QB were allowing split reps with the first team but Royston was not given one snap with the first team defense. Some excellent quotes and a good recap of the situation from The Capital Times...

Chris Royston said his son was disappointed when the coaching staff released a depth chart prior to spring practice that had Kim Royston listed behind Carter. Kim Royston was even more disappointed when, during the Badgers' first two practices of the spring, Carter got all the reps with the No. 1 defense.

In Chris and Kim Royston's minds, that was a clear sign the coaching staff already had decided Carter would remain the starter.

"He was not going to be allowed to compete for a spot at free safety," Chris Royston said of his son, who played cornerback and both safety positions during his UW career. "This year at strong safety, they're alternating, they're competing for a spot. And at the quarterback positions, they're alternating, they're competing for a spot. Coaches can say you're competing, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that isn't the case."

I agree and I'm certainly not a rocket scientist. But I have also been on the coaching side of college athletics and the way a player views things and the way a coach sees things are often very different. Let's let coach Beilema have a say here...

According to Bielema, Royston was being given an opportunity to win the starting spot.

"Everybody in our program has an equal shot," Bielema said. "Anytime you are personally involved in situation, you see things in a little bit different light. I can appreciate what he's saying, but we had lengthy discussions. He was the No. 2 free safety behind Shane Carter and I really liked the development at that position at this point.

So it is clearly a he said / she said (sorry for inferring you are a woman coach Beilema) situation. I'm going to take Royston's side here though (shocking, I know). Royston isn't claiming he was better or deserved the starting spot, his beef is that he felt he was told he'd be given the opportunity to compete and it appears that he was not actually given that opportunity.

With that behind us let us look forward to the Royston family joining Gopher Nation. Royston at a bare minimum will add depth to a thin and young defensive secondary. At best he'll take his third year at the college level to continue his growth/development and will be a starter for two season at either FS or CB. My best guess is that 2009 when he is eligible to play he will compete and be the frontrunner to start at opposite Traye Simmons at CB. But like I said, worst case scenario he is just quality depth for the entire defensive backfield.

The 2008 recruiting class was the most talented in the program's history, The 2009 class will be limited in scholarships (16 is the number I have heard) but will also get a boost in talent with Carufel and Royston joining the 2009 team. This is good news for Gopher fans and should help to further the development of the program. Welcome back Mr. Royston.

Gophers need a PG in the 2009 Class

With the recent Verdel Jones commitment to Indiana, PG has to take on a renewed sense of urgency for the 2009 class. There is likely 2 scholarships available for 2009 which will be held for local SG/SF Rodney Williams and then the final scholarship will be given to the best available PG or possibly C. Getting some interior help is also a significant need but there is youthful talent coming into the program, depth is a concern but with Sampson, Iverson and Carter being around for at least the next three seasons I view PG as a more pressing need.

There are three 4-star prospects who have at one point or another been tied to Tubby and staff's recruiting efforts.

1. Johnnie Lacy - the lowest rated of the 4-star PGs I'm talking about today but might be a more significant 'get' as he is a Wisconsin product. After years and years of the Badgers taking our best players wouldn't it be nice to win down in Madison with one of their own being a playing a significant role in the W.

The smaller of the three on my list, Lacy is known for his speed and quickness. With our lack of athletes and speed in recent years it would be a welcome change to see Lacy running the floor for the Gophs in 2009.

“Johnnie is a special individual,” said Lou Chapman, a former player and then assistant coach at UW-Whitewater and now the head coach at Bay View. “He’s a very dynamic person in other areas of his life other than basketball. He’s a leader, and it’s my job to get Johnnie to know he’s a leader. He has a positive effect on all of his teammates. They look up to Johnnie.”

This from a Wishoops.net article last July.

Lacy has always been favored to pick Marquette but with the recent change in coaching staffs the assumption is that Lacy's recruitment is more open than it was just a couple months ago.

2. Mfon Udofia - hails from Stone Mountain, GA and is the highest rated PG we have been recruiting. Udofia is the #5 overall PG, according to Rivals, and has been playing very well in recent AAU tournaments. He has offers from all over the country; USC, Georgia Tech, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee are just a few of the major names after him. Currently Udofia does not list Minnesota as a school offering him, but there is still a LOT of time between now and the early signing period in November.

What most intrigues me about Udofia is he appears to be as valuable on the defensive end as on the offensive. He is quoted in a recent Rivals article after a string of highly successful tournaments in recent weeks.

