BleedGopher
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Per Marcus:
Gophers coach Ben Johnson knows what he wants from returning starting guard Mike Mitchell Jr., and his new backcourt to open the year.
They have to be able to shoot. They have to play defense. They need to establish tempo and flow.
Sounds like what every coach wants, right? But it takes time to develop a backcourt in college basketball.
Last season, the Gophers (1-0) saw how much of a difference guard play can make in the Big Ten. They hope to take another step with their new backcourt in Saturday’s game against Nebraska Omaha.
“It’s still going to be a work in progress,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s 80-57 opening win vs. Oral Roberts. “But to have 25 assists and only nine turnovers in a game — where I thought in the first half it kind of got stuck a little bit — is a good sign.”
Dawson Garcia’s 30-point performance Wednesday shows how smooth the All-Big Ten preseason forward’s transition could be with almost an entirely different squad.
Mitchell was the only guard returning from last season, but so far so good in his adjustment to a different role after Game 1. Mitchell set the tone with nine assists and only one turnover in 31 minutes.
“They make my job easier,” Mitchell said about his new Gophers backcourt teammates. “And I feel like I make their job easier. It spaces the floor out for me and [Garcia] to do our thing.”
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Gophers coach Ben Johnson knows what he wants from returning starting guard Mike Mitchell Jr., and his new backcourt to open the year.
They have to be able to shoot. They have to play defense. They need to establish tempo and flow.
Sounds like what every coach wants, right? But it takes time to develop a backcourt in college basketball.
Last season, the Gophers (1-0) saw how much of a difference guard play can make in the Big Ten. They hope to take another step with their new backcourt in Saturday’s game against Nebraska Omaha.
“It’s still going to be a work in progress,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s 80-57 opening win vs. Oral Roberts. “But to have 25 assists and only nine turnovers in a game — where I thought in the first half it kind of got stuck a little bit — is a good sign.”
Dawson Garcia’s 30-point performance Wednesday shows how smooth the All-Big Ten preseason forward’s transition could be with almost an entirely different squad.
Mitchell was the only guard returning from last season, but so far so good in his adjustment to a different role after Game 1. Mitchell set the tone with nine assists and only one turnover in 31 minutes.
“They make my job easier,” Mitchell said about his new Gophers backcourt teammates. “And I feel like I make their job easier. It spaces the floor out for me and [Garcia] to do our thing.”
Mike Mitchell Jr., could be Gophers’ answer at point guard; other guards adjusting around him
Gophers coach Ben Johnson is working on backcourt combinations entering Saturday’s game against Nebraska Omaha.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!