WCCO: 4 Reasons The Gophers Can Make The NCAA Tournament

per Wald:

If you’re a University of Minnesota basketball fan, it’s time to take a breath and relax.

Yes, Richard Pitino’s Gophers have lost five straight Big Ten games. Yes, they’ve blown double-digit leads in at least three league games. They’ve failed to finish games strong and make winning plays, and Saturday’s loss to Maryland dropped the Gophers to 3-6 in league play through their first nine games.

There are certainly several concerns to address and things that need fixing, but here are four reasons why the Gophers could and will have their name called on Selection Sunday. Pitino has yet to reach the Big Dance at Minnesota. The Gophers’ last trip was in Tubby Smith’s final season, when the Gophers beat UCLA in the opening round.

Quality Wins Early
Favorable Schedule Last 9 Games
Gophers No. 24 In RPI, No. 5 Strength of Schedule
Big Ten Tournament

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/01/31/minnesota-gophers-basketball-ncaa-tournament/

Go Gophers!!

A 5th Reason

The bubble is incredibly weak this season, weaker than it's ever been, and that's saying something, because it's been p*ss poor weak the last couple seasons. If Gophers don't make the tournament after where their resume was following the road wins vs. Purdue and Northwestern, it's been a Monson-like meltdown, circa 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

More like a Tubby like meltdown. Beat Loiusville get ranked tenth in the nation and lose out!

Otis said:

More like a Tubby like meltdown. Beat Loiusville get ranked tenth in the nation and lose out!

Click to expand...

Gopher made the NCAA the season they beat Louisville.

Gophers also made the NCAA (and won a game) the season they got into the top 10 early in the Big Ten season.

BECAUSE they are good enough . The field is weak and the conference is weak. The ACC is 17-5 against the Big 10. Mid majors are way down. The Gophers conference accomplishments will end up as strong as anyone not named UW,Purdue and possibly MSU because of the sweep. The wins at Purdue and NW are as strong as anyone in the conference. Maryland has zero top 25 wins,UW does not either. At least 7 teams are getting in and the Gophers are one of the best 7. Mind you, i do not think 7th in your 4th year is any good but it is progress. I WILL not be satisfied until he establishes firm ground above mediocre. By that i mean contending in the top 5 every year and actually winning the conference by your 5th or 6th year. All great coaches do that at minimum. Heck, by year 6 they get above .500 in the conference. No, i do not consider Clem a great coach,nor Dutcher. Good maybe. Aim for and expect excellence. If UW can do it in two sports from where they were then it can be done at Minnesota. At UW it sucked for 30 years ! Then they hired a brilliant Athletic director that knew how to identify great coaches and to hire them. The stadiums there are not full from loyalty, they are full from winning. Get it done !

Illinois game is huge - win - and I see a winning streak coming - but I am less than confident that we can win any close game...

[rubs eyes]

A positive article from the Twin Cities media....