Never before has a team I root for won yet left me so frustrated and tense. I would think that a coach with Tubby Smith's resume would have a three-ring binder full of plays to inbound the ball against a press. I am not Johnny Xs and Os when it comes to basketball, but not once did they try to set a pick to get someone open. Just put three guys at half-court and let them run circles. The Gophers won in-spite of themselves. If the Gophers lead by 7 with four minutes left, hang on, because the shot selection and clock management are going to drive you nuts, in victory or defeat. These are Tubby's players, and either he doesn't not recruit Basketball IQ or he can't teach it.
I'm happy for them, though, but still, never has victory been so bitter. Maybe Ken Novak should be the next Gophers coach. He always gets the most out of his outmatched, undertalented teams at Hopkin High. The Royals are one of the most over-acheiving prep teams in the nation, year in and year out.