New Pitino Blog! Final Thoughts on the Season

[BleedGopher]

per Pitino:

The Future - We are excited about next season and beyond. We will likely have at least eight freshman and sophomores. We will be one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten but that excites me! Joey King will need to provide great leadership for everyone in the program. He has everyone's respect and has worked hard to earn that. If Carlos Morris and Charles Buggs dedicate their offseason to putting on weight they will make a great impact next season. Carlos has to improve his defense and shot selection. Buggs just needs to continue to grow in all facets as a player. Huge offseason for both of them.

Nate Mason has the ability to be one of the better guards in this league when it's all said and done. He has to work hard to not fall into the trap of the sophomore slump. He will be the number-one guy on everyone's scouting report. I'm confident he can handle it.

Bakary Konate has the potential to be special. He has the size and the athleticism. The biggest thing is getting him game experience as much as possible. Gaston continues to improve. The little playing time he did get second semester after coming in behind the 8-ball certainly helped a little bit.

http://www.gophersports.com/blog/20...on.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!

 

[60's Guy]

Nice read!

per Pitino:

The Future - We are excited about next season and beyond. We will likely have at least eight freshman and sophomores. We will be one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten but that excites me! Joey King will need to provide great leadership for everyone in the program. He has everyone's respect and has worked hard to earn that. If Carlos Morris and Charles Buggs dedicate their offseason to putting on weight they will make a great impact next season. Carlos has to improve his defense and shot selection. Buggs just needs to continue to grow in all facets as a player. Huge offseason for both of them.

Nate Mason has the ability to be one of the better guards in this league when it's all said and done. He has to work hard to not fall into the trap of the sophomore slump. He will be the number-one guy on everyone's scouting report. I'm confident he can handle it.

Bakary Konate has the potential to be special. He has the size and the athleticism. The biggest thing is getting him game experience as much as possible. Gaston continues to improve. The little playing time he did get second semester after coming in behind the 8-ball certainly helped a little bit.

http://www.gophersports.com/blog/20...on.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!

Sounds like a very good plan going forward! Hopefully, we surprise people next year in a positive way!

 

[GopherinFlorida]

Hopefully Squirel and Buggs respond with "Challenge Accepted" and live in the gym for the next 8 months.

I think both have upside and we desperately need them to perform next year to have any hope of a decent season.

 

[EG#9]

I'd start the "challenging" non-conference game in December on the road if I were Pitino. With the ACC/B1G game likely at home, it makes sense to play another high major on the road next year. With expectations being tempered for next year, it seems like the smart move to get the road game out of the way so that in 2016 we will have that high major team come to the Barn where a win would be both more likely and more important.

As for recruiting, I just hope we don't reach with the available scholarships. Pitino has talked about needing to treat every scholarship "like Gold" and I hope he practices what he preaches. We've had too many recruits in the past ~6 years or so (and further back during the Monson years as well) that just were not high major players and ate up scholarships for 2-4 years.

 

[howieramone]

I'd start the "challenging" non-conference game in December on the road if I were Pitino. With the ACC/B1G game likely at home, it makes sense to play another high major on the road next year. With expectations being tempered for next year, it seems like the smart move to get the road game out of the way so that in 2016 we will have that high major team come to the Barn where a win would be both more likely and more important.

As for recruiting, I just hope we don't reach with the available scholarships. Pitino has talked about needing to treat every scholarship "like Gold" and I hope he practices what he preaches. We've had too many recruits in the past ~6 years or so (and further back during the Monson years as well) that just were not high major players and ate up scholarships for 2-4 years.

In the less than 2 years Coach P. and staff have been in Dinkytown, they have had 17 scholarships available and have used 7 on spring recruits. I would think twice before signing a spring recruit.

 

[bemidjigopher]

In the less than 2 years Coach P. and staff have been in Dinkytown, they have had 17 scholarships available and have used 7 on spring recruits. I would think twice before signing a spring recruit.

Couple of things had too when he got hired. I would also say smith was serviceable. Mathieu had a great junior year. King has progressed and will start next year. McNeil got in trouble but he was developing into a solid glue guy. As far as last spring goes Iike konate game Gaston who knows ask me about him next year. Even tubby had some alright spring signings mo walker

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Couple of things had too when he got hired. I would also say smith was serviceable. Mathieu had a great junior year. King has progressed and will start next year. McNeil got in trouble but he was developing into a solid glue guy. As far as last spring goes Iike konate game Gaston who knows ask me about him next year. Even tubby had some alright spring signings mo walker

As a general rule, you want to recruit your class in the fall. Everyone has to take some Spring recruits, but as Howie pointed out, 7 of 17 is probably on the high end, at least higher than we would want.

You are absolutely right though, his first class was entirely spring, counting them might not be completely fair, but the point still stands.

 

[howieramone]

Couple of things had too when he got hired. I would also say smith was serviceable. Mathieu had a great junior year. King has progressed and will start next year. McNeil got in trouble but he was developing into a solid glue guy. As far as last spring goes Iike konate game Gaston who knows ask me about him next year. Even tubby had some alright spring signings mo walker

Bottom line is he needs to put together another top 30 recruiting class in 2016. As we speak, he has Hurt plus 4 scholarships available. There will certainly be attrition, but the Class of 2017 has 1 tender available.

The B1G is loaded with great coaches. IMO Coach P. and staff are very good. Greatness may be one more top 30 recruiting class and a year or two away.

