Another Richard Pitino special
Minn was up 5 with 46 seconds left after a turnover on an air ball. He allows Maryland to roll the ball up the court to the other side of the M logo before Cowan picks it up and is fouled 2 seconds later for 1-1 free throws. How do you not tell your guys to apply token pressure to make the clock start in the back court!?!?!
After several annoying reviews later, Maryland ends up hitting the go ahead 3 pointer...with under 2 seconds left.
That was actually the second time Maryland rolled the ball up the court. Why you wouldn't force them to inbound the ball and take off time to bring the ball up the court...it baffles me.
That game should have been over with a Minn win (and keeping distant hopes of Michigan being co-champs). How can Minnesota fans put up with him?????
February 26th, 2020 at 11:46 PM ^
I can't believe this is the first post on a crazy night in the B1G. I'm more upset Rutgers couldn't pull off the upset at PSU. That double-bye would be a huge get.
Despite Pitino, they still win if they hit their FTs. Kalscheur could've iced the game and he bricked the front end of a 1-and-1.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:50 PM ^
Minnesota shot 42% from 3 on 24 attempts while Maryland shot 21% on 28 attempts. And Minnesota LOST.
Only Pitino, man. What a sad family
February 27th, 2020 at 2:09 AM ^
I agree. Regular season titles are regrettably meaningless in modern college basketball, but to your point a tournament run could do wonders for this team.
It's a shame Michigan hasn't ever won 4 games in 4 days. Oh, wait ?
February 27th, 2020 at 8:52 AM ^
What? Regular season titles are the creme de la creme
February 27th, 2020 at 8:59 AM ^
Tell that to Purdue
February 27th, 2020 at 9:00 AM ^
Yeah, but look at how 4 games in 4 days hurt their tournament run. Oh, wait ?
February 27th, 2020 at 11:14 AM ^
He wasn't saying he didn't care about a conference title. He just didn't care about Maryland losing as much because we basically need them to lose out while Michigan wins out to get the title. Not even sure it's mathematically possible anymore.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:47 PM ^
Both games tonight were dong punches to Michigan
Rutgers made a huge comeback and nailed a bullshit jumpshot to take the lead over Penn State with seconds to go and then just decided to...not play defense and give up an easy game winning 3. Minnesota shit the bed which is unsurprising but still would've been nice to have them win
Michigan can technically still get a share of the big ten title if Maryland loses to MSU, us, and at Rutgers. But in that scenario I think it's more likely MSU would win the big ten outright so maybe it's a good thing Maryland won tonight. Would love to play them in the BTT as the one seed
February 27th, 2020 at 2:00 AM ^
Minnesota shit the bed which is unsurprising but still would've been nice to have them win
Minnesota led 95% of this game, most of the time by double-digits. This was significantly more painful IMO than the Rutgers game where they needed a massive comeback just to be in the game.
February 27th, 2020 at 6:23 AM ^
To be fair, Penn State pulled off a massive moving screen to free up that wide open go ahead 3. It was blatant.
February 27th, 2020 at 8:39 AM ^
Michigan winning the regular season BT was highly, highly improbable. I have been hoping that Maryland already has it clinched when we play them in the last regular season game, because a win there would be big for our seeding (possibly), in both tournaments.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:52 PM ^
Dude should be fired on the spot...not making the tournament with that albeit not great, but pretty decent team.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:23 AM ^
The B1G being tough as nails aside, a team with Carr and Oturu (and quite a lot of other talent too) at a game under .500 is an astonishing miscarriage of coaching.
February 27th, 2020 at 9:22 AM ^
They have almost zero talent behind Carr and Oturu. Their next best player after them is like a DDJ/Johns-level contributor(Nothing against those guys, but if they had to be more than role players on this team, Michigan would be in some trouble.)
February 26th, 2020 at 11:56 PM ^
F*&k the Pitino's. Can't stand him and especially his dad. Michigan can only control the games they play. Win out and see where they end up. Lots of exciting b-ball to watch.
GO BLUE ??
Beat dem badgers!!
February 26th, 2020 at 11:59 PM ^
I caught the end of that game, disgusted. Didn't help that Rutgers blew their game earlier.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:05 AM ^
I don't think those B1G Co-Championship hopes were at all distant while Minnesota had the game in hand. Had Minny won:
MD 5 losses, 6th loss vs Mich, one more vs MSU or @Rutgers
PSU 6 losses, @Iowa, vs MSU (or @NW, not likely)
MSU 6 losses, @MD, @PSU, vs OSU
Ill 6 losses, @NW (not likely) vs Ind, @OSU, vs Iowa
Wiscy, 6 losses, 7th loss vs Mich (also plays vs Minn, vs NW, @Ind)
Now we need Sparty to beat MD for a chance. I say it's still worth holding our nose for a shot at a banner. However, hoping Sparty will win at the onset is not mutually exclusive with switching to Sparty NOOOOoooo!!!! should a Terps win become apparent.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:16 AM ^
In a thread the other day about the end of the season, I posted the scenario wherethis could happen. I just feel this was the key game. Now Maryland would have to lose three in a row. It certainly could happen but not likely.....
February 27th, 2020 at 12:18 AM ^
Never root for Sparty in basketball or Online State in football.
Never.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:07 AM ^
Ummmmmmmm.....
