By: Daniel House- Follow on Twitter: @DanielHouseNFL
Gophers head coach Richard Pitino addressed the media before the team held their first practice Friday afternoon. It’s been an eventful week in college basketball as Richard’s dad, Rick, was put on unpaid leave at Louisville. Pitino was focused on the current state of the Gophers, but discussed how this week’s news has impacted his family.
“The biggest thing with that; it’s family. He’s my dad. I love him, I care for him and I want what’s best for him. I just want him to be happy,” Pitino said.
With center Reggie Lynch, guard Dupree McBrayer and forward Davonte Fitzgerald all recovering from injuries, Pitino noted they will need to be creative early in their practice sessions.
“It kind of feels like Christmas, but we don’t get to open our presents,” Pitino said. “It’s been a weird vibe on the team right now, because Reggie cannot do contact, Dupree cannot do contact. Davonte we’re going to be really patient with him as we should be. So there’s no a great flow, just from a competitive standpoint.”
Pitino said Reggie Lynch could return next week as he recovers from knee surgery. Dupree McBrayer is rehabbing a stress reaction in his leg and Pitino doesn’t want to rush him back. He said McBrayer could have potentially practiced Friday, but he’s being very cautious. The same strategy is being taken with Davonte Fitzgerald, who is returning from an ACL tear he suffered last October.
Pitino noted how important veteran leadership will be once everyone can return healthy. He anticipates it won’t be long before the full roster is available.
“[The seniors] are the guys that have been there before. If those guys handle it the right way, you’ll have a good team.”
The one player the Gophers will be without is sophomore forward Eric Curry, who suffered ligament tears in his knee a few weeks ago. Pitino said the winning plays Curry contributed will require others to step up.
“It’s amazing how many times he made a winning play. [Expectations] are pretty high, and that’s okay. I’m excited about it. Losing Eric Curry did hurt us,” Pitino said.
A player like 2016 Big Ten All-Freshman honoree Amir Coffey will certainly play a big role in the success of this season’s squad. Pitino said he likes the progress he is seeing from one of the top players in the conference.
“He looks different from a mentality standpoint. You can just tell he’s taking the next step. He’s been working really, really hard.”
Pitino will inject two new freshmen into the lineup and both could make strong impacts in 2017. Guards Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris have garnered plenty of attention among the recruiting community.
Washington, a four-star point guard out of New York, has made his “JellyFam” brand known nationwide. With over 370,000 Instagram followers, Washington brings a national presence to the Gophers. He also is widely considered one of the best rim finishers in the country, which led to “jelly” being coined to describe his layups on the street courts.
“Isaiah loved playing on the playgrounds. He’s a throwback point guard. It’s just amazing the following he has,” Pitino said. “I go recruiting, and I’m not kidding you, kids are doing the ‘jelly.’ Isaiah loves the game as good as any player we have had here.”
Jamir Harris, a three-star guard from Elizabeth, NJ will be an electrifying three-point shooter for this Gophers squad. Pitino said he can be a threat in the offense when he displays sound shot selection.
“Terrific, terrific three-point shooter,” Pitino smiled. “Unlimited ranged and plays so hard. He’s just getting a feel for the offense and when he does, look out.”
The Gophers had a small portion of practice open to the media and ran a few select drills, but it’s clear to see they will be trying to get healthy before increasing their practice intensity.
Until then, the coach and his team will focus on developing their mentality.
“We need to be mentally in a really good place if we want to be good,” Pitino said.