2018-19 Gophers Hoops Season

[HeHateMe]

Tough non-conference schedule!

versus Utah
versus Texas A&M
versus Washington
@ Boston College
versus Ok State


couple big ten games then four crap teams at home in December.


I don't know what to think yet for the season, I like the commitment Pitino has made to the program but one tourney appearance in five seasons is not enough. I know they've been optimistic Marcus Carr will be eligible but I doubt it. I think the three freshmen will be really good players for the program but it will take time to adjust.

Washington/McBrayer/Coffey/Murphy/Curry looks like a good starting lineup on paper. I still think McBrayer was best when he was the sixth man a couple of years ago. Washington makes me really nervous going in but hopefully the offense will just run through Murphy a lot.

Stull/Kalscheur should help with some shooting woes hopefully Hurt is a little more confident this year too. Omersa is a freak athlete and Oturu IMO should unseat Eric Curry as the starting center at some point this season. Hopefully Stockman can swat away a few shots when he sees the floor.

11 guys eligible.. hopefully no injuries!

[Hornets]

Rodents picked 9th and that's about right...would take a perfect storm for them to finish top 5 or better. As far as injuries, we all know Coffey & Curry won't make it through the season without a setback...might not make it till Christmas before they get hurt.....

[RubeTube]

Isaiah Washington will be All Big Ten. Book it!!

[HeHateMe]

Isaiah Washington will be All Big Ten. Book it!!

[HeHateMe]

Looks like Pitino is settling in on Coffey as the starting pg. Lots of optimism Marcus Carr will get a waiver too. Oturu is fully cleared and ready to go. Curry's knee seems to be concerning, Kalscheur/Omersa should contribute some off the bench. Brock Stull apparently was not in great shape once he got on campus and has been behind most of the fall in conditioning.

Coffey/McBrayer/Hurt/Murphy/Oturu -- I think that might be the starting lineup game 1. Lots of size. I just hope they pound the ball inside to Murphy a lot. Work from there to the outside then to find shooters. Get the transition game going with some of those quick guards off the bench.

I'm wondering about Washington longterm, I wonder if Carr is eligible immediately and he gets more run for Washington, what does that mean?

[HeHateMe]

Curry out 4-6 weeks after a minor knee surgery.

[Style]

I think the Gophs could surprise people this year. I like the idea of Coffey playing PG.

[Hornets]

Curry out 4-6 weeks after a minor knee surgery.

Good grief....can't catch a break.

[Style]

Good afternoon Gopher Fans,

Below is a breakdown of where I think we stand after our Creighton and Maroon/Gold scrimmage. Lots of positives and negatives of course. We have a long way to go but I still see a lot of good things! Keep in mind both the Creighton and Maroon/Gold scrimmages aren't truly an indicator but we can still get some good information and data from it. The one thing I always try to do when evaluating our team is be truthful. My grades are pretty low right now. That's okay, we will get better. Seven new guys and another surgery to Eric Curry means it's going to take some time.

Offense: C-
Half court execution has been pretty good at times. We are moving the ball well but still need to flow better. I have put an emphasis on getting the ball up the court quickly and trying to feed to post early. We still have a long way to go in that category. Our shot selection won't cut it. We tend to take a lot of shots that we want our opponents to take. We are 3-for-29 on challenged shots in our first two games. That's 10 percent! That's a losing formula. 33 missed screens vs. Creighton and 52 total missed screens in the Maroon/Gold scrimmage. 13 assists and 15 turnovers is no good vs. Creighton.

Defense: D-
The goal is always 35-plus deflections per game. Creighton we had 29 and Maroon/Gold we had 22. To our defense the Maroon/Gold scrimmage wasn't the total length of a real game but still we are not active and disruptive enough. Transition defense has been a big point of emphasis in the preseason. We have to communicate better. We also allowed the ball into the post way too much. 3-point field goal defense has been solid but we still have to get out there quicker and take away the attempt.

Rebounding: C-
Too many missed blockouts for the defense. We chart offensive rebounding opportunities every game. We went 70 percent of the time vs. Creighton and 59 percent of the time in our Maroon/Gold scrimmage. Rebounding is a mentality. We know we can't win in the Big Ten if we don't control the boards.

95%: C-
What's 95%? This percentage is something we talk often about as it pertains to what goes into winning. These are all the little things that have nothing to do with what most players care about. The ball. Most players have the ball in their hands 5 percent of the game. What you do with the other 95 percent is vital in winning. We aren't huddling often enough on the court when we get the opportunity to do so. Our attitude is good but we can still fuel each other more on the court with positive body language and energy. We need to tighten up big time in this area. This is probably more important than any of the other categories!

