New Blog from Coach Pitino

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I will guess that Pitino gives Nate Mason a game near his hometown his senior season (2nd half of home and home will be Nate's senior year) as such I will guess Georgia.

Edit: changed from Georgia tech to Georgia after i realized Tech is without a coach currently.
 


Updated guess list on the home & home

Though Pitino referenced the "Power 5", I'm including any guesses from the Big East. In my mind Big East is still a power basketball conference, so sue me, ACC, B1G, Big XII, Pac 12, and SEC.

Home & Home Opponent?
Auburn (Goldy Gopher)
Boston College (golfing18now)
Creighton (alwayswanted2bagopher)
Florida (bemidjigopher, howeda7)
Georgia (Tim1406)
Iowa State (WanderingGopher)
Kansas State (scools12)
Marquette (Hammer em', Winnipegopher)
Missouri (Cayman)
Oregon State (BleedGopher, SelectionSunday)
Tennessee (shaggith)
Texas (Holf)
Washington State (Holy Man, Otis)
 

BleedGopher said:
It was just a few years ago Villanova endured a tough season and look at them now.
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I appreciate what he's trying to do here, but Villanova's tough season was the only time they missed the NCAA Tournament in the last 12 seasons, a run that includes five Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and a national championship. It was also the only time in Jay Wright's tenure that they missed the postseason. Our tough season was the third straight missing the Tournament and the second straight missing the postseason altogether.
 

BleedGopher said:
I'm guessing Oregon State for the home and home. We are playing them in football in a home and home, Pomeday may still have a few contacts there.

Go Gophers!!
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I hoping that as well. Gill is a great venue. Nothing beats the old areas.
 



Pitino is really good at writing these blog posts. Always gets me excited. I like the way he holds himself accountable, REALLY hope he delivers. He legitimately seems like a good dude, unlike his dad.
 

I'm going to say Florida for the non-conference game.
 

Reusse chimes in on the blog:

Set himself and the Gophers up for derision – this time with the blog that included this as the lead portion of the final paragraph:

“I know it seems like we are going through difficult times.’’

(Richard, going 2-16 in the Big Ten, losing more games than any team in 120 years of Gophers basketball and continuing with a sizable pattern of attrition … that isn’t a ‘seems like;’ it is definitely ‘difficult times’).

“We are lot closer than people think.’’

(Actually, Richard, many Gophers hardcores have the idea you are a lot closer than you are. They await Reggie Lynch, a 9-point a game transfer from Illinois State, as if he’s Zelmo Beaty*, and Amir Coffey as if he’s Andrew Wiggins).

“We will break through very soon.’’

(Does that mean there’s hope you will improve on 0-2 against teams from South Dakota?)

“We have to stay positive and stick together.’’

(You know what people in my hometown used to say – ‘We? What, do you got a frog in your pocket?').

AND THEN, ladies and gents, here came the kicker from Richard the author:

“It was just a few years ago that Villanova endured a tough season and look at them now.’’

Yup. Richard Pitino’s Gophers program after the 8-23 season of 2015-16 and Jay Wright’s Villanova program after the 13-19 season of 2011-12 …

Somebody contact Jay Bilas. The similarities are too clear to miss.

http://www.startribune.com/richard-...een-gophers-nova-too-clear-to-miss/374880081/

Go Gophers!!
 



BleedGopher said:
Reusse chimes in on the blog:

Set himself and the Gophers up for derision – this time with the blog that included this as the lead portion of the final paragraph:

“I know it seems like we are going through difficult times.’’

(Richard, going 2-16 in the Big Ten, losing more games than any team in 120 years of Gophers basketball and continuing with a sizable pattern of attrition … that isn’t a ‘seems like;’ it is definitely ‘difficult times’).

“We are lot closer than people think.’’

(Actually, Richard, many Gophers hardcores have the idea you are a lot closer than you are. They await Reggie Lynch, a 9-point a game transfer from Illinois State, as if he’s Zelmo Beaty*, and Amir Coffey as if he’s Andrew Wiggins).

