The Gophers will take on Montana in their second regular season contest of the season at Williams Arena tonight. 

 

Here are my 5 things to watch for:

 

How do the Gophers deal with the zone: Minnesota’s zone offense is past seasons has been … suspect. It sounds like the plan tonight is to hit the Grizzlies in transition before they can get set up, but that won’t always happen. Can Minnesota execute in the half court set against the zone, while still maintaining an up-tempo pace? Montana’s zone will be good preparation for the Syracuse matchup in Maui.

 

Rebounding: This will likely always be on this list. The rebounding battle will always be a topic of concern for a relatively small Gophers roster. Can Minnesota win the battle for the loose balls?

 

Andre Hollins shot count: Pitino wants Hollins to be aggressive. He was last game [13 shots]. Will he continue to do so? Rachel Banham certainly hopes so.

 

Will Montana provide a test?: The Gophers cruised through their two exhibition battles and were in control throughout in the season opener against Lehigh. But this Montana team has made three of the last four NCAA tournaments. Will they give Minnesota a challenge? 

 

Frontcourt production: Joey King scored 20 points in the opener. Elliott Eliason provided 11 points and 17 rebounds. Both performances were welcomed surprises for the Gophers staff. Can Minnesota’s big men sustain that type of production? If so, this team could be better than people thought coming into the season.