The Athletic: Minnesota is reloading in the transfer market, and due for a little good luck

[BleedGopher]

A long and good article per The Athletic:

The ceiling
Assume that Gach get his waiver, especially because his case seemed stronger on paper than that of Robbins. That would lead to a starting lineup of all juniors and seniors, with some breakout candidates and solid contributors coming off the bench. The Gophers would have one of the best point guards in the conference in Carr and should be solid on defense. Their starting five still probably trails Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin at the very least, but an upper-half finish in the Big Ten would be achievable. And that would pretty much assure an NCAA Tournament appearance. Minnesota has won just two NCAA Tournament games since reaching the 1997 Final Four — an achievement that was later vacated — so getting to the second round would have to be considered a very good outcome.

The floor
Even if we assume Gach is eligible, success is not guaranteed. On paper, at least, the Gophers would still be a little light in outside shooting, and they would be counting on players from Western Michigan and Drake to translate their numbers to one of the toughest conferences in the country. The Big Ten isn’t as stacked as it was a year ago, but there are still several Final Four candidates and loads of good teams in the league. We’ll remind you once again that Minnesota had an All-America big man and some strong computer numbers last year yet still finished under .500. It wouldn’t be shocking if that happened again.

Final report
Entering Year 8, Pitino has just one NCAA Tournament victory in Dinkytown, a fact that continues to fuel speculation about his future. He received a contract extension after reaching the second round in 2019, and his deal takes him through the 2023-24 season. Although his current $2 million buyout depreciates over time, budget restrictions caused by the pandemic most likely mean the school wouldn’t make a coaching move unless things really go sideways.

Minnesota is reloading in the transfer market, and due for a little good luck

The Gophers must address a gaping hole in the middle while playing in one of the most physical conferences in the country.

theathletic.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[WriterGoph]

Really really solid read!

 

[hungan1]

It looks Richard Pitino is getting a lifeline, LOL! All the trees are falling in the right direction during a coronavirus storm.

Let's just hope that the team's fortune turns around with the players that he is being blessed with.

 

[bc2211]

Good outside perspective, and glad to have neutral commentary. Interesting to spin the metrics against us, as seems like good metrics last year+upper classmen starting 5 would usually justify a breakout candidate.

I understand an amazingly efficient Oturu is gone, but I expect a more well rounded team to cumulatively overcome that void. We had trouble winning games with an underclass men core last year (which is not uncommon)... but I felt like last year we were only as good as our weakest link. I’m hoping the newcomers will be steadier than a couple of the new faces last year.

Lastly, I feel like this is Pitino’s shot. As far as anyone can figure, he’s acquired the pieces and has a bit of a foundation. No more apologies, time to make that splash.

 

[60's Guy]

It looks Richard Pitino is getting a lifeline, LOL! All the trees are falling in the right direction during a coronavirus storm.

Let's just hope that the team's fortune turns around with the players that he is being blessed with.

After all, he did identify the talent and recruit them. Not like they walked on and introduced themselves.

 

[gophernut1]

Never felt like Pitino ever trusted his team to win or never understood the make-up of his team. Every time the would go up they would go into slow down mode. This is fine if you have a few players that can create for themselves, but when you are not designed that way you just stall your offense. How many close games did we lose because of bad coaching. Reality is this team will once again not be built around a single star that can create. This means unless Pitino coaches better we do not get better.

 

[Biggsohnasty]

Hamilton is one of the best writers in the college hoops space. He does a great job and I appreciate his unbiased perspective.

 

[bga1]

Never felt like Pitino ever trusted his team to win or never understood the make-up of his team. Every time the would go up they would go into slow down mode. This is fine if you have a few players that can create for themselves, but when you are not designed that way you just stall your offense. How many close games did we lose because of bad coaching. Reality is this team will once again not be built around a single star that can create. This means unless Pitino coaches better we do not get better.

He had 5 or 6 guys he trusted last year, which is on him. But this year he is going to have 9 or more that can play in most any situation. When you have a short bench you have to play it a little tighter because of foul troubles and fatigue. This is a very promising year ahead. I think there will be a lot of guys on the floor who can create:

Carr, Gach, Mashburn and perhaps an improved Ihnen (with his natural ability I am assuming he adds the ability to drive to the bucket this year).
Then you have other guys that you cannot ignore in favor of the creators: Gabe, Robbins, Johnson and hopefully Curry.

Last year when Gabe was cold you could concentrate on just Oturu and Carr

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

After all, he did identify the talent and recruit them. Not like they walked on and introduced themselves.

Yeah, I don't think they fell out of the sky and into the Athlete's Village.

 

[hungan1]

Just play to win and not hold anything back. Make full use of a deep bench.