"I wanted to show the college coaches that I could do it on both ends of the floor. I think there is an extra sense of pride when you play well on the defensive end. Everyone can score at this level. I want to shut everyone down when I step out there. I feel like I can lock you down and then you can't stop me on the offensive end."

With all of the major schools pursuing him, this would be a major coup to convince him to follow Sampson from the Peach State to the state of freezing lakes and many mosquitos. But until he says no, he is on my list.

3. Chris Colvin - ranked #7 amongst PGs according to Rivals but is another PG who does not specifically state Minnesota is hot after him. Colvin's father had this to say about the efforts by the Minnesota staff to secure a Colvin commitment.

"They did have interest at one point, they were sending a lot of letters," said Chris's father Ike Colvin. "They made contact before the target period was over. Minnesota did show interest some time back but they have not shown lately and I haven't talked to coach Tubby Smith."

Chris is a player with excellent handles and can run the offense (this based on a typically excellent article by Gopher Illustrated basketball guru Ryan James). His jumpshot needs improvement but he'll have his senior season to perfect that and then he'll be a distributor at the Barn. All he'll need to do in his first season or two is get the ball to the Hoff behind the arc, RSIII in the post and don't get in the way of Bostik or Joseph as they break down defenses.

Colvin is arguably the best junior PG in the state of Illinois and so far has offers from the likes of Iowa, Oklahoma, Florida State and Miami.

A common theme with all of these PG is a cooled approach from the Gopher staff over the last few months. I would have to guess they were pretty confident that Verdel Jones was going to commit to the Gophers so they cooled on their 2009 recruits. With Jones picking Indiana, I would assume their interest level in Lacy, Colvin and Udofia will pick up significantly and hopefully by November one will want nothing more than to play for Tubby in the Maroon and Gold.

Verdel Jones snubs Tubby for Crean

Crean - 1
Tubby - 0

I'm not too concerned about losing Jones. There has been something fishy about this entire recruiting process with Jones. If you have paid attention to this blog at all you'll know I've been hesitant about getting excited about him. Minnesota has always been his fall back school, but I don't want us to be anybody's fall back anymore.

Initially Tennessee was the school he wanted to attend but there was never an actual offer, then Kentucky was his hot school but again they never stuck with an offer for him, recently Arizona was a late school to offer but PT wasn't going to be there for him. Finally Indiana lost their entire team, hired Tom Crean and was the perfect scenario for Jones. It was a big time program offering immediate playing time.

All indications (from message boards/recruiting sights) was that Jones was all but a sure thing to sign with Minnesota. His family was contacting local media outlets to make a trip to Champaign and cover his "highly anticipated" press conference. Then Jones announced he was attending Indiana. I'm not offended and don't care that much but all along his recruitment reeked of thinking more highly of himself than anybody else did. Tubby was in his corner all along but that wasn't enough.

I wish him the best at Indiana and am relieved he won't be eating up a scholarship that we can better utilize next season. Were our recruiting class not already five deep I may have felt differently about this process but at this point we don't necessarily need him. He is not exactly a 5-star stud, he is a 3-star PG who is one of the best remaining. It is my belief that we can land someone at least of his caliber in the class of 2009.

Indiana top notch blog - Inside the Hall has a brief recap of Jones
Paging Jim Shikenjanski gives his thoughts
Down With Goldy wanted Verdell but I don't think he is standing on a ledge anywhere

With that said lets take a look at some 2009 PGs on the radar for Minnesota...

1. Johnnie Lacy - Milwaukee - 4-star
2. Mfon Udofia - Stone Mountain, GA - 4-star
3. Chris Colvin - Chicago - 4-star
   
4. Nick Russell - Arlington, TX - 3-star

These are all players with varying degrees of interest on the part of both parties, but they are names that have popped up. Now that Jones is clearly out of the picture I would think that a 2009 PG would be more open to checking us out.

Welcome to Gopher Nation Kid - Hasan Lipscomb

One prominent recruiting sight (Scout.com) is reporting that coach Brewster and staff have landed a 4-star running back from Houston, Texas. Lipscomb's journey continues. The athlete began in New Orleans, transplanted to Houston because of Hurricane Katrina and now makes the move north to Minnesota.

RB is a major need for the Gophers who missed out on a couple 4-star guys last year and Lipscomb looks to be the guy to fill that need in the fall of 2009.

Lipscomb rushed for 1,625 yards as a junior, scored 26 rushing TDs and 2 kick off return TDs.

ESPN Insider has this to say about Lipscomb...

