Serious answer: I think if you ask the vast majority of coaches, they'd go on and on about identity and style and tactics and strategy. I've found that particularly true of the great ones--coaches that have something to hang their hat on. I mean, didn't Dick Bennett write a book?
I follow this team closely, and I haven't heard Pitino declare anything of this sort since he first took the job and said they were going to shoot from the perimeter on offense and defend full-court on defense for 40 minutes. The only thing I've heard from him since has been vague referenced to "tempo" and "style of play" and defending without fouling (duh).
I fully expect other posters to reply with what they think are the team's identities and styles, but I'd like to hear the coach gush about his program and the things they do and the way they do it.
Agreed. I’ve heard Pitino say, “I talked with the team about determining an identity.”
Two years in a row, during rough patches, he has brought up identity and leaving it to the players to determine their strengths and accentuate them.
Coach... that is your job. Before a recruit steps on campus, you should know why you are recruiting them and why they fit the identity that YOU are trying to establish.
Michigan State is physical and hangs their hat on rebounding and second-chance opportunities. They are rarely outrebounded and never out-"toughed." They depend on a PG who can push the ball, play defense, and set up teammates for success. A shooting PG is a plus but not a necessity.
Wisconsin depends on players with above-average basketball IQs. They will never be the more athletic team on the court but can make up for it by limiting turnovers, getting open shots and playing exceptional team defense. Expectations for newcomers are set on the front end, and roles grow organically throughout their 4 (maybe 5) years.
What are the gophers? How would you describe our team over the past seven years? All I can come up with is "inconsistent both offensively and defensively."
Every year the roster's strengths/identity is a crapshoot. Every season there is seemingly one player who transfers out because they are not a good fit. In the short-term, these transfers may be seen as positives as it makes room for a "better fit." In the long-run, these blunders compound as we never get the benefit of seeing guys develop their game after maturing physically and adapting to BIG10 basketball.
I think Fleck has exposed Pitino a bit. Fleck came in here with a laser-focused vision, never strayed from that, even if it meant short-term failure. He stuck to his guns, and the results followed. There is no master plan behind Gopher MBB. If there is, please enlighten me.
I was okay with hiring a young Pitino and letting him take his lumps early on. I think we all figured his last name and the immediate circle would lead to a recruiting boon, and the "x's and o's" would come with time. He has got some excellent individual recruits but has never been able to recruit a complete roster. We have a potential lottery pick on our team and are iffy to make the NIT because we have nobody that can be counted on beyond him and maybe Carr. That's on Pitino.
You can say there's been back luck, and unfortunate injuries, blah blah blah. When the excuses become the norm year in and year out, it is beyond back luck, it is reality. It's really not that hard to be a tournament team when you play in a major conference. You can be pretty pedestrian and still sneak in. It sucks that our measuring stick of success is being a 10-seed with 0 chance of making a run.
