MD - Minnesota Notes

Nice win. Minnesota's leading scorer (McKenzie) only played three minutes due to an injury.

Here are a few random comments about tonight's game:

- At the 6:33 mark in the second half, Minnesota used 1:18 off the clock with a SIX offensive rebound possession and capped it off with a tip-in. This may be the longest a team has gone without crossing half-court so far this season. It seemed like an eternity because Minnesota kicked it back out to re-start the offense on four of those rebounds. Somehow, MD didn't cave like they had the past four weeks of the season and managed to pick up the win.

- It boggles my mind why teams don't press MD more often. MD's press break is a freakin' circus because neither Vasquez nor Hayes can dribble.

- MD only shot 40% from the floor; Minnesota shot 31%.

- Gary Williams' rotation inconsistency never ceases to amaze me. Tonight, out of nowhere, he decides to dust off DuPree and give him 14 minutes of PT (that is double the collective total he played in over the prior seven games). DuPree delivered (6 pts, 5 boards, and an overall solid active performance on the offensive boards). Neal played 38 minutes over those seven games.

- Burney: He only played two minutes (one less than Neal; I guess that it is a GW requirement). Burney had a very nice finish on a break; not sure why he didn't see more PT.

- Comedy: Vasquez was pressured in the backcourt before using his dribble and proceeded to dribble straight out of bounds (oblivious to the out-of-bounds line). ESPN zoomed in on GW screaming "Why?", "Why?", "Why?" (Nancy Kerrigan-esque). . . it may not seem funny, but, if you watched it, it was hilarious.

- Jimmy Dykes: This guy is always good for at least one comment during the game that makes you wonder why he is still pulling paychecks from ESPN. Tonight's first comment was his take on how Williams Arena is one of the best venues in college basketball because there are some seats that have obstructed views completely blocked by pillars.

- Later, Dykes said that Williams Arena is a unique setting with the court three feet above the ground. I think it would have been better stated as an "ACL waiting to happen" setting.

- Finally, he said that Ryan Anderson may be the top NBA prospect coming out of the PAC 10. I am thinking that he should have prefaced that statement with, "Other than Lopez, Mayo, Bayless, Love, and Westbrook. . ."