The Golden Gophers are picked to finish in the top six of the Big 10 in preseason polls in the Big 10 and that is primarily due to a super front line.  The hopes for a successful dance hall season in March for the Gophers revolves a pair of post players the skill (and size) this league has never seen.  Juniors Mychal Thompson and Kevin McHale are arguably the best combination of big men who complement each other in this mighty league.  And yes that includes the Hoosiers.  At least on potential!  You see last year this duo dominated their foes averaging almost 30 points a game with almost 15 boards.  Problem is nobody knew about it.  Not only was their the probation last year for post season but also for TV.  It was great for attendance at the Barn (they averaged over 14,000 a game) but most of the country have no idea who junior big men Mychal Thompson and Kevin McHale are.  They will.  Thompson is a 6’10 226 pound big man who gets the C as in center next to his name.  These two have such an interchangeable (and vast) skill set that it only matters for the fans (and those who want to argue who is best power forward ever) of what position they are given.  Thompson does like to bang a bit more with seven footers so we will go with that.  Thompson comes from Miami Florida and was a stud as soon as he walked on campus.  Once he got used to the winters Thompson has been unstoppable in Minneapolis.  He was second on the team in scoring and was second in rebounding each of his first two seasons.  He has a nice inside game with a variance of moves and a solid up to 17 foot jump shot.  He is not a three point shooter as he has only made 1 in his two years here but he is a good passer who performs well both at the high post and down in the box.  This is important as McHale is becoming one of the best on the block big men in the country.  He did not come out of the box quite as quickly as his sidekick but he is developing some moves we have not seen down low.  At 6’10 220 he looks like a monster (Frankenstein in particular) with hunched shoulders a thick, square head. But this kid from Hibbing Minnesota knows how to use that awkward looking body.  Turnarounds, baby hooks, fallaways are in his repertoire as he relies on impeccable footwork as the basis for his game.  He doesn’t look like it but this cat is as graceful as an otter in the paint.  He’s a slightly better shot blocker than Thompson but both can guard a rim well but McHale is not quite as good on the boards.  This duo is the best big man combo you have not heard of and easily can be the best by the end of the year.  Yeah, Hayes and Olajuwon, Russell and Cartwright and Chamberlain and Lovelette might have something to say about that but these guys have that kind of potential.  Watch them when you finally get the chance. 

As good as they are those two might not be the best players on this team.  That honor might go to Senior Lou Hudson.  Sweet Lou is a 6’5 wing who can flat light it up from just about anywhere.  Funny thing is Lou had no idea he was going to play for a D-1 program.  Growing up in North Carolina and just before those schools integrated Lou thought he was going to North Carolina A&T, a historically black college and a damn good one as they are picked to win the MEAC once again.  Imagine the Aggies with Sweet Lou? Damn!  Back to the story, Lou was a four sport athlete at Dudley High in Greensboro and was the best athlete in the country says teammate Charlie Sanders, a TE on the Gopher football team, who later followed Lou to Minnesota.  Well, the GG’s came calling for him and Archie Clark to break the color barrier and come play for them and even though Lou did not know Minnesota from Wisconsin (who does) he knew this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.  Hudson had to sit out a year due to the freshman rule thing but immediately became the best offensive player on the team once he got on the court.  A terrific mid-range shooter who loves to get to the corner Hudson can also get to the hoop.  A 6’5 210 pounder is stronger than most wings and dominates them posting up.  His game kind of reminds you of another kid from North Carolina who dare I say might have watched Lou growing up and learned a few moves.  There is nothing Lou cannot do offensively though he has not fallen in love with the three point shot unless it’s in the corner.  ‘Super’ Lou (yes he has an alternate nickname for all of you 32 uniform and metaverse fans) is also a tremendous help on the boards and is the perfect complement to Thompson and McHale up front.  That threesome is almost the perfect front line so why are they not picked to run the table and win the whole kit and caboodle?  Well, let’s take a look at the backcourt. 

