Post-Game Thoughts

I feel the same way right now that I did walking out of TCF on Saturday after losing to Wisconsin. We showed some toughness, we've got a plan, we'll get there.

That's a very good analogy. In both cases you can see the plan that both coaches have on place.
 

By "they" I assume you mean the Gophers? Because I think Syracuse played pretty well. They had 11 turnovers, not a high number for that pace. They shot about 45% from the field and 81% from the line, the latter being FAR above their avg and what that team is likely to do most nights.

I don't know if Mo would've turned this from a loss to a win...doubt it. What we needed and didn't get was a great scoring game from Andre.

Overall I'm very encouraged by what I saw tonight from us. That said, (1) I don't think Syracuse will be a top 10 team for very long, seems more top 16-ish, and (2) we must must must must beat Arkansas tomorrow, to get a D1 win and avoid playing Chaminade Wednesday, another RPI anchor.

How does an NIA team get factored into the RPI? I would think it wouldn't even count.
 

Nope, I have actually seen 4 or 5.

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Just one question;

How in the fk does the guy who can't hit FTs (Grant, 44%) manage to can four in a row in the last 46 seconds of a tight ball game? WTF
 



Just one question;

How in the fk does the guy who can't hit FTs (Grant, 44%) manage to can four in a row in the last 46 seconds of a tight ball game? WTF

Haha I was thinking the Same thing when I was watching.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk
 

Just one question;

How in the fk does the guy who can't hit FTs (Grant, 44%) manage to can four in a row in the last 46 seconds of a tight ball game? WTF

It's eerie. Right after the game I was working with my 9th grade daughter, helping her study for her math final. One of the subjects: experimental probability. Well, based on the experimental probability of this guy making a fro, there was about a 4% chance of it happening like that.
 

A lot of positive stuff to take away from this game. I liked that the Gophers fought back from a really bad early start to the game and from the verge of a blowout early in the second half. It seems like the Pitino had the guys well prepared for the zone, but we could have some of the unforced turnovers we had today. I thought Eliason missed on some rebounds in the first couple minutes of play, but once he settled in he was excellent. Frustrating to listen to the announcers constantly harp on that missed foul that led to a nasty cut for CJ Fair. From a Gopher perspective, a lot of the big calls in this game went against us and not a peep was mentioned about it. I believe the color guy even said EE's 4th foul was a "good call" when the Syracuse post clearly used a forearm to shove him.

I see that there's another thread about Andre and Austin, and it's too bad neither played great today. If Andre or Austin played a great game, the Gophers win this game despite being undersized and out manned. The Hollins' combined for 9 turnovers and shot a combined 8-21. A couple of those turnovers were just plays you'd hope a veteran back court would not make.

Fair was so huge hitting those mid range J's once Syracuse broke the press. I don't think we will see another guy hit those jumpers with that type of accuracy the rest of the year.

Impressed with King's toughness and both his and Oto's ability to find the open spot inside against the zone (usually a feed from Eliason, 'Dre, or lil 'Dre), but you see where both guys lack of size and athletic ability really hurts us. Their were 4-5 possessions that should have been layups/dunks and potential "and 1's) that ended with one of our 4's getting blocked and Syracuse having a transition opportunity. In such a close came, converting just two of those chances could have been the difference in the game. This is the point where I state that it was completely inexcusable for Tubby to not have left a B1G level PF on this roster. I'd also like to thank the NCAA for bizarrely preventing a guy who's had 2 ACL surgeries from having an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.

Another positive today was that Dre Mathieu's speed and quickness was STILL a factor against an elite team like Syracuse. This might have been the most positive development of the day as I am much more confident that he can continue to be a major factor in B1G play than I was yesterday.

Interesting to see how short the rotation is. It's pretty clear that Coach Pitino only trusts 7 guys (maybe 8 with Mo available). I worry about how the team bounces back in a very important game against Arkansas tomorrow.
 

Great first step! The team was well coached. The game was very fun to watch. Give Pitano 1 -2 years and a ticket to barn will be hard to get.
 



