What Happened to this Team?

Gophers lack athletes,shooters,and and finishers. Pitino is a below average coach who we’d be blessed finds another job. He cheats for east coast players that are no better than local players. Our AAU program is,trouncing other states, Pitino is blessed to recruit our state...
RELAX, do some research or go troll some place else.
 

No nonsense here, bud.

Wright is an excellent and high character player who desperately wanted to commit to gophers, but Pitino screwed him over for Washington. How did Washington end up with the Gophers? Not because of Pitino’s awesome recruiting prowess, I’ll leave it at that....

Let’s take a look a Richard’s recent in state recruiting record:

In state recruit wins:
Coffey (legacy)


In state recruit losses (granted some were long shots, but food for thought):
Jones
Jones
Travis
Vaughn
Trent Jr.
Wright
Sims
Davison
Ruevers
Thompson
John

Every single player on this list is better than:
Harris
Fitzgerald
Konate
Gas
Stockman

Do you want to list all of the players from each state that don't stay home? Your post is so fn pathetic and ridiculous. And Washington is here because of Kmani. But apparently you have more insight.
 


Do you want to list all of the players from each state that don't stay home? Your post is so fn pathetic and ridiculous. And Washington is here because of Kmani. But apparently you have more insight.

Nah, just do me a solid and list all the players from every state with only one D1 program that chose not to stay home. I actually happen have a lot more insight. What would you like to know?
 

RELAX, do some research or go troll some place else.

Not trolling. I want the program to succeed, and the team will likely still have a solid year. I’m simply not a believer in Pitino as a coach or recruiter. You want research? I’ll give you an example of what I consider a coaching deficiency. The team scored 79 points last night and had a grand total of 10 assists. Not sure how much you know about basketball but that ratio is putrid and reflects poor coaching, in my humble opinion...
 


Nah, just do me a solid and list all the players from every state with only one D1 program that chose not to stay home. I actually happen have a lot more insight. What would you like to know?

I want to know why Washington is here then. And I could give a crap where the players are from. MN will NEVER keep all of the players at home, no matter who the coach is. That concept seems to be hard for you to understand. And sucks to have Mason, Murphy, Dupree...ugh, wish they had stayed in their own states.
 

Not trolling. I want the program to succeed, and the team will likely still have a solid year. I’m simply not a believer in Pitino as a coach or recruiter. You want research? I’ll give you an example of what I consider a coaching deficiency. The team scored 79 points last night and had a grand total of 10 assists. Not sure how much you know about basketball but that ratio is putrid and reflects poor coaching, in my humble opinion...
Sure seems like trolling with some of these lies you post about recruiting. Doesn't seem like something someone that supports the program and wants the program to succeed would do. I know plenty about basketball and yeah that ratio isn't great but you have be a complete idiot to think Pitino is telling guys don't move the ball. Pitino has done well in recruiting. There is a reason all kinds of analyst all over the country are complimenting Pitino as a coach and recruiter and complimenting this team as well.
 

I want to know why Washington is here then. And I could give a crap where the players are from. MN will NEVER keep all of the players at home, no matter who the coach is. That concept seems to be hard for you to understand. And sucks to have Mason, Murphy, Dupree...ugh, wish they had stayed in their own states.

I never said that Pitino should have kept them all. I even noted that some were long shots (at best). But, I do think Pitino doesn’t emphasize the in-state talent enough and too many quality players head elsewhere (at least over the last couple years) That being said, I am happy with next years class and hopefully this signals the beginning of our states best players wanting to stay home!

Wright really wanted to commit to Gophers but Pitino pulled his offer after Washington committed. (I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves after this year)
 

I never said that Pitino should have kept them all. I even noted that some were long shots (at best). But, I do think Pitino doesn’t emphasize the in-state talent enough and too many quality players head elsewhere (at least over the last couple years) That being said, I am happy with next years class and hopefully this signals the beginning of our states best players wanting to stay home!

