This was a really important win for many reasons

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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First of all, awesome win. First win at Michigan State since Bobby and JT were wearing maroon and gold.

This win is big for many reasons:

- It shows that this team hasn't given up on the staff. We've had some maddening loses, but the effort has been there (for the most part). Clearly Nebraska has mailed it in and has for a few weeks so we can see that it could be a lot worse.

- We hung with them on the boards, a program that is known for its toughness and rebounding.

- We only had 7 turnovers in a hostile environment in 45 minutes.

- Despite the disappointing season, this is the type of game that the staff can point to with recruits, in building momentum towards next year, etc.

Yes, it sucks to be in the position we're in, but this was a big time win and hopefully something we can build on.

Go Gophers!!
 

Good points all, Bleed.
While disappointing that other games didn't go this way, it did prove that they could have. I esp. agree with your point about the fact that neither the team or staff gave up on the season or each other. I'd love to see us win out, and it certainly could happen.
 

Great Win.

BleedGopher said:
First of all, awesome win. First win at Michigan State since Bobby and JT were wearing maroon and gold.

This win is big for many reasons:

- It shows that this team hasn't given up on the staff. We've had some maddening loses, but the effort has been there (for the most part). Clearly Nebraska has mailed it in and has for a few weeks so we can see that it could be a lot worse.

- We out-rebounded a program that is known for its toughness and rebounding.

- We only had 7 turnovers in a hostile environment in 45 minutes.

- Despite the disappointing season, this is the type of game that the staff can point to with recruits, in building momentum towards next year, etc.

Yes, it sucks to be in the position we're in, but this was a big time win and hopefully something we can build on.

Go Gophers!!
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++1
 

The position we're in? We are in that ever-so-common glimmer of hope position. If we win out we'll be at 5 (plus or minus) top 50 wins (2 true road games). We were a true bubble team last year and didn't have those specs!!!
 

topos said:
The position we're in? We are in that ever-so-common glimmer of hope position. If we win out we'll be at 5 (plus or minus) top 50 wins (2 true road games). We were a true bubble team last year and didn't have those specs!!!
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We're coming!!!
 


RPI is now 78. Up 17!? spots. Beat Wiscy and it's bubble flirting time....
 

It's important to not get too far ahead of ourselves, but I think it's OK to say that the Wisconsin game just became a big game. Some fun just got injected back into the season.
 

Some of you are joking, but for the rest of you, knock it off! Every time you guys do this with the wild, unrealistic projections, our Gophers go right back to losing. So stop!
 

Bad Gopher said:
It's important to not get too far ahead of ourselves, but I think it's OK to say that the Wisconsin game just became a big game. Some fun just got injected back into the season.
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On the one hand, its pretty hard to get too far ahead of ourselves with only two games left in the season. On the other hand, with a bye this weekend we have nothing else to do but get ahead of ourselves.

Seriously, I think it does inject a big dose of energy into the Wisconsin game, which matters more than most things on earth.
 





topos said:
The position we're in? We are in that ever-so-common glimmer of hope position. If we win out we'll be at 5 (plus or minus) top 50 wins (2 true road games). We were a true bubble team last year and didn't have those specs!!!
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We have 2 Top 50 wins currently, and 3 between 53 and 61 (Iowa, Purdue, Illinois). If we beat Wiscy and a couple them step up, 5 top 50 wins is possible.
 

topos said:
The position we're in? We are in that ever-so-common glimmer of hope position. If we win out we'll be at 5 (plus or minus) top 50 wins (2 true road games). We were a true bubble team last year and didn't have those specs!!!
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So you're saying there's a chance!
 



Also shows just how fine that line can be between winning and losing in the Big Ten.
 





Hopefully this win will be something to build off of as Bleed suggests. I thought the Gophers would lose by double digits tonight in part because I thought they had packed it in for the year. I can point to a couple games this year where the effort was subpar, but the Northwestern game was really the only one where for 40 minutes it seemed like guys didn't have much fight. In other instances, it was usually a poor first half and an awakened team trying to make up for it (unsuccessfully) in the 2nd half. Anyways, the win tonight speaks well of Coach Pitino's ability to get the team to refocus and the teams willingness to lay it on the line without a whole lot to play for and not much expectation that they would win. I just hope this breaks the fear of winning on the road this program has had for a long, long time. Even though they were not all huge contributors, it will do the returning players a lot of good to have experienced a win in East Lansing. It's amazing the Gophers were able to be competitive on the boards, and just 7 turnovers on the road in 45 minutes is nice playing at Western Michigan, much less Michigan State.

"Doogie" has a tweet tonight that this is going to be a big recruiting weekend for the staff, so tonight's win was extremely well time from that perspective as well.
 


Alot of people were VERY deflated after the NW loss, but NW is on a tear, having won what? 3 or 4 in a row now? If NW can move up into the Top 100, a home bad loss drops off our resume.

RPI might only be #78, but BPI is #48, Sag is #44, and TeamRanking.com has Minnesota at #37.

RPIwizard gave Minny the same percentage of beating MSU as UW. So theres a chance.
 

Great win, and as always, a meaningful post by bleed. Still, as I said in another thread, they need to win the B1G tourney to make the dance. We beat Becky it will take some of the sting out of the season.
 

Awesome win! I congratulate both the staff and the players - getting a road win at East Lansing shows that neither party has given up on the other just yet.
 

wisbadger303 said:
Great win tonight! Best win of the Pitino era?
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In terms of beating expectations, probably yes, but in terms of a mark of accomplishment for Pitino and the program, I think that would have to be the NIT championship.

This one might be the most exciting game of Pitino's tenure, though.
 


Arguably, the best games we have played all year! Awesome job by Pitino and the staff getting the team ready and keeping up the intensity the entire game.
 

I can't get over how crazy that loose ball scenario was towards the end of the game that ended with a Carlos Morris dunk. Had to be the #GusFactor.
 

BleedGopher said:
First of all, awesome win. First win at Michigan State since Bobby and JT were wearing maroon and gold.

This win is big for many reasons:

- It shows that this team hasn't given up on the staff. We've had some maddening loses, but the effort has been there (for the most part). Clearly Nebraska has mailed it in and has for a few weeks so we can see that it could be a lot worse.

- We hung with them on the boards, a program that is known for its toughness and rebounding.

- We only had 7 turnovers in a hostile environment in 45 minutes.

- Despite the disappointing season, this is the type of game that the staff can point to with recruits, in building momentum towards next year, etc.

Yes, it sucks to be in the position we're in, but this was a big time win and hopefully something we can build on.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

This. It's hard to recruit when you're losing, no one's having any fun and the fans have checked out. This win gives the staff something to sell and renews fan support for the remaining few games. As others have pointed out it makes the Wisconsin game relevant, which is good.

That said, this is a moral victory and doesn't change the painful season we've had. I said this last year as well, but I hope we don't make it to the NCAA's. I think an NIT run would be more beneficial, with the extra games, extra practices, etc. for this young team as opposed to getting blown out by Kentucky or Duke in the 1st round of the Big Dance.
 

station19 said:
:rolleyes:
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VAkDU5H.jpg
 

e.bigelow said:
I can't get over how crazy that loose ball scenario was towards the end of the game that ended with a Carlos Morris dunk. Had to be the #GusFactor.
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it was funny listening to Gus when he wanted to rave about how good Carlos was playing and every time he started in Jimmy would throw a little water (reality) on the hyperbole that Gus was spewing. Jimmy has done enough games to temper his enthusiasm because he know there are more plays coming and nothing is guaranteed with Carlos.
 

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