Rand: Is Pitino doing more with less?

[SelectionSunday]

B1G is so good this year we might get 10 Elite 8 teams.

Teams are beating each other up so much it's possible the Big Ten may get only 5 bids. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin all are going to make it, so it's up to the Gophers, Indiana, and/or maybe even Nebraska to step up and grab a 6th bid. Can't see any scenario where the Big Ten gets 7 unless one of the "non-top 5" wins the BTT.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Teams are beating each other up so much it's possible the Big Ten may get only 5 bids. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin all are going to make it, so it's up to the Gophers, Indiana, and/or maybe even Nebraska to step up and grab a 6th bid. Can't see any scenario where the Big Ten gets 7 unless one of the "non-top 5" wins the BTT.

10 Elite 8 teams. Mark. It. Down.

 

[SelectionSunday]

10 Elite 8 teams. Mark. It. Down.

That would be quite an accomplishment!

Are we counting the NIT, CBI, and CIT?

 

[bemidjigopher]

I would say this year we were old and inexperienced, next year will experienced and senior driven, year three with a team of just about all Pitino recruits, we will be extremely young and "green".

 

[gopherlaney]

Rand's comparison of "surprise big men" (Mo and Mbakwe) is comical. Mo's performance has been completely unexpected. Frankly I was disappointed last year Mbakwe only averaged 10 pts to go with his 9 boards per game.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Just to clarify Pitino(and others) stated the Gophers are not a young team but they are an inexperienced team. Mathieu was at a JC - Malik was at FIU, not the Big Ten - King was at Drake in the MVC - EE and Oto played little - Big Mo didn't play. The two Hollins were the only experienced Big Ten players.

Just to reiterate what Pitino is talking about:

There were 9 players last year who averaged 10 or more minutes a game, just four are still on the team (and Maverick doesn't really play much). The six players who left last year's team: Williams, Mbakwe, Welch, Ingram, Coleman, and Halvorsen played 50.3% of the minutes last season.