PiPress: Richard Pitino not sweating slow start, but team could use a win

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

Pitino doesn't appear overly concerned -- at least not publicly -- that his program is down.

"I always thought from Day One that Year 3 was going to have to be a bit of a start-over year," Pitino said. "That's just the kind of reality of it we talked about when I took the job. Just because the first two years were dominated by juniors and seniors.

"I always thought Year 3 we were going to have to get really, really young. So I anticipated getting young. Did I anticipate being 5-5 after 10 games? No, but I would've said at the beginning of the year, we were going to have some great moments and we were going to have some bad moments. When you've got some young guys, that's kind of the way it works."

Pitino can't help but use youth as an excuse. His players also can't help it.

"With this group, it's just all about the growth process," senior forward Joey King said. "The fact that we have so many young guys is just the reality of the situation. So we've just got to move forward every single game. We can't dwell on a three-game losing streak."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...etball-richard-pitino-not-sweating-slow-start

Go Gophers!!

 

[1997vacatedfinalfour]

Im sure season ticket holders are fine paying an arm and a leg for a "start-over year"....Better hope Alabama calls next year Richie.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Meanwhile, in Evanston, Ill., in Year 3. ...

 

[scher215]

Nm

 

[SelectionSunday]

Year 1 edge Pitino.

Year 2 edge Collins.

Year 3 edge Collins (so far). Still plenty of time to flip this.

That would be my comparison.

 

[scher215]

Year 1 edge Pitino. Year 2 edge Collins. Year 3 edge Collins (so far). Still plenty of time to flip this. That would be my comparison.

Agreed. Hopefully Pitino, if he loses this year, is the clear winner year 4 with a final four visit

 

[scher215]

Im sure season ticket holders are fine paying an arm and a leg for a "start-over year"....Better hope Alabama calls next year Richie.

You're always going to have start over years. Unless your a blue blood. It stinks to be happening in year 3 and without huge success 1 and 2. But, one start over year every few years isn't grounds to fire a coach. Now, if next year is another start over year we will have some problems.

 

[station19]

You're always going to have start over years. Unless your a blue blood. It stinks to be happening in year 3 and without huge success 1 and 2. But, one start over year every few years isn't grounds to fire a coach. Now, if next year is another start over year we will have some problems.

Yep. Funny how less and less people realize that as the years go by.

 

[cjbfbp]

per Marcus:

"....but I would've said at the beginning of the year, we were going to have some great moments and we were going to have some bad moments."

Coach, can you let us know when we might see some of those 'great' moments? Thanks.

 

[cjbfbp]

Year 1 edge Pitino.

Year 2 edge Collins.

Year 3 edge Collins (so far). Still plenty of time to flip this.

That would be my comparison.

I would agree. Clearly I believe that Northwestern is a better team than the Gophers, but it must be said that they've played a truly abysmal pre-conference schedule.

 

[cjbfbp]

Yep. Funny how less and less people realize that as the years go by.

You are mistaken, at least about many who post on this site and have long memories of college basketball. The typical pattern of a successful or at least reasonably successful coach is the following: bad first year, better second year, good third year, maybe another good year or two, then a rebuilding year that may be a losing one. If a coach has that pattern, I think the fans by and large keep the faith. A pretty good first year, followed by a very disappointing second year, followed by a third year that makes the second year look good by comparison isn't what fans are used to seeing from successful coaches. Add in the fact that this coach is far less experienced and accomplished than the normal Big Ten hire and you have an explanation of why people don't have as much faith

 

[scher215]

You are mistaken, at least about many who post on this site and have long memories of college basketball. The typical pattern of a successful or at least reasonably successful coach is the following: bad first year, better second year, good third year, maybe another good year or two, then a rebuilding year that may be a losing one. If a coach has that pattern, I think the fans by and large keep the faith. A pretty good first year, followed by a very disappointing second year, followed by a third year that makes the second year look good by comparison isn't what fans are used to seeing from successful coaches. Add in the fact that this coach is far less experienced and accomplished than the normal Big Ten hire and you have an explanation of why people don't have as much faith

I think you're right. I also think it was a mistake Pitino made in how he handled his initial hiring. He should have started rebuilding immediately. Told Andre, Mo, Austin, etc. we want you guys to be role models and mentors but we probably won't be very good. You are welcome to transfer if that isn't a role you want. He should have recruited more freshman instead of DeAndre, Malik, Morris, etc. not that I'm upset we got those guys, it just didn't fit a rebuild model.

