After a rough first 8 minutes, the Gophers settled in and played a pretty well-fought battle against a Michigan team that's firing on all cylinders. They're a match-up nightmare for us since our bigs have issues closing out on their bigs that can hit perimeter shots. That's where not having Springs was killer, he was a leader on defense in terms of communication. You could tell the Gophers were rattled with having less than 24 hours to prepare to play without him. Could've been different with more time to prepare. We got destroyed on the pick-and-roll, and that's a combination of moving your feet and communicating.
It would've been nice to be able to put Konate, Hurt or Gilbert in for a few minutes to give the starters a breather if nothing else. But Hurt still has a lot of developing to do in his game, and Gilbert/Konate lack that lateral quickness on defense to have any chance to see the floor against Michigan. It would have been a train wreck.
The Gophers have got to focus on finishing stronger at the rim. They go up for shots anticipating contact or that they'll get a whistle. Just go up strong, make the basket and let the rest take care of itself. Lot of missed lay-ups that proved costly, which is frustrating.
Nice to see them battle back, but having to do all that work to tie it up with 6 players left them gassed in the critical minutes. Mason's foul on Walton was when he was dead tired and reached instead of moving his feet. Gotta credit Walton and Michigan, though, he wouldn't let them lose.
Still a great year and a classy gesture by Pitino on the flight home to thank Springs for his contributions this year. And he's not done, you can still be involved on the bench and telling the guys on the court what you're seeing. That can be extremely valuable in making adjustments.
Gophers are getting their first NCAA bid under Pitino, and without a sweat. The Selection Show is far more entertaining when the Gophers are involved. Now it's all about match-ups. The Sweet 16 is still very possible, how fun would that be? Go Gophers!