The guard situation is nowhere near as defined as the front court.  There is open competition for both spots as four senior vie for starting roles.  The aforementioned Clark, Meyer Skoog, Chuck Mencel and Dick Garmaker are all in the running for a position with all four bringing something unique to the table.  ‘Whitey’ Skoog (not the most PC name ever) has been the starter at point guard for the last two years.  The 5’11 160 pounder from Brainerd Minnesota is as tough as it gets and knows how to run a team.  He is also a tremendous defensive guy who loves to get in your space and cause havoc.  The problem, obviously, is his lack of size in a league that is getting bigger and more athletic every year.  It will be hard to replace Whitey (btw he was named for the color of his hair which is almost nazi er platinum blonde) in Minneapolis where he is a fixture and Kundla has said he does not want to shake things up too much but we shall see.  Mencel is a similar style player and not much bigger at 6’0 168.  Mencel hails from across the border in Eau Claire Wisconsin and is not as popular with the fans as Whitey but his teammates love him.  He was elected team captain and brings leadership and stability to the Gophers.  Mencel can do it on both ends of the court and will play (all four will play) but how much depends on how much Kundla wants to give the ball to Clark at the point.  Clark, who came in from the Detroit area, Ecorse Michigan to be exact, is much bigger at 6’2 and 175.  Clark did have a stay in the Air Force and got recruited directly from there to be with Hudson the first Black athlete for this program and is a bit older and more mature than some of his teammates.  He had handled the nonsense that comes with this situation (and not just the overt racism) extremely well.  He is also much more athletic but for the most part has been playing a combo guard while in Minneapolis.  Don’t get me wrong Clark has got the handles,  his nickname after all is ‘Shake and Bake.’ Sorry Talladegga boys he had it first.  The problem is Clark is a street ball player and likes things to move at a pretty good up and down pace and the Gophers are not that kind of program.  Or should I say haven’t been.  But with two bigs who are not especially gazelles up front and who need the ball in the paint the team has revolved around old school quarterbacking at the point guard.  And that means slow down the tempo and get the ball to the guys in the paint sort of like the so called ‘game managers’ who hand the ball off to big running backs and let the defense win games.  Yes, folks Whitey and Chuck are your Brad Johnsons.  And with McHale and Thompson (Page and Randle) there is no need for Cunningham (Clark) to be throwing the ball all over the place even if he has Moss (Hudson) on the other end.  No worries for Clark.  He will get minutes somewhere.  He has not started often for the Gophers but you cannot keep him off the court.  He is too good.  Clark can score, shoot, pass and really defend.  He is not the perfect guy to be guarding two’s but he can get the job done with his wiry strength.  For now though at least to start the season the guy who has the inside shot at starting at the two is fellow senior Dick Garmaker.  Garmaker is a 6’3 200 pound do everything type who comes from the same hometown as McHale (and Bob Dylan btw).  The hero of Hibbing Garmaker is one of the most complete players in the Midwest.  He can defend, shoot, pass, board and take out the trash at halftime. He has been a mainstay in Minneapolis since he got here three years ago and unless Clark wants to cause a riot at the Barn Kundla better find a way to keep him in the starting lineup.  Oh Archie can play more minutes but Garmaker is the man here.  And rightfully so!  He might be the best shooter on the team and brings such a complete game to the table any program would be happy to have him!  As you can see the back court might not be as talented as that terrific front line but it is not exactly chopped liver either.  So why aren’t they picked to win it all?