Isn't it a delight to actually see a team that is as well coached as this one? You aren't wanting to pull your hair out watching the second team match up with a bunch of much better players, hoping to stay within ten points or so. This is only one game, but gives us a great perspective on how Pitino will expect to game-plan against opponents. The BIG is going to be tough, but if Pitino can stand toe-to-toe with someone like Boeheim then I believe he can do it with the likes of Wisconsin, Michigan, Mich State and Ohio. I actually ENJOYED watching the game throughout. That is what it's all about! Yes it would have been nice for us to win, but man oh man...that was exciting from start to finish. I am extremely happy to not see hockey substitutions. I only wish we would have seen DeAndre handling the ball towards the end there. Malik Smith is a great shooter but shouldn't try to act like a guard.
 

Every game like this where the Gophers competitiveness against big time programs, and their style of play gets shown on national TV has to give a big boost to future recruiting. It's hard to imagine highly skilled recruits not wanting to play in a system that highlights athletic ability like the Gophers showed last night.
 

Every game like this where the Gophers competitiveness against big time programs, and their style of play gets shown on national TV has to give a big boost to future recruiting. It's hard to imagine highly skilled recruits not wanting to play in a system that highlights athletic ability like the Gophers showed last night.

Not to mention that Richard has to be a breath of fresh air to recruits when they do see the interviews with him. Sure he lacks the "aura" of the big time guys, but you put him next to say a Miles, McCaffery, Painter, Chambers, he's going to win the likability and the "does he relate" battle almost every time.

I'm simply in love with the guy, love how hard we played, love how hard he coaches, love what he says... He can do no wrong....

I am on watch for how he handles adversity, when this team loses 2 or 3 in a row, can he get them back. Do we have "let down" games, do we have long lapses in judgement and how does he handle those situations. Immaturity and lack of experience tend to show their ugly heads in those types of situations. He is young, but if the sell story is true, he is wise beyond his years and those situations will be handled with poise and moxie.... I hope for the latter, but am anticipating some of the former.
 

Gonzaga gets "upset" more than a hormonal teenager.

How are they ranked so high year in and year out?
 



Pros
The ball entered the high post against a zone more times in one games than the past 6 years combined.
The bench was shortened; Mav & Wally would've killed us.
Richard put Elliot back out there in foul trouble when the game started slipping away rather than leave him on the bench like Tubby
Our best 2 players (Hollins x 2) played poorly and we almost won
Malik

Cons
Turnovers
Need better production from the 4 spot
Hollins x 2 need to make shots

I like what I saw last night. I'm confident that under Coach P we will continue to get better.
 

Gonzaga gets "upset" more than a hormonal teenager.

How are they ranked so high year in and year out?

Dayton was actually the trendy upset pick by basketball analysts on twitter yesterday. They are apparently a pretty good team. Gonzaga is a good team as well. Just because they play in the WCC and no one ever watches them play, their losses stand out a whole lot more than other team's.
 

I think Pitino was a great hire but I did question him a few times yesterday. Namely, I thought we should've pulled back the press after giving up some easy buckets and made Syracuse earn it in the halfcourt. Their halfcourt execution and shooting really wasn't all that impressive (besides Cooney). Their offense yesterday was essentially Cooney 3's, transition buckets, or offensive putbacks. The other thing, that out of bounds play where King turned it over was atrocious. I believe it was right after a timeout, and we played right into Syracuse's hands by passing the ball in the corner and having King get trapped. You can blame it on player execution but Richard has to make sure that doesn't happen in that situation.
 

A lot of positive stuff to take away from this game. I liked that the Gophers fought back from a really bad early start to the game and from the verge of a blowout early in the second half. It seems like the Pitino had the guys well prepared for the zone, but we could have some of the unforced turnovers we had today. I thought Eliason missed on some rebounds in the first couple minutes of play, but once he settled in he was excellent. Frustrating to listen to the announcers constantly harp on that missed foul that led to a nasty cut for CJ Fair. From a Gopher perspective, a lot of the big calls in this game went against us and not a peep was mentioned about it. I believe the color guy even said EE's 4th foul was a "good call" when the Syracuse post clearly used a forearm to shove him.

