Jake Depue: Do Richard Pitino’s Gophers have the talent to win the Big Ten?

[BleedGopher]

per Depue:

The Gophers men’s basketball team is entering the 2017-18 season in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in Richard Pitino’s tenure, Minnesota begins the year not as Big Ten bottom-feeders or a potential bubble team, but as legitimate contenders whose expectations can, and should, include competing for the Big Ten title and a making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

In his fifth season in the Twin Cities, Pitino’s rebuild appears near completion. Two years removed from a suspension-marred 8-23 season that led to calls for his firing, Pitino’s Gophers are ranked No. 14 in the country, already have a key road win under their belt, and have a foundation of current talent and incoming recruits that should keep them competitive for years to come.

Five of the top six players from last year’s NCAA Tournament team return this season, including All-Big Ten selections Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy, reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Reggie Lynch, and athletic swingman Amir Coffey. Complementing that core is a group of upperclassmen and newcomers who should provide the Gophers with significantly more depth than they had last season, particularly in the backcourt.

It’s not hyperbole to suggest this may be Minnesota’s best team since Clem Haskins’ ’97 Final Four squad.

http://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/11/richard-pitinos-gophers-talent-win-big-ten/

Go Gophers!!

 

[bga1]

per Depue:

The Gophers men’s basketball team is entering the 2017-18 season in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in Richard Pitino’s tenure, Minnesota begins the year not as Big Ten bottom-feeders or a potential bubble team, but as legitimate contenders whose expectations can, and should, include competing for the Big Ten title and a making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

In his fifth season in the Twin Cities, Pitino’s rebuild appears near completion. Two years removed from a suspension-marred 8-23 season that led to calls for his firing, Pitino’s Gophers are ranked No. 14 in the country, already have a key road win under their belt, and have a foundation of current talent and incoming recruits that should keep them competitive for years to come.

Five of the top six players from last year’s NCAA Tournament team return this season, including All-Big Ten selections Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy, reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Reggie Lynch, and athletic swingman Amir Coffey. Complementing that core is a group of upperclassmen and newcomers who should provide the Gophers with significantly more depth than they had last season, particularly in the backcourt.

It’s not hyperbole to suggest this may be Minnesota’s best team since Clem Haskins’ ’97 Final Four squad.

http://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2017/11/richard-pitinos-gophers-talent-win-big-ten/

Go Gophers!!

Michigan State is loaded on that front line with Jackson, Ward and Bridges. We might be able to beat them in a game but it could be hard to take first.

As to comparisons with the 1997 team- that's legit:

Lynch and Murphy are at least as good as Thomas and James as a pair
Coffey is right there with Sam Jacobson
Mason and McBrayer are good but not at the level of Jackson and Harris...but not far behind either

The problem is the depth- that '97 team had Winter, Lewis, Thomas, Tarver all off the bench with the weakest link being the backup PG in Archambeau, IIRC

Washington or McBrayer (whichever ends up as 6th man ) is a Great start to a bench but from there it weakens. If Harris, Fitzgerald and Hurt develop that would help this team a lot. Can Konate learn how to control his body to give us 10 solid space eater minutes?

Overall the bench and the X factor that Bobby Jackson became in big games is the separator between these two really good games. Still we could get hot in March and go to the Final Four.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Michigan State is loaded on that front line with Jackson, Ward and Bridges. We might be able to beat them in a game but it could be hard to take first.

As to comparisons with the 1997 team- that's legit:

Lynch and Murphy are at least as good as Thomas and James as a pair
Coffey is right there with Sam Jacobson
Mason and McBrayer are good but not at the level of Jackson and Harris...but not far behind either

The problem is the depth- that '97 team had Winter, Lewis, Thomas, Tarver all off the bench with the weakest link being the backup PG in Archambeau, IIRC

Washington or McBrayer (whichever ends up as 6th man ) is a Great start to a bench but from there it weakens. If Harris, Fitzgerald and Hurt develop that would help this team a lot. Can Konate learn how to control his body to give us 10 solid space eater minutes?

Overall the bench and the X factor that Bobby Jackson became in big games is the separator between these two really good games. Still we could get hot in March and go to the Final Four.

