CentralGopher
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3 players are out with injuries. Kind of limits his decisions doesn't it?
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***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA AT INDIANA IN-GAME THREAD!!!!***
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3 players are out with injuries. Kind of limits his decisions doesn't it?
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Or he hasn't played because of a foot injury.
Strange comment. Coaches are almost always fired in hindsight.
I don't think Pitino will be fired but I won't be sad if he is. He's been here five years and three of those years have ranged from disappointing to atrocious. There's the old saying: "I'd rather be lucky than good." Right now it doesn't seem that Pitino is either.
gopherbbdude01
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Hind sight was meant for recruiting. His last 3 years have been pretty solid.
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Well, one easily could have said the same thing two years ago but last season likely was much better than the most optimistic fans thought it could be after the previous season.
Do I think next year will be as good as last year? Probably not, but a few more good players can make a tremendous difference. Just look how much the additions of Lynch, Springs, and Curry added to the previous core improved the success of the team. If Oturu is an All Big Ten rookie, a fifth year Stockman adds quality minutes, a healthy Curry returns, a quality grad transfer point guard is obtained, Washington and Harris are a year older and improved, and we can get some decent minutes a game from the other two freshmen this team could be dramatically improved. Add all of the above to Murphy and a healthy McBrayer and Coffey and this team definitely could be an above average Big Ten team.
short ornery norwegian
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If If If If If If If If If If.
Call me old, tired and cynical, but I don't count on ifs. I count on what I see.
You realize that every D1 program in the country could say the same thing. "If every possible issue works out positively in our favor, we'll be better next year." But, odds and history suggest that every possible issue is not going to work out positively. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Honestly, if the Gophers go .500 in the B1G next year, I would consider that positive. Anything beyond that would be gravy - especially when the plan revolves around true FR coming in and making an immediate impact.
And the "quality grad transfer point guard" - I would say that is a long shot at best. I agree the team could probably use one - but they don't grow on trees. For better or Worse, I suspect Washington is going to have to be the man at PG next year - another reason to be cautious about hoping for too much success.
NWMetroGopherFan
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Fans need to step back and breathe for a second. Nobody expected this season to go in the tank like it did, but think about the situation. Not one team, not one, in college basketball could survive a season without 4 of its top 6 players as long as the Gophers have had to try to endure it. Not Coach K, not Calipari, not Bill Self.
When you don't play Diedhiou or Konate much if at all, your bench is Jamir Harris. That's it. Sure, those other teams have higher rated players. But there is just no depth.
You can question the effort, at times it's absolutely been warranted. But they're not able to do much in practice with so many guys out, and the chemistry just isn't there when you can't practice these combinations they have. You're 2 players in foul trouble away from playing walk-ons. It just is what it is.
When you don't play Diedhiou or Konate much if at all, your bench is Jamir Harris. That's it. Sure, those other teams have higher rated players. But there is just no depth.
You can question the effort, at times it's absolutely been warranted. But they're not able to do much in practice with so many guys out, and the chemistry just isn't there when you can't practice these combinations they have. You're 2 players in foul trouble away from playing walk-ons. It just is what it is.
Yes, of course, nothing is guaranteed, but we saw a major year to year improvement once in Pitino's tenure here so I don't see any reason to dismiss the possibility or even the probability. The current team at this point is about the same as the team at this point two years ago: terrible. Nevertheless, we were able to get a quality grad transfer shooting guard after that season so I don't think a quality grad transfer point guard is such a long shot. What I mean by "quality" is someone who is competent enough to play the point for a mid-major team fairly well. I'm not talking about an NBA draft pick. Springs was a mid-major starter but he was mature and strong and a big addition for the Gophers.
McBrayer significantly improved from his freshman to soph year. It isn't unreasonable to think Washington and Harris could make similar improvements. We shouldn't have our expectations dampened too much by the Bakary and Gas experience. I would argue that those players are anomalous in that most players would be expected to improve more than them over their careers regardless of the coach. And speaking of those two, how could the combo of Oturu and Stockman not be better?
To me, the only cloud on the horizon (absent the possibility of critical transfers and/or additional injuries) is how well the injured players recover to their pre-injury abilities. Will Curry look like a more mature version of his former self or will he begin the season looking more like Fitzgerald?
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It's easy to forget just how bad Indiana looked early in the season. It's practically a lost cause for them to make the NCAA's because of their overall record, but I think they're a team who could cause someone trouble if they were admitted.
It's easy to forget just how bad Indiana looked early in the season. It's practically a lost cause for them to make the NCAA's because of their overall record, but I think they're a team who could cause someone trouble if they were admitted.
Pitino probably will get another year to see if those who think it’s all suspension and injury related or if those who think it goes well beyond that have the better argument.
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