 

[Cayman]

Bottom line is he needs to put together another top 30 recruiting class in 2016. As we speak, he has Hurt plus 4 scholarships available. There will certainly be attrition, but the Class of 2017 has 1 tender available.

The B1G is loaded with great coaches. IMO Coach P. and staff are very good. Greatness may be one more top 30 recruiting class and a year or two away.

FIFY. We have 3 open scholarships right now, plus Joey King's and Carlos Morris' after they graduate, and one of those is going to Hurt.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

FIFY. We have 3 open scholarships right now, plus Joey King's and Carlos Morris' after they graduate, and one of those is going to Hurt.

You get 12 right?

Frosh - Hurt (1)
Soph - Dupree, JJ, JW, Dorsey (4)
Junior - Mason, Konate, Gas, (3)
Senior - Buggs (1)

That's 3 remaining

Edit : You get 13....

You're right.

 

[howieramone]

FIFY. We have 3 open scholarships right now, plus Joey King's and Carlos Morris' after they graduate, and one of those is going to Hurt.

Oops!

 

[jovs]

I love this, might as well find out in December what kind of team you have and what changes need to be made and things to focus on rather than waiting until the Big Ten season when it is to late.

Non-Conference - Obviously we started off with a very tough test vs. Louisville in Puerto Rico on national TV. We learned that game that Nate Mason wasn't scared of the bright lights. Unfortunately, Harrell and Rozier were too much for us to handle. Aside from the game, I thought the experience was very valuable for our whole program. We constantly talk about sacrifice and commitment to our guys and there is no greater sacrifice then the men and women in the armed forces.

We went on to split at Madison Square Garden a couple of games later. I was very disappointed with the way we finished the St. John's game. With the game in hand we had too many inexplicable turnovers and fouls that were too hard to overcome. I liked the way we rebounded the next day to beat a very good Georgia team. Our guys then went on to beat Wake Forest handily on the road. Andre Hollins and Carlos Morris were very good that game. Our December was certainly successful overall but I would have liked to have been tested a little bit more to prepare us for Big Ten season. That is my fault and we are looking to add a quality opponent next season during December. The question our staff is asking is if we want to start at home or on the road. We are looking at all options.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Scheduling

Admitting fault is half the battle. Glad to hear Richard take accountability for the awful December parade of cupcakes that did little to prepare his squad for the Big Ten season. The second part of the battle is the more important part, doing something about it instead of just talking about it.

Crossing my fingers, again, for an interesting game or two (outside of the ACC Challenge game) in December.

 

[cjbfbp]

Admitting fault is half the battle. Glad to hear Richard take accountability for the awful December parade of cupcakes that did little to prepare his squad for the Big Ten season. The second part of the battle is the more important part, doing something about it instead of just talking about it.

Crossing my fingers, again, for an interesting game or two (outside of the ACC Challenge game) in December.

Yes. I know that it is still very early in the process but MO-KC isn't a bold announcement of a change in course.

I think he will try to have a better non-conference schedule than last December but not too much better. Instead of Seattle and North Dakota, maybe we'll get Loyola-Chicago or Cleveland State or Vermont or an away game with Tulane. I still think there will be at least two real stinkers in the nonconference schedule. To have any hope for a postseason (which I still think will be a goal), he likely needs 10 nonconference wins.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Yes. I know that it is still very early in the process but MO-KC isn't a bold announcement of a change in course.

I think he will try to have a better non-conference schedule than last December but not too much better. Instead of Seattle and North Dakota, maybe we'll get Loyola-Chicago or Cleveland State or Vermont or an away game with Tulane. I still think there will be at least two real stinkers in the nonconference schedule. To have any hope for a postseason (which I still think will be a goal), he likely needs 10 nonconference wins.

Loyola would be an improvement. Appear to be on the come in the Missouri Valley and would be a solid opponent. In finals of the CBI, and they have most of their key players returning. Get a couple teams like that on the home schedule and add the (presumed) high-major home-and-home opponent and it'd have the makings of a good schedule.

If Pitino wants advice on how to put together a non-conference slate, all he needs to do is check in with Mark Gottfried (NC State) or Chris Mack (Xavier). You don't have to fill a schedule with brand names, but it should include a couple major programs & you better be able to identify a few quality opponents to play on your home court, ones that can actually test/beat you while at the same time not kill your SOS. NC State did that this season playing teams like Richmond, Boise State, Wofford, and Louisiana Tech, while Xavier hosted the likes of Stephen F. Austin and Murray State, among others.

 

[howeda7]

Couple of things had too when he got hired. I would also say smith was serviceable. Mathieu had a great junior year. King has progressed and will start next year. McNeil got in trouble but he was developing into a solid glue guy. As far as last spring goes Iike konate game Gaston who knows ask me about him next year. Even tubby had some alright spring signings mo walker

Compared to Andre Ingram/Mav/Chip Armelin and co. Pitino's Spring recruits have been good. But having this many is never a great sign.

 

[Holy Man]

Compared to Andre Ingram/Mav/Chip Armelin and co. Pitino's Spring recruits have been good. But having this many is never a great sign.

If he is still looking at three open scholarships for spring recruits two years from now, I will be concerned. For now, he's still trying to put his own roster together and I'll cut him some slack. I don't pay close attention to available players (only from this site), but it does not look like there are many if any immediate impact players available this year. Once in a while there are some in the spring. Hopefully he's looking at depth and not filling major gaps in the near future spring recruiting.