He said it. But what does it mean?
What do his players think about it? And why did he say it? Why now? "We haven't really stepped up in big games," Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said following his team's loss against Michigan Thursday. He added: "That's why you go out and recruit better players. And hopefully, we'll get that in the future." The Gophers had just suffered their most significant loss of the year. They needed to hear confidence. A motivational speech. "It's my fault, folks." Positivity to the press, even if the players heard something else in private. Not that. Perhaps Smith said it to play a mind game with his squad. Maybe, he meant every word and would rather look to the future than think about the present. In the past, Smith expressed a level of confidence in his team. But lately, he's altered that view, at least publicly. As the Gophers prepare to play Northwestern Sunday, it's not clear who/what they're playing for this late in the year. And while I think they're partially responsible for their recent struggles, Smith is the CEO of this corporation. So he's responsible even if he's not fully responsible. Ask Toyota. Coaches master the X's and O's. They recruit. They raise money for the program. They're often the faces of their respective universities. All of that stuff is important. But the best coaches are the best motivators. They get the most out of their players. They brainwash George Mason, making it think it's a Final Four team even though the squad has Bottom Four talent. They make a 5-foot-9 South Carolina guard believe he's big enough to slay Goliath (Kentucky). They convince a roster of lightly regarded prospects to play with a collective chip on their shoulder and parlay that emotion into March Madness surprises (Thanks, Sleepers). When Smith arrived that was his greatest power. A nine-win squad went to the NIT. How? Last year, a bunch of former jucos, undersized guards, "you'll never play major Division I basketball" recruits and young talents beat Louisville, swept Wisconsin, crushed Illinois and dismissed NCAA tournament teams that were feisty in the Big Dance (see North Dakota State) . At Wisconsin last season, the Gophers were down late. … Against a team they hadn't beaten on the road in years. And toward the end of the second half, Smith was on the sidelines causing a ruckus. Foot-stomping, yelling, instructing … believing. And the players responded. They didn't think it was over even when it looked like it was over. When Ohio State came out strong in the second half and took a double-digit lead over the Gophers in Columbus this year, Smith sat. It seemed like the entire program – players, coaches and staff – all accepted the loss before it was official. As much as the players need to get back to the tenacity they've displayed in spurts this season, they also need Smith to find ways to make them think they're still in it and to convey that during games. Prediction: Northwestern 67, Minnesota 63
