Pitino quote from Marcus Fuller

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Johnnyboy18 said:
The coach accepting mediocrity and fans is completely different.
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Is your love for Tubby really so intense that you can't see that the expectations for YEAR 1 and the expectations for the program AS A WHOLE are completely different things?

Like, I would be beyond annoyed if the Gophers were always as bad as they were in Kill's first year (and he often talked about how they'd struggle).
 

"unrealistic"

As several people have said there is a difference between expectations or reality and goals.
I have seen two different places where we are picked to finish last in the BigTen. Reality seems to be, we are not very good at present.

Coach Pitino would like his players to get better. Do you realize every one of his players "thinks" they will play in the NBA? The players certainly think, for sure, we will be in the NCAA Tournament next year. These guys need someone to change their mindset to reality...motivate them to work harder. I'm quite certain Coach Pitino "expects" to play in the NCAA Tournament next year but there is a lot of pieces to put in place for that to happen. Now is not the time to say how good we can be or will be. Reality is, today we are not very good. Tell it like it is.

We lost two guys expected to be 2nd round NBA draft picks. That means whatever you think of them, there are only 30-40 some players world wide eligible for the draft who people project as better than them. We finished 8 and 10 with them. It's not realistic to make the NCAA Tournament playing 18 BigTen games against top competition, when history says we can't get over 500 in conference play.

Pitino will get it done. We do need some patience. We ain't gonna win any games this month....or lose any either. But the players and Coach Pitino and can be honest in where we are and work hard each day to get better this month and the next months going forward.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Are we really judging a basketball coach by what he has accomplished or think he will accomplish in year 1? Really?

With Tubby, "accepting mediocrity" was being kind because Tubby is a nice guy. With Tubby, through 6 years, we were a less than mediocore Big 10 team. We were a bottom 1/2 program in the Big 10, with Tubby. To argue that he did a good job would be saying that you accept being a team in the bottom 1/2 of the Big 10.

However, Pitino is in year 1. He hasn't coached a game yet! If Pitino said, "we'll never be a team that makes a run in the tournament or being in the top 1/2 of the Big 10 most seasons is unrealistic", the shoehorning of the "accepting mediocrity" argument could make some sense. Now, it seems desperate.

A first year coach should always be given slack. I said the same thing with Brew, Kill, Mase and I'll say to whatever next round of coaches are at the U. When a new coach comes in, loses his best player, he deserves some slack. It's possible we make the tournament next year, we have some good players. But it says very little about Pitino if we do not.
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+1
 


I'm not "judging" anyone, I just think any head coach of any Big Ten team saying that making the Tournament is "pretty unrealistic" is a stupid thing to say, whether it's their first year or not. If he said this prior to going into his first year at FIU? Sure, "pretty unrealistic" is accurate, optimistic even. But in the Big Ten? The average Big Ten team has at least a 50/50 shot going into any year just based on your conference affiliation and the schedule you play. I don't flip a coin and say that it landing on heads is "pretty unrealistic". He needs to figure out that he's the head coach of a Big Ten team now and the "little engine that could" nonsense doesn't fly, especially when we fired your predecessor for not only making the Tournament, but winning a game.
 


dpodoll68 said:
I'm not "judging" anyone, I just think any head coach of any Big Ten team saying that making the Tournament is "pretty unrealistic" is a stupid thing to say, whether it's their first year or not. If he said this prior to going into his first year at FIU? Sure, "pretty unrealistic" is accurate, optimistic even. But in the Big Ten? The average Big Ten team has at least a 50/50 shot going into any year just based on your conference affiliation and the schedule you play. I don't flip a coin and say that it landing on heads is "pretty unrealistic". He needs to figure out that he's the head coach of a Big Ten team now and the "little engine that could" nonsense doesn't fly, especially when we fired your predecessor for not only making the Tournament, but winning a game.
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It's not a coin flip to make the tournament because 1/2 the teams in the Big 10 make the tournament. It would be a coin flip if all of the teams had the same chance of making the tournament as the others. For instance, it's much better than a coin flip that MSU will make the tournament and much worse than a coin flip that Penn State will. If we are an "average" Big 10 team or not, eh, it's hard to say. That's a thin line between average and below average. We have a chance, I don't know if it's 50/50 or not.

As far as it being stupid, I don't know. It might be a bit naive but he is probably just pulling a Jerry Kill coach speak type of thing. It means nothing to me when they speak in hyperbole like Brew or in a pessimist way like Pitino.

Tubby didn't get fired for winning a tournament game, he got fired because of his entire resume at MN, which was as a below average basketball coach.
 

