Gophers’ Well-Roundedness Could Make Them a Worthy Big Ten Challenger

It took the Minnesota Golden Gophers just nine games in this 2016-17 season to equal the win total they amassed through 31 attempts last year. At 8-1, they are one of four one-loss teams remaining in the Big Ten, and anything but a 12-1 start would be disappointing, considering that the remaining non-conference slate consists of Georgia Southern, Northern Illinois, LIU Brooklyn and Arkansas State.

The toughest non-conference games are already in the rear-view mirror as the Gophers dropped just one forgivable game at Florida State and logged victories over UT-Arlington, St. John’s, Arkansas and Vanderbilt – four teams that Minnesota will now be cheering for in order to get an RPI boost come March.

Yes, it’s OK to think about March. The Gophers’ strong non-conference showing has likely put them in a position where a .500 effort in Big 10 play will put them on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Last year, the Gophers struggled against the weakest of opponents. This year, their drastically higher talent level should be plenty to get them past Big 10 doormats, and enough to pull an upset or two at The Barn.

Minnesota has proven it can beat teams in myriad ways

For one, Minnesota has proven it can beat teams in myriad ways. Against Southern Illinois and Vanderbilt, the defense allowed 45 and 52 points, respectively, to offset poor nights of shooting. For reference, only once did the Gophers allow fewer than 55 points all of last season.

Junior transfer Reggie Lynch is the biggest reason for the change. Lynch has nearly 4 blocks per game, which fails to account for the number of shots he affects in the paint with his seven-foot-plus-wingspan and impeccable help-side defense. “He changes it big time,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “That’s why our defense is pretty good. Whenever you have a good shot blocker in there, guys are a little bit uncertain.”

Lynch is only in position to get better, having sat out last season due to transfer rules and missed a significant portion of the offseason with shoulder and knee injuries. But the Edina, Minn., native believes his year off led to noticeable strides in his game in terms of shooting, passing and even ambidexterity. “When I was out with my right shoulder, I was working on my left,” said Lynch, “and my left has gotten a lot better in those five months that I was out for that, and then ever since my leg, or my knee was hurt, I’ve just been doing form shooting, so my touch with my shot has gotten a lot better in that time.”

The big man’s athleticism, so easily manifested on the defensive end, doesn’t always transfer to the offensive end, where his unorthodox hook shot occasionally misses the mark, but the Gophers have plenty of athleticism on the offensive end of the floor these days that has enabled them to run and gun their way past teams when tempo has mandated.

Their top three guards – Dupree McBrayer, Amir Coffey and Nate Mason – have emerged as an interchangeable triad that can school defenders off the bounce and create open looks for each other. Pitino has embraced the point-guard qualities in this trio and built an offense where there is no singular ball handler. The synergy between this freshman, sophomore and junior has led to better ball movement the team sorely missed in 2015-16. “Everybody’s going to have the ball in their hands,” said Pitino. “I never understand that. If you have something good, make a good play. If not, pass it to the other person, so everybody’s gonna have the ball in their hands.”

Photo Credit: Big Ten Network
Photo Credit: Big Ten Network

McBrayer is an entirely different player as a sophomore as he’s seen his slash line improve from 33/25/62 to 46/37/65. Pitino, who predicted last season that McBrayer would morph into a big-time player, has been validated. The sophomore from New York estimates he put up a thousand shots per day over the summer and seems more mature in the wake of a suspension late last season.

Mason, the most natural floor general, leads the team in assists and is shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc – ninth in the Big 10 among players with at least 30 attempts. But the most impressive facet of Mason’s game has been his knack for involving teammates. The junior has three games this season with exactly 13 points and seven assists, and all three came in victories against challenging opponents: Arlington, St. John’s and Arkansas. Mason’s antennae for open shooters has gotten stronger, making his dribble penetration all the more effective. The team’s perimeter shooting has improved as a result, up to 35 percent from a league-worst 31 percent last season. “I think we’ve got naturally good passers, good ball movers, and I think there’s a confidence level of throw it inside, maybe we kick it back out. Reverse it, drive, kick it — our personnel lends to that,” Pitino said. “I think Nate Mason is setting the tone with his high number of assists.”

Lastly in the guard trio is Coffey, the team’s leading scorer. The early knock on Coffey would be that his shooting touch has yet to kick in – 6 of 25 from 3-point range — and he often looks uncomfortable in catch-and-shoot situations, but that’s where the negativity ends. Coffey gets to the rim relentlessly when he is engaged and leads the team in free throw attempts. He’s got incredible spring in his legs, he might already be the best passer on the team and his length helps on defensive close-outs. He’s notched double figures in points in all but two games and will only get more open driving lanes once defenses can respect his jumper. Pitino points to Coffey’s efficiency. Against Louisiana-Lafayette, he scored 13 points on five shots. Against St. John’s, he totaled 30 points on 14 attempts. “I think he’s just finding a way to get it done without shooting a high volume of shots,” said Pitino. “But he’s just getting to the basket, doing a lot of really good things.”

Coffey gets to the rim relentlessly when he is engaged

The Gophers’ starters have also been well complemented by their bench. Freshman big man Eric Curry has dealt with ups and downs but has remained efficient, shooting 43 percent from the floor and a team-best 81 percent from the line. Sophomore Ahmad Gilbert is the team’s highest percentage 3-point shooter. Even former starting center Bakary Konate has provided some lift in just nine minutes per game with 3 points, 4 rebounds and over a block per game on average.

If first impressions mean anything to new athletic director Mark Coyle, Pitino is delivering a strong message that he deserves to stay in Minnesota to see this group out, especially since the entire starting five will be back next year. Last season’s squad regressed much further than Pitino expected, but this year’s leap forward has been equally dramatic. “They should be confident,” said Pitino. “They’ve worked hard. They’ve stayed humble throughout the tough offseason, and they’ve just gotten back to proving themselves on and off the court. I’m proud of these guys. They deserve success right now. They’re getting it.”

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