Mathieu is faster than anyone probably could have imagined, and it seems like he gets down the court in about five steps.
The Gophers non-conference season is traditionally like a family vacation. There is some sightseeing, a little bit of bickering, and some unforeseen tragedies that make everyone just want to go home. And for every lovely beach sunset (the Florida State win) where all is right with the world, there will be a time where Dad will inevitably lose the rental car keys (the Arkansas loss), or your steak at a five-star restaurant comes out burnt (the Chaminade win). But given the amount of low-majors and directional universities that come through the Barn doors, our non-conference season generally ends up being a way to be with your family, take it easy and get ready for post-vacation life.
Of course, that’s all about to change. Richard Pitino’s first season is already off on the right foot, and the Gophers are 11-2 with their only two losses coming at neutral site contests. Wins on the road at Richmond and at home against the Seminoles are impressive for such a new team and we’ve seen clear growth and standout performances from many players. But, as we know from past years, the non-conference season is nothing like the Big Ten gauntlet Minnesota is about to face, and the next two months will certainly make the previous two seem like a beach vacation. There will be growing pains, and new weaknesses will surface that had previously been unexposed against inferior talent.
But it’s also exciting to see what this team can do against legitimate competition. They played Syracuse tough until the end, and showed the ability to stand up to a comically tall Florida State team. But facing nationally-relevant talent day in and day out will be unlike anything Pitino has experienced yet, and it will be fun to watch. Before the season it was unclear what to expect of this team. Were we to expect a tournament appearance? Was just being in the bubble discussion a good goal? After 13 games the NCAA Tournament appears to be attainable for this team. Now we just need to see how the Big Ten season plays out.
[straps on helmet]
GOOD: Deandre Mathieu and Malik Smith have been excellent – With so many newcomers coming over with Pitino from FIU and other organizations, it was unclear exactly how the talent would translate. And while we haven’t seen them play against Big Ten teams, it’s clear that Drizzy Mathieu and Malik Smith will be causing fits this year for opponents in more than one way.
Mathieu is faster than anyone probably could have imagined, and it seems like he gets down the court in about five steps. But not only is he quick, he also has great body control, and it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen someone so successful at penetrating and converting. He does have the tendency to get ahead of himself at times, as he’s turned the ball over three or more times in six games already this season, but with his scoring ability, ball distribution capabilities and tenacious defense, he makes up for it in other areas. Consider that Mathieu is third in the conference in assists (ahead of Aaron Craft), fourth in steals, eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio and a sneaky 28th in scoring. Those are some good numbers for a JUCO transfer. And he’s converting a cool 80 percent of his free throw attempts.
Smith is certain to be a lightning rod for criticism this year if he hits a cold streak, since he’s showing himself to be a one-trick pony, but given how many three-pointers he tries, it’s likely that the streak will be short-lived. Pitino appears to have all the confidence in the world in him and, given that they were together last year at FIU, it’s no surprise that Smith has the green light to launch threes. So far this season, he’s has been a clear asset off the bench and has injected instant offense when things stall out. And in college basketball, where three pointers are a true momentum shifter, he’s been the catalyst for some great runs. It should be no surprise that Smith is sixth in the conference in three-pointers made this year, but he’s also the third highest-scoring bench player in the conference.
BAD: The thinness at frontcourt is glaring – One of the biggest issues heading into this season was the dearth of bodies in the post positions. Elliott Eliason and Mo Walker were the candidates tapped to fill the void left by Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams, but it was unclear how well they’d be able to mitigate those losses. Eliason has done an admirable job on the defensive end, but has been inconsistent at best on offense. And he’s been prone to foul trouble, which is worrisome at such a thin position. Walker, on the other hand, simply looks like a guy playing major minutes for the first time in his career, and is similarly inconsistent.
It’s been relatively unexposed so far this season, for no other reason than that the Gophers have played fairly marginal teams without much of a post presence. But Joey King has shown himself to be little more than an oversized small forward, Oto Osenieks is a power forward in name only, and Charles Buggs has been a near non-factor the entire season. What does this mean? The Gophers are walking on thin ice when it comes to their frontcourt situation. In fact, a four-guard system down the road isn’t a crazy thought. Teams like Syracuse and Arkansas in the Maui Invitational exposed Minnesota’s interior problems and, especially against the Razorbacks, had trouble stopping inside penetration. Eliason ran into foul trouble quickly, which left the team even more susceptible. As Minnesota faces bigger, faster teams, the personnel problems down low are sure to offer some heartburn.
INTERESTING: The clear differences with Richard Pitino – Much was made about the completely different system that Richard Pitino would bring to the table. Faster, crazier, and more shot-heavy was the company line. And 13 games into the season that type of system has solidified. Both Tubby and Richard brought guys in to fit their systems, but it’s clear that this year’s Gophers are more of a shoot-first, ask-questions-later type team. Running at least a three-guard system (sometimes four or five), the Gophers always have a threat from the field on offense.
But one huge difference I’ve noticed from the Tubby era is the team’s ability to take care of the ball. They play fast, but they play under control. In fact, through 13 games they’re 2nd in the conference in turnover margin at +3.85, behind only Ohio State. Under Smith, the Gophers were consistently at or near the bottom of the conference in turnover margin; giving the ball away more often than they took it. Their 9th place finish last year was the high-water mark in the last three years of Smith’s tenure, and they ranked dead last in ’10-’11 and ’11-’12. Is the team more disciplined from a coaching standpoint? It’s hard to say, but with an obvious improvement in fundamentals, it certainly appears that way.