Minnesota Golden Gophers Basketball

It was a tough match first up for Minnesota, as they went down 81-68 to Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic. There were a number of positives to take away, though: the strong start, a furious comeback, the predictably outstanding Andre Hollins and a solid debut from freshman guard Nate Mason.

Mason was impressive coming off the bench, contributing 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes.

It did not take long for him to catch the eye, either. After receiving the ball in transition, he took the ball confidently to the hoop, making use of some elegant footwork to step around his man and finish the play.

He did not stop there. The second-half saw him finish in transition once more, while a willingness to put the ball on the ground in the half court helped him get to the line five times. It was an extremely positive start to what promises to be a good collegiate career.

Mason looked comfortable handling the ball, often being made to work hard getting it up the floor by his outstandingly quick opponent, Chris Jones. Yet he handled the pressure well and was even able to apply a bit of his own on defence.

His option-taking was generally good, too. As a freshman going up against a top-ranked opponent, you do not want to be trying to do too much. Mason did not, playing a tidy game, handling the ball where necessary and mainly looking to pass in the half court.

The only real negative to come from his game was the four fouls he picked up, which saw him playing in spurts throughout. He was not alone in this, though, as the game was called tightly and 10 other players picked up four or more fouls also.

But there was enough to suggest that this kid could be very useful for the Golden Gophers over the next four years. This was a high-quality opponent and often freshman guards can seem under pressure against the top teams early on in their careers. Mason did not and while he hardly screamed superstar, he was reliable and his footwork and confidence handling the ball will make him a threat going to the hoop.

Mason was rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and ranked the 31st point guard. He was also recruited by Harvard, Kansas State and Virginia, but it was Minnesota who secured his signature little over a year ago. They look to have found themselves a reliable point guard, too, who did seem far better than the 3-star rating he was given.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers proved on Thursday night that the Big Ten, not the Big 12, is the nation's best conference this season. 

The Gophers beat the SMU Mustangs on Thursday night in Madison Square Garden, 65-63, winning the NIT Championship over a team that many thought was the biggest snub from the Big Dance. In the process, they proved to the rest of the country that they very well should've gotten an invite to the NCAA tourney, and that the Big Ten is the toughest conference in the country. 

In the championship game, the Gophers survived a tough SMU team—which beat Final Four-bound UConn twice—behind 19 points from Austin Hollins, son of former NBA player and coach Lionel Hollins. 

After the game, head coach Richard Pitino, whose father Rick was in the stands watching the game with Peyton Siva, said that his team deserved to be playing in the NCAA tourney. 

"We made some big-time plays," Richard Pitino said, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Austin made a big-time 3. We gutted it out. That is a very good team. They're a really good team. They deserve to be in the NCAA tournament. I'm really proud of our guys. I'm so happy for our seniors. They get to walk off this court with a win."

Most people saw the Big 12 as the nation's toughest conference. Seven of the league's 10 teams made the NCAA tournament, the most bids of any conference in the country. 

Six teams from the Big Ten made the tourney, matching the number of teams that the A-10, ACC and Pac-12 sent to March Madness. 

Conference	No. of Bids
AAC	4
ACC	6
Big 12	7
Big East	4
Big Ten	6
Pac-12	6
SEC	3

None of the aforementioned conferences have a team in the Final Four. The Big Ten does in the form of Wisconsin. So it's very possible that the Big Ten could have both an NIT and an NCAA champion at season's end. 

Nobody from the Big 12—the nation's perceived best conference—made it to the Elite Eight, and just two teams—Iowa State and Baylor—made it to the Sweet 16. 

On the flip side, the Big Ten had three teams in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. No conference had more members at either level. 

The Big Ten is also one of the most balanced conferences in the country. All 12 teams from the league registered at least 15 wins. No other power conference can make that claim.  

Six Big Ten schools had at least 20 wins. Another two had 19. 

While the Big 12 had 70 percent of its conference make the tourney, it also had one of the worst D-I programs in the country in TCU amongst its ranks. The Horned Frogs finished 0-18 in conference play and just 9-22 overall. No other power conference had a team go winless in conference play. 