Just think what they would have done to Tubby if he had won two​ NCAA tournament games. They only gave him 6 years to do it. Not really a fair trial.
 

Didn't know where to stick this, but I hope the U teams up with 3 Penny Films again. I'd love to see some webisodes about the new staff, practices, etc.
 

I also think that this was an important statement and kudos regarding Trevor and Rodney. Pitino is acknowledging them personally and their contribution, and that players will need to step up to fill those shoes. I like it.
 



Moonlight said:
I also think that this was an important statement and kudos regarding Trevor and Rodney. Pitino is acknowledging them personally and their contribution, and that players will need to step up to fill those shoes. I like it.
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That's a good take on the situation I think.
 

dpodoll68 said:
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I wonder what everyone blathering about "accepting mediocrity" has to say about this.
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Maybe he should have listened to uncle Tubby about what he was getting into before jumping on his 1st big job offer.

Go Gophers
 

Well I, for one, am still expecting someone to take me to Pasadena!! Got a lot of sunscreen just sitting here.
 

The-Real-Truth said:
Maybe he should have listened to uncle Tubby about what he was getting into before jumping on his 1st big job offer.

Go Gophers
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Good point, he definitely should have turned down Minnesota to stay at FIU.
 



I typically turn down higher profile jobs that quadruple my salary, that's for sure. :rolleyes:
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Is your love for Tubby really so intense that you can't see that the expectations for YEAR 1 and the expectations for the program AS A WHOLE are completely different things?

Like, I would be beyond annoyed if the Gophers were always as bad as they were in Kill's first year (and he often talked about how they'd struggle).
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1. I don't love Tubby you weirdo.
2. No, I hope his goals are higher than not making the tournament his whole time here.
3. The NCAA tournament should be the expectation next year with 3 and a half starters returning.
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
1. I don't love Tubby you weirdo.
2. No, I hope his goals are higher than not making the tournament his whole time here.
3. The NCAA tournament should be the expectation next year with 3 and a half starters returning.
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1. I don't hate Tubby you weirdo.
2. No, I hope his goals are higher than never finishing above .500 in conference his whole time here.
3. The Sweet sixteen and above .500 in the big 10 should be the expectation next year with all starters returning and Trevor Mbakwe with a 6th year.

What bizarro world are we living in where the former "Tubby lovers" now sound exactly like the former "tubby haters" with only a few word changes. Yikes.
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
1. I don't love Tubby you weirdo.
2. No, I hope his goals are higher than not making the tournament his whole time here.
3. The NCAA tournament should be the expectation next year with 3 and a half starters returning.
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So with all 5 starters and Tubby coaching and 8-10 finish and eeking into the tournament was good enough.

Now with this new coach and 3 returning starters you are placing higher expectations (8-10 tourney berth was gift).

I can only conclude that you think Pitino is a much better coach. if so - join the club. :)
 

bga1 said:
So with all 5 starters and Tubby coaching and 8-10 finish and eeking into the tournament was good enough.

Now with this new coach and 3 returning starters you are placing higher expectations (8-10 tourney berth was gift).

I can only conclude that you think Pitino is a much better coach. if so - join the club. :)
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False
 

Pitino should have just avoided the expectations thing. Just say something like;
"My expectations for next season are my players to understand and execute my style of play, work their butts off, and do the right things off the court. We do that and things could be very exciting come tournament time!"

It's not reAlly a big deal either way, pitino will be fine. If not we will hire someone else...
 

John Galt said:
And what are Minnesota fans expecting from a team that just finished 8-10 in the Big Ten, loses 4 seniors including 2 of the top 4 players on the team, and has no highly rated players coming in?
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We really don't have any new players coming in at this point (not counting red shirts).
 

Gold Vision said:
False
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You are correct- this year it wasn't "eeking in" since the at large field was so incredibly weak and the Big Ten so strong. Any other year 8-10 is out and their lousy finsih to the season would have sealed the fate. I meant that it was a gift of circumstance. They deserved to be in compared to this year's field, just not by historical standards. Small point but you are correct.
 

scher215 said:
What bizarro world are we living in where the former "Tubby lovers" now sound exactly like the former "tubby haters" with only a few word changes. Yikes.
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I'm a Pitino hater now? I said the expectation should be to make the tournament that's about all the criticism I've had of Pitino.
 


Interesting comments from Pitino regarding Dre.

PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow 2m
Richard Pitino on sophomore PG Andre Holllins: "I think he’s probably going to be one of the best guards in college basketball." #Gophers
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@GophersNow (Fuller): Richard Pitino on sophomore PG Andre Holllins: "I think he’s probably going to be one of the best guards in college basketball." #Gophers
 

bga1 said:
You are correct- this year it wasn't "eeking in" since the at large field was so incredibly weak and the Big Ten so strong. Any other year 8-10 is out and their lousy finsih to the season would have sealed the fate. I meant that it was a gift of circumstance. They deserved to be in compared to this year's field, just not by historical standards. Small point but you are correct.
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I just don't like diminishing what was accomplished last season. Though it wasn't what we all thought it could be, it was a pretty fun ride including a tourney win. They beat some damn good teams this year, and I don't think it's unrealistic to think this team could do some damage with a little more consistency. What they lose with Mbakwe and Williams is the ridiculous offensive rebounding statistics and two rim protectors, but offensively, the Gopher's played as well as the backcourt (Hollins') played.

If we can find a way to clean the glass like last year and add another shooter, I think they can do some things.
 

That analogy doesn't make any sense. 50/50 odds have nothing to do with us going to the tournament. That's like when a player trims his list to 5 schools and people say he has a 20% chance of going to school x.

I bet you're happy getting fans riled up on this. Obviously you want to hear a coach be optimistic (though new coaches often just say what fans want to hear), but ultimately, why does it matter? The results are what matter, not his first year's public expectations. Stop trying to blow this up.

Also, I'm still waiting to hear your response to my post about Tubby getting the raw deal...

"You have legitimate points, but honestly, the justification of his firing just depends on which criteria you select. I'll provide reasons for the other side of the argument.

- In 6 yrs, he went over .500 in conference 0 times. How many other BT teams haven't had a single winning season in the past 6 yrs?
- How many other BT teams have made as many negative headlines as us in the past 6 yrs?
- Does Tubby's coaching/recruiting honestly look like it's on an upward trajectory?
- Have you seen a more stubborn coach in terms of adapting to the current game and making in-game adjustments?
- Have you seen quite this high of a percentage of players leave a program to then thrive somewhere else? (I realize some of that has to do w/ competition, but that's certainly not the whole story)
- Do you hear other announcers question the in-game coaching of other coaches as much as they did for Tubby? (Substitutions, lack of offense/in-game adjustments/out-of-bounds plays w/ a purpose, failure to emphasize top players on offense, etc)
- Did Saul honestly deserve his job? Was his punishment harsh enough?
- Did Tubby's teams typically improve over the course of a season?
- Did it seem like the players liked Tubby as much as players like coaches on other teams? (I realize there's plenty of speculation in there but I think you know there's some truth to players not seeming to really enjoy playing for him)
- Did the boosters seem to be confident in the direction of the program under Tubby? I realize their assessment might not be fair, but to be honest, they need to be happy if we want a practice facility.
- Did it seem like TUbby still had the passion/commitment/preparation you'd want from your coach?
- Have you heard many other coaches throw their players under the bus as much as TUbby and take as little credit for losses?
- I'm guessing you'll say this is unfair, but did it seem like there was much optimism regarding the future of the program?
- Did we not get incredibly lucky on our draw for the tournament (best player gets hurt the game before)?

I could go on forever with this. Maybe not all of it is important, but can you honestly say most of these points aren't legit reasons to try going another direction? It's not like Tubby didn't get his chance. 6 yrs is plenty of time. Just because he ended on his best season doesn't mean he didn't deserve to be fired. I think you're focusing too much on how he ended. His body of work was far from impressive.
- Would you honestly rather...
1) pay Tubby a ridiculous salary to continue everything I discussed above, and most importantly, have a ceiling of being extremely mediocre?
or
2) try an up and coming coach (for a much lower price tag) who can inject some energy into the program? Would you honestly rather continue being mediocre or gamble on a high risk/reward coach?"

dpodoll68 said:
I'm not "judging" anyone, I just think any head coach of any Big Ten team saying that making the Tournament is "pretty unrealistic" is a stupid thing to say, whether it's their first year or not. If he said this prior to going into his first year at FIU? Sure, "pretty unrealistic" is accurate, optimistic even. But in the Big Ten? The average Big Ten team has at least a 50/50 shot going into any year just based on your conference affiliation and the schedule you play. I don't flip a coin and say that it landing on heads is "pretty unrealistic". He needs to figure out that he's the head coach of a Big Ten team now and the "little engine that could" nonsense doesn't fly, especially when we fired your predecessor for not only making the Tournament, but winning a game.
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Everyone knows what Tubby did what we don't know is what Pitino will do.
 

dpodoll68 said:
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I wonder what everyone blathering about "accepting mediocrity" has to say about this.
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Unlikely that they make it with the frontcourt that Tubby left him unless Oto turns into Dirk Nowitzki!!!
 

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