University of Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino, the son of storied coach Rick Pitino, is guiding a squad capable of making a serious dent in the Big 10.
For the last three years, the Gophers have hovered somewhere between mediocrity or, in the case of last season, irrelevance. And there’s no shame in that. They were rebuilding the program. That they were able to tread water above .500 for so long is a serious accomplishment.
And now they get to reap the fruits of their labor, thanks to a defense that is among the 50 best NCAA teams in the nation.