With Big Ten play beginning Dec. 4, the Gophers will need to figure out their offensive issues if they want a chance to be competitive this season.
The Gophers are averaging 64 points this season, which is last in the Big Ten. However, they also boast one of the best defenses in the conference. Their defense is why they won most of their non-conference schedule, but the level of competition to start the year is not as tough as what the Big Ten will bring.
They are allowing their opponents to score less than 58 points per game, the second-best in the conference. The Gophers opponents have a combined 20-42 record, with North Texas being the only team over .500 the Gophers played so far.
The Gophers were held to 14 points at the half in their game against North Texas while shooting less than 15% from the field. Despite the bad shooting in the first half, the Gophers lost by three points.
Head coach Ben Johnson praised North Texas’ defense in the postgame press conference on Nov. 13, but understood the Gophers needed to be more confident.
“I felt like our confidence wavered on every miss,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you get great looks and they just don’t fall.”
Johnson said they still need to work on looking forward to the next play after something does not go their way. After scoring 80 points in the season opener, the Gophers have yet to crack 70 again. Every team in the Big Ten besides the Gophers is averaging over 72 points per game.
The Gophers are also struggling from the free-throw line, shooting 63%. Minnesota is ranked 333 out of 364 in terms of free throw percentage in the nation and second-worst in the Big Ten.
Forward Dawson Garcia has been a bright spot for the offense, averaging 22.8 points and 7.8 rebounds on 56% from the field, 55% from the three-point line and 82.4% from the charity stripe.
The Gophers’ second leading scorer is guard Lu’Cye Patterson with 9.2 points per game.
The loss of guard Mike Mitchell Jr. from injury is taking a toll on the offense. In his two games this season, he is averaging 6.5 points per game and six assists but averaged over 8.5 in his first two games last season.
The Gophers could get Mitchell Jr. back for their next game on Thursday, but there is currently no set date for his return, Johnson said on Monday. Johnson and the staff are more worried about his ability to move laterally after suffering a sprained ankle on Nov. 9.
In his four-game absence, the Gophers are averaging 58.3 points per game.
The Gophers found themselves in a similar situation against Yale as they did North Texas, finishing the first half with 19 points.
After the North Texas game, Garcia said they practiced like it was life or death. At halftime against Yale, they did not want to experience another loss like the previous game.
“We came down to the locker room and were like, ‘It’s not going to happen again, we’re not going to lose this game again,’” Garcia said.
Garcia added the team was not worried, but there was a sense of urgency in the locker room.
The Gophers outscored Yale 40-27 in the second half to take home a three-point victory, finishing with 59 points.
In their other three victories, they scored 68 twice and 58 but gave up an average of 58.6 in those three games. The Gophers won only two games by double digits, their other three wins came down to less than five points.
The Gophers will have their toughest challenge so far on Thursday when they face off against an undefeated Wichita State team in the ESPN Events Invitational tournament in Orlando, Florida.
