Athlon: Grading CBBs First-Year Coaches in 2013-14 (Pitino - Holding Serve)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Athlon's:

HOLDING SERVE

Richard Pitino, Minnesota
Minnesota had the same Big Ten record (8-10) in Pitino’s first season as the Gophers had in Tubby Smith’s last. The Gophers also traded a round of 32 loss in the NCAA Tournament for an NIT championship. Is that progress? Maybe. The real answer may be next season when Pitino has a veteran-laden team in a Big Ten that may have only one Final Four contender (Wisconsin).

http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/grading-college-basketballs-first-year-coaches-2013-14

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per Athlon's:

HOLDING SERVE

Richard Pitino, Minnesota
Minnesota had the same Big Ten record (8-10) in Pitino’s first season as the Gophers had in Tubby Smith’s last. The Gophers also traded a round of 32 loss in the NCAA Tournament for an NIT championship. Is that progress? Maybe. The real answer may be next season when Pitino has a veteran-laden team in a Big Ten that may have only one Final Four contender (Wisconsin).

http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/grading-college-basketballs-first-year-coaches-2013-14

Go Gophers!!
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Cannot wait for this thread to progress into a Tubby V Pitino shootout!
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Cannot wait for this thread to progress into a Tubby V Pitino shootout!
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It's amazing how the big ten is being underestimated by the national media, sparty and scUM may take a step back but everyone else should either hold serve or improve, maybe Iowa falters some losing Marble. I do expect us to win 10 conference games next year
 

"Holding Serve" after Tubby's greatest season as a Gopher coach?
 

bemidjigopher said:
. ... I do expect us to win 10 conference games next year
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Agree.

That's a very reasonable expectation with the apparent softness (on paper) of the Gophers' conference schedule. ... play, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Illinois (all likely to be projected in the top half) only once each. With the experience the Gophers have returning, 11-7 certainly should be within reach. Of course, seems like we think that every season and invariably the Gophers find a way to stink it up on the road in the Big Ten and then end up hovering around the bubble.
 


Pitino loses Mbakwe, Coleman & Williams (3starters) & goes 8-10 in the B1G while winning 25 games & the NIT and that's only good enough for "holding serve"

Get outta here with that sh*t Athlon
 

As the roster currently stands, I expect us to be a 9-9 bubble team that ends up on the right side of the bubble. I reserve the right to change the prediction based on what happens before the season, particularly with our last 2 scholarship openings.
 

Pitino had a veteran squad returning 2 4th year bigs plus both Hollins... the top 2 scorers. 8 scholarship players back. Trevor 3rd team all big ten pick by the coaches was the only post season award winning player loss. Not one kid was even a 2nd round NBA pick ...facts are facts. Add to that dynamic point guard recruit Dre and starting fwd King what more do you want the whole team back?
 

The Brain Trust said:
Pitino had a veteran squad returning 2 4th year bigs plus both hollins... the top 2 scorers. 8 scholarship players back. Trevor 3rd team all big ten pick by the coaches was the only post season award winning player loss. Not one kid was even a 2nd round NBA pick ...facts are facts. Add to that dynamic point guard recruit Dre and staring fwd King what more do you want the whole team back? Th
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only issue i have with your statement is it entirely ignores what Pitino had when HE took over. When he did, he didn't have the last 2 guys you mentioned. He had a Mo Walker that couldn't compete. All 3 of those guys are where they are today because of Pitino. I have zero doubt Walker would've done nothing for us this year had Pitino not laid the ultimatum out there for him. So essentially we had coming back the 2 Hollinses, a relatively impossible to use guy in Mo and an entirely unproven Eliason as guys expected to make a big impact the next year.
 



SelectionSunday said:
Agree.

That's a very reasonable expectation with the apparent softness (on paper) of the Gophers' conference schedule. ... play, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Illinois (all likely to be projected in the top half) only once each. With the experience the Gophers have returning, 11-7 certainly should be within reach. Of course, seems like we think that every season and invariably the Gophers find a way to stink it up on the road in the Big Ten and then end up hovering around the bubble.
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My standards for next year definitely involve at least having a winning B1G season and not being on the bubble (in the good way) come tournament time.
 

