Wally Ellenson Not Expected to Play Tonight? UPDATED: Pitino says no truth to rumor

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Gopherprof said:
But why is Doogie supposed to care what the result is for the Gophers?

I don't understand how some people think it's the role of the media to support the program. They sell stories and information. That's it. If the father of a player that is sitting is going to give you a noteworthy quote, you take it. That's a no-brainer.
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I'm sure Doogie in the long run would get more usable important information from the coaching staff and people directly connected with the program than he will get from disgruntled parents. Posting stuff like this may not put him high on the list of reporters that are contacted first when the program has information that is actually important.
 

LehighFan said:
Hey guys - just a thought: don't be so angry. I saw good stuff from your guys tonight - particularly Eliason and Mathieu; you know you've got the real deal in both Hollins. College basketball is fun - remember? I know that's easy to say as a PL guy - insert D2 joke here - but I'd suggest you try to enjoy. Thanks for the game - I hope it gave you something...
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Thanks - your team really came out to play in the second half and went on a good run, causing some headaches for our team. Coach Pitino complemented your program.
 

LehighFan said:
Hey guys - just a thought: don't be so angry. I saw good stuff from your guys tonight - particularly Eliason and Mathieu; you know you've got the real deal in both Hollins. College basketball is fun - remember? I know that's easy to say as a PL guy - insert D2 joke here - but I'd suggest you try to enjoy. Thanks for the game - I hope it gave you something...
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Finally, something from an opposing fan that makes sense. Thanks for joining us, and hopefully you will follow the Gophers some more this season. Thanks, LF. Doc.
 

I posted on this board when the Gophers signed Wally that it was a mistake. Many on here dismissed the comments at the time but this is what I was alluding too. There are people are on here that are familiar with basketball in western WI and the Big Rivers Conference (where Rice Lake plays). The Ellenson parents are nuts. The kids are not worth the drama the parents will bring to the program. Wally should go high jump for the track team and Henry can go somewhere else. The gophers will be better off.
 





I don't know any specifics of the situation, but in reading this thread, it seems pretty harsh to attack a kid and his family; regardless of the circumstances. Let's have a little more class and let Coach Pitino handle things.
 

Per Ameilia at the Star Tribune - "Ellenson did not play tonight because of a disagreement with Pitino, according to Wally's father, John Ellenson. The younger Ellenson and Pitino are mutally working on the problem. Ellenson is expected to play on Tuesday. After the game, Pitino denied that there was a "verbal dispute" between the two and said that Ellenson not playing didn't mean anything. "Just because he didn't play tonight, doesn’t mean he’s not going to come back and play major minutes on Tuesday," Pitino said. "He’s working hard. He’s going to continue to improve. He’s a great kid, he’s doing a lot of the right things and he’s going to continue to get better."

The stories I have read indicate Mr. Ellenson has commented that there is an issue that his son and Coach Pitino are working through. It sppears to be a huge leap that Mr. Ellenson is attempting to run the MN. basketball team. I have watched the Ellenson family at many basketball events over the past 3 years and they have been extremely supportive of the teams their sons play on. In many cases, I have watched them be very supportive of the teammates on the team. It is very disappointing to see fans jump to conclusions with very limited knowledge of the issue.
 



CDH27 said:
Per Ameilia at the Star Tribune - "Ellenson did not play tonight because of a disagreement with Pitino, according to Wally's father, John Ellenson. The younger Ellenson and Pitino are mutally working on the problem. Ellenson is expected to play on Tuesday. After the game, Pitino denied that there was a "verbal dispute" between the two and said that Ellenson not playing didn't mean anything. "Just because he didn't play tonight, doesn’t mean he’s not going to come back and play major minutes on Tuesday," Pitino said. "He’s working hard. He’s going to continue to improve. He’s a great kid, he’s doing a lot of the right things and he’s going to continue to get better."

