Your expectations for/what you want to see for Pitino in Year 1

[SelectionSunday]

An improving team and a winning (5-3) February

I'd like to see a team that's kicking into full gear in February, one looking like it's getting ready for March, instead of one that is regressing. A 5-3 record or better would be very much welcomed.

Feb. 1: Northwestern
Feb. 5: @ Purdue
Feb. 8: Indiana
Feb. 13: @ Wisconsin
Feb. 16: @ Northwestern
Feb. 19: Illinois
Feb. 22: @ Ohio State
Feb. 25: Iowa

 

[Dr.Don]

I'd like to see a team that's kicking into full gear in February, one looking like it's getting ready for March, instead of one that is regressing. A 5-3 record or better would be very much welcomed.

Feb. 1: Northwestern W
Feb. 5: @ Purdue W
Feb. 8: Indiana W
Feb. 13: @ Wisconsin L
Feb. 16: @ Northwestern W
Feb. 19: Illinois W
Feb. 22: @ Ohio State L
Feb. 25: Iowa L

I will pick these W-L games SS. But remember, I am the world's worst prognosticator.

 

[Bad Gopher]

12 Minute FG droughts shouldn't happen. It's a legitimate thing to work on.

It's true. I'd be surprised if Pitino hasn't looked his team in the eye and said, "12-minute field goal droughts shouldn't happen." This is a team and a system that gets good looks at the basket. They fell out of that late against MSU. They panicked a little.

 

[Dr.Don]

It's true. I'd be surprised if Pitino hasn't looked his team in the eye and said, "12-minute field goal droughts shouldn't happen." This is a team and a system that gets good looks at the basket. They fell out of that late against MSU. They panicked a little.

Here's the deal...and I am sure Coach Pitino learned from it. The TEAM played to not lose, instead of playing to win. Had Coach to do it over again, he would have had Lil Dre drive to the bucket with 3 seconds left and had a dish out to Malik for a winning 3. A 12 pont loss in OT is no better than a 2 point loss in regulation.

 

[mnsports1]

Here's the deal...and I am sure Coach Pitino learned from it. The TEAM played to not lose, instead of playing to win. Had Coach to do it over again, he would have had Lil Dre drive to the bucket with 3 seconds left and had a dish out to Malik for a winning 3. A 12 pont loss in OT is no better than a 2 point loss in regulation.

...or Dre gets an "and 1." A one point win in regulation is better than a 2 pt. loss in regulation.

 

[GopherJake]

Here's the deal...and I am sure Coach Pitino learned from it. The TEAM played to not lose, instead of playing to win. Had Coach to do it over again, he would have had Lil Dre drive to the bucket with 3 seconds left and had a dish out to Malik for a winning 3. A 12 pont loss in OT is no better than a 2 point loss in regulation.

I read in the Strib that they had set up a 3 point attempt but the play broke down.

 

[bottlebass]

If it happens again I'll be concerned. Until then I'm not going to worry about it. 12 minute drought sounds a lot worse until you remember how many freethrows we made in that span. It was a bad 12 minutes of basketball but we were still putting points on the board.

And the original topic was how our team is "bi-polar." I don't think one long offensive drought is enough evidence to suggest that our team is "bi-polar."

As a health professional I liked the "bi-polar" analogy. Our offense was running on all cylinders in the first half then didn't make a basket for 13 mins in the second half? How is that not bi-polar? Pretty much the definition of bi-polar. We also only made 8 FTs in those 13 minutes... and had 24 FT attempts in the game. You make it sound like going 13 minutes without a basket wasn't a big deal because we made SO MANY FTs through that stretch but really we didn't get to the line any more during that stretch than at any point of the game so the FTs are negligible and the 13 min stretch without a basket IS a big deal.

PSU - 7 mins in 1st half
Mich- 5 mins towards end of the game
Purdue- Last 5 mins in game without a basket
A&M cc- 8 mins in 2nd half

That's all the farther back I'll go... maybe you don't think 5 minute stretches are too long but the Purdue stretch to end the game almost lost the game and the Mich stretch did lose us the game as we were tied with them at the start of the stretch and the game was out of reach by the time we scored our next basket. That long stretch lost us the Mich St game too. I agree with Skinnygopher, I would like to see Pitino "dial up the right meds" to fix this issue as right now it is the biggest issue preventing wins... besides talent of course.