If this is nothing I'll take some more

"They're ranked number nine," the dad said. He and his boy were hustling down the sidewalk as we left The Barn.

"What are we?" asked the boy.

"Us? We're nothing," said the dad as they drifted out of earshot.

Well, not nothing. The Golden Gophers had just taken #9 Indiana to the wire, after all. While our squad is unranked anyone can see they are roughly 4,000 percent better than last year's team.

But the Gophers haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 1997. (I'll pause a moment to let that sink in.) Last year they posted the worst record in school history. So dad's nihilistic attitude can perhaps be forgiven.

Yet it's impossible to overstate how different the Gophers look this year. Every aspect of their game is improved—dramatically. And these are the same players as last year! It goes to show you how much can be taught.

And there's never been a more tactically interesting Gophers team, at least in my memory. Many of Clem's teams were, to be charitable, emotionally interesting. Monson's teams reflected him: confused, unprepared, overwhelmed. Tubby's team is focused, crisp—and smart. When is the last time you felt like the Gophers players knew exactly where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing? (Cough Townsend Orr cough!)

When Tubby went to the subs and then threw that 2-3 on Indiana last night it was genuinely unexpected. It seemed novel, even, as if we've never seen anything quite so brilliant as a 2-3 zone. But the timing was perfect, and it took Indiana several possessions to get re-oriented.

When I watch Tubby on the sideline I think of what Willy the airplane mechanic memorably said to Fletch: "Yeah, he don't say nothing. He just gives him that look." I still can't quite believe he's stalking the sidelines at The Barn. As Fletch replied to Willy, "Well, sure, he's the boss." Nothing, indeed. Phft!

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Please let me know if you'll be playing hoops at St. John's tomorrow. We tip off at 8:00 a.m., as usual.