The stories I have read indicate Mr. Ellenson has commented that there is an issue that his son and Coach Pitino are working through. It sppears to be a huge leap that Mr. Ellenson is attempting to run the MN. basketball team. I have watched the Ellenson family at many basketball events over the past 3 years and they have been extremely supportive of the teams their sons play on. In many cases, I have watched them be very supportive of the teammates on the team. It is very disappointing to see fans jump to conclusions with very limited knowledge of the issue.
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Ellenson's are fine people. Everyone in Rice Lake pretty much likes them. Tubby ,his high school coaches and his AAU pump n run coaches all get long fine with the family. A few jealous folks who's kid teams got smashed in basketball by the Ellenson's ...show up here and whine whine whine
 

The Brain Trust said:
Ellenson's are fine people. Everyone in Rice Lake pretty much likes them. Tubby ,his high school coaches and his AAU pump n run coaches all get long fine with the family. A few jealous folks who's kid teams got smashed in basketball by the Ellenson's ...show up here and whine whine whine
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The Brain Trust, why do you think Wally's Daddy ran to the media? What benefit is there? Shouldn't that have been kept in the locker room?
 

Ellenson parents are legendary in Western Wisconsin, and not in a good way. Hopefully Wally can separate himself a little bit and focus on what Pitino wants him to do to get better as a basketball player.
 

HavaGo4 said:
I posted on this board when the Gophers signed Wally that it was a mistake. Many on here dismissed the comments at the time but this is what I was alluding too. There are people are on here that are familiar with basketball in western WI and the Big Rivers Conference (where Rice Lake plays). The Ellenson parents are nuts. The kids are not worth the drama the parents will bring to the program. Wally should go high jump for the track team and Henry can go somewhere else. The gophers will be better off.
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As sad as it is to say missing out on 6'10' top 100 guy might not be the worse thing. I have several friends who coach(including rice lake) and follow the big rivers very closely and they have been warning me about this all along. They all say that Henry is more level headed than Wally but the dad is even more involved. They also have a sister that will be a d1 player I think she is already 6'2 as a freshman. It is sad when parents have to be this involved.
 



CDH27 said:
Per Ameilia at the Star Tribune - "Ellenson did not play tonight because of a disagreement with Pitino, according to Wally's father, John Ellenson. The younger Ellenson and Pitino are mutally working on the problem. Ellenson is expected to play on Tuesday. After the game, Pitino denied that there was a "verbal dispute" between the two and said that Ellenson not playing didn't mean anything. "Just because he didn't play tonight, doesn’t mean he’s not going to come back and play major minutes on Tuesday," Pitino said. "He’s working hard. He’s going to continue to improve. He’s a great kid, he’s doing a lot of the right things and he’s going to continue to get better."



The stories I have read indicate Mr. Ellenson has commented that there is an issue that his son and Coach Pitino are working through. It sppears to be a huge leap that Mr. Ellenson is attempting to run the MN. basketball team. I have watched the Ellenson family at many basketball events over the past 3 years and they have been extremely supportive of the teams their sons play on. In many cases, I have watched them be very supportive of the teammates on the team. It is very disappointing to see fans jump to conclusions with very limited knowledge of the issue.
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Good post. So so true.
 

HavaGo4 said:
I posted on this board when the Gophers signed Wally that it was a mistake. Many on here dismissed the comments at the time but this is what I was alluding too. There are people are on here that are familiar with basketball in western WI and the Big Rivers Conference (where Rice Lake plays). The Ellenson parents are nuts. The kids are not worth the drama the parents will bring to the program. Wally should go high jump for the track team and Henry can go somewhere else. The gophers will be better off.
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BS. I have known Wally's dad since I was a very young kid. Not sure where all of this stuff is coming from. Last year I was at a conference with the principal from Rice Lake. He said they are the nicest kids and they not only add positives to their team, they are positive leaders in the classroom, in the halls, etc. wow.....talk about people talking out their.....
 

I think people remember how Humphries' dad operated and they want to transfer that guilt to other similar scenarios. Unfair. However, why did Wally's dad feel the need to leak this to the media instead of keeping this "in-house". That's the only thing that concerns me about this whole situation.
 

Slim Tubby said:
I think people remember how Humphries' dad operated and they want to transfer that guilt to other similar scenarios. Unfair. However, why did Wally's dad feel the need to leak this to the media instead of keeping this "in-house". That's the only thing that concerns me about this whole situation.
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That's the concern here. Anyone can say anything about the family, good or bad, second hand, and we should all take it with a grain of salt. But outward actions are louder than words, and they're facts. Running to the media at the first sign of trouble is not cool.
 