Wright really wanted to commit to Gophers but Pitino pulled his offer after Washington committed. Washington came here because he got $$$ via Nike via aau team (I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves after this year). Murphy came here because Smart left VCU and he didn’t want him at UT.

Did I cover everything?
Washington never got $ to come here that is ridiculous. You know that Washington played on the Under Armour circuit correct not Nike? Wright had plenty of time to commit and didn't he should've decided sooner. He knew Washington was visiting and there was a good possibility of him committing on that visit.
 



I never said that Pitino should have kept them all. I even noted that some were long shots (at best). But, I do think Pitino doesn’t emphasize the in-state talent enough and too many quality players head elsewhere (at least over the last couple years) That being said, I am happy with next years class and hopefully this signals the beginning of our states best players wanting to stay home!

Wright really wanted to commit to Gophers but Pitino pulled his offer after Washington committed. (I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves after this year)

His entire class for 18 so far is in state recruiting, he has been recruiting in state talent hard for 19 and 20 as well. Wright also had every opportunity to commit the week before Washington visit and didn't. His loss and he knows it
 

Wright also had every opportunity to commit the week before Washington visit and didn't. His loss and he knows it

In fairness to Wright, it appears that he made a great decision for his own basketball fortunes. He's averaging 32.4 minutes, 15.7 pts., 5.3 rbs., and 4.2 assists per game while leading his team in scoring. His team is 7-2, albeit with a fairly weak schedule. He wouldn't have been in the position to put up those kinds of numbers here this season.
 

I never said that Pitino should have kept them all. I even noted that some were long shots (at best). But, I do think Pitino doesn’t emphasize the in-state talent enough and too many quality players head elsewhere (at least over the last couple years) That being said, I am happy with next years class and hopefully this signals the beginning of our states best players wanting to stay home!

Wright really wanted to commit to Gophers but Pitino pulled his offer after Washington committed. (I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves after this year)

You are hilarious. You have no clue if IW received $. And if he did, then you will get your wish and Pitino will be gone. You do realize Kmani has known IW for very very long time, right? That's why Pitino hired him - his connection to the NY/NJ area. So no credit to Pitino landing Murphy after he decommitted from VCU? And no, you didn't answer anything. But nice try.
 




This team needs IW to settle in and figure out how to play as he is key to this teams success. On the other hand defense is about effort and this team is not putting in the effort. Bench is shallow right now and I'm not sure it improves. Losing Curry has been huge and I was very concerned but I also like many others thought Fitz would provide more. So far it hasn't happened. This team can still be a good team but they don't have the bench or athleticism to be great. I however will enjoy the season of watching a pretty good team as I remember the really bad teams recently that made it miserable to watch my Gophers!
 

Gophers have hit a rough patch. ... it happens

They've hit a rough patch. That tends to happen throughout the course of a 31-game season. Sometimes teams have more than one rough patch.

Teams also tend to have a really good stretches. The Gophers already have had one of those (through Alabama game). Gophers will probably have another good stretch (or maybe more), too. One might even start tonight?

It's a marathon, not a sprint. It doesn't have to be a bad thing to get undressed a couple times before the start of the (bulk of the) Big 10 season. Humility can be a great teaching tool.
 

This is so stupid it doesn't even deserve addressing, but what the hay, I'll do it anyway.

- IW did not get paid to come here. Full stop, end of story. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just randomly making sh!t up due to IW's high school location and recruit ranking.

- Of course Richard pulled McKinley's offer once IW committed, as would literally any other coach with 2 open schollies and our roster construction after another PG commits. It was clear that spot was first come, first served.
 

In fairness to Wright, it appears that he made a great decision for his own basketball fortunes. He's averaging 32.4 minutes, 15.7 pts., 5.3 rbs., and 4.2 assists per game while leading his team in scoring. His team is 7-2, albeit with a fairly weak schedule. He wouldn't have been in the position to put up those kinds of numbers here this season.

