***OFFICIAL NORTHWESTERN AT MINNESOTA IN-GAME THREAD!!!!***

[Frank Grimey Grimes]

Gophers are babies. Coffey cost us a possession, 2 free throws for them and then they got the ball.

Mason could have gotten his own rebound because no one was on the other side of the basket. Instead he was wining to a ref. 8 points game lost.


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This^^^ I am so bleeping tired of the whining and moaning by players. I can stand loosing a hard fought game, but I can't stand the feeling sorry for yourself. Saw a bit of that tonight.

 

[Some guy]

If we lost at home to Iowa, Pitino should be fired after the game.

I wouldn’t bet on the gophers. They beat Wisconsin by 20 tonight. They’re young. They play hard.

 

[Big Ten Championship]

Coach Pitino has to play Washington more to get him ready for next year. We won’t win but sometimes you have to move on.


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[howeda7]

Musselman would be my first call. The AD should already be checking his interest through back channels.


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He can't. There's a process...

 

[Ewert86PC]

I wouldn’t bet on the gophers. They beat Wisconsin by 20 tonight. They’re young. They play hard.

Unlike this defeated, emotionally drained team.

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[rivergopher]

Yeah that 30-62 conference record really suggests we will be missing out many glorious years to come. Guy cant couch you can tout his recruiting all you want it is not enough to make up for his lack of coaching ability and experience.

Because 10 months ago he was big ten coach of the year and he has 3 good recruits coming in.

I’m not convinced we would get someone better because I think he is potentially better than this year shows.

 

[Some guy]

Gophers are babies. Coffey cost us a possession, 2 free throws for them and then they got the ball.

Mason could have gotten his own rebound because no one was on the other side of the basket. Instead he was wining to a ref. 8 points game lost.


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This is my biggest gripe with the coach. Leadership is groomed not innately gifted...no leaders on this team or any other pitino team except maybe Springs who wasn’t coached by Pitino very long.

 

[Some guy]

Coach Pitino has to play Washington more to get him ready for next year. We won’t win but sometimes you have to move on.


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Agree

 

[howeda7]

I wouldn’t bet on the gophers. They beat Wisconsin by 20 tonight. They’re young. They play hard.

Wisconsin is worse than Iowa. They both suck. This was our year and this is what we did with it. Ugh.

 

[Some guy]

Yeah that 30-62 conference record really suggests we will be missing out many glorious years to come. Guy cant couch you can tout his recruiting all you want it is not enough to make up for his lack of coaching ability and experience.

Last year showed me he is a good enough coach to get them top half with the right pieces. Would like to see him get next year and see how it looks.

If we look awful again, I’d be fine moving on.

 

[Some guy]

Wisconsin is worse than Iowa. They both suck. This was our year and this is what we did with it. Ugh.

I know Wisconsin is worse than Iowa. But that doesn’t mean the gophers are better than Iowa.

 

[howeda7]

Last year showed me he is a good enough coach to get them top half with the right pieces. Would like to see him get next year and see how it looks.

If we look awful again, I’d be fine moving on.

I'm not getting the optimism for next year. Mason and Murphy are completely carrying this already bad team and Mason is leaving. PG appears to be a mess next year. That's like trying to win without a QB.

 

[scools12]

Because 10 months ago he was big ten coach of the year and he has 3 good recruits coming in.

I’m not convinced we would get someone better because I think he is potentially better than this year shows.

There is nothing about the 3 recruits that indicate they will make the team significantly better next year. You wait another year you may have waited too long.


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[Some guy]

There is nothing about the 3 recruits that indicate they will make the team significantly better next year. You wait another year you may have waited too long.


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Well I wouldn’t have done anything as it has zero impact on me.
I think Washington will be fine next year.


If Washington transfers I would make the move right away.

 

[howeda7]

Well I wouldn’t have done anything as it has zero impact on me.
I think Washington will be fine next year.


If Washington transfers I would make the move right away.

So you're going to base your decision of whether to fire a coach based on whether one player transfers? That's worse than basing it on the outcome of the insight.com bowl.

 

[AuEGO4]

There is nothing about the 3 recruits that indicate they will make the team significantly better next year. You wait another year you may have waited too long.


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But if you combine those three with the return of Curry and addition of that Louisville guy I can’t think of his name and the returning players, he might have something to work with.


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[tikited]

Coffey lost this game for us as soon as he lost his cool. Not sure why he has this tough-guy thing going on, but it is hurting the team.

 

[Some guy]

So you're going to base your decision of whether to fire a coach based on whether one player transfers? That's worse than basing it on the outcome of the insight.com bowl.

