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News Feed
- Timber!!!! That’s the sound of the elderly Suns falling with a big thud in Round 1.
The Wolves are hangry and appear to be locked, loaded and on a mission.
Good luck to anyone standing in their way, and that includes the No. 2 Nuggets.
These guys have the best D in the league and some very choice options in the halfcourt, including a leaner, meaner KAT and the overpowering and overwhelming talent of Anthony Edwards. - When you go to war, it helps to have a leader.
Tonight in Dallas, the Clippers had none to speak of, including a
gimpy, listless Kawhi, a coach who was awol and left for dead on the sidelines, and a grand total of three has-been ex-all-Stars, who were all more bark and bluster than bang for their bucks.
Meanwhile, Doncic and Irving showed a generally underrated cast the way forward. - Tyrese wasn’t satisfied with a tie, which mucks things up for the big toe-less Bucks.
Sid Luckman, backfield coach for the Chicago Bears, who quarterbacked that team to four NFL championships in the 1940s, holds a modern football helmet in Chicago, Dec. 10, 1969, as he discusses its advantages for the wearer. It is one of Sid’s theories that the protection of face guards has hade players braver and more daring. (AP Photo/Edward Kitch)
ChabDog Sports wishes you a very, very Happy Passover. The most important holiday in our religion, because this is the reminder and celebration of our freedom.
- White was out of sight all night, as seen through the ruby red frames of Coach Snyder, whose options were quite limited given the Bulls’ superior size, strength, speed and agility. Celtics had better take notice.
- Nick “Temple of Doom” Batum drops more than a few big ones on the Heat.
Vroom vroom vroom, Joel Sebby Bach is back, and the Sixers think they still have a
chance. Go figure….
As discussed on tomorrow’s ChabDog Sports Talk Show…. The MLB All-Animal team (these guys were truly beasts at their respective positions):
Manager — Whitey Herzog — The White Rat
“Hippo” Vaughn — starting pitcher 178-137 ERA 2.49 (ERA Title, Pitching Triple Crown)
Harvey Haddix (The Kitten) — starting pitcher 136-113 ERA 3.63 (threw a no-hitter and lost)
Jim Kaat — starting pitcher 283-237 ERA 3.45 (Hall of Fame) (3x all star) 16 gold gloves
Old Hoss Radbourne — starting pitcher 310-194 (Hall of Fame) ERA Title 2.68 ERA
Goose Gossage — relief pitcher 124-107 301 saves (Hall of Fame) (9x all star)
Catcher — Yogi Berra (Hall of Fame) (3x MVP) (numerous world series titles and 18 all star appearances) (over 300 homers and over 2k hits)
Designated Hitter — Jimmy Foxx– aka The Beast (Hall of Fame, 3x MVP) (over 500 homers, lifetime avg of .325) Triple Crown
First Base — Lou Gehrig — aka The Iron Horse (Hall of Fame) (2 MVP) (.340 lifetime avg) 493 homers
Second Base — Nellie Fox — Hall of Fame, MVP (over 2600 hits, .288 avg) (3 gold gloves) 15x allstar
Shortstop — Rabbit Maranville – Hall of Fame (over 2600 hits, .258 avg) 291 stolen bases
Third Base — Bill “Mad Dog” Madlock — Four batting titles, over 2000 hits and lifetime .310 avg. (205 homers and lifetime avg of .305) 3x all star
Left Field — Ducky Medwick — Hall of Fame, MVP, Triple Crown winner, 10x all star
Right Field — Dave Parker — The Cobra — MVP, 7x allstar, 2 batting titles, 3 gold gloves, 2713 hits, .290 avg, 339 homers and nearly 1500 rbis, 2 world series titles
Center Field — Clyde Milan– Deerfoot — nearly 500 stolen bases, 2100 hits, .285 lifetime avg
Bench —
Johnny Mize (The Big Cat) — Hall of Fame, over 2000 hits, lifetime avg. 312, 349 homers, 10x allstar
Fred McGriff (Crime Dog) — Hall of Fame, 493 homers, lifetime avg. .284, nearly 2500 hits, 5x allstar
Ralph Garr (the Road Runner, Gator) — 1500 hits, .306 lifetime avg., 170 stolen bases
Dave Kingman (Kong) — 3x allstar, 442 homers
Omar Moreno — The Antelope — nearly 500 stolen bases
Ron Cey — Penguin — 6x all star, World Series MVP, 300 plus homers, over 1800 hits and over 1100 rbis
Walt Dropo — Moose — 1s allstar, Rookie of the Year, 152 homers
- DEVILS BURNED ON EASTER IN A FIERY, PLUS-SIZED WAY WHEN NC STATE BRINGS THE MOST TO THE POST WITH DANCING DJ…. OH YEAH!!!!
