BleedGopher
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per Chad:
When Nate Mason committed to the Gophers, Richard Pitino hadn’t yet completed a full recruiting class and didn’t have much evidence that he’d be a successful college basketball coach.
But Mason saw something in Pitino that he could relate to, something that has helped the two build a relationship that is part of the reason the Gophers (18-7, 6-6 in Big Ten) are inching toward an NCAA tournament appearance as they prepare to host Indiana (15-11, 5-8) on Wednesday.
“He has a chip on his shoulder like I do,” Mason said. “I just wanted to come here and win games with him.”
When the team was mired in a five-game losing streak last month, Pitino and Mason chatted about the what the team needed, and Mason helped organize a team meeting to address the team’s issues.
“We speak the same language, and that’s because we’ve been around each other for a while,” Pitino said. “There’s not a lot of mixed messaging that goes on there. I know the way he’s going to respond to certain things, he knows the way I’m going to respond. And that just comes with being with each other for going on three years.
“I love him. He’s a great kid who comes from a great family and he’s a warrior. It’s great that he’s tasting success right now, because he deserves it.”
http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/14/gophers-richard-pitino-and-nate-mason-speak-the-same-language/
Go Gophers!!
When Nate Mason committed to the Gophers, Richard Pitino hadn’t yet completed a full recruiting class and didn’t have much evidence that he’d be a successful college basketball coach.
But Mason saw something in Pitino that he could relate to, something that has helped the two build a relationship that is part of the reason the Gophers (18-7, 6-6 in Big Ten) are inching toward an NCAA tournament appearance as they prepare to host Indiana (15-11, 5-8) on Wednesday.
“He has a chip on his shoulder like I do,” Mason said. “I just wanted to come here and win games with him.”
When the team was mired in a five-game losing streak last month, Pitino and Mason chatted about the what the team needed, and Mason helped organize a team meeting to address the team’s issues.
“We speak the same language, and that’s because we’ve been around each other for a while,” Pitino said. “There’s not a lot of mixed messaging that goes on there. I know the way he’s going to respond to certain things, he knows the way I’m going to respond. And that just comes with being with each other for going on three years.
“I love him. He’s a great kid who comes from a great family and he’s a warrior. It’s great that he’s tasting success right now, because he deserves it.”
http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/14/gophers-richard-pitino-and-nate-mason-speak-the-same-language/
Go Gophers!!