I don’t get to make a decision.

But I am basing my keeping him opinion on the fact I think Washington and the tree freshmen will do okay next year and make this team good long run. But if those guys are already proving to be similar mistakes to pitinos first few years of recruiting then I’m ready to admit that I was incorrect.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

If next year goes like this year he will be gone.
0% chance he goes this year.

You haven’t seen the end of this year yet, give it time. I hope having to hire a hockey coach doesn’t deter Coyle.


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[Some Day...Maybe]

Coffey lost this game for us as soon as he lost his cool. Not sure why he has this tough-guy thing going on, but it is hurting the team.

He’s frustrated, just like the other guys, because no one is in charge of this team.


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[scools12]

But if you combine those three with the return of Curry and addition of that Louisville guy I can’t think of his name and the returning players, he might have something to work with.


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Let’s say those players give Pitino something to work with. Still looks like a bottom half of the conference team. Should he then get another year?


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[Some guy]

He’s frustrated, just like the other guys, because no one is in charge of this team.


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This season started the spiral unofficially when mason, our only senior who plays at this point, got himself ejected.

 

[Some guy]

Let’s say those players give Pitino something to work with. Still looks like a bottom half of the conference team. Should he then get another year?


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Record is a symptom of a program not a definition. I’d 100% think it depends on what it looked like.

 

[scools12]

Record is a symptom of a program not a definition. I’d 100% think it depends on what it looked like.

What do you think is the definition of this program?


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[howeda7]

This season started the spiral unofficially when mason, our only senior who plays at this point, got himself ejected.

I'd say it's been a stunningly swift crash from a season of great hope, but the Vikings pulled it off in about 45 minutes of real time.

 

[tikited]

He’s frustrated, just like the other guys, because no one is in charge of this team.


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No excuse for doing what he did tonight. Fragile teams can't beat themselves like that. Fragile with injuries, depth, and decision making. Pitino and Mason should be in charge...

 

[Some guy]

What do you think is the definition of this program?


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There isn’t one thing.

To say this program is great because they went 25-8 and this coach is bad because they are 18-15 misses 99% of the things a program is about.



I’m not concerned with our record this year at all.
I’m concerned:
We don’t box out
We commit stupid fouls
We take bad shots
We have no player leadership
We whine to officials
We have had a lot of players come in who either leave quickly or are horrible at basketball

I’m willing to give the coach 1 more year.
But if next year we are 25-8 with 3 players transferring out and 2 of the 3 freshmen being awful and another off court scandal....would you call that a positive season or a negative one?
I’d say negative.
Likewise, if next year we are 18-15 but the team is getting better throughout, the three freshmen and Washington look like they can play at a high level in the future...should we move on? I’d say no.


There is a point where record can be a deal breaker. I’m not sure 14-18 is a deal breaker for me this year.

 

[fmlizard]

You haven’t seen the end of this year yet, give it time. I hope having to hire a hockey coach doesn’t deter Coyle

Man, it's depressing these days as a Gopher. Like most of the past 50+ years. Somehow our national contender basketball team was reduced to a bottom 4 team in the conference after losing its 3rd or 4th best player. In spite of 2 legit first team all B1G stars, Gophers still suck.

Even when we have advantages, it doesn't help. The hockey team is worse than St Cloud, UMD, Minn St -- pretty much any in state team playing hockey. This has been going on for most of the past decade. Like basketball, less than the sum of their parts.

Football is years away. It's some grim times. Again.

 

[cjbfbp]

I’m not convinced we would get someone better because I think he is potentially better than this year shows.

I think he is an average coach at best so our chances of getting someone better are probably about 50%.

This is now his fifth year. His first year was a little above expectations. Last year was well above expectations. His second year was well below expectations, his third year was historically awful, and this year appears to be headed to a significantly below expectations finish (even after figuring the Lynch suspension). There you have it. Three out of five years decidedly below expectations and two years above.

At a more successful basketball school, that record probably gets him fired after this season. At this program, I'd say the decision to fire is a bit more borderline and may be pushed to the "stay" option simply because of reluctance to pull the trigger on the buyout.

 

[GibsonSG]

Collins is now 4-0 vs. Pitino at Williams Arena.

Hard to have confidence in a coach who has only made the tourney once in 5 years. If Washington's lack of playing time and frustrations cause him to bail at season's end, then next year could remain very ugly. Remember what happened when Joseph transferred and Nolen got injured? A promising season went down the ****ter without a point guard running the show.

I am not ready to give up on Washington yet but it'd sure be nice to see some more good games out of him as the season winds down.