  The Gophers also have some mighty good role players who will be looking for more minutes this year but with this lineup will be hard to find.  A large group of seniors who once were huge contributors to the success of this program are not fighting for minutes behind the dynamic duo on the post.  Jim McIntyre was officially the first ‘big man’ on campus and this hometown kid set the tone for this template that is now part of the culture.  McIntyre is 6’10 230 and was a great player for the Gophers but has a higher calling and happily ceded his starting job midway through last year.  He will still be in the running for minutes here but these next four are in jeopardy of losing all of theirs with the super recruits coming to Minneapolis on the front line.  Fellow Seniors Ed Kalafat, Ron Johnson, Larry Mikan and Tom Kondla have all performed admirably for the GG’s but their days might be numbered as rumors are that Kundla has even brought in a couple of JC kids who might be tougher than the kids already here.  Nobody is going to be tougher than Kalafat, the 6’6 235 beast from Anaconda Montana.  He was the original bruiser and bodyguard for McIntyre who was as tough as it gets setting screens and banging on the boards.  No doubt he will be on this roster someway even if just for ‘moral support.’ Johnson (no, not that Ron Johnson from Minnesota) is 6’8 215 pounder from New Prague who had some good days here but came here for an education and has no problem fading into the background.  Mikan barely played last year but I think we would all like to see him somehow get on the court for the home opener with DePaul (a game I am sure Kundla has circled as well).  Kondla might have the best chance of playing of this group as he is a 6’8 225 pounder from Riverside Illinois.  Kondla has no ‘trouble’ playing at either end of the court but is not quite as big or physical as the new kids in town.  Speaking of big and physical that would be the perfect nickname for the next two if they didn’t already have such a perfect one.  The ‘Brew’ Brothers’ are a pair of big men who came in with high expectations to the Purple City and have not disappointed.  The two up front guys with the same sounding last name (and did you know if you combine the two you get Goat Boy) will not start but they will play and contribute with what they do.  The ‘big’ of this pair (and when we say big we mean big) is Seven foot three Randy Breuer. ‘Brew 2’ was highly recruited out of high school for obvious reasons and though he did not play much as a freshman (he did dominate on JV though) showed he is more than just a tall guy.  Breuer from up the road in Lake City is a Minnesota legend and they don’t make legends any bigger than they do in the Land of 10,000 Lakes aka Paul Bunyan’s footsteps.  Breuer showed he can give the team a lift with his hook shot and shot blocking and is developing a more complete offensive game.  Jim Brewer is ‘the’ banger inside who gives the team toughness.  Brewer was a big time get for this program from Maywood Illinois.  is a great rebounder and always answers the bell to support his teammates. He led his team to a high school state title and set the tone for many gifted players to follow there.  ‘Brew 1’ does not score much but is invaluable to any team he is on due to his physicality (ask McHale and Thompson how they like banging with him in practice) and defense.  Speaking of practice some of the matchups last year between Brewer and Kalafat are now legendary as those that were there swear they were watching Chuck Liddell versus Rampage Jackson.  This duo are nowhere near McHale and Thompson in talent but will be part of a deep front line who know their roles and get the job done when called upon.  Sophomore Jim Petersen is also a huge recruit out of high school.  As a matter of fact Peterson was the first McDonald’s All-American to choose Minnesota but this St. Louis Park Minnesota (Mikan is also from there) kid barely got into any Varsity games though he did well on the JV squad.  This 6’10 235 pounder can play though and is just stuck behind some great talent in front of him but he has acclimated well to this campus and is popular as heck especially with the coeds.   Speaking of guys doing well with the ladies Freshman Kris Humphries is also members of this fraternity and is the highest rated recruit this program has ever had but with all this depth up front might not even get on the court this year.  This team goes that deep in the paint!     

There is nowhere near as much depth on the perimeter but there a few who will challenge for minutes that fill specific needs.  Junior Osborne Lockhart has got crazy handles and the quickness to match.  Lockhart was recruited along with Thompson from Miami but originally comes from Nausau in the Bahamas.  If Lockhart was half of as good of a passer as he is a ball handler he would be the starting point guard.  The fans love this kid as the ‘Spider’ puts on the best warmup show ever for the kids with his dribbling antics and if he ever learns to carry that over to the real game watch out.  A pair of sophomores are vying for playing time off the bench on the wing.  Trent Tucker and Willie Burton had great seasons playing next to each other on the JV squad last year and both made appearances down the stretch and showed they can hang at this level.  They have one other thing in common.  Both can fire.  Burton wears goggles at times due to his physical play and can get red hot from behind the perimeter but also can go cold.  He relies on his ability to get to the hoop and draw contact and gets to the foul line much more than Hudson does.  Another kid from Detroit he is bigger (6’8 210) than Tucker and is better suited for the three.   Tucker is a complete player who does everything well.  Nowhere near the scorer of Hudson (or even Burton) Tucker is a great defensive player who is developing a three point shot.  He will play as his overall skill set is too good to ignore but getting a steady three shot would no doubt help his chances for increased playing time in the Barn. 

Minneapolis Minnesota is known for many things.  First and foremost it is the birth place and home of Prince.  It is also the birth place of Paul Westerberg, James Arness and Petrer Graves but as far as I know none of those guys own a color.  It is also connected to the Capitol city of Minnesota, St. Paul which is why we endearingly refer to this part of the world as the Twin Cities (and now you know the reason the baseball team from their has the nickname the Twins-keep reading-much more useful information to come).   Minneapolis is also the home of the University of Minnesota and about 40,000 students who attend this prestigious college.  Many of these students have went on to have successful careers in science, politics, the Arts, etc.  Heck the guy that discovered Puffed Rice is a Minnesota alum.  This University is a member of the Big 10 conference and is represented by several notable sports programs foremost of these is the basketball team.  The Minnesota Golden Gophers have a tremendous history of competing in the Big 10 as far back as the first days when they actually won the first title.  The Gophers are good and definitely have the players back to compete with anyone in this league which in reality means they can compete with anyone in the country!  Of course when you haven’t won a title in decades maybe it’s not best to shoot for the top of the heap.  After all sometimes being second is not all that bad either especially in Minnesota the home of one not two vice Presidents and of course the Vikings.  But the bigger question is why haven’t the Golden Gophers switched their colors from maroon and gold to Purple?  It didn’t hurt with the ‘Kid!’