Richard Pitino please

You are right Goldteam......6-1 non-conference (will eventually be 10-1) with four wins against power conference teams, 0-1 in conference losing to the #16 team in the country on the road. Get rid of him!

Again....another over-reaction to an ugly four or five minute stretch. Once the evaluation was done to bring him back this year, he should be given the chance to play out the season. There are a bunch of good teams in the big ten this year. They will lose some of those games, particularly on the road. This isn't a final four team. But they aren't lining up against traffic cones. They will have good stretches and bad stretches. That's basketball. If they end up 6-14 in conference, I would likely have a different opinion. But sit back and enjoy the season.

This team needs Murphy to stay on the floor. He's not a shot blocker and shouldn't pick up stupid fouls trying to block shots. The drop-off between him and Omersa is huge right now. Curry will obviously help that problem tremendously. The point guard situation needs to be resolved. I personally would rather see more of Washington and less of Coffey running the point. I feel like two positions are weakened when Coffey runs the point. They don't need Washington to score 20 points a game. They just need him to play like Tum Tum did at Michigan State -- less shooting, more handling/distributing.

It's not the fact they lost to the 16th ranked team in the country it's how they lost that matters, overall their team defense is atrocious, Oturo has no clue on how to defend a decent center in the post, not sure they have the staff to develop him, the freshman looked lost in space on their double teaming and spacing on defense, not sure what they were trying to do on offense, lets hope there is monumental improvement or Pitino doesn't make it to the end of the season. It looks like they are going to be 0-3 to start the season, another 6-12, 7-11 season and he is history.
 

You guys all act like this **** doesn’t happen around college basketball to every team at times. I mean hell, Virginia did it last year to a 16 seed in the NCAA tournament and imploded just last year

Yes, but they had a great season to become a #1 seed. What is the point of your analogy anyway?
 

Please bring in Hoiberg or Musselman now. Nikko Medved is potential candidate too
 

Hopefully Curry is ready to resume practicing soon. Once he returns (after getting the rust out for about a game or even 2), if I were Pitino, I would start him in place of Oturo. Furthermore, I would tinker with other starting lineups during these non-conference games. I like a starting five of Curry, Murphy, Coffey, Gabe and Washington. This would allow McBrayer to be a spark off the bench as our 2nd unit has not been lighting any fires all season. If Washington is not the answer, possible start Hurt or Stull to allow more movement on offense (just to start the game to set the tone as I would think Washington and McBrayer would see many more minutes than Hurt/Stull). Our defense is not any worse with any of those guys in since we have not been playing much D of late (on another note, we have too many missed defensive rotations and could pick apart every player).
 

Please bring in Hoiberg or Musselman now. Nikko Medved is potential candidate too

This. If it isn't clear by now, when will it be? Pitino just isn't an X's and O's coach which is what you need at a middle of the pack program. His offenses have been downright putrid vs. any team that has some size or athleticism.
 


Up until the last few years, Izzo's teams have always been comprised of modestly recruited players who had particular skills and intangible qualities that made them coachable and conducive to the blue-collar system that MSU employs.

Wha....?

Using this list: https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/, MSU has signed 54 players going back to the 2003 class inclusive. Of those 54, 31 were 4-stars and 8 were 5-stars. In other words, they sign two 4-stars per year (on average) and a 5-star roughly every other year.

In comparison, Minnesota (https://247sports.com/college/minnesota/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/) has signed 55 players - one 5-star and 10 4-stars. If MSU's players are "modestly recruited," what are ours?
 
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It's not the fact they lost to the 16th ranked team in the country it's how they lost that matters, overall their team defense is atrocious, Oturo has no clue on how to defend a decent center in the post, not sure they have the staff to develop him, the freshman looked lost in space on their double teaming and spacing on defense, not sure what they were trying to do on offense, lets hope there is monumental improvement or Pitino doesn't make it to the end of the season. It looks like they are going to be 0-3 to start the season, another 6-12, 7-11 season and he is history.

Big men are the slowest to develop of any position. Even 5* FR centers at the blue bloods struggle with the same things you've suggested. This was his first B1G game ever, against the #16 ranked team, at a venue we haven't won at in 14 years. Give him some time...
 

This. If it isn't clear by now, when will it be? Pitino just isn't an X's and O's coach which is what you need at a middle of the pack program. His offenses have been downright putrid vs. any team that has some size or athleticism.