The problem with that approach though was a PR nightmare. Tubby went to the round of 32 the year before. Hiring Pitino and going maybe 4-12 in conference or something would have been a disaster. Even if it meant a better return in the long run. So easy for me to say I would have gone freshman heavy years 1 and 2, but the PR backlash wouldn't have been great.

So the plan was be a little successful years 1 and 2 and hope fans are more understanding then when year 3 is brutal. Instead he did well year 1 and awful year 2 (compared to expectations) so now year 3 is still hard to stomach. Had he made the tourney last year or started his rebuild year 1, this season is less difficult to deal with IMO.

All of this is magnified too when you throw in an AD who is trying to raise $190m for an athletes village. Doing that after firing a coach who went to the round of 32, and hiring one that went 4-12 is a difficult task.

 

[SelectionSunday]

. ... but it must be said that they've played a truly abysmal pre-conference schedule.

Agreed.

 

[cjbfbp]

I think you're right. I also think it was a mistake Pitino made in how he handled his initial hiring. He should have started rebuilding immediately. Told Andre, Mo, Austin, etc. we want you guys to be role models and mentors but we probably won't be very good. You are welcome to transfer if that isn't a role you want. He should have recruited more freshman instead of DeAndre, Malik, Morris, etc. not that I'm upset we got those guys, it just didn't fit a rebuild model.

The problem with that approach though was a PR nightmare. Tubby went to the round of 32 the year before. Hiring Pitino and going maybe 4-12 in conference or something would have been a disaster. Even if it meant a better return in the long run. So easy for me to say I would have gone freshman heavy years 1 and 2, but the PR backlash wouldn't have been great.

So the plan was be a little successful years 1 and 2 and hope fans are more understanding then when year 3 is brutal. Instead he did well year 1 and awful year 2 (compared to expectations) so now year 3 is still hard to stomach. Had he made the tourney last year or started his rebuild year 1, this season is less difficult to deal with IMO.

All of this is magnified too when you throw in an AD who is trying to raise $190m for an athletes village. Doing that after firing a coach who went to the round of 32, and hiring one that went 4-12 is a difficult task.

Very good points - all of them. The approach you mentioned in year 1 might have been better because coaches normally get a pass in year 1. I guess the difficulty was that he really didn't have much in the way of "young guys" to develop or mentor in his first year because of what he inherited and the recruiting choices you mentioned; he had a pretty "old" lineup in year 1 and it was still old in year 2. Maybe going with a youth movement earlier would have been a better strategy. One does get the feeling watching Carlos that he may be the proverbial dog that is too old to learn new tricks. Bakary and Gaston, although raw, are also relatively old and one gets the feeling that having 19 year old sophs instead of them wouldn't have turned out any worse.

 

[dpodoll68]

You're always going to have start over years. Unless your a blue blood.

Is Wisconsin a blue blood? How about Ohio State?

 

[Go4]

Is Wisconsin a blue blood? How about Ohio State?

at 7-5 with home loses to western illinois and uw-m, uw is having a start over year.

at 4-5 with loses to ut-arlington, la-tech, osu is having a start over year.

so no, i don't think they are blue bloods.

 

[howeda7]

You're always going to have start over years. Unless your a blue blood. It stinks to be happening in year 3 and without huge success 1 and 2. But, one start over year every few years isn't grounds to fire a coach. Now, if next year is another start over year we will have some problems.

Yes. It's easy to accept starting over from a Sweet 16 bid. It's much harder to accept 'starting over' from 6-12.

 

[Tim1406]

All of this is magnified too when you throw in an AD who is trying to raise $190m for an athletes village. Doing that after firing a coach who went to the round of 32, and hiring one that went 4-12 is a difficult task.

+1 to your whole comment. Do we get a basketball practice facility if we are begging for money off of a 4-14 or 6-12 big ten record the first year with Pitino? The Minnesotans I know wont give money(or go to a game see Timberwolves & Twins) unless we are winning or showing we can win relatively soon. Pitino might have made a calculated risk (one that assumed the AD that hired him would be here to have his back) trying to win or be average while we were pushing for money.