From same author in 2013-14 Big Ten Preview:

9. MINNESOTA
Postseason projection: NIT
The Big Ten can be an unforgiving place for a rookie coach (Richard Pitino) at a program that lost its only two rebounders.
-----------------------------
Looks like he had Minny more Indiana/Illinois level....slightly worse than how they actually finished.
 

upnorthkid said:
only issue i have with your statement is it entirely ignores what Pitino had when HE took over. When he did, he didn't have the last 2 guys you mentioned. He had a Mo Walker that couldn't compete. All 3 of those guys are where they are today because of Pitino. I have zero doubt Walker would've done nothing for us this year had Pitino not laid the ultimatum out there for him. So essentially we had coming back the 2 Hollinses, a relatively impossible to use guy in Mo and an entirely unproven Eliason as guys expected to make a big impact the next year.
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Coleman left after Pitino took over. Kaminsky from Wisc did nothing last year this year he was a star sme coach and system as before. Elliot started some as a soph. Walker was injured for the better part of his career....Kids get better with age , experience and opportunity.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
My standards for next year definitely involve at least having a winning B1G season and not being on the bubble (in the good way) come tournament time.
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Next season I suspect it's going to be more important the Gophers to do something truly of note (beat Louisville would be a start) in the nonconference. That's what the percentages say way with the favorable Big Ten schedule they drew for 2014-15. The downside of a softer conference schedule is it lessens your opportunities for quality wins, even in a conference as strong as the Big Ten.
 



The Brain Trust said:
Coleman left after Pitino took over. Kaminsky from Wisc did nothing last year this year he was a star sme coach and system as before. Elliot started some as a soph. Walker was injured for the better part of his career....Kids get better with age , experience and opportunity.
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Relevancy? What exactly are you suggesting with a statement like that. And please be descriptive so that I can tell you exactly where you are wrong.


This whole post is a joke.....

SelectionSunday said:
Next season I suspect it's going to be more important the Gophers to do something truly of note (beat Louisville would be a start) in the nonconference. That's what the percentages say way with the favorable Big Ten schedule they received for 2014-15. The downside of a softer conference schedule is it lessens your opportunities for quality wins, even in a conference as strong as the Big Ten.
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Pitino was on record of thinking next years schedule will be "harder" than this years 10th hardest in the season (something to that extent).... What is he referencing? The possible opponents in the preseason NIT or is there more to the story?
 



The Brain Trust said:
Coleman left after Pitino took over. Kaminsky from Wisc did nothing last year this year he was a star sme coach and system as before. Elliot started some as a soph. Walker was injured for the better part of his career....Kids get better with age , experience and opportunity.
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Coleman was going to leave as soon as Tubby was fired IMO, Kaminsky is irrelevant as he got to grow in the exact same system. We had no idea if Eliason could play in this style and we knew Mo at his former size absolutely could not. And in regards to Mo's play down the stretch, I put that all on increased confidence from increased playing time and success leading to praise from Pitino and teammates.

Just wanted to add in here, I'm not saying this to knock Tubby as a coach or anything. I'm just saying the growth many of these guys showed under Pitino impressed me. If Andre doesn't go down, this could've been a wildly different season. Just my 2 cents
 

The Brain Trust said:
Pitino had a veteran squad returning 2 4th year bigs plus both Hollins... the top 2 scorers. 8 scholarship players back. Trevor 3rd team all big ten pick by the coaches was the only post season award winning player loss. Not one kid was even a 2nd round NBA pick ...facts are facts. Add to that dynamic point guard recruit Dre and starting fwd King what more do you want the whole team back?
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Recruiting is a huge part of the job SCOUT! Pitino gets credit for bringing in the team's MVP and for Mo losing that weight and becoming a contributer. Mo said himself that Tubby never really pushed him to lose weight and he was comfortable with the way he was. Him losing weight after Pitino got here was not a coincidence. Our new coach has done a good job. Facts are facts. Deal with it.
 

He more than held serve. Most of the posters are correct. He equaled last year's record because of what he did after he got the job not with what he was left. Poor analysis by Athlon.
 

Anyone labeling himself the brain trust deserves serious scrutiny.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
. ... Pitino was on record of thinking next years schedule will be "harder" than this years 10th hardest in the season (something to that extent).... What is he referencing? The possible opponents in the preseason NIT or is there more to the story?
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My assumption is he's saying the nonconference schedule will be more difficult, because the Gophers' conference schedule (on paper) looks more favorable this season. This past season the Gophers' SOS numbers were #9 (overall) and #49 (nonconference) according to Jerry Palm. I expect next season those two numbers will be closer together, with the overall SOS dropping some, but the nonconference SOS likely improving.
 

