All Things Former Gophers Thread

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Gopher Teeth said:
The problem with this approach is you can sell hope for only so long. You can get kids to overlook a year or two as transitional, but after that you are what you are. When you keep finishing in last place, good players do not want to join the nightmare, and that's when your HS pipe line ends. My biggest concern is that Ben gets two good classes and then nothing else, because kids aren't going to believe in your hope when you have 3 bad years on the book. You need to do both. Get some high quality HS kids to form your base, but get some quality transfers so that you can progress up the rankings and at the very least don't finish last multiple years in a row.
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I agree it's a risk. He still has to be able to out recruit his previous classes. I also agree that key transfers are going to be needed each season.
 


Looks like New Mexico may be 9-0 after todays game. They are off to a good start.
 

Little Ricky as some here so fondly referred to him as is now 10-0 at New Mexico. Go Lobos!
 






Will Senior beat Junior and end the Lobos undefeated season? Lobos up 21-14 midway thru the first half.
 









Iona New Mexico Game Cut ups
Some bad, some good. Post ups, quickness, some pressure defense, attacking the rim. Fun watch.

Paraphrasing quote from Rick Pitino in a press conference: Championship teams have guards who make free throws. If you are going to win your league you need that. We didn't go to the NCAA last year because we missed free throws. House makes free throws...I like New Mexico's team.

I agree it should be a recruiting principle: Recruit guards (at Minimum-if not players) who make free throws. Shooters can cover up a lot of bad coaching. And shooters win championships with good coaching.
 

Quote from the Lobo fan board on Pitino and Jaelen House: "I think Pitino (Richard that is) deserves a lot of credit for not only bringing House here but also for being able to properly handle House and make the most of him. I think it's fair to say that a lot of coaches around the NCAA would have a problem with the way House plays and would either try to reign him in or discipline him for some of his antics and unorthodox play (this may be what drove House to have limited play at ASU and eventually leave ASU). It takes a players' coach to be able to let House be House and not have his presence become a distraction or even detraction from the team and the rest of the team's attitude and effort. Pitino gives just the right amount of patience and tolerance for House that is needed while still being able to ensure that he remains a team player and a positive contributor to the team's overall success. Pitino seems to be one of those coaches who is really able to relate to his players in a positive way while still retaining the respect due to him as the coach."

Sounds a bit like how he handled Marcus Carr.
 



New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino calls out to players during a game on Dec. 12New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino calls out to players during a game on Dec. 12

— Associated Press


By GLEN ROSALES , ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 19, 2022 - 7:32 AM


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It was a very public two-hour, father-son bonding experience between New Mexico coach Richard Pitino and his dad, noted coach Rick Pitino of Iona, on Sunday.


And in the end, the son prevailed 82-74 as the Lobos (11-0) got 22 points from Jaelen House and 17 from K.J. Jenkins. The Gaels were led by 22 from post Nelly Joseph.


"I'm just really happy for him, 11-0," Rick Pitino said. "This is a rebuilding job and he's done it in one year. I'm just beaming with pride with what he's accomplishing. I'm disappointed in my team but I'm so happy for him."


The younger Pitino tried to downplay the relationship factor.


"I said all week, it's not about me and it wasn't about me, especially with the nonconference that we had," he said. "It's not about beating my dad. I'm grateful that my dad played here because we benefitted. That was a nationally televised game he did not need to play. Happy we won, but I don't look at like I beat him. I look at it as New Mexico beat Iona."


Pitino is in his second season at New Mexico after eight seasons at Minnesota during which his team had a 141-123 overall record, but was 54-96 in the Big Ten, including conference finishes of 12th and 13th place in his final two seasons.


The Gophers won the 2014 NIT to end Pitino's first year with the Gophers, but qualified for the NCAA tournament in only two seasons and won only one game.


After Iona (7-3) scored the opening bucket, New Mexico led the remainder of the way, building a 17-point, first-half lead.


But Rick Pitino, who has national championships from his days at both Louisville and Kentucky, found a few tricks to get his squad back in the game, closing to within 76-73 with just over two minutes left.


"Our zone was giving them problems," he said of a defense that he hasn't broken out in three seasons. "And we started attacking the rim and we got some easy buckets."


But it was not enough to coax the Gaels to a win, although Richard Pitino said he anticipated seeing some zone.


"I would say being his son, I knew he would play some zone because he hasn't played any," he said. "Working for him, he always has a zone in his back pocket."


It was a contrast in styles on the court and on the bench as the younger Pitino sported comfortable attire and gym shoes, while his dad wore a sports coat, slacks and a dress shoes.


The Lobos also preferred a fast-paced attacking style compared to the more deliberate, get it inside look from Iona.