Meanwhile, every team in the Big Ten had at least five wins in conference play, and the top half of the league had a .500 record or better in Big Ten play. 

Winning the NIT may seem a bit overhyped. After all, it is just the NIT. 

But Minnesota was a quality team all season long. It was listed on Joe Lunardi's ESPN Bracketology as one of the first four teams out, proving that it was just a win or two away from making the Big Dance. 

Early in the year, the Gophers gave then-No. 8 Syracuse a run for its money in a 75-67 loss. They also beat Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State at one point, and took Michigan State to overtime. 

The Gophers were one of the nation's most underrated teams, and that was a result of being buried in what was a very, very elite Big Ten Conference. 

But on Thursday, the Gophers showed the nation that they not only should've been playing the NCAA tournament, but that the Big Ten is truly the nation's most elite conference. 

There are a number of NCAA teams that are still in play for a spot in March Madness action, but the final field will be decided in these next couple of weeks.

Of the teams still in play for a berth, the Dayton Flyers come to mind as one of the most deserving teams in the country. They're riding a six-game win streak as February comes to a close and will look to make it seven in a row against Saint Joseph's on Tuesday night.

They only play one ranked team out of their four remaining opponents, meaning they have a solid chance to continue their recent string of success as we finish off the regular season.

The Flyers are one of many bubble teams that will have a chance to take part in March Madness, but they are of a select few when it comes to who will likely make it in. 

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Record: 17-11

Notable Wins: Ohio State, Wisconsin

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have had a rough schedule this season, but they have shown up big on occasion.

They pulled in big wins over the Ohio State Buckeyes and also dominated the ninth-ranked team in the nation in Wisconsin. Minnesota has lost two in a row heading into its Tuesday matchup with Iowa, but it could pull out a victory on its home court.

The Gophers' final two games will come against No. 16 Michigan and Penn State, two games that are certainly winnable. They've been far from consistent this season but will have the opportunity to finish strong and make it into the tournament.

The Gophers will need to win at least two of these games to make it in, and they will have a chance to put themselves in a great position come Tuesday night. 

Dayton Flyers

Record: 19-8

Notable Wins: George Washington, Ole Miss

Dayton has been an impressive team for the greater part of this season and is looking for a smooth finish to its regular season. Three of its final four opponents are unranked teams, setting the Flyers up for a chance to get even hotter before the tournaments starts.

They have gained much momentum throughout February, winning every game they've played so far. The final result of the season for Dayton is in the hands of junior guard Jordan Sibert, the team's leading scorer and a clutch three-point shooter, as we saw in the Flyers' game against IPWF.

If Sibert can keep his hot hand through these final four games, then we could very well see the Flyers earn a spot in the tournament.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Record: 18-10

Notable Wins: Memphis, Colorado

Oklahoma State snapped a seven-game losing streak last weekend, when they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats, and it followed that up with another victory on Monday night against TCU.

The Cowboys remained competitive during their losing streak and seem like they've been able to turn things around. They're very good at scoring (15th in the nation) and will rely on their ability to put points up in their final three games.

Especially now that Marcus Smart is back in the rotation, the Cowboys looks like they're back to form and could really play themselves into a March Madness berth. 

Smart had 10 assists in Oklahoma State's last game against Texas Tech and managed to keep the offense running smoothly. He will be key for the Cowboys in these final games and could be what pushes them over the top and into the tournament.

If you don’t take pictures of yourself making duck faces at the game, did it ever happen?

The answer would be “No,” for this group of Golden Gophers fans, who took a break in the action during Wednesday night's game against Wisconsin to snap pictures of themselves.

Naturally, cameramen in the area keyed in on the young women, who unknowingly made a series of faces while being broadcast on television. A GIF of the moment has been fashioned by Tim Ryan of The Big Lead. Just another day in the life of a college student with an Instagram problem.

While seemingly a photo booth-style frenzy, there was a method to their madness—a procession of looks that began with "divas!"

"Divas" morphed into "Huh?"

This proceeded to “Heyyy!"

And then ran off the rails into “Wacky!” 