- Tennessee more or less kept it close, but its painful-to-watch offense never really got going, and when it came to Edey that freight train was anything but slowing. Boilers advance to the promised land in the desert, while it’s hard knocks for the Knoxvillers.
- In Tuscaloosa they’re wearing the Crimson letter “A” with tons of pride, after another awe-inspiring about face mid-way through the first half had the Tide erase a double-digit deficit en route to a first ever trip to the Final Four. Senior guard and peerless leader turned Crypto.com into his personal Sears showroom with 7 threes and a steely resolve that rebuffed the Tigers at every turn.
Tons of credit goes out to Freshman Stevenson, who dropped in a handful of long bombs himself, not to mention the points, boards and defense chipped in by Pringle, Nelson’s continued tenacity and enthusiasm and the very important contributions of Griffen and Estrada.
Clemson was tough as nails, and kudos to them for fighting the good fight, but when the dust cleared the Hall monitor fouled
out of school and the Chef was just out of recipes.
Can they stand up to the Huskies… you bet they can… because they’ve earned their stripes in battling through this adversity,
and have their big toe… Coach Oats watching their back and directing the attack. Go for it guys!!! - Enterprising Illini came to the regional final with some great expectations, but when the second half reared its ugly head they had no answers for larger than life CT and its Clingan empire
ChabDog’s Sweet 16 Summary (Day 1):
–I wasn’t dreaming of Jeannie tonight… I was dreaming of Major Nelson, and what a beautiful reality
show it was. The 3’s, the reverse lay ups, the blocks, and the free throws…. what a show from a guy
who really came of age tonight in a big way. And what a boost for Coach Oats and the entire Crimson Tide
program…. showing the Tar Heels what’s what in the biggest basketball win in school history.
ROLL TIDE, ROLL!
— The first half was relatively tame, with SD State clinging to U Conn’s coattails, but after halftime, there
was no more static cling, as Clingan, Caraban and the rest of the crew cruised.
— Arizona got most of the style points tonight, but when it came to substance,
that was all Clemson. The Tigers did all the little things better, and when the game was
on the line and the heat was on in the kitchen, who came through but the Hall Monitor and the Chef.
–The Illini were bricklayers from the line, but the ‘Clones couldn’t
throw it in the ocean from anywhere else. In a rather ugly encounter,
No. 3 survives No. 2, and now faces likely execution at the hands of No. 1.
We shall see, but this was sloppy all the way around.
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Brandon’s Posts
ChabDog’s Elite Eight Evaluation–Day 2
- DEVILS BURNED ON EASTER IN A FIERY, PLUS-SIZED WAY WHEN NC STATE BRINGS THE MOST TO THE POST WITH DANCING DJ…. OH YEAH!!!!
- Tennessee more or less kept it close, but its painful-to-watch offense never really got going, and when it came to Edey that freight train was anything but slowing. Boilers advance to the promised land in the desert, while it’s hard knocks for the Knoxvillers.
ChabDog’s Elite Eight Evaluation — Day 1
- In Tuscaloosa they’re wearing the Crimson letter “A” with tons of pride, after another awe-inspiring about face mid-way through the first half had the Tide erase a double-digit deficit en route to a first ever trip to the Final Four. Senior guard and peerless leader turned Crypto.com into his personal Sears showroom with 7 threes and a steely resolve that rebuffed the Tigers at every turn.
Tons of credit goes out to Freshman Stevenson, who dropped in a handful of long bombs himself, not to mention the points, boards and defense chipped in by Pringle, Nelson’s continued tenacity and enthusiasm and the very important contributions of Griffen and Estrada.
Clemson was tough as nails, and kudos to them for fighting the good fight, but when the dust cleared the Hall monitor fouled
out of school and the Chef was just out of recipes.
