With summer practices and the foreign trip in the rearview mirror, Richard Pitino had a chance to reflect on how the 2019-20 Gophers basketball team compares so far to other squads that he's coached.
Gophers remind Richard Pitino of 2014 NIT champs
August 22, 2019 at 1:20AM
The Gophers went to their second NCAA tournament under Pitino last season, but he doesn't see much similarity between that team and this one.
"We kind of remind me a little bit of my [2014] NIT championship team," Pitino said on the Golden Gophers podcast Wednesday. "I think that team was a pretty good offensive team."
A key player on the 2017 NCAA tournament team was big man Eric Curry, who is expected to return this fall after getting pins removed from foot surgery in March.
"We'll bring him along slowly," Pitino said. "Very, very important that he has September and October where he's gaining momentum and gaining confidence on the basketball court."
MARCUS FULLER
about the writer
Jackson Kollock was devastated by the loss of his sister, Catalina Raine, but football helped him through the pain. He’s now a top prospect in Laguna Beach (Calif.) and committed to the Gophers.
