The adrenaline was taken down a notch Saturday afternoon in the Golden Gophers’ first game since their emotional comeback win against Nebraska in the Big Ten home opener.
There was no letdown for Minnesota in the early going as they used a 21-2 game-opening run to build a hefty lead. Arkansas State pecked away at the deficit throughout but never got closer than 12 in a 72-56 Gophers win.
Although it lacked the drama of Wednesday’s thriller, here were the major takeaways from Saturday’s win.
- The 3-point shooting returned. Minnesota hit just three combined 3-pointers in their two Big Ten games. Within four minutes of play against the Red Wolves, they’d matched it. Gabe Kalscheur hit two and Amir Coffey made another as part of Minnesota’s 21-2 run. The Gophers had been a respectable 37 percent from 3 in their first seven games before the recent slump, though they shot 5 of 43 (12 percent) in their two losses. The Gophers were 6 of 10 from 3 at one point against Arkansas State and finished 8 of 17. “I think we’re getting smarter about which ones to take,” said Pitino.
- Isaiah Washington is still forcing it. After an 0-for-4 shooting start in six minutes of play in the first half, head coach Richard Pitino pulled Washington from the game and didn’t reinsert him for the duration, instead giving his minutes to grad transfer Brock Stull. Pitino has wanted to see better shot selection from the sophomore, and a greater focus on passing and defense. “It’s affecting himself and his play that matters,” said Pitino, “and that’s something he needs to work on. He’s clearly not had great body language, and I don’t think a lot of it is intentional. I really don’t. We talked about it all the time. … All eyes are on him, and he needs to understand that.” Washington is now shooting 24 percent from the field and 16 percent from 3-point range on the season.
- Oturu had a block party … and a great offensive game. After losing Reggie Lynch last year, the Gophers lacked an inside rim protector that deterred touches in the paint. Daniel Oturu may have the tools to be that player in the future, and he showed flashes of his defensive prowess on Saturday, recording three blocks, two of which wound up in the stands. The next step? Finding a way to keep those blocks in bounds, as Lynch was so adept at doing. Oturu also scored a season-high 19 points to go with 12 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. “When you play these these mid-major teams they’re not gonna have the size that you have, so you’ve got to be able to physically beat them up down low and inside,” said Pitino. “I thought Dan definitely did that.” Oturu suffered a sprained ankle late in the second half and will be reevaluated on Monday.
- What can be expected from Jarvis Omersa? It’s unclear if the Orono product will be part of the rotation when Big Ten play restarts. His athleticism and length make him a ready defender, but offensively he’s made just three baskets since the season opener while getting over 10 minutes per game.
- Jordan Murphy is a much better passer. In his first three seasons, Murphy notched more than three assists twice. His career high in assists coming into the year was four. The senior has now matched or exceeded that three times in the first 10 games after dishing four assists on Saturday. Murphy’s impact was reduced last season as he routinely faced double teams in the Big Ten. His ability to pass out of those spots will make him tougher to double as the team plays bigger games in January and February. Against Arkansas State, Murphy had a dismal afternoon shooting (2 for 10) but found a way to stay involved offensively with his passing.
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Sam Ekstrom
Sam Ekstrom is an executive producer and host at Locked On Sports Minnesota. He's previously covered the Vikings for 105 The Ticket, Zone Coverage, Purple Insider, and the Associated Press. He grew up in Vermillion, S.D. rooting for the USD Coyotes (not SDSU) and graduated from Dordt (not "dork") University in Sioux Center, Iowa.
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