Two weeks ago, Tubby Smith talked about his team possibly needing to be counseled on the “psychology of winning,” but he didn’t mean literally. Not until the Gophers basketball coach decided after back-to-back losses against Iowa and Ohio State by more than 20 points to ask local sports psychologist, Dr. Rick Aberman to speak to his team over the weekend.
Smith wouldn’t comment on the details of that conversation after practice Monday, Feb. 25. Freshman guard Wally Ellenson also declined to get specific about what Aberman told the Gophers (18-9, 6-8), who play host to No. 1 Indiana (24-3, 12-2) on Tuesday at Williams Arena.
“We’re going to keep our own message,” Ellenson said. “We’re going to have that to our team. We’ll see how it goes.”
Aberman told the Pioneer Press on Monday night the advice he gives to each individual or team is private. But there are similar principles used in most cases.
“Generally, I help people understand how their thoughts and emotions impact performance,” said Aberman, who works with the Minnesota Twins and Gophers football, baseball and men’s tennis. “We know that physical skills and talent are important, but they’re not as important as people think. So we focus a lot on developing one’s emotional intelligence, their ability to make good decisions — particularly good decisions under pressure. We try to help them utilize their emotions to work for them and not against them.”
Former Gophers coach Dan Monson invited Aberman to talked to his team in 2005. He was with them when they upset Ohio State on the road in overtime that season. Minnesota suffered five losses in eight games after that big victory. But the Gophers won their last four regular season games and in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament to secure Monson’s only NCAA tournament bid.
“I’ve worked with a number of the (Gophers) teams over the last 20 years,” Aberman said.
– Smith expects senior forward Rodney Williams to start Tuesday against Indiana because “he looked good in practice” and “he’s ready to step up.” Williams has been more vocal and shown leadership in practices since the Ohio State loss last week, according to Smith.
Williams is coming off back-to-back scoreless games for the first time since his freshman year. But Smith said his co-captain was the healthiest he’s been since before missing the Illinois game Feb. 10 after injuring his left shoulder. Williams’ best game recently was an 11-point effort in the overtime win Feb. 14 against Wisconsin at the Barn, but Smith said Williams got through major discomfort with pain killers and adrenaline.
– Sophomore Joe Coleman said, “it’s going to be a good game” Tuesday against the nation’s No. 1 team. The Gophers trailed only by three points late in the second half against the Hoosiers in an 88-81 loss Jan. 12 in Bloomington, Ind. But Minnesota’s program is only 3-18 all-time against teams ranked No. 1. Only one of those victories (Illinois at home in 1989) came in the last 60 years. The other two wins against the top team in the country were against Indiana (1953) and Kentucky (1951).