Maybe bricking multiple front end of 1 and 1 had something to do with the monumental choke job we just witnessed. I agree this game was key for any slim hopes for a regular season title. Oh well, finish strong and onto the BTT and the NCAA.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:28 AM ^
Seemed like a huge long shot for Michigan to be able to even share the title at this point so I am glad Maryland won. Screw those bastards at Staee.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:44 AM ^
Mostly agree. Concede regular season to Twerps. Root against everybody else. No reason to root against Goofers though.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:28 AM ^
I'm no Pitino fan but he didn't miss the front end of two one-and-ones or have difficulty inbounding the ball.
February 27th, 2020 at 8:03 AM ^
You kidding? Those inbound plays Pitino drew up were among the worst I've ever seen! They had four guys bunched up from the 3-pt line and in. Most of the inbound passes were at Carr - who was crashing to the baseline! Only one time did they throw it deep, and that was into double coverage - and the receiver nearly threw a pass back over the half-court line! Those inbound plays were horrible - the players had virtually no chance to make them work!
February 27th, 2020 at 12:29 AM ^
the whole ball rolling thing is the most absurd thing from both sides.
Firstly, it seems like it saves tons of time, but it doesn't. If a guard caught the ball around the free throw line on the run he's crossing halfcourt within a second. So picking up the ball near halfcourt after it's been rolling is basically a wash. I would make my team stop doing that if we were down and just have my guard catch it per the scenario above.
Secondly, using the ole "roll the ball up the court" trick as any type of post-game analysis like the OP is doing here is absurd, per my first point above. So they save one second by rolling it twice. Maryland still scored at the :18 and :04 marks. So if they didn't roll it and caught on the run it would have been at the :17 and :02 marks. Maryland still wins.
February 27th, 2020 at 6:44 AM ^
People above make good points about the feee throws, but that’s out of a coach’s control. But putting a guy on Cowan and make him turn a couple times coming up the court would burn way more than a second, dude.
February 27th, 2020 at 7:42 AM ^
I think your idea is pushing best case scenario with one sec.
If you can apply any sort of pressure, bringing the ball up burns 3,4 maybe 5 seconds. Also your moving, not stuck motionless in the defensive zone. I think the hurry back and get set up, can set the defense back on it’s heels and allows the offense to dictate the action
February 27th, 2020 at 8:02 AM ^
I agree. In a catch on the move at the free-throw line scenario, you can add pressure/trap the ball handler with the inbounder's man until he can catch up to the play and make himself available for a pass. That generally slows the pace up the court and can burn an extra 3 or 4 seconds. We always ran at a minimum a soft press on the inbounds to make a modicum effort to slow the ball moving up the court quickly. It amazes me how many turnovers a soft press can cause when a team is trying to push the ball too hard.
February 27th, 2020 at 10:02 AM ^
this is what i advocate. i would always provide some pressure. i would trap the team's point guard. make him give it up or not get it at all; in this case cowan. make their offguards try to bring the ball up court and make a play.
against sparty, i would trap winston. against UM, I trap X, etc.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:35 AM ^
The posters on gopherhole are melting down and demanding Pitino's firing.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:19 AM ^
Richard Pitino and Archie Miller would not have the jobs they have if they weren't related to successful coaches
February 27th, 2020 at 1:38 AM ^
That's not really fair to Archie.
Little Ricky had one season at FIU, where he went 18-14 and failed to make the NCAA tournament, with one good win all year (vs. MTSU in the Sun Belt tournament; MTSU was in the KenPom top 30 at the time and actually ended up getting an at-large as an 11 that year).
That was his entire coaching résumé when he took a job at a Big Ten school! He was the Mel Tucker of basketball, except arguably even less qualified.
Meanwhile, Archie had gotten Dayton to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and an Elite 8.
February 27th, 2020 at 10:49 AM ^
Excuse you, sir. Richard Pitino is undefeated in the NIT in his career.
February 27th, 2020 at 6:41 AM ^
I don’t mind Maryland winning, as I think ya sharing the big ten title was fairly improbable... Much more annoyed that penn state ended up winning.
February 27th, 2020 at 8:12 AM ^
I watched that game, also. The choke job was palpable, and could be seen coming from a mile away. Pitino had no answer for it! Didn't call TO's in good places; the inbound plays he drew up were absolutely horrible (by horrible, I mean worse than anything a middle school team would do); didn't pressure the MD ball handlers (Kueshler was playing excellent defense on Cowan, but never pressured him bringing the ball up court); and didn't have any offensive concept for the second half.
It was clear that Minnesota was doing nothing more than trying to hang on throughout the second half. And they had a 17 point lead at the half! Coaching malpractice if there ever was such a thing...
February 27th, 2020 at 10:07 AM ^
i think minny had maybe 3 good shots in the last 8 minutes or so. they were lucky oturu hit a tough one then later made a 3. i don't think pitino knows how to draw up any kind of play; offensive or inbounds.
February 27th, 2020 at 8:27 AM ^
Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, although not sure he has the "resources" to cheat like the old man. Wonder if he has the same "speed" and "stamina" of the old man?
February 27th, 2020 at 8:35 AM ^
Minnesota has fans?
February 27th, 2020 at 9:02 AM ^
I just watched the last minute or so and I'm still pissed off. What a stupid ridiculous finish and absolute incompetence.
February 27th, 2020 at 9:38 AM ^
What a stupid loss. I turned it off with about 20ish seconds left because I didn't think Minny could blow it and the reviews were getting old. Saw the score this morning and laughed. Terrible loss by Pitino.
February 27th, 2020 at 10:09 AM ^
well, our favorite shit show crew was reffing that game