Can they stand up to the Huskies… you bet they can… because they’ve earned their stripes in battling through this adversity,
and have their big toe… Coach Oats watching their back and directing the attack. Go for it guys!!! - Enterprising Illini came to the regional final with some great expectations, but when the second half reared its ugly head they had no answers for larger than life CT and its Clingan empire
Well Read’s Posts
“I Learned The Truth Week 17” on this Week’s ChabDog Sports Talk Live Sunday 9am pac- noon est
I learned the truth week 17
That love was meant for Brock Purdy
And Detroit Lions with clear skinned smiles
Barry quit and then retired
The Superbowls I never knew
The Monday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more parlay
Week 17 I learned the truth
And those of us with ravaged bets
Lacking in winning ways
Desperately kept betting Cards
Inventing bookies on the phone
Who called to say, “You won today”
And murmured Rams obscenities
It isn’t about Stafford’s injuries
Week 17
The Cleveland Browns in hand-me-downs
Okoronkwo’s name I never could pronounce
Said, “Pity please Deshaun Watson
He only gets what he deserves”
And the rich relationed Cowboy’s queen
Marries into Jerry’s team
With a guarantee of Mike McCarthy
And haven for Rafael Septien
To those Vikings fans who knew the pain
Of Superbowls that never came
And Colin Kaepernick was never called
By the Jets, Pats, or Bennnngals
It was long ago and far away
The NFL was younger than today
And dreams were all they gave for free
To Redskins fans like me
Bills fans play the game when they dare
To cheat themselves at Edwards-Helaire
Becoming losers on Mahomes
Loosing over and over wins unknown
They call and say, “You won today”
And murmur Rams obscenities
At ugly Redskins like me
Week 17
NFL Week 17 Picks ATS courtesy BetMGM
Abe’s Posts
Week 14: Abe’s Scrumdidilyumptious NFL Picks (AST)
Hello everyone and welcome to another Chabdog Sports Blog of me making scrumdidilyumptious NFL picks based on very flawed science, numbies based solely on Taylor Swift’s game attendance, and a spidey sense that may or may not be turned on based on the amount and quality of tacos I ate today since my current record is:
Week 1: 6 Week 2: 8 Week 3: 6 Week 4: 8 Week 5: 6 Week 6: 11 Week 7: 4 Week 8: 7 Week 9: 10 Week 10: 9 Week 11: 4 Week 12: 9 Week 13: 7
Also, need to honorably mention that you have exactly a 50/50 chance of making any money off my picks based on my past performance. Is this good? Well, if this were straight win-or-loss picks then it simply be par for the course. However, since I’m playing against a Vegas points spread, I would say it’s more like shooting a birdie. Not a hole-in-one, not an eagle, but maybe a birdie (with a little wind to push the ball in). The goal for me is to clock over 50% by the end of the season and fortunately, I have a few more weeks to hit this goal. With that, let us open the doors to this amazing candy factory and reveal Week 14’s NFL picks (AST).
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PICK Steelers -6 🔒 https://t.co/MxYvBGvASs — Abe Miranda (@DarthVaber99) December 7, 2023
Need you to know I handled losing this pick very well & why you should follow me on X @darthvaber99
When you pick the Steelers @ -6 pic.twitter.com/5bEnOc5Mhf
— Abe Miranda (@DarthVaber99) December 8, 2023
SUNDAE PICKS
TEXANS -5.5 | JETS
RAMS +7 | RAVENS
COLTS | BENGALS +1
JAGUARS +3 | BROWNS
LIONS -3.5 | BEARS
BUCS +2.5 | FALCONS
PANTHERS +5.5 | SAINTS
VIKINGS -3 | RAIDERS
SEAHAWKS | 49ERS -10.5
BILLS +2.5 | CHIEFS
BRONCOS +3 | CHARGERS
EAGLES | COWBOYS -3
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PICK
TITANS | DOLPHINS -13.5
PACKERS -6.5 | GIANTS
*All odds courtesy of Bet MGM on 12/06/2023
Let me know in the comments your thoughts below, or where posted on the socials
| | @darthvaber99
Week 13: Abe’s Scrumdidilyumptious NFL Picks (AST)
Hello everyone and welcome to another blog of me making scrumdidilyumptious NFL picks based on very flawed science, numbies based solely on Taylor Swift’s game attendance, and a spidey-sense that may or may not be turned on based on the amount and quality of tacos I ate today since my current record is:
Week 1: 6 Week 2: 8 Week 3: 6 Week 4: 8 Week 5: 6 Week 6: 11 Week 7: 4 Week 8: 7 Week 9: 10 Week 10: 9 Week 11: 4 Week 12: 9
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PICK
Cowboys -9 🔒
Place your bets…
— Abe Miranda (@DarthVaber99) November 30, 2023
SUNDAE PICKS
CHARGERS -5.5 | PATRIOTS
FALCONS -2.5 | JETS
CARDINALS | STEELERS -5.5
COLTS -1 | TITANS
DOLPHINS -9.5 | COMMANDERS
LIONS -4 | SAINTS
PANTHERS | BUCS -5.5
BRONCOS +3.5 | TEXANS
49ERS | EAGLES +3
BROWNS | RAMS -3.5
CHIEFS | PACKERS +6
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PICK
BENGALS | JAGUARS -8.5
*All odds courtesy of Bet MGM on 11/29/2023
