Smith set to tweak lineup again on eve of crucial game at Northwestern
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Another lineup shake-up is on its way.
One game after replacing guard Joe Coleman with fellow freshman Andre Hollins, Gophers coach Tubby Smith said Friday his lineup will once again have a different look when the team faces Northwestern Saturday (6 p.m. 1500-ESPN) in a critical match-up with postseason implications at stake.
The question is who the replacement will be? Smith alluded to a move being imminent, but would not unveil specifics.
"I'm not sure what our starting lineup is going to be," Smith remarked. "We went with a different lineup before that didn't work, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I just haven't made any decisions about that yet."
The addition of Hollins earlier in the week was the first alteration to Smith's starting five in more than a month. To Smith's chagrin, what resulted was more of the same.
On the back of a spirit-killing 20-0 first half run, Ohio State shutdown the Gophers (17-9, 5-8) Tuesday in a 78-68 defeat. Hollins settled in after a rocky few minutes to tally eight points and three assists. But scoring from throughout the roster fell far below expectations.
"We took Joe out of the lineup, but it wasn't much better," Smith said. "Not that Andre didn't do a good job. It just didn't work, so we'll try something else."
Though Coleman has stumbled through four straight games without a point, the freshman guard may be tossed back in amongst the starters in hopes that he can end his slump with a replication of his game-high 16-point outing when the Gophers last met Northwestern.
"Hopefully Joe will step up, because he was a difference-maker when he was in the lineup," Smith said. "Even when he wasn't scoring, he was leading us in rebounds ... But we were looking for more scoring and we didn't get it."
Swapping struggling center Ralph Sampson III with redshirt freshman Elliot Eliason is also a prime possibility.
Smith stressed the need for rebounding improvements -- an area in which Sampson's contributions have fluctuated. Averaging 3.6 rebounds in his last six games, he was held to two boards by Ohio State.
Early foul trouble was partly the cause for his limited rebounding output, as well as his scoring numbers. In only 12 minutes on the floor, Sampson scored four points for the second straight game.
Without Sampson consistently providing points and a rebounding presence, the Gophers' options low in the post are not plentiful, which ratchets up the necessity for the 6-foot-11 center to find a solution to his recent woes.
"I need to just relax and have fun," Sampson said. "There are streaks in games when things aren't going your way - you get coaches on you, the fans start creeping up on you in the back of your mind. You start getting a little tense and it builds up ... I'm just trying to get back to playing my game."
Eliason is a striking contrast. While his scoring game still leaves something to be desired (2.3 ppg), his aggressive edge near the basket has been a needed perk for the Gophers.
"He's a lot more emotional than our starting center Ralph. That's for certain," Smith said. "When he's in the lineup we have a little more pep ... Elliott is probably our most fiery player."
Whatever look their lineup takes on come Saturday, the Gophers' need for a victory remains vital. But the same goes for the Wildcats. Sharing identical 5-8 conference records, both squads are clawing to stay in the NCAA tournament picture as the regular season draws two weeks from its conclusion.