"Lipscomb is a productive runner with good perimeter speed and quickness for his size. He possesses a good frame with his compact, thickly-built body but prefers to bounce it outside than hitting it hard between the tackles. Follows his blocks well and runs with good vision. Shows good lateral quickness and outside speed stretching the zone run and turning the corner. Can be shifty through the initial traffic flashing good stop-start skill and body control making defenders miss. Shows a burst and sneaky extra gear when he finds an open seam. Not a burner, but displays good speed in the second level to separate."

I don't know exactly how the numbers work out but after bringing in a massive class for 2008, it appears our scholarships available for this year's recruiting class will be limited to right around 10 available (give or take a few). With that in mind I think we have two primary concerns for the 2009 class.

1. Quality over Quantity. The class of 2008 is full of talent upgrading players. We brought in 30 players (JUCO and true freshmen) last year who will be called upon to upgrade the overall talent, especially on defense. The 2009 class will be a smaller class and we need to get a few studs who can help contribute quickly.

2. Keep Minnnesota kids. Currently we have five players signed, three of them are local. This is important, not to keep everybody but to get the ones we want. Signing 4-star QB Moses Alipate and two OL recruit in Josh Campion and Ed Olson are solid commitments. On the flip side we have pulled our offer from ATH-Fritz Rock out of Waconia. This is a controversial move but with limited scholarships there is no call for signing a player who is arguably a Big Ten player, regardless of where he is from. The one player left who should be our number one target is WR-Bryce McNeal who is currently hot on Michigan.

Outside of Minnesota kids, Lipscomb is a major get (currently #212 in Rivals top 250). RB is a big need and getting a kid who runs a sub 4.4, had major offers (LSU, Nebraska, Tex A&M) and has been very productive in the talent rich Houston area.

We have a few areas of need and getting quality players to fill those needs is exciting. Commitment #5 is an exciting player.

Current Commitments - interesting to note that note one defensive recruit yet this year.

QB - Moses Alipate (Bloomington, MN)
OL - Josh Campion (Fergus Falls, MN)
OL - Ed Olson (Mahtomedi, MN)
WR - Victor Kreise (Coral Springs, FL)
RB - Hasan Lipscomb (Houston, TX)


Rivals has now confirmed the commitment!

** ED NOTE - I should point out that my primary source for recruiting information is GopherIllustrated.com (Rivals.com). They are always accurate and great with their information. While they have speculated for a while that Lipscomb will commit to the Gophers, they have not yet announced anything official. So this post is based on what I generally use as secondary information. Scout is a fine site, I am just not as familiar with them. This commitment has been rumored so I feel confident running with this post.

Big Ten Blogger Roudtable - Springtime Ed.

The spring football game has come and passed. While there was slightly more excitement surrounding the annual scrimmage, it was still met with a collective yawn across Gopher Nation. Partially because nobody has ever cared about the Gopher's spring game and partially because most of the incoming flux of talent is yet to arrive on campus. So while this game was important for the further development of the offense the other side of the ball was missing what could be half of it's likely starters.

With the passing of the Spring Game we have to give an assesment for the rest of the Big Ten Blogosphere to know where the Golden Gophers stand.

1. I love spring. Flowers blooming. Birds chirping. Bones breaking. ACL's tearing. List the injuries your team sustained and describe their impact on 2008.

No significant injuries that will affect Fall 2008

2. Break down the major position battles going on with your offense.

The major offensive decisions are on the right side of the offensive line and wide receiver.

Here is who started the spring game along the OLine

LT - Dom Alford - should be a lock to start
LG - Ned Tevale - should also be a lock
C - Jeff Tow-Arnett - JR who started three games at LG in 2007
RG - Ryan Wynn - rFR got the starting nod over DJ Burris who started 11 games in this spot last season
RT - Jason Meinke - the walk on JR got the start but will likely have to work to keep it

Who is battling for C, RG and RT?

• DJ Burris - started 11 games at RG and was a Sporting News All Big Ten freshman. Currently Burris is listed as a Center and will battle with Tow-Arnett, but should nobody step up to lock down RG expect Burris to make the switch.
• rFR Chris Bunders - should see some time and push Meinke at RT.
• JR Ryan Ruckdashel - reserve for two seasons and has appeared in 21 games as a Gopher. Should be given a chance to prove he is a viable starter at RG.
• SO Andy Brinkhouse - possibly in the mix for RT.

I know this is so exciting to discuss who are the starters at C, RG and RT. I can hardly sleep at night while I think of the different combinations and how it will best block Weber's front side. But getting production on the right side is very important to the development of the offense in year two.

