Tweet
Highlights from the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twinci...s/13462339.htm
Gophers win but lose, tooHargrow misses game; Grier to sit out Friday's game
BY MARCUS R. FULLER
Pioneer Press
The University of Minnesota men's basketball team thought the worst was behind it as far as injuries to key players and off-the-court issues.
But even an 88-64 rout of Grambling on Wednesday night at Williams Arena couldn't hide Dan Monson's frustration. The Gophers coach has even more problems to deal with three games before the Big Ten Conference season begins.
Minnesota, which has played short-handed much of the season, was again short a starter, as senior guard Moe Hargrow sat out after violating an unspecified team policy.
Vincent Grier made up for Hargrow's absence by leading four Gophers players in double figures with 25 points, but Monson said Grier would miss Friday's game against South Dakota State for also violating team rules.
To make matters worse, leading rebounder J'son Stamper also could be sidelined Friday with a strained right knee, suffered in the first half.
"Our kids Friday are going to play without Vince and probably without (J'son)," Monson said. "It's hard to be the team you want with injuries and these kinds of things. I feel like when we come back from Christmas break it's going to be Oct. 15 again. We're behind where everybody else is and where we wanted to be at this stage."
Monson said Hargrow probably would play Friday, but the Gophers (7-2) still won't have a full complement of players. The Gophers have played at full strength in only two games this season, including last Wednesday's 69-68 victory over Alabama-Birmingham.
Injuries have hurt the Gophers the most. Grier missed five games after breaking his left ring finger in the season opener against North Dakota State. Hargrow missed three games after rolling his ankle Nov. 30 against Maryland. Monson also said he would redshirt freshman Kevin Payton after Payton couldn't recover quickly enough from a summer shoulder injury.
Before Wednesday, sophomore Rico Tucker was the source of the team's only serious off-the-court issue. He sat out the exhibition season and the first four games of the regular season for failing to meet academic requirements. Sophomore Dan Coleman missed the Gardner-Webb game because of a family emergency.
Things appeared to be improving after Tucker returned; he helped the team to a victory over Coastal Carolina on Dec. 3. Grier returned to spark a victory over Nevada-Las Vegas on Dec. 10. And Hargrow returned to score 20 points and sink a game-winning free throw against UAB.
But the Gophers are now back in survival mode, as Monson put it . . .
Go State! ;D
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twinci...s/13462339.htm
Gophers win but lose, tooHargrow misses game; Grier to sit out Friday's game
BY MARCUS R. FULLER
Pioneer Press
The University of Minnesota men's basketball team thought the worst was behind it as far as injuries to key players and off-the-court issues.
But even an 88-64 rout of Grambling on Wednesday night at Williams Arena couldn't hide Dan Monson's frustration. The Gophers coach has even more problems to deal with three games before the Big Ten Conference season begins.
Minnesota, which has played short-handed much of the season, was again short a starter, as senior guard Moe Hargrow sat out after violating an unspecified team policy.
Vincent Grier made up for Hargrow's absence by leading four Gophers players in double figures with 25 points, but Monson said Grier would miss Friday's game against South Dakota State for also violating team rules.
To make matters worse, leading rebounder J'son Stamper also could be sidelined Friday with a strained right knee, suffered in the first half.
"Our kids Friday are going to play without Vince and probably without (J'son)," Monson said. "It's hard to be the team you want with injuries and these kinds of things. I feel like when we come back from Christmas break it's going to be Oct. 15 again. We're behind where everybody else is and where we wanted to be at this stage."
Monson said Hargrow probably would play Friday, but the Gophers (7-2) still won't have a full complement of players. The Gophers have played at full strength in only two games this season, including last Wednesday's 69-68 victory over Alabama-Birmingham.
Injuries have hurt the Gophers the most. Grier missed five games after breaking his left ring finger in the season opener against North Dakota State. Hargrow missed three games after rolling his ankle Nov. 30 against Maryland. Monson also said he would redshirt freshman Kevin Payton after Payton couldn't recover quickly enough from a summer shoulder injury.
Before Wednesday, sophomore Rico Tucker was the source of the team's only serious off-the-court issue. He sat out the exhibition season and the first four games of the regular season for failing to meet academic requirements. Sophomore Dan Coleman missed the Gardner-Webb game because of a family emergency.
Things appeared to be improving after Tucker returned; he helped the team to a victory over Coastal Carolina on Dec. 3. Grier returned to spark a victory over Nevada-Las Vegas on Dec. 10. And Hargrow returned to score 20 points and sink a game-winning free throw against UAB.
But the Gophers are now back in survival mode, as Monson put it . . .
Go State! ;D
Comment