Guard shortage catching up with 20th-ranked Gophers
Tubby Smith had his team on a roll, and then the guards started to hit the floor. Devoe Joseph walked off the team and transferred to Oregon; then Al Nolan sustained what will probably be a season-ending injury.
Suddenly the Gophers have Blake Hoffarber as the sole experienced guard on the team. While all promising talents, Maverick Ahanmisi, Chip Armelin and Austin Hollins are all raw freshmen. Not good news for a team that was looking to earn a top-half seed in the Big Dance next month.
The labourer jobs at the guard position are the biggest threat to the Gophers at this point; although they are 16-5 overall, but 5-5 in the Big 10 after dropping games they should have won against Purdue and Indiana.
Can Ahanmisi, Armelin and Hollins combine to make up for the absence of Joseph and Nolan through the rest of the season and into the post-season? Tubby Smith’s streak of post-season appearances rides on the answer.