There’s no such thing as smiling anymore, everyone. You must be fierce, you must be free-spirited and above all else, totally loving life. How else will you make people on the Internet jealous of your carefree lifestyle?

Also, is anything better than footage of people taking wacky pictures?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUO9Ez89ffM

You cannot entirely blame these Minnesota fans for taking pics, though. It was a boring game, and nothing was happening on the court. Granted, their unranked Golden Gophers were taking a break in the midst of an 81-68 victory over the ninth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers Wednesday night. 

We’ll presume they were tweeting these off-kilter, wackily angled selfies to Mo Walker and DeAndre Mathieu—two Golden Gophers who had huge, 18-point nights, according to The Associated Press (via USA Today Sports).

Well done, Minnesota, and enjoy your upset selfies, ladies. I forecast you three will be doing more of these in the future, so remember: People love duck face. Do it at all times.

Duck face: The smoochy-est red flag.

Follow @Dr__Carson

Minnesota has reportedly reached an agreement with Florida International head coach Richard Pitino to replace Tubby Smith.

As reported by ESPN's Andy Katz, Minnesota and Pitino are finalizing a deal in Florida today to bring the son of legendary Louisville coach, Rick Pitino, to Minneapolis.

Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague was rumored to be targeting VCU's Shaka Smart and former Minnesota Timberwolves' head coach Flip Saunders before turning his attention to the 30-year-old head coach.

Pitino replaces Tubby Smith after the sixth-year coach won a single NCAA tournament game and failed to record a winning record in Big Ten during his tenure.

Pitino served as an assistant at the College of Charleston, Northeastern and Duquesne before joining his father's staff at Louisville in 2007. He would spend two seasons with the Cardinals before being hired as an assistant by his father's former player, Billy Donovan, at Florida.

Pitino would return to Louisville for the 2011-12 season before accepting the head coaching position at Florida International following the short stint from Isiah Thomas. The Panthers finished 18-14 on the season before upsetting Middle Tennessee State in the Sun Belt tournament as a No. 5 seed.

FIU would later fall to Western Kentucky in the league's title game.

It is also being reported via Andy Katz that Minneapolis native and current Arizona State assistant coach Eric Musselman was scheduled to interview with Teague in Fort Myers, Florida this week before the Gophers reached an agreement with Pitino.

Minnesota Golden Gopher basketball fans wanted a big name and they got one.

Pitino. Richard Pitino.

According to USA Today, the University of Minnesota has reached an agreement with Richard Pitino to become the new head coach of the Golden Gophers.

Richard, 30, is the son of Rick Pitino, who is one of the best collegiate basketball coaches of all time and currently has his Louisville Cardinals in the Final Four in Atlanta.

With the 2012-13 season being his only head coaching season, Richard Pitino does not have a whole lot of head coaching experience.

However, Pitino did coach the Florida International Golden Panthers to an overall record of 18-14 and a conference record of 11-9. He lead the Golden Panthers to their first winning season in 13 years with only three scholarship players on the roster.

The Golden Panthers finished in fifth in the Sun Belt conference and lost in the conference tournament championship game.

How did Richard Pitino have a connection with the Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague?

Pitino was an assistant under Billy Donovan, another great college coach, at Florida from 2009-11. Billy Donovan and Norwood Teague have a close relationship which can be tracked to Teague’s time at Virginia Commonwealth.

At VCU, Teague hired two Donovan assistants to be the head coach of the Rams: Anthony Grant and some guy named Shaka Smart.

So there’s the connection we have been looking for.

Other notable stops for Richard Pitino is two stops in Louisville.

From 2007-09, Richard Pitino was an assistant for his father, but left for the gig in Florida (Billy Donovan being a Rick Pitino disciple). After his stop in Florida, Richard came back to be the associate head coach with his father in Louisville.

Pitino is replacing Tubby Smith at the University of Minnesota who in six years had an overall record of 124-81, but a Big Ten conference record of 46-62.

Smith lead the Gophers to three NCAA tournaments, winning one game.

After his firing, Smith was hired as the new head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Monday.