Let me know in the comments your thoughts below, or where posted on the socials
| | @darthvaber99
Dorothy’s Posts
Aaron’s Posts
Penn State might be that team you don’t want to play in the Big Ten
I try to stay a little optimistic about this Penn State basketball team. Even after they killed their chances of sniffing the NCAA Tournament, they still pulled out comeback wins over Ohio State and Michigan. Chances of meaningful postseason basketball are zero, but chances of ruining someone else’s season have been pretty good. Still, I did not think that Penn State had a chance to upset Wisconsin on Tuesday night. Even after Penn State jumped out to a 12-2 lead and used pressure on defense to throw off the usually patient Badgers, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It looked like it did drop when Wisconsin chipped away and chipped away and finally took the lead on a Max Klesmit three-point shot with five minutes to play. However, my Lions kept attacking the basket for layups and free throws while Qudus Wahab had a couple of huge blocks that led to a pair of rare stops.
Alma Mater hits different after a court storm. pic.twitter.com/aPauqclAbR
— Aaron Yorke (@AaronPYorke) January 17, 2024
When Penn State held on for the 87-83 win, it was time for the students to rush the court. And we got a surprisingly good court storming for a game that started at 9:00 p.m. on a weeknight after a snowstorm. This was a win that Mike Rhoades can build on, and when Kanye Clary and Ace Baldwin Jr. are both scoring as efficiently as they did against Wisconsin, Penn State is going to be tough to beat.
Purdue established dominance over Indiana
I thought that Indiana had a great chance to cover the 9.5 points because Purdue had been shaky outside of West Lafayette. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The Boilermakers absolutely crushed their rivals 87-66 to ensure that they would not be swept by Indiana for the second straight season. Zach Edey really wanted to win in Bloomington before his ridiculous college career is over, and he showed it with 33 points and 14 rebounds while making more free throws than Indiana attempted as a team.
You don't see 7-4 dudes doing this very often. 😲@zach_edey x @BoilerBall
💻: Peacock pic.twitter.com/1smPMIScyH
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 17, 2024
Purdue held Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau to 13 points combined, but they weren’t nearly as bad as Xavier Johnson. He has been a walking nightmare since coming back from a foot injury apart from a great game against Ohio State in which he scored 18 points to lead the Hoosiers to a much-needed win. In his other four games of 2024, Johnson has a total of four points and two flagrant fouls. Not a great ratio. In this one, Johnson went 0-for-5 from the field while scoring no points. May G-d have mercy on his soul.
Iowa and Maryland make pushes to get on the NCAA Tournament bubble
The Big Ten never rests. Just when you think you can write a team like Maryland off because it can’t put the ball in the hoop, the Terps go on the road and beat Illinois for their first quality win of the season. That might be the best road win that any Big Ten team gets this season based on how Purdue and Wisconsin are playing at home. Maryland has had to rely on its defense because of how putrid its offense has been, but on Sunday in Champaign, Jahmir Young and Julian Reese played in tandem and looked like a dynamic duo as they set up each other for good looks at the hoop. Young missed all four of his three-point shots, but he finished 11-for-24 with 28 points and eight assists because of how great he was a driving to the bucket and using his teammates as screens. When the game came down to the wire, Reese bullied the Illini in the paint and picked up enough points to hold off Marcus Domask and company while forcing Coleman Hawkins to foul out. Maryland has a long way to go because of how bare its resume is, but now Kevin Willard’s team has a signature win and a formula to build around. Young and Reese scoring in the paint plus hounding defense that leads to transition points.
Geronimo!! Seals the win for the Terps!! 🙌 @TerrapinHoops pic.twitter.com/iyiuuDOFYg
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 14, 2024
By the way, Domask was a dawg in this one with some tough shots down the stretch to keep Illinois in the game while the rest of his team was shooting 12-for-45 (26 percent). Justin Harmon has been a key player for Illinois with Terrence Shannon Jr. suspended, but he was a big let down in this one, going 0-for-7 from the field. It will be interesting to see if the Terps can keep the good times rolling at Northwestern on Wednesday while Illinois looks to rebound on Thursday at Michigan, where the Wolverines finally broke their losing streak.
