Mr. Ed
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Joined: 7/14/2007
From: Minne-so-ta
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Strib:
Tubby Smith says he'll start Al Nolen, Blake Hoffarber, Rodney Williams, Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III during Tuesday's exhibition against Northeastern State at Williams Arena.
But newcomers Trevor Mbakwe, Maurice Walker, Chip Armelin and Austin Hollins have been impressive in practice, Smith said at Monday's media availability.
"Trevor is playing extremely well," Smith said. "Maurice Walker is playing extremely well in the post. Austin Hollins and Chip are pushing Blake and Rodney, so we've got some good depth. And that's going to be the key."
Smith used Iverson and Sampson in his starting lineup one time last season when the Gophers suffered a 66-65 loss to Texas A&M at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. During the 2008-09 campaign, Minnesota went 12-7 when Smith started the 6-11 post players.
Smith doesn't give reporters access to practice.
But a source close to the team said Mbakwe and Devoe Joseph, last season's hero in the Big Ten tourney, may crack the starting lineup by the time the conference season begins in late December if they continue to excel in practice. Hollins has an outside shot to end up with the starting five, too, the source said.
It's clear that the Gophers have options with Mbakwe and a talented group of freshmen.
I think the Gophers will go with the lineup they're using Tuesday until there's a reason to make a switch. That reason may come as early as mid-November during the Puerto Rico Tipoff. If the Gophers beat Western Kentucky in that tournament's opening round, they'll probably face North Carolina.
A win over the Tar Heels would be huge for the season and the program. But they'll have to match North Carolina's athleticism.
This is probably their most athletic group:
G Al Nolen
G Devoe Joseph
F Rodney Williams
F Trevor Mbakwe
C Ralph Sampson III
If they wanted length and athleticism, they could use this group:
G Devoe Joseph
G Austin Hollins
G Rodney Williams
F Trevor Mbakwe
C Ralph Sampson III
Smith always says that he's not concerned about who starts because he plays so many guys. If a reserve enters a game and makes an impact, he'll leave him on the floor.
Still, the starters often dictate the pace. A quick start against Purdue in last year's Big Ten Tournament led to one of the team's best performances under Smith. A slow start at Michigan last season resulted in one of the squad's worst losses in his four years.
So starters matter. But I picked Minnesota to finish fourth in the Big Ten because of its depth.
"We want to play our pace, to push the ball in transition, get after them defensively," Smith said. "And in that style of play, we'll play a lot of people."
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