I see that there's another thread about Andre and Austin, and it's too bad neither played great today. If Andre or Austin played a great game, the Gophers win this game despite being undersized and out manned. The Hollins' combined for 9 turnovers and shot a combined 8-21. A couple of those turnovers were just plays you'd hope a veteran back court would not make.

Fair was so huge hitting those mid range J's once Syracuse broke the press. I don't think we will see another guy hit those jumpers with that type of accuracy the rest of the year.

Impressed with King's toughness and both his and Oto's ability to find the open spot inside against the zone (usually a feed from Eliason, 'Dre, or lil 'Dre), but you see where both guys lack of size and athletic ability really hurts us. Their were 4-5 possessions that should have been layups/dunks and potential "and 1's) that ended with one of our 4's getting blocked and Syracuse having a transition opportunity. In such a close came, converting just two of those chances could have been the difference in the game. This is the point where I state that it was completely inexcusable for Tubby to not have left a B1G level PF on this roster. I'd also like to thank the NCAA for bizarrely preventing a guy who's had 2 ACL surgeries from having an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.

Another positive today was that Dre Mathieu's speed and quickness was STILL a factor against an elite team like Syracuse. This might have been the most positive development of the day as I am much more confident that he can continue to be a major factor in B1G play than I was yesterday.

Interesting to see how short the rotation is. It's pretty clear that Coach Pitino only trusts 7 guys (maybe 8 with Mo available). I worry about how the team bounces back in a very important game against Arkansas tomorrow.

Excellent post.

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I think Pitino was a great hire but I did question him a few times yesterday. Namely, I thought we should've pulled back the press after giving up some easy buckets and made Syracuse earn it in the halfcourt. Their halfcourt execution and shooting really wasn't all that impressive (besides Cooney). Their offense yesterday was essentially Cooney 3's, transition buckets, or offensive putbacks. The other thing, that out of bounds play where King turned it over was atrocious. I believe it was right after a timeout, and we played right into Syracuse's hands by passing the ball in the corner and having King get trapped. You can blame it on player execution but Richard has to make sure that doesn't happen in that situation.

Getting sick of people complaining about the "easy buckets" on the press.... Thats what the press does, you give up some easy buckets, just like you give up some wide open jumpers in the half court. If anyone thinks that we could have stayed with 'Cuse in a half court set for 30 second consistently and came away with a better result is outside of their damn mind. Pitino had to force them into situations where they couldn't isolate against one of our undersized wings (everyone is undersized against 'Cuse) and keep Elliot out of foul trouble from penetrating guards. it was our only play, and will likely be our only play (not to mention our identity) this entire season. Their halfcourt execution wasn't great because they consistently were under 25 seconds before they started their set. What I would have liked to see was have the press continue and then switch a few more times in and out of the 2-3, but late in the game had we got caught in a man and they recognized it, a high pick and roll with CJ setting up on the wing would have been a 75% success rate and a 60% rebound rate easily for Syracuse

The inbound, yes, was a terrible play by putting it in the corner like that. But looking back, that was the absolute worst spot to inbound against that team, only one option in the back court and Boeheim correctly took that away (was our only inbound play all game) and I think we panicked, would I have liked/expected Richard to have some sort of go to play against a 2-3 in that situation? Absolutely, but I don't know that many coaches have a good play to go against any 2-3 there and against a Syracuse 2-3 to boot is next to impossible.

Overall, I questioned Richard less than I was amazed by some of his calls. The "black traps" (first pass) were called at the perfect times. He outsmarted Boeheim a few times which is all you can ask for, and for the most part Syracuse played our game rather then theirs. They just were more talented and more experienced down the wire than we were. We were in the fight, and we fought hard.

I'm trying not to be a Pitino defender, I just was truly jacked about that game, and it's given me something to look forward to after the most recent recruiting defeats and Iowa St BS I've been avoiding lately.
 