JT and CJ would bully Murphy and Lynch

 

[Sparlimb]

Michigan State is loaded on that front line with Jackson, Ward and Bridges. We might be able to beat them in a game but it could be hard to take first.

As to comparisons with the 1997 team- that's legit:

Lynch and Murphy are at least as good as Thomas and James as a pair
Coffey is right there with Sam Jacobson
Mason and McBrayer are good but not at the level of Jackson and Harris...but not far behind either

The problem is the depth- that '97 team had Winter, Lewis, Thomas, Tarver all off the bench with the weakest link being the backup PG in Archambeau, IIRC

Washington or McBrayer (whichever ends up as 6th man ) is a Great start to a bench but from there it weakens. If Harris, Fitzgerald and Hurt develop that would help this team a lot. Can Konate learn how to control his body to give us 10 solid space eater minutes?

Overall the bench and the X factor that Bobby Jackson became in big games is the separator between these two really good games. Still we could get hot in March and go to the Final Four.

I've never seen a better closer play for the Gophers. Bobby Jackson could put the team on his back and will them to win. That's what it takes to make the final four. Not sure Washington is mature enough to do that (he does get 4 months to progress) and I don't know who else could. I'd take that team over this one. Not by much though.

 

[Tully55]

With the roster we currently have, I must confess that on paper I would be very pleasantly suprised if we were to win the B1G this year. Konate and Fitzgerald have to step up and give meaningful minutes to spell Lynch when needed, and Lynch needs to stay out of early foul trouble. Our starting rotation(including Washington and Hurt) seem good enough to compete with the best out there, but right now the backups have too many question marks for me to declare victory. I do like what appears to be a good season this year, and with the incoming group next year and hopefully beyond, the future is indeed bright. We shall see.

 

[XMan]

97 final four team would beat current roster 9 out of 10 times. Probably by 10-15 pts.

 

[XMan]

Earlier poster was right. 97 team had so much depth. To have a player like Quincy who could come in and light it up was so fun.

 

[Former Goofer]

It'd take quite an effort to beat Michigan St.

 

[dpodoll68]

97 final four team would beat current roster 9 out of 10 times. Probably by 10-15 pts.

It's an interesting scenario. What ground rules would be set for the game? Would the 1997 team have to do their own homework, or would they be able to hire someone to do it for them?

 

[Mulligan]

It's an interesting scenario. What ground rules would be set for the game? Would the 1997 team have to do their own homework, or would they be able to hire someone to do it for them?

Good question. We're going to have someone from the University of North Carolina come in. He will be creating a course where no homework will be required. I sincerely hope that takes care of your concern.

 

[stocker08]

Toss Lawrence Westbrook on this team......and we might have a comparison.

 

[bemidjigopher]

It's an interesting scenario. What ground rules would be set for the game? Would the 1997 team have to do their own homework, or would they be able to hire someone to do it for them?

Didn't matter for UNC.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

It'd take quite an effort to beat Michigan St.

Did you see how badly they got hammered on the boards by Duke. Not good. Izzo will fix that

 

[jamalo]

It's an interesting scenario. What ground rules would be set for the game? Would the 1997 team have to do their own homework, or would they be able to hire someone to do it for them?

Lame; try harder and keep defending North Carolina

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

It's an interesting scenario. What ground rules would be set for the game? Would the 1997 team have to do their own homework, or would they be able to hire someone to do it for them?

So you're finally acknowledging there was a team in 97?

 

[dpodoll68]

Lame; try harder and keep defending North Carolina

When have I defended North Carolina? Cite a quote or STFU.

 

[dpodoll68]

So you're finally acknowledging there was a team in 97?

Finally? When have I not acknowledged that there was a team? There was a team, a coach, and a support staff full of cheaters.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Finally? When have I not acknowledged that there was a team? There was a team, a coach, and a support staff full of cheaters.

Every time 97 is brought up you say that season doesn't exist. Yeah it doesn't exist on paper, but I still thoroughly enjoyed watching it with my own two eyes.

 

[WanderingGopher]

97 final four team would beat current roster 9 out of 10 times. Probably by 10-15 pts.