At WR there isn't a ton of intrigue either. Who will start opposite Eric Decker is up in the air but since there will be 5 or 6 receivers contributing on a regular basis who starts and who actually gets balls thrown their way are two different things.

1. Eric Decker - JR

• Ralph Spry - SO
• Brandon Green - FR
• Xavier Brandon - FR
• Brodrick Smith - FR
• Trey Herndon - SO
• David Pittman - JR

But most of the offense returns and should progress in their development.

3. You knew this was coming. Break down the major position battles on defense.

How much time do you have to read this? I could list the defensive starters for the spring game but there is a pretty good chance that 11 different names will be atop the two-deep come September. The hard part here is that many of the incoming freshmen will be relied upon to push the incumbent starters or take over completely and most of them are not yet on campus.

Lets take a quick look at all of the positions...

Defensive End - Willie VanDeSteeg and Will Brody
competition? - JR-Lee Campbell, rFR-Anthony Jacobs, FR-Brandon Kirksey

Brody will almost certainly not be a starter come game 1. My money is on Jacobs to earn the starting spot opposite Willie VDS. But competition will ensue at RE.

Defensive Tackle - Eric Small and Garrett Brown
competition? - FR-Jewhan Edwards

Both saw significant time in 2007 but this was a major weakness. I fully expect to see Edwards starting at DT very soon.

Linebacker - Steve Davis, Nate Triplett, Kevin Manion
competition - FR-Sam Maresh(MLB), JR-Deon Hightower, FR-Spencer Reeves, rFR-Andre Tate

This area was awful last year too. I would not be surprised to see Maresh, Reeves and Hightower as the starting backers this year. That would be two true freshmen, I know.

Cornerback - Ryan Collado, Marcus Sherrels
competition - JR-Traye Simmons, FR-Troy Stoudermire, FR-Tim Dandridge

Collado improved as his freshman season wore on and then everybody expects Traye Simmons to be our best CB once he arrives on campus in June. Sherrels makes things interesting. He was a recent conversion from WR to CB and the staff has had a lot of good things to say about him. Adding some depth and anybody who can play back there is a good thing and there was little chance Sherrels was going to see much time on offense so give defense a shot.

Safety - Kyle Theret and Tramaine Brock
competition - JR-Simoni Lawrence, FR-Keanon Cooper

Game 1 should have Brock and Lawrence starting at FS and SS respectively. Both are JUCO transfers who will be instant upgrades. I am a fan of Theret and like what he brings but he'll be there for depth.

4. Who are the unknown kids on your team that will be household names come December?

This question isn't fair because outside of Minnesota everybody on this team is an unknown commodity but I'll pick a name.

QB/WR/PR/CB - David Pittman

The JUCO transfer is a super athlete and will be a key member of the spread coast offense. I imagine OffCord Mike Dunbar is waking up in the middle of the night with new plays that come to him in dreams to spotlight Pittman.

How would you describe the general mood around your program? Are you gearing up the tailgate party for a conference title run or do you get the impression there are going to be a lot of empty seats in your stadium this year?

Conference title is out of the question. I have an IV of maroon and gold kool-aid permanently being pumped into my veins but not even I could imagine an Illini-esque run to the Rose Bowl. Fans are excited to see the young kids come in and show us what Big Ten athletes look like. There are high expectations for what was the most talented recruiting class in school history, but they are mostly freshmen and this is a year to build for the next couple.

What I know everyone is looking forward to are the new unis!

Welcome to Gopher Nation Kid - Royce White

Tubby Smith took a giant step towards securing another top 25 recruiting class for 2009. If I were to tell you we received a commitment from the 32nd overall player in the current junior class, you would be pretty happy. But what makes this commitment so huge is that said player is the best junior in the state of Minnesota, Royce White. Isn't it nice to know that the best of Minnesota isn't signing with Wisconsin, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Iowa or anywhere else?

For the first time in a while Minnesota has two players currently ranked in the top 50 nationally. White is #32 and Rodney Williams is currently 43rd. Landing White was the first step towards signing Williams as well and locking down the borders.

White is a 4-star, 6'7" forward who is highly skilled.

ESPN Insider - "He's an explosive athlete (good quickness) that can accelerate with the ball in the open court or drop-step and dunk in the post. He makes good decisions with the ball and is an unselfish player. White plays hard at both ends, is an excellent rebounder, and one of the few players in the country that plays with a purpose on every possession."

Rivals - "Destined to be a piece to a winning formula as a quality college player, White also has the toughness, skill level and basketball IQ to take his game even farther. He is cut out of the mold of present NBA players Chuck Hayes and Carlos Boozer."

