University of Minnesota Athletics
Pitino Blog: New Year's Edition
12/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Record 12-2
RPI- 19
Strength of Schedule- 32
Record vs. Top 25- (0-1)
Record vs. 26-50 - (2-1)
Record vs. 51-100- (2-0)
Free Throw Attempts (3rd nationally)
Defensive Efficiency Rating (18th nationally)
Offensive Efficiency Rating (110th nationally)
Defensive Rebounding % (113th nationally)
Offensive Rebounding % (171th nationally)
3 point FG defense (14th nationally)
2 point FG defense (34th nationally)
Experience per minutes played (301 nationally)
Good afternoon Gopher fans,
Above are a few numbers that are a good indication of where we are at and where we need to improve. Our loss to Michigan State was certainly very disappointing. We played terrific defense in the first half as well as executed our game plan brilliantly. We spoke at halftime about the first five minutes and how we had to set the tone because Michigan State would come out swinging. Live ball turnovers and defensive breakdowns led to them cutting the lead quickly. Our effort and energy was very good but our execution down the stretch was poor on both sides. We will continue to work with our young team on it in practice. Our crowd was terrific. Thank you fans for making the Barn one of the toughest venues in the Big Ten. Hope to see you guys next Sunday versus Ohio State.
Our next test on Sunday will be extremely challenging. Not only is Purdue talented, physical and tough but they are always terrific at home. They looked impressive in their last game vs. Iowa. We will obviously have to do a great job on both of their pro prospects, Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas. They have also been shooting the three well. It is a tremendous opportunity for our guys.
After 14 games it's a good time to talk about our strengths and weaknesses. First and foremost the attitude and chemistry has been great. Guys come to practice focused and eager to improve. They are getting it done on and off the court. Hopefully we will continue to stay focused and together as adversity will hit during Big Ten play.
Strengths:
Half court defense. When our defense is set we have done a good job of showing we can get stops.
3 point defense. An upgrade in length across the board has helped.
Scouting Report. Guys have been locked into the game plan. That's rare for such a young team.
Ability to get to the foul line. Been around top 5 at attempts nationally this season.
Attitude. Not a lot of distractions. Guys are committed to winning.
Weaknesses:
Offensive flow. Tend to get stagnant and want to move the ball with the dribble instead of the pass. Five new faces has provided a little bit of a lack of understanding. We have to use this time of year to take a major step forward in this department.
Rebounding. Our numbers are improving as it pertains to offensive rebounding but still needs to get better. We could be really difficult to score on if we got better on the defensive side of rebounding. Huge point of emphasis for our guys!
Live ball turnovers!
Transition defense. Have to continue to get back and get set.
Personnel
Nate Mason - having the type of junior season I hoped he would have. All Big Ten guard in my opinion.
Dupree McBrayer - Most improved player on the team by far. Playing with a lot of confidence. Future is very bright.
Amir Coffey - Been very impressive thus far. Very good defender with tremendous length. Has been very aggressive at attacking the basket. Monster potential.
Jordan Murphy - Terrific effort vs. Michigan State. Showed great toughness. We have to look to him more. Only a sophomore!
Akeem Springs - Has provided a great spark off the bench although I consider him a sixth starter. Rock solid understanding of defensive principles. Great leader.
Reggie Lynch - When on the court he is productive but foul trouble has limited him. Still has a long way to go to reach his potential. Obviously a very good shot blocker. Would like to see him play above the rim more.
Eric Curry - Biggest strength is his ability to knock down free throws at 78%. Runs the court great and plays good post defense. Good jump shot and his post moves are improving. Fun to coach.
Bakary Konaté - Still learning and showing growth. Played very good defense on Nick Ward in the second half last game. Has to cut down on silly fouls.
Ahmad Gilbert - Working hard, has to continue to improve his foot speed. Attitude has been very good. Cares about winning.
Michael Hurt - Better shooter than he has shown but that's normal with some freshmen. Working his way into the rotation more. Hard worker!
Brady Rudrud - Solid basketball player, horrible ping pong player. I remain undefeated over Brady.
Gaston Diedhiou - Very proud of Gas. Hasn't played much but continues to work his butt off and is improving.
Stephon Sharp - Continues to show a great ability to slash to the rim. Will continue to work on defense and perimeter shooting.
Darin Haugh - Working hard in the classroom and on the court. Most importantly, Bench Press is up to 315 pounds!
Congrats to the football team on their Holiday Bowl victory!
Love the direction of our basketball program. The future is very bright for our young and talented basketball team. Crazy to see that we are ranked 301 in the country in experience by Kenpom. Guys will continue to improve. We need our upperclassmen to be rock solid and provide great leadership. We have a fun few months ahead of us. Happy New Year!
Go Gophers,
