Rochester Post Bulletin: Pitino can't afford another ugly road loss

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per the Post Bulletin:

Not to sound like a broken record, but tonight begins what might be the most important stretch of basketball games in Richard Pitino’s career.

Pitino and the Gophers are 16-8 overall, 6-7 in conference play.

Minnesota sits in eighth place in the 14-team Big 10, and while there has been some talk that as many as nine Big 10 teams will make the NCAA tournament, I think eight is a more likely number, and just seven isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

The math is pretty simple, in that the top seven teams in the Big 10 standings are the top seven teams in 3-point percentage. Minnesota ranks dead last, and that’s a big reason why the Gophers are averaging just 60 points per game in Big 10 road contests — which is 16 points less than they score at home.

Granted, Pitino can’t shoot the 3-pointers for his guys, and Minnesota has long lacked that one player who can’t be left alone beyond the arc — but I’d blame Pitino for that, too. He hasn’t recruited that guy, and evidently he hasn’t told a bench player “Your job is to come into the game and hit two 3-pointers per game, so shoot 200 of them every day.”

Which brings us to tonight. Minnesota is on the road against a bad Nebraska team that the Gophers rallied to beat at home two months ago. If Pitino and the Gophers see themselves as bid-worthy, they need to beat the Huskers, and also pick up road wins against Rutgers and Northwestern as the regular season winds down.

One ugly stumble in those games might cost Pitino more than an NCAA bid. It could — and I’d say it should — cost him his job.

https://www.postbulletin.com/sports...cle_0ac08f56-2e31-11e9-be16-97d473dfba19.html

Go Gophers!!
 

I have no idea where coach Pitino's job standing is at this point, but my fervent wish and hope over these remaining games would be that the team would respond that way, as if they were playing for their coach's job, because ya never know, they just might be.
 

Seany said:
I have no idea where coach Pitino's job standing is at this point, but my fervent wish and hope over these remaining games would be that the team would respond that way, as if they were playing for their coach's job, because ya never know, they just might be.
Click to expand...

More likely than not the "playing/coaching for your job" mentality will backfire. This stressful psychology is part of the problem of this years team. Play loose, have fun, and don't worry about anything else.

That said, we just aren't that good, especially on the road, and I'd be very pleasantly surprised if we win tonight.
 

Minority here. I think we win big. Nebraska is a bad basketball team.
 





Block M said:
More likely than not the "playing/coaching for your job" mentality will backfire. This stressful psychology is part of the problem of this years team. Play loose, have fun, and don't worry about anything else.
Click to expand...

Good point. I can totally see what you're saying.

Hmmm. Basically I wish they'd just find some modicum of consistency (beyond the consistently poor shooting) in playing up to their capabilities each and every game from here on out. They are not a perfect squad by any stretch, but this CAN be a tournament team. That is all entirely within their hands, and now is the time. They've just gotta do it.
 

BleedGopher said:
per the Post Bulletin:

Not to sound like a broken record, but tonight begins what might be the most important stretch of basketball games in Richard Pitino’s career.

Pitino and the Gophers are 16-8 overall, 6-7 in conference play.

Minnesota sits in eighth place in the 14-team Big 10, and while there has been some talk that as many as nine Big 10 teams will make the NCAA tournament, I think eight is a more likely number, and just seven isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

The math is pretty simple, in that the top seven teams in the Big 10 standings are the top seven teams in 3-point percentage. Minnesota ranks dead last, and that’s a big reason why the Gophers are averaging just 60 points per game in Big 10 road contests — which is 16 points less than they score at home.

Granted, Pitino can’t shoot the 3-pointers for his guys, and Minnesota has long lacked that one player who can’t be left alone beyond the arc — but I’d blame Pitino for that, too. He hasn’t recruited that guy, and evidently he hasn’t told a bench player “Your job is to come into the game and hit two 3-pointers per game, so shoot 200 of them every day.”

Which brings us to tonight. Minnesota is on the road against a bad Nebraska team that the Gophers rallied to beat at home two months ago. If Pitino and the Gophers see themselves as bid-worthy, they need to beat the Huskers, and also pick up road wins against Rutgers and Northwestern as the regular season winds down.

One ugly stumble in those games might cost Pitino more than an NCAA bid. It could — and I’d say it should — cost him his job.

https://www.postbulletin.com/sports...cle_0ac08f56-2e31-11e9-be16-97d473dfba19.html

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I love when media guys act like shooting in a gym is "all it takes" to become a good shooter and that Pitino doesn't have guys shoot to get better. These guys obviously have no idea how much work goes into being a great shooter and how much work these guy should do.
 




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