WBB: What's Wrong with The Gophers

**cyclone13** · 03-02-2011, 11:10 AM

Gophers women's basketball: Fadeaway | StarTribune.com

Interesting Article - The Gophers were successful in early 2000s but have fallen on hard times the past several seasons.

Attendance dwindled, players transferred, losing seasons.

**Tornado man** · 03-02-2011, 11:28 AM

Thanks for the link. Minnesota has certainly become a disaster area - I still can't believe Kionna Kellogg from Ames High chose the Gophers over ISU.
Banham and Hirt are very good players for the future, though. If Borton hangs on, that is.

**cyclone13** · 03-02-2011, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Tornado man

Thanks for the link. Minnesota has certainly become a disaster area - I still can't believe Kionna Kellogg from Ames High chose the Gophers over ISU.
Banham and Hirt are very good players for the future, though. If Borton hangs on, that is.

+1 re: Kellogg. I don't think even with the "weak" big 10 they can go to the dance next season.
The fact that so many former players refused to talk about Borton speaks for itself. But Borton will probably hang on as the Gophers won't have money to buy her out - they still have to pay Tim Brewster, Glen Mason, Dan Monson as well as a lawsuit from a BB assist. coach.

**TheAdmiral** · 03-02-2011, 12:08 PM

My brother is on the practice squad for the Gophers Womens team and according to him, Borton is on her way out.

**cyclone13** · 03-02-2011, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by josephc

My brother is on the practice squad for the Gophers Womens team and according to him, Borton is on her way out.

Wow - this will add another "failed" Maturi hire list

**MNCyGuy** · 03-02-2011, 12:16 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the previous coach that left for Maryland that recruited the likes of Lindsey Whalen and really jumpstarted that program? I don't think it's any big mystery why they've fallen off since then. Honestly, I think we're in for a similar world of hurt when BF retires. Maybe the momentum of a longer period of success will keep the fan support there, but Gopher WBB was a hot ticket in Minnesota when they had their big run and they've fallen off big time.

**mred** · 03-02-2011, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by MNCyGuy

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the previous coach that left for Maryland that recruited the likes of Lindsey Whalen and really jumpstarted that program? I don't think it's any big mystery why they've fallen off since then. Honestly, I think we're in for a similar world of hurt when BF retires. Maybe the momentum of a longer period of success will keep the fan support there, but Gopher WBB was a hot ticket in Minnesota when they had their big run and they've fallen off big time.

Yes. Former ISU assistant Brenda Frese turned around Ball State, left for Minnesota and turned that program around in just one season, and then left for Maryland and turned that program around. Mnnesota was a mess under Littlejohn prior to Frese.

**cyclone13** · 03-02-2011, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by MNCyGuy

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the previous coach that left for Maryland that recruited the likes of Lindsey Whalen and really jumpstarted that program? I don't think it's any big mystery why they've fallen off since then. Honestly, I think we're in for a similar world of hurt when BF retires. Maybe the momentum of a longer period of success will keep the fan support there, but Gopher WBB was a hot ticket in Minnesota when they had their big run and they've fallen off big time.

Actually the Gophers had 2 consecutive coaching changes before Borton was hired. Cheryl Littlejohn Cheryl Littlejohn, is accused of paying money to a former player, holding unapproved practices and interfering with the university investigation. I can;t remember whether she resigned or was fired.

Then came Brenda Freese (Oldfield when she was with the Gophers and has divorced since then) who only coached for one season (Whalen was a Soph and McCarville was a freshman then) before moving to Maryland as she believed the weather, facilities and talents were not conducive to win a NC (which she won with Maryland in 2006). She used to be assistant coach at Iowa State under BF

When BF retires, It'll be interesting but scary - but I hope by the time he retires, we will have a couple of Final Four (and hopefully a NC - if stars aligned correctly) appearances. I believe ISU will always be one of the top 25 WBB program and it'll be easier to find extremely qualified candidates who want to make Ames a home instead of a stepping stone.

**MNCyGuy** · 03-02-2011, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by mred

Yes. Former ISU assistant Brenda Frese turned around Ball State, left for Minnesota and turned that program around in just one season, and then left for Maryland and turned that program around. Mnnesota was a mess under Littlejohn prior to Frese.

Ok, that refreshes my memory a bit. It is an interesting cautionary tale on the importance of coaches and how quickly interest in a women's program can dry up. People forget, but that Gopher's team really did capture the state's imagination that year, to the point that if the Lynx had been smarted and traded up in order to draft Whalen, there would have been legitimate interest in the state's WNBA team. Let that sink in.