Souhan: Fleck might be the worst thing that has happened to Pitino: an adjacent example of what program-building can look like.

[BleedGopher]

per Souhan:

Pitino’s agent could make the case that another injury to Eric Curry left his team without the frontcourt depth it so desperately needs. That would be a logical argument. But these kinds of decisions can be based as much on fan enthusiasm as fact.

Instead, we’re watching a Gophers team trend from pretty good to pretty awful in short order, while Oturu looks like he’s being asked to carry too much of the load.

Pitino is signed through 2024, but his buyout is just $2 million. That’s a pittance if athletic director Mark Coyle decides he can do for the basketball program what he did for the football program by hiring P.J. Fleck.

When Fleck arrived, Pitino graciously welcomed him and has continued to praise him.

But Fleck might be the worst thing that has happened to Pitino: an adjacent example of what program-building can look like.

Latest loss may signal end to Gophers' realistic NCAA basketball tournament hopes

The Indiana loss may have ended any reasonable hope of an NCAA tournament bid. Will it prove as decisive for coach Richard Pitino's Minnesota career?

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Spaulding!No!]

yeah, thats what i said re: Boudreau. Looks like Souhan reads GH.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

I'm relieved the buyout is just $2mil. Time for change.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I know that it's only Souhan bringing up a hypothetical argument, but any coach that was counting on Curry is a fool. I feel bad for Eric Curry, but he has, unfortunately, never been able to stay healthy.

Also, how does that impact our complete lack of depth in the backcourt/wing? Marcus Carr plays almost every minute of every game. IMO, Greenlee has looked good enough that he should have been slowly integrated a bit more to give Carr a breather.

We play Williams spot minutes and he's the only reserve that gets run in the backcourt/wing.

Our lack of depth, every single year, highlights our inability to recruit and construct a roster.

 

[GopherCountry]

I know that it's only Souhan bringing up a hypothetical argument, but any coach that was counting on Curry is a fool. I feel bad for Eric Curry, but he has, unfortunately, never been able to stay healthy.

Also, how does that impact our complete lack of depth in the backcourt/wing? Marcus Carr plays almost every minute of every game. IMO, Greenlee has looked good enough that he should have been slowly integrated a bit more to give Carr a breather.

We play Williams spot minutes and he's the only reserve that gets run in the backcourt/wing.

Our lack of depth, every single year, highlights our inability to recruit and construct a roster.

Look at Sunday's opponent in Iowa. They have 3-4 guys out for the year and are not missing a beat. Depth in year 7 should never be an issue.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Jim's point is what most have been thinking and many have been saying over the past year: basketball still trying to get momentum in a positive direction in year 7, while... Fleck taking a program that hasn't won a conference championship in over 50 years and getting them into the national title conversation in year 3 is a remarkable accomplishment. Adding insult to injury, it's way easier to turn a basketball program around than a football program.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Look at Sunday's opponent in Iowa. They have 3-4 guys out for the year and are not missing a beat. Depth in year 7 should never be an issue.

Great point! The firing should be based on the foundation of the program. The foundation is weak. What is the identity of the style of play? Offense? Defense? What is the identity of the recruiting system? Are you competitive in recruiting locally?

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Great point! The firing should be based on the foundation of the program. The foundation is weak. What is the identity of the style of play? Offense? Defense? What is the identity of the recruiting system? Are you competitive in recruiting locally?

The local good kids keep going to wi

 

[WriterGoph]

The local good kids keep going to wi

Again, very false. The highest rated kids have pretty much been going everywhere but Wisconsin. Sure, SOME kids have gone to Wisconsin, but to say "all the good local kids go to WI" is extremely misleading and agenda-driven.

I'm pretty sure the "good local kids" have been going to Duke, Gonzaga, Marquette, Baylor, Colorado and Minnesota. Some middle-tier guys in recent years have gone to Madison.

 

[KillmeNow]

Name me the cbb equivalent of PJ Fleck.

Go on, name me the guy I can go, YEP, that's the cbb version of PJ Fleck.

While you are trying to figure out who that is, ponder this...


We let go of Tubby, for good reasons, but our previous AD thought it would be smart to bring a guy with little to no experience with a recognizable last name. We ALL hoped he'd land some top notch recruits right away, but I am sure most of us knew that wasn't realistic. So we all knew it was going to take time and patience for him to become successful here.

Then Coyle came onboard. It may be time to move on? But unless he's got a sure fire home run hire ready to come onboard, I say we just give Pitino one more year? I think we are blessed to have Coyle in charge right now, because this is not a decision most of us would know how to figure out.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

I think Coyle has the sure fire guy ready to go. His track record says its likely.

 

[gopherinatl]

Jim's point is what most have been thinking and many have been saying over the past year: basketball still trying to get momentum in a positive direction in year 7, while... Fleck taking a program that hasn't won a conference championship in over 50 years and getting them into the national title conversation in year 3 is a remarkable accomplishment. Adding insult to injury, it's way easier to turn a basketball program around than a football program.

National title conversation?

 

[Bad Gopher]

National title conversation?

The playoff conversation, and the playoff is for the...