Sid: Knight told Pitino MN will never win BT title until nonconf schedule is improved

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Sid:

Tougher schedule

Maybe Gophers men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino took the advice of former great basketball coach Bobby Knight when they met in New York in 2014 when the Gophers won the NIT. Knight told Pitino that he never will win in the Big Ten until his team plays a tougher nonconference schedule.

Well, this season, in addition to playing at Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Gophers will play Vanderbilt in Sioux Falls, S.D., and host St. John’s and Arkansas at Williams Arena.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-fans-are-lucky-that-the-team-still-is-here/383205701/

Go Gophers!!
 


I would say just because the non conference schedule is more fan friendly doesn't make it tougher. Sure we have four solid opponents, but we've had that the last few years as well. The only difference is the games are on college campuses instead of on an exotic island or in an airport hanger. Though there is something to be said about playing a tough non con schedule Clem's 97 team if I recall had road games to Nebraska, Rhode Island and Alabama, hosted St. Johns and West Virginia and traveled to Puerto Rico for a tournament
 


SelectionSunday said:
Where they beat Clemson in the finals, a team they'd later engage in a Sweet 16 classic for the ages.
Click to expand...

The first Clemson game I remember listening to Ray Christensen's golden voice on WCCO because the game wasn't televised. If I recall, Eric Harris hit a baseline jumper to win the game.

The second Clemson game is arguably the greatest game in Gopher basketball history, when you combine the significance of the outcome, the level of play by both teams, the story lines in the game (Bobby playing over 20 minutes with 4 fouls) and the incredible duo performance of Bobby and Sam.

We will get to that level again. It's what keeps me going as a Gopher fan.

I am convinced the "good old days" are in front of us.

Go Gophers!!
 


BleedGopher said:
The first Clemson game I remember listening to Ray Christensen's golden voice on WCCO because the game wasn't televised. If I recall, Eric Harris hit a baseline jumper to win the game.

The second Clemson game is arguably the greatest game in Gopher basketball history, when you combine the significance of the outcome, the level of play by both teams, the story lines in the game (Bobby playing over 20 minutes with 4 fouls) and the incredible duo performance of Bobby and Sam.

We will get to that level again. It's what keeps me going as a Gopher fan.

I am convinced the "good old days" are in front of us.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Have to agree, Bleed. Was fortunate enough to be at the Alamodome for the regional semis & finals. Don't know if I've ever been more drained after a game than that one. Quincy was killin' me with those two missed free throws (or was it only the front end of a 1-and-1?) that could have iced the game in regulation.

After that one I was 100% confident they'd win the regional. That team had guts and toughness up the ying-yang. The pretty boys from L.A. (Toby Bailey, Kris Johnson, etc.) weren't going to beat that team.
 

A sobbing Steve Lavin after the UCLA game is priceless. Multiple dunks down the lane for Big John and C.James to complete the comeback...disbelief on the Bruin bench. 19 years ago? Sigh.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Lavin

sal said:
A sobbing Steve Lavin after the UCLA game is priceless. Multiple dunks down the lane for Big John and C.James to complete the comeback...disbelief on the Bruin bench. 19 years ago? Sigh.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yep, hard to forget Lavin's postgame blubbering.

Funny how things work out. Postgame I couldn't stand Lavin because he went on & on about how much that team had gone through, kept mentioning over & over in the press conference J.R. Henderson's injury (?) as a factor in the game, while the Gophers had Eric Harris playing with an arm he couldn't lift above his shoulder.

Turns out Lavin became one of my favorite guys in an often shady world of big-time college sports. Loved him when he worked for ESPN. Has a deep appreciation & knowledge of college basketball's history, doesn't take himself too seriously, and have always found him to be sincere and likable (since that memorable Golden Gophers day).
 

We just need to keep getting NCAA games against UCLA. Last two tournament wins.
 




BleedGopher said:
The first Clemson game I remember listening to Ray Christensen's golden voice on WCCO because the game wasn't televised. If I recall, Eric Harris hit a baseline jumper to win the game.

The second Clemson game is arguably the greatest game in Gopher basketball history, when you combine the significance of the outcome, the level of play by both teams, the story lines in the game (Bobby playing over 20 minutes with 4 fouls) and the incredible duo performance of Bobby and Sam.

We will get to that level again. It's what keeps me going as a Gopher fan.

I am convinced the "good old days" are in front of us.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I want to see us replicate those same accomplishments legitimately, so that we can have an actual "good old days" to point to as Gopher basketball fans.
 


We should have hired Bobby after Indiana gave him the boot.
 



dpodoll68 said:
Our second-to-last tournament win was against Syracuse.
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No, actually, "our second-to-last tournament win" was against Rutgers in the 2015 B1G Tournament. The most recent "tournament" win was vs. Missouri State in the 2015 Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Our second-to-last (deemed legitimate by the NCAA) win that came in a NCAA Tournament, yes, that was against Syracuse (1990).
 

