BleedGopher
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per Souhan:
Richard Pitino is gushing about freshmen and scheduling tough opponents in November. He’s in danger of getting kicked out of the college coaching fraternity.
The Gophers’ basketball coach, after watching his team beat Omaha 104-76 on Tuesday, didn’t play the usual semantic games. He acted like a fan instead of a taskmaster. In a program and an athletic department in desperate need of ticket sales and financial success, Pitino isn’t shying away from expectations.
He admitted he likes his team and loves his freshmen. A jaded fan base might want to take him at his word.
“I’m about as excited as I’ve been in a long time,” he said.
You could see why Tuesday. Not because of the quality of opponent, but because of the Gophers’ evident talent.
Jordan Murphy is one of the best players in America. If he played for a more high-profile program, he’d be a big man on cable instead of just a big man on campus.
Junior Amir Coffey, a classic small forward by body type and athletic ability, played point guard, and often made it look easy, using his long arms to pass over the defense and finish at the rim. He finished with a game-best plus-31 rating.
Senior guard DuPree McBrayer is healthy again and made five of six three-point shots. He had the team’s second-best plus-minus rating at 29.
But on opening night of the regular season, the freshmen were the draw.
• Center Daniel Oturu produced eight rebounds and made five of his seven shots. He is a physical force.
• Guard Gabe Kalscheur was the only starter to play fewer than 22 minutes, and Pitino admitted that occurred because he thinks of Kalscheur as a veteran who doesn’t need early-season minutes. Kalscheur can shoot and defend the perimeter.
• Forward Jarvis Omersa might be the best pure athlete on an athletic team, and his second-half dunks rewarded those who stayed until the end of the blowout.
http://www.startribune.com/richard-...of-veteran-talent-youthful-promise/499902371/
Go Gophers!!
Richard Pitino is gushing about freshmen and scheduling tough opponents in November. He’s in danger of getting kicked out of the college coaching fraternity.
The Gophers’ basketball coach, after watching his team beat Omaha 104-76 on Tuesday, didn’t play the usual semantic games. He acted like a fan instead of a taskmaster. In a program and an athletic department in desperate need of ticket sales and financial success, Pitino isn’t shying away from expectations.
He admitted he likes his team and loves his freshmen. A jaded fan base might want to take him at his word.
“I’m about as excited as I’ve been in a long time,” he said.
You could see why Tuesday. Not because of the quality of opponent, but because of the Gophers’ evident talent.
Jordan Murphy is one of the best players in America. If he played for a more high-profile program, he’d be a big man on cable instead of just a big man on campus.
Junior Amir Coffey, a classic small forward by body type and athletic ability, played point guard, and often made it look easy, using his long arms to pass over the defense and finish at the rim. He finished with a game-best plus-31 rating.
Senior guard DuPree McBrayer is healthy again and made five of six three-point shots. He had the team’s second-best plus-minus rating at 29.
But on opening night of the regular season, the freshmen were the draw.
• Center Daniel Oturu produced eight rebounds and made five of his seven shots. He is a physical force.
• Guard Gabe Kalscheur was the only starter to play fewer than 22 minutes, and Pitino admitted that occurred because he thinks of Kalscheur as a veteran who doesn’t need early-season minutes. Kalscheur can shoot and defend the perimeter.
• Forward Jarvis Omersa might be the best pure athlete on an athletic team, and his second-half dunks rewarded those who stayed until the end of the blowout.
http://www.startribune.com/richard-...of-veteran-talent-youthful-promise/499902371/
Go Gophers!!