Wisconsin is the only undefeated basketball team in the Big Ten
The other day I wondered if Wisconsin could build on its two impressive home wins that it opened the January portion of Big Ten play with. If the Badgers could beat Ohio State on the road, it would prove they have what it takes to compete for the Big Ten title. Well, what do you know? Greg Gard’s team came through for me and made me look like I know ball. I would later find out on Thursday night that I don’t really know ball, but I’ll take my wins where I can get them. Wisconsin and Ohio State went back and forth throughout the evening, but the Badgers pulled ahead at the end thanks to the unlikely heroics of Max Klesmit! He erupted for 18 points, all in the second half, and he helped Wisconsin close the game on a 19-4 run.
Wisconsin had gone seven minutes without a FG… all of a sudden Max Klesmit goes three, driving layup, three to put @BadgerMBB up six! pic.twitter.com/zcUdLfjrUf
— Aaron Yorke (@AaronPYorke) January 11, 2024
This is what happens when you have a team as deep and talented as Wisconsin’s. Your top players don’t need to be at their best all the time if you’re going to win. Just look at Maryland. If Jahmir Young doesn’t score 30 points every night, the Terps are going to lose (unless Donta Scott goes nuts like he did to kill my Michigan spread bet). With the Badgers, they don’t need Chucky Hepburn or Tyler Wahl to carry the load all the time. It’s okay that Steven Crowl is banged up with a knee contusion. Someone like Klesmit or Connor Essegian can take over for a while and lift the team to victory. By the way, shout out to Jamison Battle of Ohio State, who continues to be the hottest shooter in the conference. He went 4-for-5 from deep for 18 points in a losing effort.
Penn State is back to frustrating me
If Penn State is not overcoming double-digit second half deficits in the Big Ten, it is giving up double-digit second half leads. That is what it seems like these days. Both of our conference wins featured big comebacks, while the Maryland loss was painful because of how many chances Penn State had to put the Terps away. Now we get to the Northwestern loss. It was a game that Penn State needed to have if I was going to entertain the notion of a winning conference campaign. With Purdue coming up, the Lions are likely to be below .500 the rest of the way because they blew a 10-point lead in the second half. The Wildcats went on a 19-2 run that was mostly due to two themes.
Here comes @NUMensBball. 😤 pic.twitter.com/cx0PbSGc6i
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 11, 2024
First, Penn State could not hit a three-point shot all night. The team shot 3-for-17 from beyond the arc with two of the makes coming from D’Marco Dunn, who still does not play enough. He played 23 minutes, while Zach Hicks went 0-for-6 from deep in his 25 minutes. Those guys don’t play the same position, but Penn State should just go small since its defense stinks anyway. That brings us to the second reason for Northwestern’s run. Penn State cannot get a stop without a turnover. The Lions did a good job forcing 18 of them in this game, but they couldn’t stop the Wildcats from hitting 61 percent of their field goals. Boo Buie got wherever he wanted on the court, and when he was cut off, he found Ty Berry for a three-point shot or Brooks Barnhizer for a layup. The one good thing Penn State did was rebound the ball with 21 on defense compared to just two on offense for Northwestern. But it didn’t matter much when so many Northwestern shots were going in the bucket.
Purdue’s top competition and the Big Ten’s most electric player
The Big Ten is a grind and almost every team will have its ups and downs. Just look and what happened in the Big Ten over the weekend. Purdue got a big win over Illinois, one of its top competitors for the conference title. Based on how the Boilers responded to that loss at Northwestern in January, I thought it was fair to wonder if Matt Painter’s team would lose another game this season. That was stupid. Purdue got hammered by Nebraska on Tuesday, and just a couple of days earlier, the Huskers were humbled by Wisconsin. I should really start to take into account that even the best teams are vulnerable on the road and even the worst teams (not Nebraska, who is looking like an NCAA Tournament team; I’m talking about someone else…) can topple giants at home. The same was apparent in the other Tuesday game with Indiana fresh off a big win over Ohio State in Bloomington and Rutgers reeling from getting crushed by Iowa. So what happened? With the game in Piscataway, Rutgers easily handled Indiana. Here is what else we learned about the Big Ten since last Friday, besides the fact that home court is important.