I a free he made a great decision for him in hindsight, but the argument still stands that he had every opportunity to commit on his official. And even after we probably would have taken him. Wish him well, good player
 

We need to play better defense. Our weak side defense and weak side rotations are lacking. When Lynch helps off his man, no one slides down or rotates over creating easy buckets off the pass or rebound.

Our bench will be okay if we get more movement on offense and pass the ball . We constantly stand around doing dribble handoffs or the weave around the perimeter. Our guards need to cut and go back door once in a while as we do not apply any pressure on offense. Teams are over playing us (at least Miami, Nebraska and Arkansas did) on the perimeter.
 

Not trolling. I want the program to succeed, and the team will likely still have a solid year. I’m simply not a believer in Pitino as a coach or recruiter. You want research? I’ll give you an example of what I consider a coaching deficiency. The team scored 79 points last night and had a grand total of 10 assists. Not sure how much you know about basketball but that ratio is putrid and reflects poor coaching, in my humble opinion...
+1

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Richard is sitting on the bench studying his tie.

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To me the team gets open shots - Just not good shooters beyound 12 feet. Occassionally Nate will hit some but otherwise we can't shoot like elite teams. free throws are killers tooo Drake rarely hit iron last night on their attempts (except for their big sub)
 

1. Murphy - If he's got it in his arsenal, a 15-foot jumper is there whenever he wants it.
2. Lynch - I used to think he might have a chance at the next level, but then I watch him toss up his "shot put" hook from shoulder level and I realize that's a nonstarter.
3. Mason - I like that he wants to be a cold-blooded killer. I'll take his fast break pull-up three pointers any time. But he's playing an awful lot of minutes.
4. McBrayer - Still the highest dribbler I've ever seen. His hand has to be four feet off the court. We also need him to find his jumper again.
5. Fitzgerald - I haven't seen a single contribution from him yet - nothing, not on either end of the court. Big disappointment so far.
6. Hurt - The young man tries, I'll give him that.
7. Washington - I'm excited for his future, but he needs to be a major cog this year as well. I think it'll come.
8. Konate - Did I miss something? Am I the only one who doesn't know why he's not playing? Is he benched, injured, suspended?
9. Gas - He looks fresh, and surprisingly competent. That's not the Gas I remember.
10. Coffey - He needs to stay aggressive. I like him off the bounce in almost all situations.
11. gopherfano4 - That has to be a bit, right?
 

McBrayer getting ill and dropping 20 lbs over night has hurt our scoring. He lost quite a bit of muscle mass and you can see he's struggling to find his touch. This 10 day layoff will be good for him to recover.
I would like to see more screening and movement away from the ball so that open looks happen off the pass rather than dribble penitration with a kick out. That's just my preference.
Defensively we get lost when teams set back screens and throw skip passes. Our kids scramble to catch up and/or rotate to cover.
There is a lot of work to be done, but the good thing is Richard knows it. He's been very honest regarding the present deficiencies of this team.
Finally, I noticed a lot of negative emotion in players that tells me they are distracted. Mason, Coffey, McBrayer and Lynch were all focusing on external issues that were out of their control. They need to stop letting those things distract them in the game. Focus on doing your job and doing it well. The results will take care of themselves.
I wonder if they have others getting in their ears other than their coach.
 

They've hit a rough patch. That tends to happen throughout the course of a 31-game season. Sometimes teams have more than one rough patch.

Teams also tend to have a really good stretches. The Gophers already have had one of those (through Alabama game). Gophers will probably have another good stretch (or maybe more), too. One might even start tonight?

It's a marathon, not a sprint. It doesn't have to be a bad thing to get undressed a couple times before the start of the (bulk of the) Big 10 season. Humility can be a great teaching tool.

