I see all of this talk about things being different with quick turnarounds due to the portal, etc. etc. etc. I get it... we all want a winner and we want it now. The fact of the matter is that there are 350+ D-1 basketball teams out there including 65 Power 5 schools. Every single program is trying their hardest to win games but there is only one winner for each game over the course of a season.
Of the 65 Power 5 schools, this means that only 33 are likely to have winning records in conference in any given year. There are at least 15 teams across the Power 5 conferences who are always going to be at the top due to their historical success. That leaves the other 50 teams to jockey around trying to be one of the only 18 remaining teams to gain a winning conference record. Yes... you read that right. Only about 36% of your average Power 5 teams can have a winning record in their conference.
Many here seem to think that it should be expected that the Gophers should be a year-in/year-out winner. The fact is that we are likely never going to break into the top 15 Power 5 programs. We will almost certainly always be scrapping and fighting each year to win ALONG WITH 49 OTHER PROGRAMS who are trying just as hard.
We can all hope that someday we can maybe climb into the top half of the "Other 50" programs and have more good years followed by some down years. We've taken a risk with an unproven coach on a whole-scale tear down remodel of the bones of this program to hopefully build the program back up versus doing a bunch of cosmetic patching by recycling coach after coach.
After a few years, we'll see whether we are building something worthwhile. If so, we will all celebrate. If not, we will start over and try again... ALONG WITH ALL OF THE OTHER 49 PROGRAMS that keep trying right alongside us.
We are stuck with this coaching staff this year. We are stuck with these players this year. We are NOT going to be in the tournament this year. NOTHING is happening this year!
Many of you want to eat a chocolate cake today but the team is still mixing the batter. They will likely have to fish some eggshells out of the batter but hopefully we can get this thing in the oven soon. The journey is often wraught with challenges but it makes success all the sweeter. Enjoy the journey or you will risk missing out on the bulk of your life.
1. We all want a winner.
2. Most dont expect immediate success. Most are more than willing to have some level of patience - however, dont expect fans with many decades of fandom, season ticket purchases, donations, etc to sit back quietly and watch trash. Not going to happen. Especially after hiring two "green" head coaches back to back.
3. Most do expect improvement, relatively quickly.
4. MN too a flyer on a head coach that had no previous head coaching or lead assistant experience. After.......
5. MN hired a head coach in RP that had all of one year of head coaching experience.
6. MN administration is the real culprit. Horrid all around.
7. MN can be a top half Big 10 BB team. No question. Nice try at saying MN is relatgated to crap.
Your attempt to lecture is cute, just not effective.