Scout - "Good player who works his tail off. Can play some combo forward in college but has the makeup of a power forward."

I can't say enough good things about this verbal. Getting a player of White's caliber before other top notch programs get a chance to dig their hooks in deeper is significant and allows Tubby and staff to direct more efforts to other pieces of the 2009 class.

This team is looking very good down the road. This upcoming season will be fun to watch as we see the 2008 recruiting class get going, but year from now we'll lose Jamal Abu-Shamal & John Williams but we'll add Royce White & someone else. Regardless of who that player is that is an improvement. And this team will be capable of competing with just about anybody.

PJS has an insightful look into the verbal but I'm going to look ahead.

With the commitment of White we have for certain 1 scholarship remaining for the 2009 class but probably 2 if you assume Travis Busch will not receive a free ride for his senior season.

2009 - 2 scholarships available

1st priority - Rodney Williams
2nd - PG, unless Verdell Jones signs then this scholarship is unavailable

2010 - 4 scholarships available

1st priority - C/PF
2nd - SG (replace Hoffarber and back up for Joseph)
3rd - PF
4th - best available, probably another G

To tell you the truth I am more excited about the significance of this commitment than I am about some other news in Minnesota sports today. This is big and things are looking brighter still for Gopher hoops.

Devron Bostick wins an award, Kris Faber makes his decision and Verdell Jones has not

Incoming Gopher recruit, Devron Bostick was recently named the JUCO Div 1 Player of the Year! Bostick led his team to a 28-5 record while averaging 18.2 ppg, 4.9 reb/gm and 3.2 ast/game.

I applaud coach Smith and his staff for identifying Bostick early and getting his commitment. In the excitement and anticipation for freshmen Ralph Sampson, Devoe Joseph and Colten Iverson; I feel as though Bostick is being overlooked. He will bring a new level of athleticism at the off guard spot and he should easily replace the scoring lost by McKenzie. Joseph could be something special in the Gopher backcourt but Bostick will be coming in as a more mature player and will be more likely to contribute immediately.

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On the big man recruiting front, unfortunately the raw big man who was second in the nation in rebounding has chosen DePaul for his collegiate career. In my opinion Faber would have been a welcome addition to provide more depth in the post and would have been a quality change of pace guy with Sampson. But the enticement of living in Chicago and probably the lack of two other incoming big men (Sampson / Iverson) was enough to choose DePaul over Minnesota.

I would have loved to see Faber in the Barn next year but it isn't like we had all of our eggs in that basket. We have Sampson and Iverson both at 6'10" or greater. If we can bring in another quality big man next year (or the next), then this loss isn't all that great of a loss.

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Verdell Jones is still out there, yet to make a decision. The PG is one of the best remaining PGs out there and is considering a number of options, but I've been on record and continue to feel that we'd be better off without him. Maybe I'm greedy but if we are his back up school, then will he really be happy here? If he feels like he is attending a lower tier program will he expect to be the man here? Nothing about his recruiting sits well with me and I fear he'll be more trouble than he's worth. I am a fan of Nolen at PG, I think Joseph will get plenty of minutes a the 1 and I believe we'll bring in a top notch PG in the next recruiting class. All of that points to me that we don't need Jones.

The Hoosier Scoop talked with Jone's father.

Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota appear to be his leaders with visits planned for Arizona and Virginia. My hope is that he goes to Kentucky.

The Big Ten will win the 2008 B10 / ACC Challenge

The match ups for the Big Ten / ACC Challenge have been announced and for once I think the match ups favor the Big Ten. I fully understand that much will happen between now and December. We don't know who will fill out each team's rosters with NBA exits and who knows how incoming recruits will fit in and contribute. But I'm declaring this year as the first victory for the Big Ten in this event.

ACC Wins

North Carolina (14-2) @ Michigan State (12-6) - Assuming nobody leaves UNC it is hard to pick against the Tar Heels. Hansbrough, Ellington and Lawson are good enough to not only carry this team back to the Final Four but they can win it all. Michigan State is at home but they lose Neitzel and Naymick. The Spartans could be a very good team next year with Morgan and Lucas, but at this point the edge has to go to UNC. If a guy or two decide to leave for the NBA then this game gets interesting.

Clemson (10-6) @ Illinois (5-13) - When I saw Illinois they looked like a Final Four team. Obviously they were not and they lose their best two players in Randle and Pruitt. Clemson loses a couple key guys but they still return more plus they add 3 players including a 4-star center. Clemson gets this road win.

