It is likely that we
have all encountered failure and despair during the course of life. Sometimes
we refer to it as “hitting the bottom.”
As we look back to
that period, we judge ourselves on the basis of how we handled it. Did we blame
others, curse our misfortune, or did we face ourselves and commit ourselves to
success?
This is precisely the
situation Coach Richard Pitino and his players found themselves in at the
conclusion of last season. They had just finished one of the worse seasons in
Gopher basketball history and were immersed in a sex scandal.
While I personally do
not know precisely what transpired, I do know this. They did not blame others;
they did not curse the darkness; nor did they proclaim a lot of optimistic
nonsense about next year.
No, Coach Pitino
quietly put together a solid self-improvement program known as PRIDE. The
overall goal was to instill in each player a mature understanding of
responsibility. He understood that character builds teams not just talent.
This new commitment by
coach and players has produced a total reversal of last season. This is a team and not a collection of players.
This was most apparent
in the Nebraska game when Pitino put in his reserves including walk-ons for the
final minutes of the game. Yes, the fans cheered but it was the starters that
cheered the loudest and longest. Led by senior Akeem Springs, they united in
their genuine appreciation and affection for those who worked so hard in
practice to make everyone better.
This one moment said
it all: Coach Pitino has a TEAM and it is really good.
With their quickness,
balance, solid bench strength and high energy, they will in my view take
Wisconsin and go on to win the Big 10 tourney. They are clearly the hottest
team right now.
In the NCAA, the Sweet
16 looks probably and the Elite Eight within reach.
Congratulations Coach
Pitino – you are the coach of the year and likewise to the players – you are
the pride of Minnesota.