I Practice Harder Than You Jersey Update
We chart stats in every practice and do a plus/minus system at the end of every day. It's really helped our guys compete and stay engaged. The winner gets a grey jersey every week that has the words "I practice harder than you" on it. The bottom four does extra conditioning at the end of the week. Below are the winners. I'll keep the bottom four in house. It's amazing how consistent the winners and losers are.
Week 1 - Amir Coffey
Week 2 - Payton Willis, Jordan Murphy
Week 3 - Jordan Murphy
Week 4 - Amir Coffey
Week 5 - Jordan Murphy

Injury Update
Unfortunately Eric Curry had to have another surgery and will be out four to six weeks. I can't stress how important Eric is to our team. We need him back healthy and better than ever! It's going to be a very challenging November without him. Everyone else is going to have to step up.

Roster Breakdown
Dupree McBrayer - Missed the Maroon/Gold scrimmage due to a family emergency back home. Rebounded the ball well vs. Creighton with six rebounds. Zero assists, two turnovers is no good. He's playing hard and showing great leadership. He's primed for a big senior year.

Jordan Murphy - Murph is playing at a high level and has been really productive on both ends. Needs to block out better on defense and screen better on offense. Becoming unstoppable down low.

Amir Coffey - Was very good in the Maroon/Gold scrimmage. Have played him multiple positions and he has transitioned smoothly. Everyone talks about how underrated Jordan Murphy is all the time. He is but what about Amir??? Big season ahead!

Gabe Kalscheur - Has been a pleasant surprise. Gabe is all business on the court and it shows. Was terrific vs. Creighton. Very physical for a freshman. Has to stay out of foul trouble. More than just a shooter.

Eric Curry - Unfortunately had to have surgery again and will miss the next four to six weeks. Huge blow for our team. We will eagerly await his return. Feel so bad for Eric because he worked so hard to get back. He has to keep the faith and stay positive. We will stay on him!

Isaiah Washington - Improving on offense. Really advances the ball well up the court. Has to work on turnovers and shot selection. Love when he's attacking downhill to the rim. I can definitely see progress. Defensively he still has a long way to go.

Jarvis Omersa - Plays so hard! Love how physical he is. Jarvis has amazing leadership qualities on the court. He can really make a difference in that category. Future is very bright.

Daniel Oturu - Very good in both games. Very efficient on the block. Has to sprint the court more. Love his timing when he blocks shots. Going to be thrust into a bigger role while Eric is out. We need him to be ready!

Brock Stull - Still getting back in game shape and learning the system. Every rep in practice is important for Brock. Very good shot fake and passer. Smart player! Has to be patient offensively and trust it will come.

Matz Stockman - Had an impressive Maroon/Gold scrimmage. Eight for 12 for 19 points is obviously good. Still has to get in better shape and sprint the court better. He can help us!

Michael Hurt - Has really improved. Doing all the little things and hitting shots. Love how hard he is competing. He's playing like a veteran. We need that!

Marcus Carr - Still waiting to hear word on his waiver from the NCAA. Hopefully we will hear something before the season starts. We are optimistic that we will receive good news. Marcus is a game changer. Competes on both ends and is very confident on the court. Battle tested. Winner!

Payton Willis - Payton, along with Marcus, wasn't allowed to travel with us to Creighton. Payton has been very impressive in practice! Love his shot making ability and overall skill.

Brady Rudrud - Missed some time due to illness but back feeling better. Can provide great leadership on our team.

Hunt Conroy - Obnoxious New Orleans Saints fan.

See everyone Thursday night at the Barn. The season is here!

Go Gophers,

Richard Pitino

I might be reading too much into it, but from what I’ve heard from scrimmage performances and the way he lists the individual players, I believe Gabe could be a starter for us.

Coffey/McBrayer/Gabe/Murphy/Curry

[HeHateMe]

Gabe will play a lot. He's so steady when I've watched him in the past, never too high, never too low. He reminds me of Hoffarber a bit -- not necessarily the shooting though Gabe's obviously a great shooter too. But the body, size, presence, both could handle plenty for the two guard spot.. both were not heavily recruited which is surprising.

With Curry officially out, I think Hurt does come off the bench as the first forward. Oturu/Murphy/Kalscheur/McBrayer/Coffey seems like a good bet for the starting lineup. If Carr is eligible, it's possible he gets the spot instead of Gabe. Doesn't sound like Washington is going to get the starting job.