McBrayer getting ill and dropping 20 lbs over night has hurt our scoring. He lost quite a bit of muscle mass and you can see he's struggling to find his touch. This 10 day layoff will be good for him to recover.
I would like to see more screening and movement away from the ball so that open looks happen off the pass rather than dribble penitration with a kick out. That's just my preference.
Defensively we get lost when teams set back screens and throw skip passes. Our kids scramble to catch up and/or rotate to cover.
There is a lot of work to be done, but the good thing is Richard knows it. He's been very honest regarding the present deficiencies of this team.
Finally, I noticed a lot of negative emotion in players that tells me they are distracted. Mason, Coffey, McBrayer and Lynch were all focusing on external issues that were out of their control. They need to stop letting those things distract them in the game. Focus on doing your job and doing it well. The results will take care of themselves.
I wonder if they have others getting in their ears other than their coach.

Agree with all of this especially the last one. Turning point in the season so far is when mason lost it during the Bama game. Haven’t gotten refocused completely since. Everyone is focused on refs ever since then.
 

This team is exactly what they have showed the last 4 games. This really shouldn't surprise anyone. It just took a good Miami team to expose us.

1) Konate has not been good ever so there was no reason to expect change this year.
2) Through 40+ games we have seen the same Michael Hurt. A guy who refuses to look at the hoop on offense. We play 4 on 5 when he is out there on offense.
3) Harris - Well Pitino has something against him right now but with our atrocious bench play he deserves minutes right now.
4) Ghaston - We have been led to believe he cant walk and chew gum at the same time but has looked decent last few games, still wont win you games.
5) Jelly - worst fg % and 3 pt % on the team and rarely passes the ball. Cant run the offense as a PG when Mason is out.
6) Our starting 5 as a whole is legit. Can really compete with most teams in the nation.
7) our bench is awful, read 1 through 5 above.

So we are exactly what we are. A team that when not in foul trouble can go out and beat teams like Arkansas and look unreal because they can hide how awful our bench is. But nights where a starter or two has an off night we have nothing that can spark us from the bench and we quickly become an average team. The problem I have is people keep saying it can change, but really no it cant this year. Michael hurt is not magically going to become an offensive threat. Konate is not going to magically become good. Jelly may hit a few more shots but he is a high volume guy, more so quantity over quality and that is not going to help.

Cross your fingers we can ride our starters for 36 minutes a game and we have no more injuries. This is our team and its not changing this year.
 

They really lost there mojo, they started to pick it up in the second half, hopefully that will carry over. Confidence was at an all time low there the first half, body language, everything was bad, second half there was a little bit of life back in them.

Lynch is pathetic, he hasn't contributed much on either end of the court the last few games, I would bench him, at least get some energy from that position.
 

They really lost there mojo, they started to pick it up in the second half, hopefully that will carry over. Confidence was at an all time low there the first half, body language, everything was bad, second half there was a little bit of life back in them.

Lynch is pathetic, he hasn't contributed much on either end of the court the last few games, I would bench him, at least get some energy from that position.

What I see of Lynch when he sets the pick and roll for the guards, they never look his way-so many times last night he was open and guards didn't get him the ball. He could have had a few dunks and maybe one if our guards could see the floor.
 

Lots of reasons why we are struggling, as you all have pointed out better than I could ever hope to. I’m going to give my “garage logic #1 reason for our struggles: Poor jump shooting. Our guards simply have on the whole shot very poorly through our recent losses. We desperately need more of a threat from three. Last year, McBrayer and Springs were often those guys, as Mason generally was not good from deep (outside of a couple of crazy good games). Nobody has taken that role this year. In today’s game, you have to score more than we do from deep. This may sound even more simplistic, but I believe this poor shooting has often led to poor play in other areas. Making vs missing those shots has a huge impact on energy, confidence, etc., and affects the whole game. That’s my take.


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Thinking about when they lost their mojo...seems to me it was after the Alabama game. Could it be there was more fall out from that fiasco then we know about? Mason particularly seems to have lost mojo and leadership skills since that game. Just a thought.


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