***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA AT PENN STATE IN-GAME THREAD***



They were outscored by 17 over the last 6 minutes by Penn bleeping State. That's hard to do and hard to comprehend.
 




The better team won tonight. The Gophers had far too many turnovers and Penn State played solid defense down the stretch. Big difference in protecting the ball tonight verses the 4 to's they had against Michigan State.

When it got down to crunch time Penn State was able to take it inside for easy buckets. We have no threat on the inside and that will make it tough to win any game. They were able to turn up the outside pressure with no fear of overplaying on the perimeter.

It's too bad because the coach had the players ready to go tonight and they played well most of the night. The longer they go winless the harder it becomes to break through. This would have been a big win for the young team- just to get confidence.
 

They were outscored by 17 over the last 6 minutes by Penn bleeping State. That's hard to do and hard to comprehend.

What's hard to comprehend about that? Is this the first game you've watched this year?
 

We just stopped doing what we were so successful at earlier in the game. We just stood around on offense late in the game instead of driving and moving the ball around. And why didn't we try posting up Murphy and King more often?
 

The win @MSU last year continues to defy all logic. How did that happen?
 



The better team won tonight. The Gophers had far too many turnovers and Penn State played solid defense down the stretch. Big difference in protecting the ball tonight verses the 4 to's they had against Michigan State.

I agree with you. They have ~4 decent players and even though the Gophers made some improbable shots in the first 35 minutes, Penn State had the last run.

I'm trying to be positive and just hope the Gophers improve throughout the season.
 

My enthusiasm for Gophers basketball is at its lowest since the last year-plus of the Monson era. It's really depressing right now.
 

When it got down to crunch time Penn State was able to take it inside for easy buckets. We have no threat on the inside and that will make it tough to win any game. They were able to turn up the outside pressure with no fear of overplaying on the perimeter.

So PSU couldn't do that the first 36 minutes? This is on Pitino. He has no business coaching at this level at this stage in his career. Season ticket sales will be a disaster next year.
 

We just stopped doing what we were so successful at earlier in the game. We just stood around on offense late in the game instead of driving and moving the ball around. And why didn't we try posting up Murphy and King more often?

PSU really intensified the defensive pressure (as someone else mentioned, particularly on the perimeter) late in the game and really flustered the Gophers. When they get flustered, their defense seems to suffer as well.
 



What's hard to comprehend about that? Is this the first game you've watched this year?

No, unfortunately I've watched far more than that. What's hard to comprehend is that at the 6 minute mark we were in control of the game, then completely fell apart against one of the conference bottom dwellers because we suddenly stopped doing what was successful for the first 34 minutes. I know we're also one of those bottom dwellers, but damn man, that was awful.
 

The defense is pathetic and that's on Pitino. The offense just stands around and watches the guy with the ball, that's on Pitino.


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Just an awful last 5 minutes or so that cost us a win. Really should have been up more at half but committed way too many sloppy unforced turnovers. It was nice to finally see a game where we shot the ball well but tonight the defense struggled especially the interior defense. One of the key plays I thought was when Buggs came in and Penn State had just taken a 1 point lead and Buggs had 2 or 3 open looks and passed them all up and we got a shot clock violation instead. Then Buggs got a chance at the free throw line down 1 and missed the front end of the bonus. Would have liked to see Pitino go back to a Mason-McBrayer/Dorsey-Morris-King-Murphy lineup during that Penn State run just to try to open up more space down low for Murphy and even King.
 

A team that wins as rarely as we do should not turn off the effort in the last several minutes when they are in position to win one. That ending was miserable.
 

The defense is pathetic and that's on Pitino. The offense just stands around and watches the guy with the ball, that's on Pitino. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was all just painful to watch.
 

We just stopped doing what we were so successful at earlier in the game. We just stood around on offense late in the game instead of driving and moving the ball around. And why didn't we try posting up Murphy and King more often?
Agreed guys stopped moving and they weren't setting screens and rolling or popping real quick so Penn State was able to hedge on Mason off the screen pretty easily and not give up penetration. Also seemed like it was tough for King or Murphy to get a post up late because they were sagging off Konate to help deny either King or Murphy later in the game. That is why I would have liked to see Pitino go back to a smaller lineup with either McBrayer or Dorsey in place of Konate during that run to see if you could open up some space again for King and Murphy inside.
 

They played a decent game, they just don't play good enough defense down the stretch, when they can't get a stop they lose confidence because every shot becomes critical and they know it. Their inability to get stops is going to continue to kill them down the stretch in close games.
 

A team that wins as rarely as we do should not turn off the effort in the last several minutes when they are in position to win one. That ending was miserable.

I think it's more of a case that this team panics in the latter stages of the game when the other team turns up the defensive pressure.
 

They played a decent game, they just don't play good enough defense down the stretch, when they can't get a stop they lose confidence because every shot becomes critical and they know it. Their inability to get stops is going to continue to kill them down the stretch in close games.

Agreed.
 

When you cannot pass the ball in the post you get EXTREMELY one dimensional. We have no options on a roll to the basket, teams are going to cover the perimeter against us hard and it's going to continue to be difficult to get an open shot....

Very frustrating end to that game as we just ran out of options.

Terirble game for Dorsey and then as well for Murphy for the most part.
 

They played a decent game, they just don't play good enough defense down the stretch, when they can't get a stop they lose confidence because every shot becomes critical and they know it. Their inability to get stops is going to continue to kill them down the stretch in close games.
The worst part is the weakest part of the defense is the post defense so it isn't even like your still forcing a team to make open jump shots, tonight I think it was a couple layups and a dunk to get the 16-0 run or whatever it was started.
 

We don't have a guy that will take the shot in winning time, or drive to the lane and try to force a foul. Get to the line in the closing minutes, that's how you stop the bleeding
 

We just stopped doing what we were so successful at earlier in the game. We just stood around on offense late in the game instead of driving and moving the ball around. And why didn't we try posting up Murphy and King more often?

Exactly this. People think the key to winning those games is a guy who can play hero ball. Not anymore. If the Gophers stick to driving and moving the ball, they win that game. They lost because they went into hero ball. Which is much easier to defend than ball and player movement.
 

PSU really intensified the defensive pressure (as someone else mentioned, particularly on the perimeter) late in the game and really flustered the Gophers. When they get flustered, their defense seems to suffer as well.

Very good point. And the fact it threw the Gophers off for over 5 minutes is really bad. One or two possessions I get it. They were completely demoralized by it though.
 

Lil Ricky has never displayed passion about playing the game to win and it is manifesting in how this team plays. Lil Ricky has checked out in this program like Tubby did and it has bled into the play of this team.

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Lil Ricky has never displayed passion about playing the game to win and it is manifesting in how this team plays. Lil Ricky has checked out in this program like Tubby did and it has bled into the play of this team.

Im not a big Ricky fan but the above is just plain silly. Why would Lil' Ricky "check out" when he's 30 years old in his 3rd year at a B10 school?
 

Lil Ricky has never displayed passion about playing the game to win and it is manifesting in how this team plays. Lil Ricky has checked out in this program like Tubby did and it has bled into the play of this team.

Im not a big Ricky fan but the above is just plain silly. Why would Lil' Ricky "check out" when he's 30 years old in his 3rd year at a B10 school?
Why would Tubby Smith check out at a B1G School? The administration.

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