 

[GopherPop]

I'd say Murphy has provided some fantastic moments and while Mason's shooting % is down and King is hounded by the opponents D he's still shooting a very good .511 from the field and .490 from 3pt. We are a very non-mature team and while next year certainly looks promising for improvement, we'll still be a fairly non-mature team because we'll be throwing Coffey, Curry and Hurt into the lions den so to speak. On top of that, we don't have anyone coming in over 6'7" so Konate and Gaston will be our only options at the 5. This season and next will provide plenty of ups and downs and frankly, I don't expect we'll see tremendous improvement till the '17 season. Even then, unless we get a transfer or Jr. College big man, we'll still be on the short side as far as needing a player at the 5 spot. Unless a Stone, or Simmons, Haas type etc appears out of the blue.

Big concern is rebounding. Other than Murphy at 6'6" we don't have any players who have the mindset that every rebound is his and has the tenacity of say, Trevor Mbakwe. Neither Konate or Gaston have the skills as of yet, to be the Beast we need, and at 6'9" Buggs will never be an inside banger.

Relax and enjoy the roller coaster ride for the next 1-2 years. There are some great moments ahead!

Coach, can you let us know when we might see some of those 'great' moments? Thanks.

 

[Tim1406]

I'd say Murphy has provided some fantastic moments and while Mason's shooting % is down and King is hounded by the opponents D he's still shooting a very good .511 from the field and .490 from 3pt. We are a very non-mature team and while next year certainly looks promising for improvement, we'll still be a fairly non-mature team because we'll be throwing Coffey, Curry and Hurt into the lions den so to speak. On top of that, we don't have anyone coming in over 6'7" so Konate and Gaston will be our only options at the 5. This season and next will provide plenty of ups and downs and frankly, I don't expect we'll see tremendous improvement till the '17 season. Even then, unless we get a transfer or Jr. College big man, we'll still be on the short side as far as needing a player at the 5 spot. Unless a Stone, or Simmons, Haas type etc appears out of the blue.

Big concern is rebounding. Other than Murphy at 6'6" we don't have any players who have the mindset that every rebound is his and has the tenacity of say, Trevor Mbakwe. Neither Konate or Gaston have the skills as of yet, to be the Beast we need, and at 6'9" Buggs will never be an inside banger.

Relax and enjoy the roller coaster ride for the next 1-2 years. There are some great moments ahead!

You must not follow the program very closely. The 2 players who are sitting out a year because of transferring are: 6'8" Fitzgerald (though he plays SF mostly) and 6'9" center Reggie lynch. Also Curry is listed at 6'8" PF in many places and he is coming in next year.

Edit: Also at 6'7" Coffey's stats indicate he still tries to rebound a bit. I'm really not so worried about rebounding next year. Murphy will replace king in the starting line-up along with Fitz and Coffey likely. Add that to Lynch rebounding better at Ill st. than Konate... I'm looking forward to having a team the size OSU usually puts on the floor.

 

[cjbfbp]

I'd say Murphy has provided some fantastic moments and while Mason's shooting % is down and King is hounded by the opponents D he's still shooting a very good .511 from the field and .490 from 3pt. [/B]

Yes, that is true. For a freshman, Murphy has provided some "great" moments. King's shooting start is also a very good attribute of this young season but the way he was shut down in the last two games is dispiriting.

 

[cjbfbp]

at 7-5 with home loses to western illinois and uw-m, uw is having a start over year.

at 4-5 with loses to ut-arlington, la-tech, osu is having a start over year.

so no, i don't think they are blue bloods.

No one denies that every program except a very small number have start over years, but surely you see the difference between the examples you gave and the current Gopher situation. Ryan has had Hall of Fame type success and Matta team's are highly competitive in most years.

 

[GopherPop]

Thanks! I do follow the program closely and I did forget about Fitz and Lynch....thanks for the correction!

You must not follow the program very closely. The 2 players who are sitting out a year because of transferring are: 6'8" Fitzgerald (though he plays SF mostly) and 6'9" center Reggie lynch. Also Curry is listed at 6'8" PF in many places and he is coming in next year.

Edit: Also at 6'7" Coffey's stats indicate he still tries to rebound a bit. I'm really not so worried about rebounding next year. Murphy will replace king in the starting line-up along with Fitz and Coffey likely. Add that to Lynch rebounding better at Ill st. than Konate... I'm looking forward to having a team the size OSU usually puts on the floor.

 

[Tim1406]

Thanks! I do follow the program closely and I did forget about Fitz and Lynch....thanks for the correction!

Sorry i re-read my last post and it was a bit jerkish.