“We will break through very soon.’’

(Does that mean there’s hope you will improve on 0-2 against teams from South Dakota?)

“We have to stay positive and stick together.’’

(You know what people in my hometown used to say – ‘We? What, do you got a frog in your pocket?').

AND THEN, ladies and gents, here came the kicker from Richard the author:

“It was just a few years ago that Villanova endured a tough season and look at them now.’’

Yup. Richard Pitino’s Gophers program after the 8-23 season of 2015-16 and Jay Wright’s Villanova program after the 13-19 season of 2011-12 …

Somebody contact Jay Bilas. The similarities are too clear to miss.

http://www.startribune.com/richard-...een-gophers-nova-too-clear-to-miss/374880081/

Go Gophers!!
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It wouldn't have mattered what Pitino said, people were going to rip him to shreds. People like Reusse are going to twist his words.
 

Enjoyed reading what Pitino had to say in this blog, but the Villanova comparison is waaaaay out there. A huge reach. I can't disagree with Patrick on that.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Enjoyed reading what Pitino had to say in this blog, but the Villanova comparison is waaaaay out there. A huge reach. I can't disagree with Patrick on that.
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Depends how you interpret it. I took it as an example of a program that was able to recover from a very bad year.

It's like when someone says Shannon Brooks reminds them of Adrian Peterson. Doesn't mean they think he will be as good as Peterson.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Enjoyed reading what Pitino had to say in this blog, but the Villanova comparison is waaaaay out there. A huge reach. I can't disagree with Patrick on that.
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I don't think Richards intent was to state that we would end up winning a championship. If you took it any further than "Villanova had a down year and they recovered, I hope to do the same thing", thats on you and apparently members of the media that want to speak in generalities and utilize literary devices but do not allow the same for others.
 



GophersInIowa said:
Depends how you interpret it. I took it as an example of a program that was able to recover from a very bad year. It's like when someone says Shannon Brooks reminds them of Adrian Peterson. Doesn't mean they think he will be as good as Peterson.
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+1000. That's the way I read it too
 


SelectionSunday said:
Yes, I get that.

Perhaps I would have been clearer if I had just put a "+1" under Dpo's post.
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You stated that you didn't disagree with Reusse, the guy that dedicated 100+ words on the fact that our situation was much different than 'Nova's. He even went so far to line up the respective coaches resume's leading into the down season. Reusse took Pitino's comment (at least for his typical condescending article) as Pitino drawing real comparison to the two programs rather than what I feel was his true intent.

What do you agree with Pat on? The use of straw man arguments as a career?
 

Winasota Gopher said:
You stated that you didn't disagree with Reusse, the guy that dedicated 100+ words on the fact that our situation was much different than 'Nova's. He even went so far to line up the respective coaches resume's leading into the down season. Reusse took Pitino's comment (at least for his typical condescending article) as Pitino drawing real comparison to the two programs rather than what I feel was his true intent.

What do you agree with Pat on? The use of straw man arguments as a career?
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I agree with Pat that using the Villanova program in any kind of comparison to the Gopher basketball program in any way, shape or form is silly. Is that answer sufficient enough for you?
 

SelectionSunday said:
I agree with Pat that using the Villanova program in any kind of comparison to the Gopher basketball program in any way, shape or form is silly. Is that answer sufficient enough for you?
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Saying we can follow a down year with a good year and using a Villanova as an example of a team that's done that isn't silly. Some people just chose to read too much into his statement. Nowhere did he say our programs were similar or that we were going to win the championship next year. All he meant is that our future isn't doomed simply because we had a terrible season.
 

SelectionSunday said:
I agree with Pat that using the Villanova program in any kind of comparison to the Gopher basketball program in any way, shape or form is silly. Is that answer sufficient enough for you?
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For me? Sure, I am confused on your response to my initial reply and am just looking for clarity. I'm still not clear on what you think about Pitino's comment as I feel like you're saying different things with each post.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
For me? Sure, I am confused on your response to my initial reply and am just looking for clarity. I'm still not clear on what you think about Pitino's comment as I feel like you're saying different things with each post.
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I can't speak for Hodger, but I'll say my piece. To me it's a silly comparison because Wright had a long track record of sustained success and fans could live through one down year just fine because there was a reasonable expectation that they would bounce back quickly. Pitino has no track record to instill any confidence that he will bounce up from this last season.
 