Lavin is great behind a mic. Behind a bench...no thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


dpodoll68 said:
Our second-to-last tournament win was against Syracuse.
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Don't be a tool and **** on everyone's memories, I was ten when that year happened and probably wouldn't be as big of a fan without that team to suck me in.
 

Did Knight tell Sid that Richard should also physically abuse his players and other students?
 

As long as Knight isn't giving him Grouse hunting advice we should be good. :horse:
 


bemidjigopher said:
Don't be a tool and **** on everyone's memories, I was ten when that year happened and probably wouldn't be as big of a fan without that team to suck me in.
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Nope, I'm never going to celebrate cheating. Sorry that my ethics interfere with your celebration of cheaters.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Nope, I'm never going to celebrate cheating. Sorry that my ethics interfere with your celebration of cheaters.
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C'mon Dpo..."celebrate cheating"? We're just remembering a great basketball game. We all understand it doesn't count in the history books but it did happen.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Nope, I'm never going to celebrate cheating. Sorry that my ethics interfere with your celebration of cheaters.
Click to expand...

Oh please UNC basketball ran a 30+ year scam in black history degrees and they get to keep all their banners. There is no integrity in the NCAA, so get off you high horse
 

SelectionSunday said:
Yep, hard to forget Lavin's postgame blubbering. Funny how things work out. Postgame I couldn't stand Lavin because he went on & on about how much that team had gone through, kept mentioning over & over in the press conference J.R. Henderson's injury (?) as a factor in the game, while the Gophers had Eric Harris playing with an arm he couldn't lift above his shoulder.
Click to expand...

Jelani McCoy. He and Henderson were athletic, but the physicality of JT and James bothered them right from the beginning, like the older brother asserting dominance over the younger. I was sitting 5 rows under the basket and it was a war under there. Sam Jacobson also worked over Charles O'Bannon on both ends.

That was an unlikeable UCLA team, especially Bailey and Lavin, and their fans were insufferable (worse bc they had just won the title about 2 years ago). Probably the most satisfying win of my MN sports watching life.
 

WanderingGopher said:
Jelani McCoy. He and Henderson were athletic, but the physicality of JT and James bothered them right from the beginning, like the older brother asserting dominance over the younger. I was sitting 5 rows under the basket and it was a war under there. Sam Jacobson also worked over Charles O'Bannon on both ends.

That was an unlikeable UCLA team, especially Bailey and Lavin, and their fans were insufferable (worse bc they had just won the title about 2 years ago). Probably the most satisfying win of my MN sports watching life.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the correction. Couldn't remember exactly which guy it was that had the injury.
 

Think KNIGHT meant a much tougher schedule than any that PITINO has had including this years that may not be top 100
 

WanderingGopher said:
Jelani McCoy. He and Henderson were athletic, but the physicality of JT and James bothered them right from the beginning, like the older brother asserting dominance over the younger. I was sitting 5 rows under the basket and it was a war under there. Sam Jacobson also worked over Charles O'Bannon on both ends.

That was an unlikeable UCLA team, especially Bailey and Lavin, and their fans were insufferable (worse bc they had just won the title about 2 years ago). Probably the most satisfying win of my MN sports watching life.
Click to expand...

I was there too and remember (after all the great basketball memories, of course) that I was very disappointed in my first in-person viewing of the vaunted UCLA cheerleaders. That '97 crew, at least, was highly overrated.
 

BleedGopher said:
The first Clemson game I remember listening to Ray Christensen's golden voice on WCCO because the game wasn't televised. If I recall, Eric Harris hit a baseline jumper to win the game.

The second Clemson game is arguably the greatest game in Gopher basketball history, when you combine the significance of the outcome, the level of play by both teams, the story lines in the game (Bobby playing over 20 minutes with 4 fouls) and the incredible duo performance of Bobby and Sam.

We will get to that level again. It's what keeps me going as a Gopher fan.

I am convinced the "good old days" are in front of us.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Actually, I believe Eric's baseline jumper beat Creighton in the previous round. If memory serves, they beat Clemson comfortably by about 10.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

Tougher schedule

Maybe Gophers men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino took the advice of former great basketball coach Bobby Knight when they met in New York in 2014 when the Gophers won the NIT. Knight told Pitino that he never will win in the Big Ten until his team plays a tougher nonconference schedule.

Well, this season, in addition to playing at Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Gophers will play Vanderbilt in Sioux Falls, S.D., and host St. John’s and Arkansas at Williams Arena.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-fans-are-lucky-that-the-team-still-is-here/383205701/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Sid needs to slow down a bit on this. Let's wait until we see the entire non-conference schedule before coming to a grand conclusion. What I know so far, I like, most notably 2 home games vs. Power 6 opponents, and an ACC Challenge road opponent (FSU) that's expected to legitimately compete for a NCAA bid.

But let's see how & who we replace those (2 of) Alabama/BYU/Valpo games with. We still don't know for certain if the Arkansas game is part of the exempt multi-team event, or just a straight home-and-home.
 


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