BarnBoy
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Interesting to look back and see that most media picked the Gophers to repeat as bottom feeders. Seems lazy looking back.
We lost a lot of close games last year.
We had a lot of young guys.
We had a good recruiting class.
We added two transfers (Springs and Lynch)
Pitino added 1 or two coaches (right?)
I'm not saying I would have expected any of these outlets to predict a top-4 finish, but maybe a 7th or an 8th place? Seems lazy to look at the above factors and just assume the same result.
I just grabbed the first handful of prediction articles I found from Oct 1 through Nov 12...
Just an interesting look back:
BTN Dienhart: 12. Minnesota.
This is a big season for Richard Pitino, whose Golden Gophers went 2-16 in the Big Ten last year. Off-court issues have cropped up, and attrition has hurt. The result: an unstable roster and program with a lot to prove. Fans are stoked about the arrival of Gopher legacy Amir Coffey, a real gem. - See more at: http://btn.com/2016/10/13/how-will-...-mens-hoops-predictions/#sthash.ZQU1c8Dz.dpuf
http://btn.com/2016/10/13/how-will-...rt-offers-his-big-ten-mens-hoops-predictions/
SI: Minnesota (6–12)
The Gophers should improve from last year’s turbulent, suspension-ridden, 2–16 campaign but still finish second-to-last in the league. They have an established lead guard in Nate Mason and better depth with the addition of Milwaukee transfer shooting guard Akeem Springs and former Illinois State center Reggie Lynch.
http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/10/24/big-ten-preview-wisconsin-purdue-indiana
CBS Sports: "4 Experts Pick, 11, 12, 12, 12"
http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...n-totals-x-factors-and-what-you-need-to-know/
USA Today: 10th, Minnesota
What to watch: Off-the-court issues and eight conference wins over the last two seasons have put Richard Pitino at a crossroads in his fourth year as head coach. Guards Kevin Dorsey, Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer were suspended for the final four games of the 2015-16 season. Reggie Lynch, who sat out last season per NCAA transfer requirements, was arrested during the offseason. Mason and McBrayer returned to the program. Lynch has been cleared of allegations, but the distractions left the program beleaguered.
Bottom line: Graduate transfer Akeem Springs (Milwaukee) is one of six newcomers Pitino brought in to turn around the Minnesota program. Without finding answers to their shooting woes, however, the Gophers will linger near the bottom of the Big Ten.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...all-rankings-2016-17-season-preview/92680128/
Penn Live: 10. Minnesota
Minnesota is either going to improve or Richard Pitino might be out the door. The son of the Hall of Fame Louisville coach survived a virtual tsunami last year of not only player misconduct (including the posting of an internet porn video) but administration chaos when the AD who hired him was booted for sexual harassment. So, Mark Coyle, the well-travelled new AD last seen at Syracuse, has no association with Pitino and that’s never a comfortable position for a coach. He does have the versatile soph forward Jordan Murphy returning plus a well-regarded freshman class. “I think he’s got a chance to be one of the better forwards in the conference,” said Pitino of Murphy. “He’s a load.” As for the various insanity of last year, did he learn anything about coaching? “What are we doing from a culture standpoint, we looked ourselves in the mirror – I looked myself in the mirror – and said, ‘We’ve gotta get better.’ I think our guys understand everything that goes into being a college athlete.” Yes, maybe they understand it too well.
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/10/big_ten_basketball_predictions.html
MLive: 12. Minnesota
The Gophers will be bad, again, as Richard Pitino's job likely resides in his freshmen's hands.
http://www.mlive.com/sports/2016/10/2016-17_big_ten_basketball_pre.html
Bleacher report: "Bottom Feeder"
The Gophers added a quality recruiting class and three transfers in what looks like a make-or-break year for head coach Richard Pitino. Freshman Amir Coffey should make an immediate impact, and Illinois State transfer Reggie Lynch and Milwaukee transfer Akeem Springs are expected to help right away. Davonte Fitzgerald, a transfer from Texas A&M, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, continuing the string of injuries, departures, suspensions and legal problems that have crippled the program.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ll-preview-and-predictions-for-2016-17-season
Athlon Sports: "12th"
Minnesota: Richard Pitino has failed to make the NCAA Tournament for three seasons and needs to impress a new athletic director.
http://athlonsports.com/college-bas...7-preview-predictions-and-all-conference-team
We lost a lot of close games last year.
