2013-2014 Gopher Hoops!

[schmitty3]

Yea that was one ugly game. Good to get a win on the road, but Penn State kind of helped them out at the end.

I agree the new officiating is terrible. You can't go 5 minutes into a game without at least 1 player per side in serious foul trouble. Then you get in the second half and there is absolute no flow to the game. Pretty boring to watch really.

[paceman]

What new officiating rules are you referring to?

[Huskie]

No new rules, they are just calling all of the hand checking out front and the use of the arm bar against any penetration to the basket. I'm glad the Gophers can make some frees down the stretch, teams need to adjust to this. Any win on the road in the Big Ten is a good one, but I'm sticking to my call of 7 maybe 8 wins in conference play, looks like a 7th or 8th place finish. At least the start of the conference schedule was more favorable than in the past, should help the confidence level being 2-1 instead of 1-2 or 0-3. Coach has them playing hard on both ends of the court, Go Gophers.

[Scott M]

Had to have a win in Penn State. There are teams they can beat and teams they can't. Every time they lose to a team they can beat means they have to win a game against a team they can't....and that's just to stay on the bubble.

[Scott M]

Another notch in the moral victory column. They are a plucky squad but can't seem to finish games. Tubby-like in that regard, but I can't compare a blown game in East Lansing as 11 point 'dawgs to blowing a home game against conference dregs in February like Tubbs did.

One game of a brutal 4 down...I'll be in Williams Thursday night for Ohio State.

[DrJ]

Great win tonight. They are headed in the right direction.Fun to watch a team thats playing even the top teams close. We could be 5-0 with just a few less turnovers and some decent officiating. DrJ

[BartmanMN]

Yeah baby!

[Huskie]

Great win, terrific play by the Bigs. Good pressure D throughout the game. This is one I didn't think they would get, the Barn was rockin!!!

[chasineyes]

They CLOSED out the game STRONG. That right there made it a great win in my book!!

[BartmanMN]

Little fire from the coach too, which I enjoy seeing. I love it when the jackets start flying.

[Snag]

I really like Mathieu and Eliason's development is encouraging. No real stinker games like with Tubby. Craft isn't that great without Sullinger and other great players around him.

Hope we can get a practice facility built and keep Pitino. Good luck to Nanne on the fundraising. Hate to say it, but I think he will go to a better program in a few years.

[schmitty3]

Wow, that game was hard to watch, not because they lost, but because there was a foul called every ten seconds of the game. This is suppose to be the hard nosed big 10 basketball, not every time someone drives to the hoop they automatically get a foul call. This new strict officiating is getting way over the top.

[Dotch]

No kidding. A total of 50 personal fouls called in the game at IA City, 29 on MN 21 on IA, not including the technical. There was no flow just stoppages of play and often with no clue as to why watching on the tube. Give IA credit. They outplayed us in the 2nd half and stopped Dre Hollins. They deserved to win. Let's hope they get to see how it feels when the shoe's on the other foot at the Barn Feb. 25th. Maybe Franny will throw another tantrum!

[gunner55]

I agree about the fouls,it seemed as if Ia was in the 1&1 before the first tv timeout.The last 1:13 of the first 1/2 changed the rest of the game as I was already yelling at the tv about finding a way to stop D. Hollins.Ia won the battle on the boards & at the free throw line plus 5 guys in double figures(2 off the bench), didn't hurt either.I'm sure I'll be watching the return match at The Barn as it always is a good rivalry.I just hope Marble & White play a full game Wed. at Ann Arbor.I know how you guys feel though as this is the most excited I have been about Hawkeye basketball since Dr. Tom.

[BartmanMN]

Looking really good tonight. Loving the Gophs under Pitino.

[alleyes]

Wow!How fun was that to watch, Pitino has brought this team back to life. No longer playing scared, just hard

[Scott K]

Nice win by the phers

[schmitty3]

Huge win tonight! Everyone stepped up when Dre went down, even Otto to my surprise.

Oh and how bout this...

[certified jumbo]

Solid dunk. Solid win. Fun basketball to watch.

[Scott M]

Elliason gets in foul trouble, you lose your best player on the first offensive set, and you watch your squad win wire to wire without a doubt. What a game. 4 games in a row against top 15 teams, you go 2-2 and lose one in overtime on the road. I'll take it.

Typical Wisconsin basketbrawl...Just like players did to Kobe and Jordan, trying to run underneath a great player so they land on a shoe and twist an ankle. You can challenge a shot but at least give the guy room to land. It might not be illegal but it is unethical.

Nice job by Mathieu, Malik Smith, and Big Mo.

Where are those people that said we couldn't do better than Tubby now? Teams never get better if they are content with mediocrity.

Pitino is really sticking it to all those anonymous coaches that said his style would never work in the Big Ten. He doesn't even have a full complement of players that match his playing style - imagine how good this team could be if he gets to that point.

There is still a lot of season left as we're a couple games short of halfway, but they are going to be ranked next week and have enough winnable games left to dance, in Pitino's first year and with a team widely viewed as rebuilding (I remember thinking they were only better than NW, PS, and Neb) nonetheless. It's been a long time since the Gophers had a team that was this fun to watch. Tubby had some good players and teams with potential, but he never opened things up or they never got to that point that they were a joy to watch. Right about this time under Tubby, they would start their February and March swandive, but with Pitino and the confidence he's instilled, I see them seizing the opportunities and getting some more key victories. Time will tell.

It's too bad that Pitino didn't get more time and have this season to show to Minnesota's star studded 2014 recruiting class. He really has utilized the talent; you can't doubt his x's and o's nor his ability to coach up and develop players.

[gunner55]

Had to work didn't get to watch/listen to whole game.Every time I did it looked like they were playing good & in the lead.Big win!Unlike the hawks.

[Coach1310]

Biggest difference with this team vs. the past years..... The freedom and flow on offense. Too many times Tubby's teams would be chucking something up, fading away as the shot clock expired. These guys attack the bucket, are always ready to shoot and share the ball unbelievably well. As a coach, last night was fun to watch.... free flowing, always making the play when the needed one and taking advantage of opportunities... and there is NOTHING better than see Bo Ryan lose!

[schmitty3]

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Typical Wisconsin basketbrawl...Just like players did to Kobe and Jordan, trying to run underneath a great player so they land on a shoe and twist an ankle. You can challenge a shot but at least give the guy room to land. It might not be illegal but it is unethical.

Completely agree, that is a dirty play. The NBA has done something about it and is finally calling fouls on it, the NCAA needs to follow suit.

[Snag]

Big Mo was awesome last night. He couldn't play more than 2 minutes last year without needing a blow. His hard work on the diet is paying off.

We could't even run in bounds plays with Flubby. Nice to see the keep away at the end of the game with two Pitino guys.

[walleyeman1]

It is very fun watching these guys play like a team! To see players improve through out the year. The Barn looks like a great place to watch basketball again!!