First-half runs of 14-2 and 8-0 helped New Mexico build a 37-20 lead at the 3:21 mark before Iona nibbled into the lead, cutting it to 41-33. But K.J. Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, his third of the half, to give the Lobos a 44-33 halftime advantage.


BIG PICTURE


This was the third meeting between father and son Pitino. The other two coming when dad coached Louisville and his son was at Minnesota, with the Cardinals winning previous games. The teams will play again next year at Iona.


Asked who was buying the postgame meal, Richard Pitino said, "I don't know if he wants to go to dinner tonight. I'm supposed to take him to dinner. You have to give him a little grace period because he's not great right away after games. But we'll get together."


Although unsolicited , Rick Pitino had some advice for his son and the Lobos, saying, "Richard knows how to handle it but the one piece of advice for this team, don't embrace it. Get better. Take what you did wrong and get better. Because as quickly as you get to climbing that mountain, you get knocked right off it."
 

Good for Richard. He beat Papa yesterday. I have no ill toward Richard. He's in a league and playing teams that he can beat. I hope he has fun.
 


Alright guys we basically have 3 threads on the exact same topic now
 


GopherBlood666 said:
Alright guys we basically have 3 threads on the exact same topic now
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So you are saying we need a couple more? :)

Took a peak at New Mexico's schedule. Guessing our record would be pretty good as well against the gauntlet of teams they have faced and betting their's would be much closer to our current record if they played the teams we have.

But don't want to let that get in the way of whatever people are trying to prove about the coaches and their records so far...
 

bga1 said:
Pretty good chance that he would beat us this year. I think we can all agree on that.
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Most on here judge a college coach on his won-loss record in his first 2 years. I highly highly disagree with that. In fact, I don't judge a coach at all, not even a little, on the situation he inherits.

I judge a coach on recruiting and the development of those recruits. Period.
 

jblass said:
For those interested Little Ricky and his 10-0 Lobos playing Iona today at 5:30 on FS1. Iona Is 7-2. Should be a good game. Go Lobos!
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I watched part of the game because of the battle between the Two Pitinos.
Little Ricky has found a home in the Mountain West and beat his father's team to go 11/0.
 

MNJay said:
Most on here judge a college coach on his won-loss record in his first 2 years. I highly highly disagree with that. In fact, I don't judge a coach at all, not even a little, on the situation he inherits.

I judge a coach on recruiting and the development of those recruits. Period.
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I used to use wins but this is better.
 

bga1 said:
Pretty good chance that he would beat us this year. I think we can all agree on that.
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We will never know. Nor would we know if he'd be undefeated in the B1G.
So, props to Richard at New Mexico. I was cheering for his team over Papa. And, I would take House in an instant as the point guard at MN. That's a kid Pitino inherited who he has to be delighted that House stayed at New Mexico.
 

MNJay said:
Most on here judge a college coach on his won-loss record in his first 2 years. I highly highly disagree with that. In fact, I don't judge a coach at all, not even a little, on the situation he inherits.

I judge a coach on recruiting and the development of those recruits. Period.
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Good point. Richard inherited an NIT championship team his 1st year at Minnesota. How did it go over the long run? I wish he had more success here at MN, but he didn't. Now we move on and give Ben a chance. Ben had the bad fortune of an unrestricted portal that decimated his bench. That's life. Ben is recruiting well. He needs time to show us he can develop who he has recruited. Short sighted people cannot grasp this.
 

MennoSota said:
We will never know. Nor would we know if he'd be undefeated in the B1G.
So, props to Richard at New Mexico. I was cheering for his team over Papa. And, I would take House in an instant as the point guard at MN. That's a kid Pitino inherited who he has to be delighted that House stayed at New Mexico.
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Actually, House was in the transfer portal and Pitino got him to commit to New Mexico.

Pitino didn't get it done here, but I hope he does well at New Mexico.
 

MNVCGUY said:
So you are saying we need a couple more? :)

Took a peak at New Mexico's schedule. Guessing our record would be pretty good as well against the gauntlet of teams they have faced and betting their's would be much closer to our current record if they played the teams we have.

But don't want to let that get in the way of whatever people are trying to prove about the coaches and their records so far...
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By all means don't let your bias and bitterness show. Couple unbiased rankings paint a different picture.
NET Rankings MN NET Rankings New Mexico
Purdue 3 Saint Marys 20
Miss St 15 New Mexico 21
Mich 86 Iona 42
Gophers 240 San Francisco 85

Ken POM MN Ken Pom New Mexico
Purdue 7 Saint Mary's 22
Miss St 32 Iona 63
Michigan 50 New Mexico 74
Gophers 178
 

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