Today was the first time I’ve had a chance to see a Minnesota Gophers game inside Williams Arena. It’s a great atmosphere and Coach Tubby Smith had the kids playing well against Penn State. I came away with a few impressions. You can’t really get without being there in person.
First is that Lawrence McKenzie is far too streaky and out of control as a player. Perhaps it was just how he played today, against Penn State, but it certainly is something that comes across when you can see the kid in action.
Second is that freshman point guard Al Nolan is the real deal, a true point guard in the sense that he’s a pass first, set up other guys style of player with great speed and solid defensive skills. The rest of the Gophers simply play better when Nolan’s on the floor. That means that not everything next season has to ride on Devoe Joseph’s passing abilities, and perhaps with both him and Nolan on the floor, Joseph can think of scoring as well as passing.
Third is that they desperately need to rethink the restroom situation at Williams Arena. When sitting in the upper deck, men have to walk all the way to the ground floor to find a restroom; women have TWO restrooms on the second floor, but men have none. That’s just not good planning. The least they could have done for this inconvenience is to offer up some Gamefly coupons, but no such luck. Oh well.
Tags: Gamefly coupons, Minnesota Gophers, Tubby Smith, Williams Arena
