Darren Wolfson 17 minute 1on1 with Pitino

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GophersInIowa said:
This is all speculation though right? There is no proof that he was really interested in the Alabama job. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But I don't get how some people just assume one way or another at 100% certainty.
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That's the way I see it as well. Maybe he wanted the job, maybe he didn't, maybe his name got floated out there to get a raise we will probably never know. Some people worry so much about if we have success where Pitino will bolt to but I'm just gonna believe what Pitino says and that is that he enjoys being here and wants to build something here and if something changes where he does bolt then I'll worry about it at that time. I like Pitino and am excited about the future of this program as soon as next season.
 

Goldy Gopher said:
That's the way I see it as well. Maybe he wanted the job, maybe he didn't, maybe his name got floated out there to get a raise we will probably never know. Some people worry so much about if we have success where Pitino will bolt to but I'm just gonna believe what Pitino says and that is that he enjoys being here and wants to build something here and if something changes where he does bolt then I'll worry about it at that time. I like Pitino and am excited about the future of this program as soon as next season.
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Same here.

Pitino will prove the naysayers wrong. Follow the team and enjoy the ride.
 

Goldy Gopher said:
That's the way I see it as well. Maybe he wanted the job, maybe he didn't, maybe his name got floated out there to get a raise we will probably never know. Some people worry so much about if we have success where Pitino will bolt to but I'm just gonna believe what Pitino says and that is that he enjoys being here and wants to build something here and if something changes where he does bolt then I'll worry about it at that time. I like Pitino and am excited about the future of this program as soon as next season.
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I agree. We always talk about many of the advantages the U of M provides (great city, awesome business and industry, clean, low crime, a major metro area compared to many big ten towns, great school) then we constantly talk about our coach leaving us and going to a better job. We did it with Tubby and now Pitino. With the new practice facility going up I think we have to quit selling ourselves short.
 

XMan said:
I agree. We always talk about many of the advantages the U of M provides (great city, awesome business and industry, clean, low crime, a major metro area compared to many big ten towns, great school) then we constantly talk about our coach leaving us and going to a better job. We did it with Tubby and now Pitino. With the new practice facility going up I think we have to quit selling ourselves short.
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And if he leaves, we should be able to attract someone who wants to be here, and we shouldn't settle until we do.
 

XMan said:
I agree. We always talk about many of the advantages the U of M provides (great city, awesome business and industry, clean, low crime, a major metro area compared to many big ten towns, great school) then we constantly talk about our coach leaving us and going to a better job. We did it with Tubby and now Pitino. With the new practice facility going up I think we have to quit selling ourselves short.
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+1
 


jamiche said:
I don't care how much he professes his love for Mpls, he's an ambitious guy who planned to be chatting with the blue bloods by now.
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I still don't think there's any reason to believe he's ever planned/hoped to leave. I'm glad that he kinda ranted about how annoying it is how often that's brought up. It's typical MN sports insecurity assuming that any coach will want to leave if they become successful. I actually believe him when he talks about how much he likes MN and wants to build something here, particularly with the practice facility coming in. It's hard to overstate how much that's going to make his job easier.
 

Mulligan said:
Whole post spot on. Not "Blue Blood" but that whole Alabama thing last spring revealed a lot. Cynical me thinks he went for that job and had an, "Oh, sh*t, I'm stuck here moment," when it became evident he was out of the running. Now, he's putting the best spin on it. Meanwhile, we have a coach who many see as a dead man walking; or one, who if he does bounce back, will split anyway. For all you frustrated youngsters out there, try being old and hoping things work out in time so you can actually enjoy it.
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Wow, paranoid much?
 

jamiche said:
I'm highly skeptical of the potential impact of redshirts and transfers because they are the college basketball version of the backup QB syndrome. They represent hope, particularly when things aren't going well. Realistically, a guy who averaged nine points a game at Illinois St. and was only on the floor half of the time isn't going to come in and pound the other B1G centers into submission. He will help and he will probably be a little bit of an upgrade over Bakary. To expect much more than that is unrealistic and unreasonable. To expect Fitzgerald to return to his freshman productivity and even progress beyond that after major knee surgery is also unrealistic and unreasonable. I think they both will help, but there is a reason they are here and neither of them are in the category of the 1-3 guys who could turn this thing. Hope I can look back at that last sentence a year from now and laugh about how wrong I was.
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I guess it depends on what slant you want to take. I don't expect him to be a star but there's no doubt in my mind he will be a major upgrade over this year's version of Konate. Having the best shot-blocking percentage in the country as a sophomore means something. So do his strength and toughness. His importance is much greater when you consider our alternative players. I think a year to develop here will really help his offensive game and I think he will score a lot of easy buckets between our guys dishing to him and him getting offensive boards.
 





Mulligan said:
You might need to look up the definition of "paranoid." I really don't think anyone is after me.
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Apparently you do. You're mistaken if you think that's the only definition of paranoid. Maybe you would prefer "neurotic."
 

Put me in the camp of "suspicious" when it comes to Pitino's long-term intentions. I just have a hard time believing that Pitino's ultimate hoops goal is to be at MN for the next 10+ years. Obviously, with the team losing, he is not in a position to be job-shopping. But, if the Gophers had 2 or 3 decent seasons in a row, I would not be surprised to see Pitino leaving for a "better" opportunity.

Now, let's see if the Gophers can put together 2 or 3 decent seasons in a row. If that happens, we can worry about Pitino leaving. Until then, his coaching future is a less immediate concern than the overall health of the program.
 

underground629 said:
I guess it depends on what slant you want to take. I don't expect him to be a star but there's no doubt in my mind he will be a major upgrade over this year's version of Konate. Having the best shot-blocking percentage in the country as a sophomore means something. So do his strength and toughness. His importance is much greater when you consider our alternative players. I think a year to develop here will really help his offensive game and I think he will score a lot of easy buckets between our guys dishing to him and him getting offensive boards.
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He will be an improvement, no doubt. Right now they are playing four on five when Konate is on the floor. Lynch will make it five on five. I just don't expect him to be in the top half dozen centers in the league. He will certainly be better than fourteenth, which is the current situation.
 



We want BK to defend and rebound. He did that last game very well IMO. Let's see him continue to develop now. Still just a sophomore.
 


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