Austin Williams will be an important factor for Rutgers going forward
Offense is a major issue for Rutgers. Steve Pikiell has relied on stifling defense to win games since arriving in New Jersey seven years ago, but this season getting stops is especially important because the Scarlet Knights are one of the worst shooting teams in the country. Even in the win over Indiana on Tuesday night, Rutgers only shot 32 percent from the field and 23 percent from three-point range. You can play elite defense and still lose by a dozen if you shoot the ball like that. It turned out that the Hoosiers were even more incompetent with 18 turnovers and an unbelievable performance from the free throw line that saw them go 4-for-15. That is so bad that a random fan from the stands could have easily done better.
Anyway, Williams is an experienced guard who played two seasons at Marist and two at Hartford before this year. He has played sparingly for Rutgers, but over the last two games, he has been featured more and has given the team a lift by shooting 11-for-17 with 24 points. He’s not a superstar by any means, but someone needs to score consistently for the Knights, and fans have to be sick of seeing Noah Fernandes disappear in every other game while Derek Simpson chucks up shots that go “clank.”
Wisconsin looks like Purdue’s top competitor with Connor Essegian back in the fold
I might as well talk about Wisconsin now since I just talked about how the Big Ten makes teams look so different depending on whether they are playing at home and on the road. Well, the Badgers have won four straight with all those coming in the Kohl Center. Plus, the last time they played on the road, they were spanked by Arizona 98-73 on December 9. Wisconsin also was crushed at Providence back in November. However, Wisconsin did win its one Big Ten road game at Michigan State, so maybe there is hope that this team can give Purdue a run for its money. It helps that the Badgers are 3-0 in the league after stomping Nebraska over the weekend.
A confident and healthy Connor Essegian is a dangerous man
pic.twitter.com/wAmLyHIJhF— Mark Titus Show (@MarkTitusShow) January 6, 2024
Another boost that Wisconsin gets is Connor Essegian, who was a big weapon last season when he scored 11.7 points per game as a freshman. This season, Essegian has barely played because of a back injury, but during the win over Nebraska, he finally looked like his old self with 12 points off the bench in just 12 minutes. The Badgers were doing fine with Essegian thanks to their usual efficient offense and stingy defense that doesn’t give away offensive rebounds. Plus, head coach Greg Gard brought back a ton of talent from a team that just missed the NCAA Tournament in 2023. With Essegian healthy again, Wisconsin can compete for the Big Ten Championship. Now please don’t lose to Ohio State tonight and make me look like an idiot.
Minnesota might be for real and Penn State definitely stinks
I really thought that Michigan would take advantage of its three-game stretch against Minnesota, Penn State, and Maryland. It had a chance to start 2024 with three straight wins and build some momentum after a disappointing non-conference slate that saw it lose to Long Beach State and McNeese State, as well as four major conference teams. Instead, the Wolverines fell at home to a Minnesota team that has zero quality wins outside of Big Ten play. However, the Gophers clearly have talent and the win in Ann Arbor makes them a dark horse NCAA Tournament contender.
Minnesota 73, Minnesota 71
I hadn’t seen much of Minnesota before Thursday night because of their very low-profile schedule, and because of that schedule, it has a lot of work to do in Big Ten play to get the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s attention. Still, this win over Michigan wasn’t a fluke, and it was impressive how the Gophers limited Dug McDaniel and got balanced scoring to make up for superstar forward Dawson Garcia shooting 5-for-17 from the field. Mike Mitchell Jr. and Elijah Hawkins combined to shoot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc, and the defense was boosted by Pharrel Payne coming off the bench and protecting the rim with four blocked shots.
Michigan was SO CLOSE to tying the game, but the Gophers escape with a win in Ann Arbor. pic.twitter.com/2WGUaS04vL
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 5, 2024
Defense hasn’t been a strong point for the Gophers this season, but in Ann Arbor they held McDaniel to nine points on 3-for-11 shooting. McDaniel missed a runner at the buzzer that could have sent the game into overtime, and Michigan probably would have pulled the game out if he had his typical game. Instead, I was impressed with Minnesota’s point guard. Hawkins transferred from Howard, but he looks like he has played in the Big Ten for years. He knows when to pass and when to call his own number, and that’s why he’s averaging an incredible 7.7 assists per game. Hawkins is a diamond in the rough and I give Gophers head coach Ben Johnson a lot of credit for discovering him.