STrib: Gophers find themselves firmly on NIT bubble

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,762
Reaction score
16,152
Points
113
per the STrib:

At 5-9 in Big Ten play, the Gophers — who went 8-10 in the conference last year — probably need two more regular-season wins to make the NIT, at the minimum. In the past two years, only one team has sneaked into the secondary postseason tournament with fewer than eight conference victories: Illinois was 7-11 in the Big Ten last season, but the Illini also had three victories over ranked opponents, including two in conference on the road (at Michigan State and Iowa).

The Gophers have a cluster of critical young players — freshmen Nate Mason, Bakary Konate and Gaston Diedhiou and sophomore Charles Buggs among them — who could benefit from an extension to the season, wherever it comes. All of those players will be expected to have increased roles next season.

“Those young guys … need reps, badly,” Pitino said. “You put them through an individual instruction and they look different from what they look during a game. It’s the speed of the game, so they need five-on-five game reps.”

Said Hollins, “Any type of postseason, to get extra reps in, just to end on a good note is always a good thing.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/293099741.html

Go Gophers!!
 


The most surprising thing there to me is that Buggs is still a sophomore. I have no idea how that's possible. None.

(I do know it's possible, just doesn't feel like it for those who want to take it literally)
 

per the STrib:

At 5-9 in Big Ten play, the Gophers — who went 8-10 in the conference last year — probably need two more regular-season wins to make the NIT, at the minimum. In the past two years, only one team has sneaked into the secondary postseason tournament with fewer than eight conference victories
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/293099741.html

Go Gophers!!

This reporter surely isn't digging into the historical record much before making an argument. Only three years ago the Gophers made the NIT with 6 conference wins.
 

This reporter surely isn't digging into the historical record much before making an argument. Only three years ago the Gophers made the NIT with 6 conference wins.

Wait! What? A Strib reporter who is lazy and doesn't write a good story. Hard to imagine.
 





Top Bottom