The Brain Trust said:
Coleman left after Pitino took over. Kaminsky from Wisc did nothing last year this year he was a star sme coach and system as before. Elliot started some as a soph. Walker was injured for the better part of his career....Kids get better with age , experience and opportunity.
Click to expand...

You are an odd egg.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Relevancy? What exactly are you suggesting with a statement like that. And please be descriptive so that I can tell you exactly where you are wrong.
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I think I figured it out. You didn't bold his next sentence.

"Kaminsky from Wisc did nothing last year this year he was a star sme coach and system as before. Elliot started some as a soph. "

If Tubby isn't canned, Eliason would be equal (or greater) to Kaminsky. Seems logical.
 

Bahahahaha. Equal or greater to Kaminsky? Have you EVER seen Eliason even sniff at the three-point line? Kaminsky was really a three-point shooter and could post-up sometimes and get some rebounds. Completely different players and I also don't think Eliason didn't get a chance to play in a similar system Tubby used for centers. This system seems to favor a big man, being able to pick and roll or get it to him in the post or low block. Eliason looked like he was going to be a pretty darn good player up to a few games into the BIG season, but Eliason just couldn't figure out how to quit fouling. Kaminsky and Eliason wouldn't equal in skills/stats even if Tubby was here this last year. You can't be serious.
 

SelectionSunday said:
With the experience the Gophers have returning, 11-7 certainly should be within reach.
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When is the last time a ten-seed in the Big Ten Tournament had 11 Big Ten wins? Two weeks ago you projected the Gophers to be next year's #10 team in the Big Ten. Has your position changed on that? I'm a stout believer in your basketball acumen, so I like hearing you more optimistic than before. You are usually dead-on in your projections.
 

tjgopher said:
When is the last time a ten-seed in the Big Ten Tournament had 11 Big Ten wins? Two weeks ago you projected the Gophers to be next year's #10 team in the Big Ten. Has your position changed on that? I'm a stout believer in your basketball acumen, so I like hearing you more optimistic than before.
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Yes, I've softened since then. At this point 10th still wouldn't surprise me, but 7th or 8th is the more likely landing spot. 11-7 would be the high end of things, and after taking another look at the conference schedule I think that's a manageable expectation.

Just for the heck of it, double-checked my Gopher preseason predictions both prior to the regular season and prior to the Big Ten season. Had the Gophers 9th (in NIT) prior to the season and 7th (NCAA/NIT bubble) prior to the start of the Big Ten season. Wasn't quite as accurate (pre-Big Ten season picks) with Iowa (picked 2nd, finished #6), Michigan (picked 5th, won title), and Nebraska (picked 11th, finished #4)!
 

Selection, have you ever tried taking a shot at picking the ncaa field prior to the start of a season just to see how many you actually get right?
 

XMan said:
Selection, have you ever tried taking a shot at picking the ncaa field prior to the start of a season just to see how many you actually get right?
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Yes, I do it every year. Usually can expect to finish with about 35-40 correct. For 2013-14 had 41 correct, after years of 40 (2011-12) and 43 (2012-13). (see link below if interested)

The most difficult part is getting the automatic bids. Teams I had making the field this year that ended up getting auto bids were: Louisville (AAC); Virginia (ACC); Coastal Carolina (Big South); Michigan State (Big Ten); Iowa State (Big XII); Harvard (Ivy); Manhattan (MAAC); Wichita State (MVC); New Mexico (MWC); UCLA (Pac 12); Florida (SEC); Texas Southern (SWAC); North Dakota State (Summit); Gonzaga (WCC); and New Mexico State (WAC).

So one way to look at it is, I had 15 of the 32 auto qualifiers correct, and 26 of the 36 at-large bids.

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/294977?referrer_id=388419
 

Fun exercise, but it highlights why the college game is so enjoyable: there is very little that is certain. So it keeps our attention and we just hang on for the ride. If you can't watch the NBA for a month you find that nothing changed. If you miss a month in the B1G, the whole landscape may have changed.
 

GopherDude said:
Pitino loses Mbakwe, Coleman & Williams
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He also gained the MVP of the team (Lil Dre) & a slim Mo... Replaced Joe with Malik & Joe would have been coming off the bench if he had stayed.

We certainly had a huge downgrade at PF, but upgrade at PG.
 

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