Villanova was an NIT team for the first three years under Wright and was a program in meh shape when he was hired.

It's not a terrible comparison if that's the barometer. Program wise, I think Nova is attainable. They've got advantages obviously what with more talent on the East coast and in Philly but Wright has built that program into the model of consistency at this point. They haven't had a ton of tournament success aside from this past year but they are in the tourney basically every year and they are seeded well. They've consistently got good upperclassmen and quality underclassmen waiting in the wings.

If Pitino can get the Gophers to that kind of level, I'd say he's done a terrific job. And that's what he should shoot for.
 

Winnipegopher said:
My takeaway: Buggs has to learn to love the game.

If it hasn't happened yet, it probably won't. It must be hard to be 6'9", long and athletic and not love the game. Ralph Sampson was similar in my view. He just didn't really basketball and his problem was compounded by having such a famous father.

I vote Marquette as the BCS team.
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We've been hearing that for four+ years.
 

Paralysis through analysis...

Are we Villanova? Nope.

Can we expect a significant improvement next year? Yep.

Is Dr. Don drunk yet? Probably.

(I'm really hoping someone tries to dig deeply into my post for hidden inferences.)
 


dpodoll68 said:
I can't speak for Hodger, but I'll say my piece. To me it's a silly comparison because Wright had a long track record of sustained success and fans could live through one down year just fine because there was a reasonable expectation that they would bounce back quickly. Pitino has no track record to instill any confidence that he will bounce up from this last season.
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I guess my point is, that's not Pitino's point. He's not saying look at what Villanova did, you should expect the same thing from us because we are like Villanova.

I think he's saying look what Villanova did, teams have down years and bounce back quickly.

In my version, the comparison of Minnesota vs 'Nova is silly not only because they are so different, but also because it's not part of the conversation and irrelevant.

It was just a few years ago Villanova endured a tough season and look at them now.
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Is a far cry from saying Nova was in a similar situation to us and look at them now.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
I think he's saying look what Villanova did, teams have down years and bounce back quickly.
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Right - my point exactly! That's why it's a terrible comparison - we would be bouncing up, not bouncing back. Bouncing back implies that there was some previous level of success to return to.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Right - my point exactly! That's why it's a terrible comparison - we would be bouncing up, not bouncing back. Bouncing back implies that there was some previous level of success to return to.
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Tomato... Cucumber
 

dpodoll68 said:
Right - my point exactly! That's why it's a terrible comparison - we would be bouncing up, not bouncing back. Bouncing back implies that there was some previous level of success to return to.
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I see your point.

Don't have much of an argument against it other than I didn't read into it that far. I stopped at teams bounce back, and Pitino wasn't saying they were going to be uber successful, just back to where they were, it's relative. He alluded to them having a down year. Bouncing back doesn't necessarily say back to greatness, just back to what they were before. It definately would be bouncing back if they won 20 games next year and made the NIT right?

You (and many others) added the quest for Villanova type success, not Pitino.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Right - my point exactly! That's why it's a terrible comparison - we would be bouncing up, not bouncing back. Bouncing back implies that there was some previous level of success to return to.
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Exactly. If you throw a ball against a wall, it bounces back. If you throw a ball against the floor, it bounces up. So the wall would be the NCAA Tournament and the floor would be not the NCAA Tournament. C'mon, Pitino!
 

Maximus said:
Exactly. If you throw a ball against a wall, it bounces back. If you throw a ball against the floor, it bounces up. So the wall would be the NCAA Tournament and the floor would be not the NCAA Tournament. C'mon, Pitino!
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You can also throw a ball so it can bounce from the floor and into and off the wall. Or off the wall into the floor. (Thought I'd waste more of my time on this thread.)
 

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