PiPress: Gophers basketball team’s new challenge: handling success

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
61,159
Reaction score
16,791
Points
113
per Chad:

But 13 victories in 15 games have the Gophers dealing with a new challenge. After learning how to respond to disappointment, these Gophers must learn how to deal with success.

“We haven’t had that in a while,” Pitino said with a laugh. “It’s different. The word I used before Purdue is respond. And I said it again to our guys. You can’t be frauds in the sense that when people talk bad about you, you say, ‘Oh we’re going to block out the noise.’ But then when they talk good about you, you can’t eat that up. It’s the same. … Stay hungry, stay humble and want more. Enjoy the taste of success and continue wanting to move forward with it.”

Another road test awaits the Gophers on Thursday, a visit to a surging Northwestern team.

Pitino, though, isn’t telling his team to avoid a letdown against the Wildcats (12-3, 1-1).

“We’re not going to say that word,” Pitino said. “That’s definitely not going to be the approach. Human nature is to say avoid a letdown. But we’re going (to play) a team that has had a very good beginning to the season, an NCAA tournament-caliber team on their home court. … Letdown is not the word I would use for these guys. I think it’s continuing to get them to realize, respond. We responded to a very difficult loss at home (in the Big Ten opener against Michigan State). Now we got a great win on the road. Now there are a different set of circumstances that you need to respond to.

“Don’t get complacent. Don’t stop working and preparing and getting better. We’ve got two months of basketball left, so much time that goes into it.”

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/04/gophers-basketball-teams-new-challenge-handling-success/

Go Gophers!!
 




Top Bottom