I beg to differ! Gopher timeout: GopherTimeout.jpeg
 

It's not the fact they lost to the 16th ranked team in the country it's how they lost that matters, overall their team defense is atrocious, Oturo has no clue on how to defend a decent center in the post, not sure they have the staff to develop him, the freshman looked lost in space on their double teaming and spacing on defense, not sure what they were trying to do on offense, lets hope there is monumental improvement or Pitino doesn't make it to the end of the season. It looks like they are going to be 0-3 to start the season, another 6-12, 7-11 season and he is history.

The good news is that we are guaranteed to not have another 6-12, 7-11 season this year.
 



Wha....?

Using this list: https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/, MSU has signed 54 players going back to the 2003 class inclusive. Of those 54, 31 were 4-stars and 8 were 5-stars. In other words, they sign two 4-stars per year (on average) and a 5-star roughly every other year.

In comparison, Minnesota (https://247sports.com/college/minnesota/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/) has signed 55 players - one 5-star and 10 4-stars. If MSU's players are "modestly recruited," what are ours?

That's more 5-stars than I remembered.
 

overall their team defense is atrocious, Oturo has no clue on how to defend a decent center in the post, not sure they have the staff to develop him, the freshman looked lost in space on their double teaming and spacing on defense, not sure what they were trying to do on offense, lets hope there is monumental improvement

That's the thing, our guards crash way to hard on a double, then it's an easy kick and WIDE OPEN 3. The gophers have consistently given up lots of 3's throughout the last few years. At some point, your big men have to be able to defend down there on their own. That or they need to work harder to get position where the ball can be dumped in there so easily.
 

I think you have something there. Pitino has been an understudy to his dad and Billy Donovan. Both are guys who recruited top notch players and set up systems to match. Up to now Pitino has not been able to get the level of players that can make it work consistently. Last year's team when fully assembled was on the verge of putting that together. This team misses Nate Mason even worse than I thought it would.

Murphy is an unusual player. Because he is undersized, he tends to want to receive the ball up around the free throw line and drive into the paint to bully in for a bucket. With our inability to threaten from the outside (other than Kalscheur) they sag for the Murphy drive. Once he goes, he doesn't tend to pass it back out, he just goes. This eliminates good inside out action. Coffey is the same. If those two, especially Murphy, had a good midrange game, they'd be deadly.

This is why I was hoping like crazy Murphy would develop that 15-17 Ft shot. He would be deadly.

The D knows he is going to drive, and the conference teams eat it up - mostly.
 

The good news is that we are guaranteed to not have another 6-12, 7-11 season this year.

Isn't the BIG a 20 game conference schedule this year? if so you might just want to add two ore to the loss column
 




Wha....?

Using this list: https://247sports.com/college/michigan-state/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/, MSU has signed 54 players going back to the 2003 class inclusive. Of those 54, 31 were 4-stars and 8 were 5-stars. In other words, they sign two 4-stars per year (on average) and a 5-star roughly every other year.

In comparison, Minnesota (https://247sports.com/college/minnesota/Sport/Basketball/AllTimeRecruits/) has signed 55 players - one 5-star and 10 4-stars. If MSU's players are "modestly recruited," what are ours?

Immodestly recruited! All staff and cheerleaders dress provocatively for visits.
 

It's not the fact they lost to the 16th ranked team in the country it's how they lost that matters, overall their team defense is atrocious, Oturo has no clue on how to defend a decent center in the post, not sure they have the staff to develop him, the freshman looked lost in space on their double teaming and spacing on defense, not sure what they were trying to do on offense, lets hope there is monumental improvement or Pitino doesn't make it to the end of the season. It looks like they are going to be 0-3 to start the season, another 6-12, 7-11 season and he is history.

How many freshman centers are dominant by their sixth or seventh game? Maybe one or two at the very highest level programs, but not many.
 

This is why I was hoping like crazy Murphy would develop that 15-17 Ft shot. He would be deadly.

The D knows he is going to drive, and the conference teams eat it up - mostly.

Murphy just became the 14th player in Big Ten history with 1000 rebounds. I want him under the basket, not taking 15-17 footers.
 

Yes, but they had a great season to become a #1 seed. What is the point of your analogy anyway?

Teams can be really really good and throw out a clunker where they implode. It doesn’t make them mentally weak, it’s just one game. Now if you’re using past habits where they’ve ranked when things get tight, then yeah I’m there with you regarding Pitino teams. Just not ready to call this one game as a call on the team ovwrall
 
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Pitino clearly shaken up post game. Love for his players is clear. Not saying he is the greatest coach ever. Super good guy
 




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