[Hornets]

Hurt is still on the roster? WOW

[RubeTube]

Hurt is still on the roster? WOW

No doubt. Horrible player.

[RubeTube]

I don't get the Pitino recruiting hype. Who's left here since he's been here that was a big loss?

Now you don't believe in your PG and are going to start Coffey there?!? There is virtually no depth once again and we don't even know if the starting roster is capable.

Love the optimism boy's but this team is going to reek. I think where many are predicting them, is where they will end up.

If Oturu can be a day one stud, they may have something.

[HeHateMe]

Hurt is still on the roster? WOW

No doubt. Horrible player.

He's not horrible. He needs to be more assertive though and trust what he does well.

He's also the key to landing his brother.

[Style]

Hurt is still on the roster? WOW

No doubt. Horrible player.

He's not horrible. He needs to be more assertive though and trust what he does well.

He's also the key to landing his brother.

Call me crazy, but my gut is starting to say he ends up here.

[HeHateMe]

You're not crazy. If the Gophers have a good year, I could see Matthew absolutely staying home. I think he and Daniel Oturu are buddies, I'm sure he'd be cool with the other local kids who stay home.. hopefully Amir stays for his senior year. Maybe Matthew helps recruit some guys in the spring.

[Style]

Hurt is on campus tonight. Let’s go!

[HeHateMe]

Hurt is on campus tonight. Let’s go!

Roddy, Hurt and a four star wing from out east all in town last night. Don't think the wing made it to the game in time though.

[Style]

Pitino was laying it on heavy in his postgame press conference. Talked about Whalen being a hometown hero and how these guys could follow suit.

[INSIJS]

Pitino was laying it on heavy in his postgame press conference. Talked about Whalen being a hometown hero and how these guys could follow suit.

This has been my angle for years. Why go to Kansas or North Carolina when you can be virtually worshipped in MN and be part of something in your home state?

That’s what I like about Annexstad staying in MN for college. Winfield, Jr. Amir Coffey. Gabe and Oturu. Even Cashman and Carter Coughlin. Hoffarber. Tommy Olson. They’re awesome and revered well after their playing days so much more than a James Laurinaitis, Isaiah Dahlman, Jordan Taylor, Seantrel Henderson or Illikainen.

[Hornets]

If Matthew comes here (highly doubtful) then Michael can stay his last 2 years....if he doesn't come here, then Pitino needs to gently push Michael out of the program and head him in the direction of the MIAC where he would definitely have a chance to be a starter....

[RubeTube]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

[HeHateMe]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

This takes the cake for one of the dumbest posts I've seen on here. He has offers to go wherever he wants and if he stays home, he's not as good as previously thought? LMAO.

[RubeTube]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

This takes the cake for one of the dumbest posts I've seen on here. He has offers to go wherever he wants and if he stays home, he's not as good as previously thought? LMAO.

What can I say. I'm a bit jaded right now.

[D_H]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

Bingo

[RubeTube]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

Bingo

I got ripped for this take too. I keep hearing "Pitino is such a great recruiter". Who's been so great since he got here.

OMG WE GOT A 4 STAR! They never pan out. Coffey was the biggest get and I see why we got him. He's not special.

[jffl_commish]

Curry out 4-6 weeks after a minor knee surgery.

Good grief....can't catch a break.

This sucks for him. He really came on late in his fresh year. Would sure like to see him healthy and playing next to Murphy.

[D_H]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

Bingo

I got ripped for this take too. I keep hearing "Pitino is such a great recruiter". Who's been so great since he got here.

OMG WE GOT A 4 STAR! They never pan out. Coffey was the biggest get and I see why we got him. He's not special.

If he was any good he will not be at the University of Minnesota

[HeHateMe]

Bingo

I got ripped for this take too. I keep hearing "Pitino is such a great recruiter". Who's been so great since he got here.

OMG WE GOT A 4 STAR! They never pan out. Coffey was the biggest get and I see why we got him. He's not special.

If he was any good he will not be at the University of Minnesota

You guys are going into bit mode on this.

[HeHateMe]

Matt Hurt is not coming here and if he does... It's a sign he isn't as good as previously thought.

Bingo

I got ripped for this take too. I keep hearing "Pitino is such a great recruiter". Who's been so great since he got here.

OMG WE GOT A 4 STAR! They never pan out. Coffey was the biggest get and I see why we got him. He's not special.

At least you're committed to the bit.