We had a lot of young guys.
We had a good recruiting class.
We added two transfers (Springs and Lynch)
Pitino added 1 or two coaches (right?)
I'm not saying I would have expected any of these outlets to predict a top-4 finish, but maybe a 7th or an 8th place? Seems lazy to look at the above factors and just assume the same result.
I just grabbed the first handful of prediction articles I found from Oct 1 through Nov 12...
Just an interesting look back:
BTN Dienhart: 12. Minnesota.
This is a big season for Richard Pitino, whose Golden Gophers went 2-16 in the Big Ten last year. Off-court issues have cropped up, and attrition has hurt. The result: an unstable roster and program with a lot to prove. Fans are stoked about the arrival of Gopher legacy Amir Coffey, a real gem. - See more at: http://btn.com/2016/10/13/how-will-...-mens-hoops-predictions/#sthash.ZQU1c8Dz.dpuf
http://btn.com/2016/10/13/how-will-...rt-offers-his-big-ten-mens-hoops-predictions/
SI: Minnesota (6–12)
The Gophers should improve from last year’s turbulent, suspension-ridden, 2–16 campaign but still finish second-to-last in the league. They have an established lead guard in Nate Mason and better depth with the addition of Milwaukee transfer shooting guard Akeem Springs and former Illinois State center Reggie Lynch.
http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/10/24/big-ten-preview-wisconsin-purdue-indiana
CBS Sports: "4 Experts Pick, 11, 12, 12, 12"
http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...n-totals-x-factors-and-what-you-need-to-know/
USA Today: 10th, Minnesota
What to watch: Off-the-court issues and eight conference wins over the last two seasons have put Richard Pitino at a crossroads in his fourth year as head coach. Guards Kevin Dorsey, Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer were suspended for the final four games of the 2015-16 season. Reggie Lynch, who sat out last season per NCAA transfer requirements, was arrested during the offseason. Mason and McBrayer returned to the program. Lynch has been cleared of allegations, but the distractions left the program beleaguered.
Bottom line: Graduate transfer Akeem Springs (Milwaukee) is one of six newcomers Pitino brought in to turn around the Minnesota program. Without finding answers to their shooting woes, however, the Gophers will linger near the bottom of the Big Ten.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...all-rankings-2016-17-season-preview/92680128/
Penn Live: 10. Minnesota
Minnesota is either going to improve or Richard Pitino might be out the door. The son of the Hall of Fame Louisville coach survived a virtual tsunami last year of not only player misconduct (including the posting of an internet porn video) but administration chaos when the AD who hired him was booted for sexual harassment. So, Mark Coyle, the well-travelled new AD last seen at Syracuse, has no association with Pitino and that’s never a comfortable position for a coach. He does have the versatile soph forward Jordan Murphy returning plus a well-regarded freshman class. “I think he’s got a chance to be one of the better forwards in the conference,” said Pitino of Murphy. “He’s a load.” As for the various insanity of last year, did he learn anything about coaching? “What are we doing from a culture standpoint, we looked ourselves in the mirror – I looked myself in the mirror – and said, ‘We’ve gotta get better.’ I think our guys understand everything that goes into being a college athlete.” Yes, maybe they understand it too well.
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/10/big_ten_basketball_predictions.html
MLive: 12. Minnesota
The Gophers will be bad, again, as Richard Pitino's job likely resides in his freshmen's hands.
http://www.mlive.com/sports/2016/10/2016-17_big_ten_basketball_pre.html
Bleacher report: "Bottom Feeder"
The Gophers added a quality recruiting class and three transfers in what looks like a make-or-break year for head coach Richard Pitino. Freshman Amir Coffey should make an immediate impact, and Illinois State transfer Reggie Lynch and Milwaukee transfer Akeem Springs are expected to help right away. Davonte Fitzgerald, a transfer from Texas A&M, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, continuing the string of injuries, departures, suspensions and legal problems that have crippled the program.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ll-preview-and-predictions-for-2016-17-season
Athlon Sports: "12th"
Minnesota: Richard Pitino has failed to make the NCAA Tournament for three seasons and needs to impress a new athletic director.
http://athlonsports.com/college-bas...7-preview-predictions-and-all-conference-team