A couple thoughts:

1. I don't think everyone takes into account the fact that the Syracuse zone is better than anything we'll see all year. Their length, athleticism, positioning and anticipation make it extremely difficult and lead to many of our turnovers. I think we're blaming the Hollins' a little too much and not giving enough credit to the Syracuse defense.

2. I think a lot people judge our press strictly on the number of turnovers it creates. Most often, an effective press doesn't result in a steal in the backcourt. The beauty of a good press is that it causes the other team to play at an uncomfortable pace. It creates turnovers after the press is seemingly broken or, more often, a rushed, off-balanced shot. Syracuse had trouble finding their rhythm for large chunks of the game.

3. I'm very encouraged by the effort and focus. When we got down early, we didn't panic. A couple shots fell and we took the momentum. Same happened in the second half. Shows some mental toughness.

4. Hopefully getting Mo back will help and hopefully a couple other guys develop who can contribute and keep people fresh. I think Mav and Wally would have really struggled against Syracuse. They will see better match-ups in the future.
 

The Goose is going to be huge for us this year. With the relative depth of our backcourt vs. our frontcourt, I think he is the player I would be most concerned with losing to an injury/suspension (concerned meaning I worry about what we would do if it happened, not that I think it will happen).
 

Pros
The ball entered the high post against a zone more times in one games than the past 6 years combined.
The bench was shortened; Mav & Wally would've killed us.
Richard put Elliot back out there in foul trouble when the game started slipping away rather than leave him on the bench like Tubby
Our best 2 players (Hollins x 2) played poorly and we almost won
Malik

Cons
Turnovers
Need better production from the 4 spot
Hollins x 2 need to make shots

I like what I saw last night. I'm confident that under Coach P we will continue to get better.


Spot on.
 

The Goose is going to be huge for us this year. With the relative depth of our backcourt vs. our frontcourt, I think he is the player I would be most concerned with losing to an injury/suspension (concerned meaning I worry about what we would do if it happened, not that I think it will happen).

Who the hell is the Goose and what does the bold mean?:confused:
 



Who the hell is the Goose and what does the bold mean?:confused:

The Goose is Eliason. The bold means that since I think we have a lot more depth in our backcourt, Eliason is the player I am most scared of losing, because even though the Hollins boys are better players, we have other guys who can fill in there.

I apologize if I am talking straight out of my backside, I don't really do basketball, but I like to pretend like I understand it.
 

The Goose is Eliason. The bold means that since I think we have a lot more depth in our backcourt, Eliason is the player I am most scared of losing, because even though the Hollins boys are better players, we have other guys who can fill in there.

I apologize if I am talking straight out of my backside, I don't really do basketball, but I like to pretend like I understand it.

Common illness on GopherHole.
 

HUH?

You must be clueless about basketball, why don't you go play NBA Jam that is your kind of basketball. I suppose you think EE sucks because he's not a leaper also?


How is Oto getting more minutes than him? Any athleticism would be an upgrade.
 

I'm excited to have Mo back today if for nothing else than to have 5 more fouls to split with EE and Joey.
 

The Goose is Eliason. The bold means that since I think we have a lot more depth in our backcourt, Eliason is the player I am most scared of losing, because even though the Hollins boys are better players, we have other guys who can fill in there.

I apologize if I am talking straight out of my backside, I don't really do basketball, but I like to pretend like I understand it.

I have never seen or read about EE being referred to as Goose.

As far as depth:
The 4 and 5...Four players to man two positions - yes we didn't have Mo yesterday but would have played.

The 1,2 & 3...Played four players to man three spots....apparently that's all coach trusted in our first true test.

I suppose you could argue whether the 3 is the front court or back court in this offense. It's a 3 guard offense and has only one trusted back-up so far.
 

I hate to keep piling on but Wally looks lost every time he is on the court, Oto looked a little lost at the beginning of yesterdays game but I thought he came on and played ok, he is also much bigger and stronger, Wally could not of held up as well at the 4 against Syracuse.
 




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