Florida State (7-9) @ Northwestern (1-17) - This game is the biggest lock of the Challenge. Sorry Wildcat fans but if FSU graduated their top 13 scorers I'd still give them the edge here. Seriously, FSU brings back their leading scorer in Toney Douglas and has a very good recruiting class coming in. Northwestern only loses 6.9 ppg and will bring a few players who may help them. They'll be improved but they won't have the horses to keep up with the Seminoles.

Iowa (6-12) @ Boston College (4-12) - I believe Iowa will be improved in year two under coach Lickliter. They lose Justin Johnson but gain a highly ranked SG (Matt Gattens) from within the state and a solid big man. Both should help the Hawkeyes improve but BC returns their top 6 scorers, 4 of whom were freshmen last year. Incoming recruit Reggie Jackson will be helpful and they will also enjoy the home court and Iowa has very little chance in this one.

Big Ten Wins

Duke (13-3) @ Purdue (15-3) - Duke loses only one player who happens to be their leading scorer. Purdue loses only 4.5 ppg. With some player development and a little luck the Boilermakers could be 2 or 3 seed who make a Final Four run. This being at home I really think his is a winable game for Purdue.

Penn State (7-11) @ Georgia Tech (7-9) - The Yellow Jackets lose their top two scorers and will bring in Iman Shumpert (who the Gophers pursued). Penn State basically brings back the roster. Geary Claxton is out of eligibility but he missed nearly all of the Big Ten season anyway. Taylor Battle, Stanley Pringle and Jamel Cornley will make a decent core. I know this is on the road, but on paper this is a winable game for Penn State.

Virginia (5-11) @ Minnesota (8-10) - this will be a fun match up. Virginia passed on Ralph Sampson even though his dad was one of college basketball's best as a Cavalier. They had already signed 4-star center John Brandenburg and didn't pursue him enough. Both teams are losing their primary scorers but both also have very good recruiting classes coming in. This will be an intriguing match up that I think goes to Tubby at home.

Wisconsin (16-2) @ Virginia Tech (9-7) - Another intriguing match up that puts a 31 win team from this season on the road. Wisconsin loses more and Virginia Tech could repeat as a top 4 ACC team. But I don't pick against Bo Ryan (until the NCAAs) and my money is on the defending Big Ten champ.

Ohio State (10-8) @ Miami (8-8) - this one could change depending on who returns for the Buckeyes. Butler and Hunter are gone and there is a better chance than not that Koufos leaves as well to play professionally somewhere. But once again they are brining in a top flight recruiting class to reload. BJ Mullens and William Buford will bolster this year's freshmen and this team should be better in 2008-09. Miami is home and returns their top seven scorers. Should be a good game, but I expect Ohio State to get back on track next season

Key Games

Michigan (5-13) @ Maryland (8-8)- both teams return their young guards who lead the team in scoring. And both teams have a good sophomore class who will be coming into the prime of their careers. This is an interesting match up but I give a slight edge to Maryland with the home court. I also think Michigan will be a much better team in Beilein's 2nd season, but time will tell on this one.

Indiana (14-4) @ Wake Forest (7-9) - Wake can only get better as their two leading scorers were freshmen, there was not a senior on the roster and they have a good recruiting class coming in. Indiana loses DJ White to graduation, Eric Gordon to the NBA and coach Sampson to cheating. But they do return Basset, Crawford, Ellis and add Tom Crean who is a very good coach. One team improving vs. another team who will likely take a step back before being able to move forward. I don't know where to give this edge as there are too many variables. If Tom Crean can get his guys playing together and believing they can win, then I am confident they can get this road win.

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As I looked more in depth I am less confident but I'm sticking with it calling for a Big Ten win.

Wiki page on B10/ACC history

Gopher Recruiting

The last year has been an exciting year for Gopher fans on the recruiting front. With new head coaches in place for the two major sports recruiting has gone from middle of the Big Ten to nationally ranked classes.

Basketball - Tubby Smith in place gives this program a level of respect that it hasn't seen in nearly a decade. 4 and 5 star kids now at least listen to coaches from Minnesota. I am no expert but I imagine Dan Monson's phone calls were not as eagerly anticipated as Tubby Smith's.

2007-08 recruiting has been a consensus top 20 class for Tubby Smith and it likely isn't done yet. There are still 2 or 3 players out there who may commit as part of his 2008 class. Scholarships will get interesting as they add anybody else but if bringing us a 3 or 4 star kid means Travis Busch, Jamal Abu-Shamala or Kevin Payton lose their scholarship I think the team will be better for it.