All you gotta do is put a tweet in my hand. @CollinKottke

When the University of Minnesota made the decision to fire Tubby Smith after a six-year tenure with the Gophers, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that athletic director Norwood Teague and his assistants had someone essentially lined up for the job.

More than a week later, it's become clear that Teague wasn't that close to replacing Smith right off the bat, but his methodology has been unwavering to say the least.

Gopher fans were surely disappointed to see that his former ties with VCU head coach Shaka Smart weren't enough to lure him north, but in the end, it's hard to believe that many truly believed we'd see "Tubby Town" turn to "Shaka-ville".

After that, however, the picture seemingly got bleaker in the eyes of the Golden Gopher faithful with former Minnesota Timberwolf Fred Hoiberg, Butler head coach Brad Stephens, Florida Gulf Coast head coach Andy Enfield, and even Gopher alum Flip Saunders all declining any opportunity with Minnesota.

Today there appeared to be a renewed sense of optimism on campus as Florida International University head coach Richard Pitino's name quickly emerged as a target of Teague and the Gophers.

The story developed quickly, and now just a few hours after we first heard the news, ESPN's Andy Katz is now reporting that Pitino and the Gophers are finalizing a deal that will make him the team's head coach.

The son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, Richard Pitino spent years as an assistant under his father before heading to Gainesville, Florida where he was an assistant under Billy Donovan.

He returned to Louisville in 2011 where he assumed a role as an assistant head coach, but made the move to FIU shortly after Isaiah Thomas was relieved of his duties.

An 18-14 season might not seem like the most prolific of first seasons as a head coach, but when you consider the fact that the Panthers hadn't had a winning season in more than a decade and lost a number of scholarship players after Thomas' ouster, it seems far more impressive.

At just 30 years of age, Pitino is one of the youngest head coaches in the country, something that the Gophers front office would likely embrace as their inquiries have trended far younger than Tubby Smith (although Flip Saunders bucked that trend temporarily).

After dismissing Smith following a season that carried with it a great deal of potential, the Gophers had to make sure they make the right hire this spring as they enter one of the most crucial recruiting periods in the basketball program's history, with three of the top 50 recruits in the country hailing from the twin cities.

Hiring Pitino probably won't make every Gopher fan happy, but Teague knows the collegiate basketball landscape better than most administrators in the country and has earned the right to be trusted with major decisions until proven otherwise.

The Mayor is staying home. ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that Fred Hoiberg has signed a ten-year, $20 million contract to stay on as the Iowa State Head coach through the 2022-23 season.

Hoiberg had playing stints in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls before retiring as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a now-solved heart condition. During his NBA career Hoiberg was known for his great three-point shooting ability. He then accepted a front office position with the Wolves as Vice President of Basketball Operations.

But it all started in Ames, Iowa for Fred Hoiberg which makes this move honestly quite heart warming. Hoiberg attended Ames High School where he was the starting quarterback on the football team with a scholarship offer from Nebraska and won the state basketball championship and Iowa’s Mr. Basketball honors in his senior season in 1991.

He then went on to play ball at hometown Iowa State University right there in Ames. He played in 126 games for the Cyclones and started 123 of those contests.

In 2010, Hoiberg took over the Iowa State basketball program and has made the tournament two out of his three years at the helm, both times winning a game. Hoiberg’s career coaching record sits at 62-39 overall and 26-26 in conference (mainly due to a 3-13 first season).

Hoiberg won the Big 12 Coach of the Year award in 2012 along with Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self. He received the accolade after improving the Cyclones record nine games from 2011 to 2012, the best one-year improvement ever in the Big 12.

In the decision, Hoiberg turned down a big charge by the University of Minnesota who recently fired Tubby Smith and lost in the Shaka Smart contest.

Shaka is staying at VCU. I’m sorry Minnesota Golden Gopher basketball fans, but ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting that Shaka Smart is staying on as the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth. Those reports are stating that Shaka Smart’s new deal with VCU will keep him as the Rams head coach through the 2023 season.