I think you're right about this. John Thomas was 280 pounds of pure muscle, Courtney James 270. They were immovable on the inside. Murphy and Lynch would not have their way with that tandem like they do with most teams. Harris and Jackson were probably the two best on-ball defenders in the conference. Jackson wasn't just first team all-conf, he was B10 POY and defensive POY. And the bench ... yeah. Trevor Winter was no superstar but he was infinitely more coordinated than Konate and he did briefly play in the NBA. Quincy Lewis was a 1st round scorer coming off the bench. Tarver was an effective rebounder. Charles Thomas was a pure shooter kind of like Jamir Harris, except he was 6'4".

This team has another 30 games to go to get better, so the story isn't complete yet, but any comparison to '97 means you're basically comparing the team to a National Title-quality roster.

 

[Tim1406]

This team has another 30 games to go to get better, so the story isn't complete yet, but any comparison to '97 means you're basically comparing the team to a National Title-quality roster.

It's comparing a #1 seed to a probable 3/4 seed. Could we improve and get better, sure but I'm not ready to put this team up there with MSU, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky etc. yet. Now, could we win a tournament by getting hot and upsetting a team, sure but I would be super happy and surprised if we ended up as a #1 seed like that '97 team did or even a #2 seed.

 

[Donovan]

Probably a dumb question, but since we have not been in this position in decades, I have an excuse. Who's considered the "real" B1G champion: regular season champ or B1G tourney champ?

 

[Holy Man]

Probably a dumb question, but since we have not been in this position in decades, I have an excuse. Who's considered the "real" B1G champion: regular season champ or B1G tourney champ?

Probably both will call themselves champions on a banner, but our beloved NCAA will claim the tournament, since that is the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.

 

[WanderingGopher]

It's comparing a #1 seed to a probable 3/4 seed. Could we improve and get better, sure but I'm not ready to put this team up there with MSU, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky etc. yet. Now, could we win a tournament by getting hot and upsetting a team, sure but I would be super happy and surprised if we ended up as a #1 seed like that '97 team did or even a #2 seed.

I will say this, though -- at this time (November) in the 96-97 season there's no way I would have predicted that team to go 31-4 and have four future 1st round draft picks. I think it wasn't until they went on the road and beat Indiana (I think around January) that people began thinking wow, this team could be really special. You knew they had talent, but Bobby Jackson was coming off an injury and hadn't really shown his full potential yet, and guys like Quincy Lewis and Charles Thomas had typical struggles their freshman year. Remember they didn't even make the NCAA tourney the year before (IIRC, Jackson missed a bunch of games).

So point being, there's still plenty of time for the current team to evolve and become something even better than we think.

 

[Tim1406]

I will say this, though -- at this time (November) in the 96-97 season there's no way I would have predicted that team to go 31-4 and have four future 1st round draft picks. I think it wasn't until they went on the road and beat Indiana (I think around January) that people began thinking wow, this team could be really special. You knew they had talent, but Bobby Jackson was coming off an injury and hadn't really shown his full potential yet, and guys like Quincy Lewis and Charles Thomas had typical struggles their freshman year. Remember they didn't even make the NCAA tourney the year before (IIRC, Jackson missed a bunch of games).

So point being, there's still plenty of time for the current team to evolve and become something even better than we think.

Thank you for this. I was just starting to follow sports closely that '97 season. So don't have any sense of how that team went into the season that year.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

I will say this, though -- at this time (November) in the 96-97 season there's no way I would have predicted that team to go 31-4 and have four future 1st round draft picks. I think it wasn't until they went on the road and beat Indiana (I think around January) that people began thinking wow, this team could be really special. You knew they had talent, but Bobby Jackson was coming off an injury and hadn't really shown his full potential yet, and guys like Quincy Lewis and Charles Thomas had typical struggles their freshman year. Remember they didn't even make the NCAA tourney the year before (IIRC, Jackson missed a bunch of games).

So point being, there's still plenty of time for the current team to evolve and become something even better than we think.

They got the screw job. But I remember the typical Clem Haskins non-conference schedule did them in.

I was a bit down on the team as my guy Mark Jones transferred out.

Also, Eric Harris made a huge jumper from So to Jr. on the offensive side