An interesting note is that I personally heard coach Smith say that this was the first time in his career that they basically signed everyone they pursued. I'm sure that means he got the realistic recruits but his early list was headed by Devoe, Sampson and Iverson. All three signed which is a rare thing.

Kris Faber - C - Faber is a 6'11" rebounding machine averaging 17.5 rebounds per game this year (12.5 as a Jr). The big man is kind of a late bloomer who will likely have to develop an offensive game at this level, but as far as defense and rebounding he would be an immediate help. I believe it is always hard to find big men who can actually help you and I am on board with signing Faber. RSIII is coming in as the center of the future and he'll block shots while adding some scoring but he is the finesse to Faber's brute. Faber has been taking visits lately and just finished visiting DePaul. UCLA has also shown interest which may increase if Kevin Love should declare for the draft, but currently Minnesota is the only BCS level school to offer. While it may not come on the first day of the signing period I hope and expect Faber to sign with Tubby to make this a 6 man class.

Verdell Jones - PG - we need a PG and Jones is one of the best remaining but I'm not sold on him. He seems to be holding Minnesota just close enough that they can be his back up school if Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana or another school yet to emerge don't come through for him. So far nobody has pursued him hard enough to land him but I don't know I want him if he doesn't want us. Jones is a 3-star PG who in my opinion is acting like a 5-star. He has been waiting for Tennesse but they didn't come through, he wants to sign with Kentucky but he their back up plan, recently Indiana is interested as Gordon is leaving for the paycheck league and Minnesota is still hanging around with an offer. Personally I'd rather wait a year and make a 4 or 5 star PG a priority for 2009 (Chris Colvin or Johnny Lacy for example). But I also trust this coaching staff's judgment and wouldn't be sad if he signed. But I reiterate that we should want guys who want to be here. At some point we should not be a back up school to anybody.

Trevor Mbakwe - PF - if you have paid attention to recruting in the last year you'll know that Mbakwe is a local product, signed with Tom Crean at Marquette and sat out 2007-08 on a medical redshirt. Obviously Crean is now a Hoosier and there have been rumors that Mbakwe wants to transfer to Minnesota. I would love to see this happen but in the last week these rumors have cooled. Mbakwe is an athletic PF who would add the athletic punch this team has been missing. He would have to sit out a year and would be a part of next year's class for scholarship purposes but those numbers will sort themselves out. Mbakwe would be well worth the scholarship.

2009 recruiting is probably in full swing but with some options out there still for 2008 there isn't a lot of buzz and how many available scholarships is yet to be determined. My best guess is that we'll figure out a way to bring in 3 kids. A quality PG and both of the forwards from Minnesota (Royce White and Rodney Williams).

Football - Coach Brewster didn't accomplish any of his recruiting success by name recognition or on field success. But all of that makes this year's recruiting class that much more impressive. What would happen if we had a couple of Mason bowl game seasons. Or what if we put out an 8 or 9 win season. I'll slow down, but landing what is arguably the Gopher's best football recruiting class in team history in a year when we finished 1-11 is more than impressive.

2009 recruiting is hot and we are heading into the time of year when verbals start flying. Some will get it done before the summer but once kids start heading to team camps verbals will come left and right, hopefully to join Brewster in TCF Stadium.

Football recruiting is kinda crazy because you have to sign so many kids at many different positions. I'm not going to list everyone we are after but I'll highlite few names.

Moses Alipate (committed) - QB - local kid who will likely be the top rated Minnesota player. Who knows when he'll contribute considering we have Weber behind center and MarQueis Gray coming in as the QB of the future, but landing the best in state kid is significant and something we need to see each and every year.

Josh Campion (committed) - OL - another top rated MN kid who has already committed. Offensive linemen are hard to project but again the biggest significance of this commitment is the statement of keeping MN kids at home.

Minnesota Kids

Bryce McNeal - WR - Breck WR who has an early 4-star ranking from Rivals. McNeal would be a great get as we will need speedy receivers and the best of MN each and every year. Considering Michigan, Nebraska, Clemson, Louisville, Iowa and several others. Should be one of our top targets even if he isn't the most talented player we are after.

Ra'shede Hageman - TE - 6'5", 230 big and athletic TE who is also known for being rather physical. He currently only has offers from Minnesota and Iowa but there is significant interest from Wisconsin, Okalahoma Florida, Oregon and LSU. Currently not highly rated but I anticipate Hageman will be a fast riser who becomes a hot name as we go through the summer.

