BleedGopher
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per Shama:
Golden Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino made a couple of predictions after last night’s upset win over Purdue that Minnesotans will like.
The sixth-year coach believes the late season victory over No. 11 ranked Purdue should propel his team to an NCAA Tournament invitation. During a jubilant on-court postgame celebration at Williams Arena, he also told the crowd the jersey of senior forward and rebounder extraordinaire Jordan Murphy will one day hang in the building’s rafters with those of the program’s other greatest players.
“That jersey will be up there in no time,” Pitino said while speaking on a microphone to the fans.
The 73-69 win over Purdue was one of the most entertaining and important victories of the Pitino era. With “background noise” from critics about Pitino’s coaching future, the Gophers added to a resume that also includes impressive victories against the likes of Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin. They may have clinched a tournament invite in Dinkytown last evening.
Minnesota is 19-11 overall, 8-10 in Big Ten games. The Gophers finish the regular season Friday night at Maryland, and then join their other league rivals at the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Chicago next week. Minnesota’s NCAA Tourney chances look a lot less precarious after last night, with national bracketologists likely to forecast in coming days that the Gophers will be part of the 68-team field announced on Selection Sunday, March 17.
Pitino, whose career record in Big Ten regular season games is 40 wins and 69 losses, told the crowd he “can’t wait to be in the tournament.” If the “Big Dance” is Pitino’s destination for the second time in three years, he can begin writing thank you notes to Murphy and junior guard Amir Coffey.
Murphy ranks second all-time in career rebounds in the Big Ten (1,262), behind Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas (1,411). Earlier this week he was fifth nationally in rebounds per game with a Big Ten-best 11.7. He was second in the NCAA with 19 double-doubles and holds the Gopher career record with 65.
Murphy, a San Antonio native, was going to attend VCU but a coaching change had him reconsidering his options in the spring of 2015. The former Texas All-State player chose Minnesota and Pitino knew he had a potentially important player.
“I thought he’d have a good career,” Pitino told Sports Headliners before the game. “I didn’t think statistically he would do (all) this.”
http://shamasportsheadliners.com/
Go Gophers!!
Golden Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino made a couple of predictions after last night’s upset win over Purdue that Minnesotans will like.
The sixth-year coach believes the late season victory over No. 11 ranked Purdue should propel his team to an NCAA Tournament invitation. During a jubilant on-court postgame celebration at Williams Arena, he also told the crowd the jersey of senior forward and rebounder extraordinaire Jordan Murphy will one day hang in the building’s rafters with those of the program’s other greatest players.
“That jersey will be up there in no time,” Pitino said while speaking on a microphone to the fans.
The 73-69 win over Purdue was one of the most entertaining and important victories of the Pitino era. With “background noise” from critics about Pitino’s coaching future, the Gophers added to a resume that also includes impressive victories against the likes of Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin. They may have clinched a tournament invite in Dinkytown last evening.
Minnesota is 19-11 overall, 8-10 in Big Ten games. The Gophers finish the regular season Friday night at Maryland, and then join their other league rivals at the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Chicago next week. Minnesota’s NCAA Tourney chances look a lot less precarious after last night, with national bracketologists likely to forecast in coming days that the Gophers will be part of the 68-team field announced on Selection Sunday, March 17.
Pitino, whose career record in Big Ten regular season games is 40 wins and 69 losses, told the crowd he “can’t wait to be in the tournament.” If the “Big Dance” is Pitino’s destination for the second time in three years, he can begin writing thank you notes to Murphy and junior guard Amir Coffey.
Murphy ranks second all-time in career rebounds in the Big Ten (1,262), behind Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas (1,411). Earlier this week he was fifth nationally in rebounds per game with a Big Ten-best 11.7. He was second in the NCAA with 19 double-doubles and holds the Gopher career record with 65.
Murphy, a San Antonio native, was going to attend VCU but a coaching change had him reconsidering his options in the spring of 2015. The former Texas All-State player chose Minnesota and Pitino knew he had a potentially important player.
“I thought he’d have a good career,” Pitino told Sports Headliners before the game. “I didn’t think statistically he would do (all) this.”
http://shamasportsheadliners.com/
Go Gophers!!