XMan said:
BS. I have known Wally's dad since I was a very young kid. Not sure where all of this stuff is coming from. Last year I was at a conference with the principal from Rice Lake. He said they are the nicest kids and they not only add positives to their team, they are positive leaders in the classroom, in the halls, etc. wow.....talk about people talking out their.....
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I never said anything bad about the Ellenson kids. My criticism was directed at the parents. I don't know if the kids are worth all the drama the parents can bring. People that don't follow the Big Rivers or b-ball in western WI are seeing it for the first time. Those of us that do follow have seen this show before and their is a lot of potential for it to get worse.
 

CDH27 said:
Per Ameilia at the Star Tribune - "Ellenson did not play tonight because of a disagreement with Pitino, according to Wally's father, John Ellenson. The younger Ellenson and Pitino are mutally working on the problem. Ellenson is expected to play on Tuesday. After the game, Pitino denied that there was a "verbal dispute" between the two and said that Ellenson not playing didn't mean anything. "Just because he didn't play tonight, doesn’t mean he’s not going to come back and play major minutes on Tuesday," Pitino said. "He’s working hard. He’s going to continue to improve. He’s a great kid, he’s doing a lot of the right things and he’s going to continue to get better."

The stories I have read indicate Mr. Ellenson has commented that there is an issue that his son and Coach Pitino are working through. It sppears to be a huge leap that Mr. Ellenson is attempting to run the MN. basketball team. I have watched the Ellenson family at many basketball events over the past 3 years and they have been extremely supportive of the teams their sons play on. In many cases, I have watched them be very supportive of the teammates on the team. It is very disappointing to see fans jump to conclusions with very limited knowledge of the issue.
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And how do the two bolded statements relate? Cause and effect?
 

Gopherprof said:
But why is Doogie supposed to care what the result is for the Gophers?

I don't understand how some people think it's the role of the media to support the program. They sell stories and information. That's it. If the father of a player that is sitting is going to give you a noteworthy quote, you take it. That's a no-brainer.
Click to expand...

Your right about the role of the media, but quality control is there business. If there's no story and you make one then you deserve everything that comes your way.

Seems Doogie caught a scoop... could be nothing, could just be a passionate, competitive kid arguing for playing time or misunderstanding something. Maybe he was crabby that day. Doogie needs some patience on this story, let it develop into something tangible or ignore it.
 

No more Doogie Scoops please...

Wally at this point is not good enough for his dad to try and run the team. Well maybe the track team.

If it is over playing time it is good Wally shows some passion the coach probably appreciates that....
 

I'm completely comfortable ripping some people, and I think I've demonstrated that. But I don't like ripping Wally's family based on speculation and rumors. I've never met them, but I've seen them at Pulley and places like that, and they always seemed like a close, solid family. And Wally wears the maroon and gold. I've got no problem ripping him for being out of position on the press, or looking for his own shot too much, but I haven't heard enough yet to castigate the kid. I hope he learns from whatever happened (if anything did), and becomes the sort of rebounder and defender this team needs right now.
 

Don't know anything about the Ellensons, but a couple of general thoughts:

People who leak info or pass items to the media ALWAYS have an agenda. IF Ellenson senior is going to the media with this story, it's because he's trying to steer/control the story.

As someone who has followed HS sports for 30+ years, I have seen a lot of parents who simply have no perspective - try to live through their kids - try to get coaches fired - etc. etc. etc.

If Wally and Pitino do have a problem, Dad should have kept his mouth shut and let the player and the coach work it out.
 

I know a tweet was posted on the Montana pregame thread, but I heard that Pitino has said he does not know if Ellenson will play tonight, and that he doesn't "script" games ahead of time. I don't know exactly what is going on in this gong show, but Pitino's actios are telling me two things.

1. Pitino is not going to take any crap from his players.

2. He is going to say the right things to the media and keep his in-house problems in-house where they belong.

Love him for both of those things, excited to have this guy as our coach.
 

All I know is not red shirting last year seemed odd and this whole 'maybe didn't play because of a possible disagreement' is somewhat ominous. Hopefully it turns into a nothing-to-see-here-folks deal.
 

Maybe Coach Pitino is telling Ellenson dad that the kid should have redshirted last year, and is going to red shirt this year.

As long as we are over analyzing on GopherHole, I thought I would too. :)
 

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