BleedGopher
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per Dustin:
P.J. Fleck is always looking for a lesson he can share with his team to help his players improve on the field. This year, he’s using the NCAA Tournament as a way to explain how Minnesota can grow.
Specifically, Fleck is singling out Purdue’s Carsen Edwards and his 42-point performance against Virginia in the Elite Eight. And yes, it is pretty fitting that Fleck is using an “Elite” Eight game to share a new message.
Edwards scored 42 points on Saturday night and hit big shot after big shot to keep the Boilermakers within reach. Unfortunately for Purdue, Edwards’ effort wasn’t enough, falling 80-75 in overtime. But the loss doesn’t change what Fleck saw from the All-B1G star.
Now, he’s translating Edwards’ performance into a message for his team.
“Those five threes that [Carsen Edwards] makes and it’s unbelievable, right? But, he put the whole team on his shoulders,” Fleck said. “We’re gonna need guys at some point to put the team on their shoulders in critical situations in five, six huge games that come down to a last possession.”
Minnesota didn’t have many one-possession games last season, playing in just two games that were decided by one score. But as the Gophers continue to improve — and with a team that looks competitive in the B1G West — they’ll begin to play in more close contests in the future.
Before the Gophers can be successful in those situations during a game, Fleck says the players need to feel that same pressure in practice.
“They have to start feeling that in practice in situational football, just like they’re going to feel it in a game come October, November, December,” Fleck said. “That’s what we’re working on, putting our guys in positions — like we said, this year’s about pressure — we gotta find ways every day to put our guys in high, high pressure situations.”
https://saturdaytradition.com/minne...ing-carsen-edwards-march-madness-performance/
Go Gophers!!
P.J. Fleck is always looking for a lesson he can share with his team to help his players improve on the field. This year, he’s using the NCAA Tournament as a way to explain how Minnesota can grow.
Specifically, Fleck is singling out Purdue’s Carsen Edwards and his 42-point performance against Virginia in the Elite Eight. And yes, it is pretty fitting that Fleck is using an “Elite” Eight game to share a new message.
Edwards scored 42 points on Saturday night and hit big shot after big shot to keep the Boilermakers within reach. Unfortunately for Purdue, Edwards’ effort wasn’t enough, falling 80-75 in overtime. But the loss doesn’t change what Fleck saw from the All-B1G star.
Now, he’s translating Edwards’ performance into a message for his team.
“Those five threes that [Carsen Edwards] makes and it’s unbelievable, right? But, he put the whole team on his shoulders,” Fleck said. “We’re gonna need guys at some point to put the team on their shoulders in critical situations in five, six huge games that come down to a last possession.”
Minnesota didn’t have many one-possession games last season, playing in just two games that were decided by one score. But as the Gophers continue to improve — and with a team that looks competitive in the B1G West — they’ll begin to play in more close contests in the future.
Before the Gophers can be successful in those situations during a game, Fleck says the players need to feel that same pressure in practice.
“They have to start feeling that in practice in situational football, just like they’re going to feel it in a game come October, November, December,” Fleck said. “That’s what we’re working on, putting our guys in positions — like we said, this year’s about pressure — we gotta find ways every day to put our guys in high, high pressure situations.”
https://saturdaytradition.com/minne...ing-carsen-edwards-march-madness-performance/
Go Gophers!!