Naturally, Smart did get a pay raise going from $1.2 million to $1.5 million per year. Smart’s contract was bumped up to $1.2 million when he led the Rams to the Final Four in 2011.

Shaka Smart has been the hot candidate for high profile gigs over the past couple of seasons. Last season he most notably turned down Illinois and this season he turned down two other schools.

UCLA was looking to hire Shaka Smart to lead the Bruins back into the limelight after Ben Howland was fired after bringing the school to multiple Final Four appearances.

Smart’s name was also linked to the University of Minnesota, where former VCU Athletics Director and current Gophers Athletic Director Norwood Teague is employed. The Minnesota job opened up after the firing of Tubby Smith, who never finished higher than sixth in six years in the Big Ten.

Money, nor tradition, nor old friends could sway Shaka away from Virginia Commonwealth. Smart will keep his high intensity ‘Havoc’ defense in Richmond.

Shaka Smart’s all time record currently stands at 111-36 overall and 50-20 in conference. VCU’s move from the Colonial Athletic Conference to the Atlantic Ten Conference also makes Shaka’s decision to stay at VCU more understandable.

Good luck to the likes of UCLA and Minnesota in their coaching search, because VCU has Shaka Smart tied up for a long time.

Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague canned Tubby Smith on Monday, and the move could either bring "Havoc" or havoc to Minneapolis. 

The first Havoc is that of Shaka Smart, the golden-boy coach whom Teague discovered and hired at Virginia Commonwealth four years ago. 

The second scenario is if Smart turns his old boss down, this could be a bad look for Minnesota. 

Teague is clearly taking a gamble that his relationship with Smart will pay off. Smart was an unknown 31-year-old assistant at Florida in 2009 and probably does owe Teague for giving him a chance. 

When Teague left VCU for Minnesota in April 2012, Smart said (via the Richmond Times-Dispatch) that Teague "had a profound effect on my life and career. He took an interest in me as a young assistant coach, gave me a phenomenal opportunity at VCU, and wholeheartedly supported us every step of the way over the past three years. 

"He demonstrated an uncommon loyalty and genuine care for me as a coach and as a person. Norwood is a terrific communicator who has a fantastic way with people. He will find great success at Minnesota."

That's nice and all, but how much does loyalty really matter in college athletics anymore? 

Smart, to his credit, has been loyal to VCU and has turned down higher-profile jobs to remain at the small Colonial Athletic Association school. On the surface, this looks like loyalty. In reality, it was a wise move by Smart to continue to put up great results in a smaller conference while he waited for that perfect job to open up. 

That perfect job could be UCLA, and that's who Teague will likely be battling for Smart's services over the coming weeks.

Smart could go to UCLA, a national brand that appeals to recruits, and have all the resources he needs to be successful. Or he could go fight in the Big Ten at a school without a practice facility. But hey, his good buddy is there!

Smart money is on the Bruins. 

What Norwood Teague is doing with Minnesota's money will be a question that he has to answer if he swings and misses with his old flame. 

Minnesota has to pay Smith a $2.5 million buyout, a number that balloons to $3.35 million when a few extra incentives are added in, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. That number would have been only $1.5 million if Teague had not given Smith an extension last summer after the Gophers finished 6-12 in the Big Ten for the second straight season. 

The fact that Minnesota is now moving on from Smith is not all that shocking. The fanbase was growing restless as the Gophers seemed to consistently underachieve. They also never finished above sixth place in the Big Ten during Smith's six seasons in the Twin Cities.

Smart would give the program new life. He would excite any fanbase, especially Minnesota's. 

Teague was visionary in hiring Smart, and could make the right call again. Associate AD Mike Ellis, who followed Teague to Minnesota, helped start Villa 7 at VCU, a program that each year brings together top assistant coaches and athletic directors. That's where Teague discovered Smart.

Teague and Ellis have always been out ahead trying to find the next big thing in coaching, and hopefully they are banking on themselves being able to do that again.

But if it's Smart that Teague wants and believes he can land, he should take a step back and ask himself what he would tell Smart if another middle-of-the-pack Big Ten school and UCLA both came calling. 

He's not going to like the answer.