Fritz Rock - Ath/RB - Wazata kid who has offers from Cincinnati, Indiana and N Illinois. I'm not high on Rock but the internet message boards (some of whom have seen him play) think he should be Gopher.

Cole Jirik - DE - Northfield kid who ESPN Insider has on their top 150 watch list. Minn, Wis and Michigan State currently lead the way for Jirik. We need defensive help, I'm not sure he'll be an immediate impact but he's worth brining in and finding out.

Others with Minnesota Offers (by position)

QB - none needed for 2009. Gray came in last year and Alipate is secured for this class.

RB - Eddie Lacy - 1,800 yds and 26 TDs as a sophomore. Neither Rivals or ESPN have him on our radar but Scout has him listed amongst LSU, Miss, Oklahoma, OK State and Tennessee.

RB - Bud Golden - 4-star kid from Ohio. Illinois, Cincinnati, Indiana and Purdue will be the primary competition for Golden.

RB - Hasan Lipscomb - fast kid from Houston (4.38 40). LSU, Tex A&M and Baylor have also offered

RB - Stepfan Taylor - another Texas RB we are after, received 4-stars from Rivals. Offers from Notre Dame, Nebraska, Tex A&M and others.

RB - Calvin Guyton - Lamar high school product (teammate of incoming freshman Eric Lair), Guyton has offers from Houston, Nebraska and the Gophers.

WR - James Green - 4-stars from Rivals, 6'2" who has offers from Ohio State, Auburn and others.

WR - Victor Keise - ESPN Insider says, "unbelievably productive and consistent and he absolutely catches everything." Decent size and speed but gangly and not explosive. We are currently in the lead for Keise and I expect he'll leave Florida for Minnesota.

WR - Terry Hawthorne - Ohio State, Illinois, Kansas, K State and others have offered Hawthorne.

OL - Marcus Hall - 4-star, Ohio native. Highly ranked but with Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Illinois and others on his radar this one might be tough to land.

OL - Patrick Ward - Illinois native, Rivals 4-star who has offers from most Big Ten schools and Missouri, Standord, Vandy and Virginia.

OL - David Barrent - big kid from Iowa (6'8", 290). Offers from Iowa, ISU, Nebraska, Illinois and others.

DT - Randal Dent - big DE, maybe a DT. Dent has offers from OK State, Tex Tech, Kansas, Arizona and Oregon.

DT - Chris Davenport - one of the key guys we should all be hoping and praying for. Davenport is a 4-star kid who would likely be an impact player right away. Has offers from everybody. Florida, Florida St, Michigan, USC, Tennessee and many others. This will be a tough one but we can all dream for now.

LB - Willie Ferrell - Tallahassee LB with offers from Illinois, S Florida, Ole Miss, S Carolina, Iowa and others. 4-stars from Rivals.

LB - TyQuan Hammock - we are likely the leader for Hammock over Indiana and a few MAC schools. ESPN says, "hard-nosed run plugger with the physical tools and versatility to develop on the inside or outside at the next level."

LB - Frankie Telfort - 4-stars from Rivals and offers from many major schools. Florida, Florida St, LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, USC and Tennesse are among many others.

LB - Jon Bostic - no star rankings but offers from Florida, LSU, S Carolina, Purdue and others. At this point in the game stars don't mean nearly as much as who is offering actual scholarships to these kids.

CB - Damien Thigpen - 4.34 40, 4-stars from Rivals with offers from West Virginia, Tennessee, Auburn and others. Thigpen's speed would look good in Maroon.

CB - Michael Carter - ESPN has the Gophers as Carter's leader over teams with mascots such as Gators, Seminoles, Hurricanes, Sooners and Tigers (LSU). That is very interesting and makes me want him more.

S - Artice Kellam - not highly ranked anywhere but might be a key to landing the Gulliver Trio (LB-Telfort and S-Crawford). Competing with Connecticut.

S-Frank Crawford - so far has only Duke and Ole Miss offering, the Florida kid has interest from many other top schools.

Ath - Brandon McGee - offers from absolutely everybody (28 offers). This would be a coup.

Ath - Ronnie Wingo Jr. - 6'2", runs a 4.4 from St. Louis. Has offers from Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Iowa.

This is obviously a long list and it is less than half of the names we have either offered or expressed significant interest in. I can't list everybody but these were some of the names that jumped out at me. Recruiting this summer should be great fun to watch and assuming a few more wins should help us to land a recruiting class at least as talented as this year's incoming freshmen.