Post game notes - Pitino doubts Dre will be back by Purdue game, no comment on refs..

[GopherLady]

After a really tough loss, that was the worse locker room I had seen since they started allowing us in there. A few guys were crying, Mo Walker had a towel over his head the entire time, he was just devastated.

Here are the notes:

DeAndre Mathieu

Our slow start came back to get us. In the 1st half I was a no show, I tried to get more energy in the 2nd half
On the last possession - I don't know, I get bumped a lot, I get used to them not calling those. I missed the shot.
You can't win when you give up 6 or 7 3's
When asked what Pitino said about the non-call(s) on the last possession - Coach had no comment on the refs.
On the last possession - Mo did a good job grabbing a rebound, after that I don't know what happened, I was on the ground

Austin Hollins
We can't blame any loss on Dre's absence.
On how to rebound after this - We shake it off, we practice hard
If this loss is harder - They're all losses, all the same to me, just gotta bounce back

Elliott Eliason
On the last possession - They ran what we were suppose to do, executed it right, 2 guys we wanted taking those shots
Losses always hurt, especially at home
On the last possession - We got the looks we wanted and it just didn't happen. It's kind of my fault, it just hurts.
I guess that's what separates the top of the league from the middle, pulling out those games.*

Richard Pitino:
• Certainly a disappointing one, frustrating to say the least. You've gotta give them credit, they made big plays when they needed to, and we did not. This is a tough one, we need to find a way to regroup with these guys.
• Certainly it's good when they care, it's great when they care, you don't want guys crying in the locker room, but they care about winning. That's the 1st step towards building a winning program.
• On the non call(s) on the last possession - No Comment
• I don't think we started real well, we went on a run there in the 1st half. I just don't think we started great. I thought we played pretty well for the rest of the game.
• There’s nothing you can do in practice to simulate a guy shooting a free throw in front of thousands of people
• We were in a zone, and guarded something the wrong way, cost us a 3 at the end of the 1st half.
• That's an understatement. We need him back, 16 points. He's one of the better guards in the league. It's silly for us to think that we can replace the guy who scored 1000 points. We'll continue to rehab him. We're hoping for Purdue, I highly doubt it. I'm sure he's itching to get in, we're trying to get him in shape. He got a good warm up in today. You can't understate how important he is to our team. We need him back. It's hard to score, we have good perimeter attack with him there.
• I thought Malik was shooting good shots. He missed 2 FT's, and he's the best FT shooter in the conference. He did some good things defensively.
• Austin did some good things, we went small toward the end there. He played hard, getting his confidence back, we've just got to get healthy.
• Mo just dropped the ball a couple times, it slipped through his feet, he was playing really well, just slipped through his hands a few times. He dropped the ball a couple times and it was killing his confidence, what do I do? Tell him to catch the ball. The game is funny like that, it's all about confidence. You need to weather the storm and regroup. I'm sure he's going to be very disappointed with this game because he had a pretty good look with a shot he could have made.

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Thanks for the notes GL. Tough loss. Going in, I really thought they were going to win this one.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Bottom line, I love this team, and that's not going to change. They've been overachieving all year, and now they're trying to beat good teams without their best player. All that said, they can play better defense, and they can stop playing so tight. Need to get the looseness and confidence back.

 

[jamalo]

I'm not as bullish on Mo as some others, but I didn't think either of the turnovers where the guards threw low bounce passes were his fault

 

[sal]

A real gut punch of an ending today but they ran the right play, two point blank looks at the rim and no whistles...ouch.

I'm not as bullish on Mo as some others, but I didn't think either of the turnovers where the guards threw low bounce passes were his fault

I agree on the passes.
A low energy start to the game and the late clock threes, again...ouch.
Thanks for the notes GL.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Whether Mo was fouled or not at the end of the game, he needed to finish stronger. The refs are going to swallow their whistles unless he's about to have his arms chopped off. Throw a filthy one down because you are the strongest SOB on the court. He shouldn't be putting up weak crap on the rim and hope it goes in.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I'd be pretty mad at the coach if, after that many easy misses by the players, he had focused on the call at the end. Glad he didn't comment on it. Also like Austin's comment about not being able to blame losses on Big Dre's absence.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

I'd be pretty mad at the coach if, after that many easy misses by the players, he had focused on the call at the end. Glad he didn't comment on it. Also like Austin's comment about not being able to blame losses on Big Dre's absence.

Agreed. The refs are low on the list of why the Gophs lost this one.

 

[GopherJake]

I'm not as bullish on Mo as some others, but I didn't think either of the turnovers where the guards threw low bounce passes were his fault

First one was a bad pass, second one is completely on Mo. JMHO - and Mo's. He was berating *himself* on the way back on defense after the second one.

Agreed. The refs are low on the list of why the Gophs lost this one.

Mathieu got hammered with a hip check on the drive to the hoop at the end. No question that was a foul. JMHO - and Dick Pit's. He pretty much lost it on the court. Mathieu had an extremely high percentage shot without the (uncalled) foul.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Mathieu got hammered with a hip check on the drive to the hoop at the end. No question that was a foul. JMHO - and Dick Pit's. He pretty much lost it on the court. Mathieu had an extremely high percentage shot without the (uncalled) foul.

I'm not sure what angle you had on that play. From what I saw, the contact didn't appear to be excessive. Mo needed to be stronger with the put back regardless.

 

[diehard]

Thanks, GL. The guys really took this loss hard. Crying in the locker room. A lot of players blaming themselves.

I think this could be a turning point for the season. This could be here they really come together. It could be where they fall apart.

I like this team and the character of the players. I predict this is where they really gel as a team.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

Evidently only baseball has a no crying rule.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Evidently only baseball has a no crying rule.

Lou Gehrig

Cal Ripkin Jr.

I guess if you play a couple thousand + games in a row, you are exempt from that no crying rule.

 

[GopherJake]

I'm not sure what angle you had on that play.

5th row directly behind the Gophers bench and broke down the film Zapruder style.

From what I saw, the contact didn't appear to be excessive. Mo needed to be stronger with the put back regardless.

Hip-to-hip contact was unquestionable and completely knocked Mathieu off his path and affected the trajectory of the shot, which ended up not even close, despite having a pretty clear path to the basket and elevating plenty high. I do not classify myself as a "blame it on the refs" kinda guy. A foul is a foul, however, and I believe Mathieu would have made the shot.

Yes, Mo needed to be stronger for sure. Has got to make that shot. In my mind, Dick Pit was bitching about the no-call on the Mathieu drive. Could be wrong.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I'm not as bullish on Mo as some others, but I didn't think either of the turnovers where the guards threw low bounce passes were his fault

Low passes. Yes. But you've gotta catch the ball. You're a D1 athlete. This game isn't even close without Mo though, so we can't be too hard on him at all. He played great in the first half, and had some really nice plays in the second half as well.

 

[GopherLady]

Thanks, GL. The guys really took this loss hard. Crying in the locker room. A lot of players blaming themselves.

I think this could be a turning point for the season. This could be here they really come together. It could be where they fall apart.

I like this team and the character of the players. I predict this is where they really gel as a team.

I completely agree. This is the kind of loss that could really destroy your confidence, so it was reassuring to hear that Pitino said they had their best practice all year the day after the season. I think he's just really aware and proactive about the mental part of the game...so have a good feeling for tomorrow.