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The Gophers returned to non-conference play after finishing the early Big Ten slate with a 1-1 record. Freshman Daniel Oturu was efficient on both ends of the court and posted a double-double in Saturday’s 72-56 win over Arkansas State. Oturu had 19 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes.
Young players have been contributing throughout the Gophers’ first nine games.
Freshman Gabe Kalscheur drilled two early three-pointers and Minnesota opened the game 3-for-5 from behind the arc. Kalscheur had nine points and knocked down several critical jumpers. Minnesota’s ball movement was strong and Kalscheur received quality looks off ball reversals. When Kalscheur has plays designed for him, the Gophers’ offense adds another dimension. Minnesota can continue to move the ball and design sets to get the young freshman guard involved. When they space the floor and move the basketball, there are opportunities to get guards like Amir Coffey attacking downhill, too.
After a quick start, things eventually started to dry up offensively as Minnesota only made one shot over a ten-attempt stretch. They started to get things going when they used post action with Daniel Oturu and Jordan Murphy. Murphy had four assists to help create opportunities for Oturu in the low post. He is developing better passing skills, especially when teams decide to double him in the post. The Gophers will have a chance to use high-low action with Murphy and Oturu throughout the year. This will be especially useful as Oturu becomes more nuanced with his moves in the low post. Oturu is looking more comfortable in the post and is starting to thrive when playing 1-on-1 in the paint. Murphy had only nine points and 12 rebounds, but others on offense managed to pick him up throughout the day.
Arkansas State spent many possessions attacking Oturu to get him in foul trouble. He swatted three shots into the first row and only picked up three fouls. This type of discipline will be important in future games to keep low post depth fresh. He has a tendency to leave his feet on defense, which has been a problem throughout the early stages of this season.
In the second half, the Gophers had one eight possession stretch where they made just two shots. This was the result of bad passes and quick attempts early in the shot clock. Minnesota also had some trouble against zone looks. When they managed to get the ball to the middle, it resulted in a wide-open corner three-pointer by Brock Stull. The ability to attack a zone defense has been a problem for this team all year. There are so many moments where Minnesota shows flashes of brilliance for a five-minute stretch, but can’t sustain the play throughout.
Guard Dupree McBrayer was efficient with his jumper and hit his first four shots, including two three-pointers. When he manages to drill mid-range jumpers or threes off a ball reversal, another element is added to the offense. McBrayer had 14 points and continued to play despite the loss of his mother earlier in the week. It is very important for the Gophers to receive consistent guard play from McBrayer, Amir Coffey and Gabe Kalscheur. This is especially crucial considering the lack of minutes contributed by sophomore point guard Isaiah Washington. He did not play in the second half and struggled to take effective shots when he was on the floor. Washington played just six minutes, despite the Gophers having limited point guard depth on the roster. Brock Stull started to receive additional action and scored six points. Head coach Richard Pitino said Stull is physically adjusting to Big Ten play after arriving in September.
The Gophers also used this game as an opportunity to try using 3/4 court 1-2-1-1
pressure. With all of the overall wingspan Minnesota has on the court, there is an opportunity for deflections and difficult offensive passing angles. This can lead to steals and the potential for transition opportunities.
Minnesota still has work to do when it comes to developing consistency offensively. Many of the contributions by freshman players are encouraging, but the team will need to find a way to play a complete basketball game. It’s something they haven’t accomplished over the past few weeks. This looked like a game where Minnesota was sleepwalking a little after playing a long stretch of Power-5 opponents.
VIDEO:
Young players have been contributing throughout the Gophers’ first nine games.
Freshman Gabe Kalscheur drilled two early three-pointers and Minnesota opened the game 3-for-5 from behind the arc. Kalscheur had nine points and knocked down several critical jumpers. Minnesota’s ball movement was strong and Kalscheur received quality looks off ball reversals. When Kalscheur has plays designed for him, the Gophers’ offense adds another dimension. Minnesota can continue to move the ball and design sets to get the young freshman guard involved. When they space the floor and move the basketball, there are opportunities to get guards like Amir Coffey attacking downhill, too.
After a quick start, things eventually started to dry up offensively as Minnesota only made one shot over a ten-attempt stretch. They started to get things going when they used post action with Daniel Oturu and Jordan Murphy. Murphy had four assists to help create opportunities for Oturu in the low post. He is developing better passing skills, especially when teams decide to double him in the post. The Gophers will have a chance to use high-low action with Murphy and Oturu throughout the year. This will be especially useful as Oturu becomes more nuanced with his moves in the low post. Oturu is looking more comfortable in the post and is starting to thrive when playing 1-on-1 in the paint. Murphy had only nine points and 12 rebounds, but others on offense managed to pick him up throughout the day.
Arkansas State spent many possessions attacking Oturu to get him in foul trouble. He swatted three shots into the first row and only picked up three fouls. This type of discipline will be important in future games to keep low post depth fresh. He has a tendency to leave his feet on defense, which has been a problem throughout the early stages of this season.
In the second half, the Gophers had one eight possession stretch where they made just two shots. This was the result of bad passes and quick attempts early in the shot clock. Minnesota also had some trouble against zone looks. When they managed to get the ball to the middle, it resulted in a wide-open corner three-pointer by Brock Stull. The ability to attack a zone defense has been a problem for this team all year. There are so many moments where Minnesota shows flashes of brilliance for a five-minute stretch, but can’t sustain the play throughout.
Guard Dupree McBrayer was efficient with his jumper and hit his first four shots, including two three-pointers. When he manages to drill mid-range jumpers or threes off a ball reversal, another element is added to the offense. McBrayer had 14 points and continued to play despite the loss of his mother earlier in the week. It is very important for the Gophers to receive consistent guard play from McBrayer, Amir Coffey and Gabe Kalscheur. This is especially crucial considering the lack of minutes contributed by sophomore point guard Isaiah Washington. He did not play in the second half and struggled to take effective shots when he was on the floor. Washington played just six minutes, despite the Gophers having limited point guard depth on the roster. Brock Stull started to receive additional action and scored six points. Head coach Richard Pitino said Stull is physically adjusting to Big Ten play after arriving in September.
The Gophers also used this game as an opportunity to try using 3/4 court 1-2-1-1
pressure. With all of the overall wingspan Minnesota has on the court, there is an opportunity for deflections and difficult offensive passing angles. This can lead to steals and the potential for transition opportunities.
Minnesota still has work to do when it comes to developing consistency offensively. Many of the contributions by freshman players are encouraging, but the team will need to find a way to play a complete basketball game. It’s something they haven’t accomplished over the past few weeks. This looked like a game where Minnesota was sleepwalking a little after playing a long stretch of Power-5 opponents.
VIDEO:
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