University of Minnesota Athletics
Pitino Blog: Previewing the Gophers
10/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Good afternoon Gopher fans,
Yesterday marked the unofficial start to Gopher basketball season as we had our annual media day and team picture at Williams Arena. There is so much to be excited about this team moving forward. Hope we see everyone at the Barn Sunday, October 25 at 4:00 pm when we will have our first Maroon/Gold Scrimmage open to the public. Afterwards, we will spend some time signing autographs and taking pictures. It's a great opportunity for our fans to see seven new faces (five freshman and two transfers) as well as our returners. It is free of charge and should be a great time.
The teams will look like this:
Maroon: Nate Mason, Carlos Morris, Charles Buggs, Joey King, Gaston Diedhiou, and Stephon Sharp
Gold: Kevin Dorsey, Dupree McBrayer, Ahmad Gilbert, Jordan Murphy, Reggie Lynch, Davonte Fitzgerald, and Mike Lukashewich
Bakary and Darin are out due to injuries. Ben Johnson will coach the Maroon and Kimani Young will coach the Gold. We will play four eight-minute quarters. I will script the defense for both teams for the first three quarters. It will be your only opportunity to see Edina native Reggie Lynch and Texas A&M transfer Davonte Fitzgerald play this season. Both have to sit out this year due to NCAA transfer rules and both will be impact guys next year. My hope is you walk away from this scrimmage excited about what this team can become. I know I am excited.
Year 3 has been going great for Gopher basketball in all facets of the program. Guys are getting better on the court and in the classroom. Our message has been simple and consistent: youth isn't an excuse. You win by defending and rebounding. Be prepared for anything that comes your way because it traditionally doesn't go the way you hoped it would. Last year is over and irrelevant. I am going to put up a banner in our practice court that reads "BE HERE NOW." Those are great words for us to all live by.
We recently heard news about the athletics village being passed by the Board of Regents. This a game changer for everyone in the athletic department. In recruiting we always sell a world-class university, a top basketball conference, up-tempo style of play, a fan base second to none, a tremendous student-athlete experience, and a phenomenal home court advantage. Now we can add a brand new, state of the art practice facility to the mix. Recruiting is going great. We are getting the guys we want. Kudos to everyone who put in so much time and effort into getting this athletics village done. Most importantly, thank you to all the generous donors for all they do. This couldn't be done without their vision.
Our schedule may be the toughest it has been since I have been here. Puerto Rico will be extremely challenging; we have to be ready. Protecting our home court is crucial - we obviously didn't do a good job of that last year. Let's get back to making it impossible to win in the Barn. Our home opener is November 13th vs. UMKC. See everyone there.
Below I will go through an individual assessment of where I think each player is at.
Joey King - Has put on some weight in the offseason. Really improved his overall offensive game. His shot fake has gone from something I made fun of to a lethal weapon. He is the best shooter on the team by far. He wills the ball into the basket. We have spoken daily about his rebounding totals improving from last year. He will be up to the task.
Carlos Morris - I have noticed an increased effort in trying to get better on the defensive end. His shooting has gotten significantly better since he stepped on campus. Shot selection is something we always talk about. I love the fact that he wants to hit the big shot. I am trying to stay away from playing him at the small forward position this year because of defense and rebounding.
Charles Buggs - Been playing him at the small forward position 80 percent of the time in practice. He has a lot of impressive moments. He's cutting down on some mental mistakes. We need him to step up big time. "He has potential" is something I hope we don't say anymore. Time to put that potential to use. I know we will see him take great strides this year.
Davonte Fitzgerald - Extremely excited about Davonte. He has NBA size and length. He's 6'8" and we have been playing him at the small forward position. When he shoots I expect it to go in. Austin Hollins type attitude on the court. Comes to work and does his job. All-league potential.
Reggie Lynch - Another transfer I am fired up about. He is 6'9", 265 pounds. That will put him at one of the bigger post guys in the Big Ten. He catches every ball that is thrown his way. He's near unstoppable in the post. He is proud to put the Minnesota jersey on every day; that's something that can't be understated. All-league potential.
Darin Haugh - Had surgery on his right ankle over a month ago. Expected to be out a few more weeks. Very good defender. Needs to improve his shooting.
Gaston Diedhiou - Has taken advantage of Bakary's recent injury. The increased reps he has gotten in practice have been vital to his development on the court. I look at him like a freshman. The potential is there. Need him to work on defending without fouling. Been playing him primarily at the 5 spot.
Nate Mason - Had a scare last week in practice but was fortunate to only have a bone bruise. He has consistently been playing at a high level. He had a solid year as a freshman. I hope he's one of the best guards in the Big Ten. It's time for him to show everyone that. He will have his opportunities.
Bakary Konaté - Been out a few weeks with a stress fracture. We are very hopeful he returns soon. Has improved greatly from last year. You can't teach size and he has that. I look for him to take a giant step forward this season. He should rebound everything in his area.
Mike Lukashewich - Has a birthday this Tuesday! Love his length. Needs to improve his ball handling and shooting.
Stephon Sharp - Has gotten his asthma under control which has been huge. Very good slasher to the basket. Also needs to improve his shooting. All three of our walk-ons are tremendous kids and great team guys.
Jordan Murphy - There's not a whole lot I don't like about him. Really working on his versatility so that he can play multiple positions moving forward. His shooting has improved greatly. He lives in the gym and excels in the classroom. I expect him to rebound everything that comes his way. Explosive athlete.
Kevin Dorsey - Would love to see him and DeAndre Mathieu in a foot race. He should never lose a sprint over the next four years. Ball control is something we constantly work on. Fierce competitor. Has moments where I say "wow" - wow good and wow bad. Will certainly play him and Nate together at times. Very bright future.
Dupree McBrayer - Typical NYC guard. Puts the ball in the basket. You can tell he grew up playing basketball. I have played him at the 1, 2 and 3 in practice. There have been several practices where he's the best player on the court. We had a scrimmage last week and he was easily the MVP.
Ahmad Gilbert (a.k.a. JR) - Has worked very hard to get in great basketball shape. He is starting to catch up to the speed of the game. He's 6'6" and can really shoot it. Very efficient player. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Great potential. Loves to win.
Jarvis Johnson - Not cleared to play medically but still very much an important part of our basketball team. Special kid. I go to him often about the pulse of the team and where he thinks we can improve. I love his insight.
Go Gophers!
Richard Pitino
