(just say no to limelight pp link is slow)
Pp; Gophers go to 4-0 as supporting cast steps up vs. Mount St. Mary's
In Tubby Smith's five seasons as Minnesota's basketball coach, this might be the program's softest schedule heading into the Big Ten season.
But that's relative.
After beating top-10 teams North Carolina, Butler and Louisville the past three seasons, the Gophers likely won't play any ranked opponents in nonconference play, including during this week's Old Spice Classic in Orlando.
Games like Monday night's 85-56 victory over Mount St. Mary's won't bolster the NCAA tournament resume. But coming off a season in which the Gophers suffered one of their worst collapses ever, losing 10 of the final 11 games, Smith's young team needed a boost no matter where it came from.
And winning the Old Spice Classic could do even more for the Gophers' confidence.
While it wouldn't be as impressive as winning the Puerto Rico Tip-off last season with victories over North Carolina and West Virginia, the Gophers have a chance to beat a major conference opponent for the first time this season Thursday when they play DePaul in Orlando.
There's also a chance for a second-round matchup with Texas Tech, and Wake Forest, Arizona State and Dayton are on the other side of the eight-team bracket. The Gophers are favorites to win the tournament, according to ESPN.com.
"Who's ranked and who's not, we've got to play the game whether they're No. 1 or No. 121," Smith said. "It helps everybody's RPI (Rating Percentage Index) and all that stuff if it's a stronger field. These teams might be struggling early on, but they're like us and like many teams trying to find their role, find a flow and find the right combination."
Twelve of the 13 players who saw the floor for the Gophers (4-0) scored Monday. And Smith got to rest senior center Ralph Sampson III, who missed the game because of an ankle injury.
All-Big Ten forward Trevor Mbakwe followed up his first career 20-point, 10-rebound game in last week's 67-57 win over Fairfield with just 10 points and nine rebounds. But for once, the Gophers didn't need Mbakwe to do much.
That's because for a stretch in the first half it was the Austin Hollins and Rodney Williams show.
Hollins, a sophomore shooting guard, came out firing, scoring seven of Minnesota's first nine points, including a four-point play on which he nailed a three-pointer while falling to the floor. Williams scored all of his 12 points in the first half, including five emphatic dunks that left Mount St. Mary's players shaking their heads.
"I think everybody wants to go into this tournament feeling good about how we played before we left," he said. "This is going to be a real good tournament. We can't be going in (sluggish) expecting to win."
The starting backcourt of Andre and Austin Hollins still seemed like a question mark after accounting for nine of the team's 23 turnovers in a forgettable performance against Fairfield last week. But they combined for 27 points, six assists and just two turnovers against Mount St. Mary's.
"We were playing up tempo like we want to play," said Austin Hollins, who had a team-high 14 points and five assists.. "We were running the floor, making shots. When our shots are falling, it makes everything easier. On defense, we had the intensity we were looking for."
Smith said he liked the effort of 7-foot freshman Elliott Eliason, who played in place of Sampson. Eliason finished with four points, four rebounds and four fouls in 14 minutes, but he also had two steals and a block.
Williams said the Gophers will need Sampson in Orlando because the level of competition will be "a step up" from the schedule so far. Sampson is expected to return Thursday.
"Not saying the teams that we've been playing weren't good," Williams said, "But I just think teams (now) will be a little bit bigger and more our size. We're going to have to be more aggressive."
http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_19385600
Ap ----Minnesota Rolls Mount St. Mary’s 85-56
http://minnesota.scout.com/2/1131355.html
Pp; Gophers go to 4-0 as supporting cast steps up vs. Mount St. Mary's
In Tubby Smith's five seasons as Minnesota's basketball coach, this might be the program's softest schedule heading into the Big Ten season.
But that's relative.
After beating top-10 teams North Carolina, Butler and Louisville the past three seasons, the Gophers likely won't play any ranked opponents in nonconference play, including during this week's Old Spice Classic in Orlando.
Games like Monday night's 85-56 victory over Mount St. Mary's won't bolster the NCAA tournament resume. But coming off a season in which the Gophers suffered one of their worst collapses ever, losing 10 of the final 11 games, Smith's young team needed a boost no matter where it came from.
And winning the Old Spice Classic could do even more for the Gophers' confidence.
While it wouldn't be as impressive as winning the Puerto Rico Tip-off last season with victories over North Carolina and West Virginia, the Gophers have a chance to beat a major conference opponent for the first time this season Thursday when they play DePaul in Orlando.
There's also a chance for a second-round matchup with Texas Tech, and Wake Forest, Arizona State and Dayton are on the other side of the eight-team bracket. The Gophers are favorites to win the tournament, according to ESPN.com.
"Who's ranked and who's not, we've got to play the game whether they're No. 1 or No. 121," Smith said. "It helps everybody's RPI (Rating Percentage Index) and all that stuff if it's a stronger field. These teams might be struggling early on, but they're like us and like many teams trying to find their role, find a flow and find the right combination."
Twelve of the 13 players who saw the floor for the Gophers (4-0) scored Monday. And Smith got to rest senior center Ralph Sampson III, who missed the game because of an ankle injury.
All-Big Ten forward Trevor Mbakwe followed up his first career 20-point, 10-rebound game in last week's 67-57 win over Fairfield with just 10 points and nine rebounds. But for once, the Gophers didn't need Mbakwe to do much.
That's because for a stretch in the first half it was the Austin Hollins and Rodney Williams show.
Hollins, a sophomore shooting guard, came out firing, scoring seven of Minnesota's first nine points, including a four-point play on which he nailed a three-pointer while falling to the floor. Williams scored all of his 12 points in the first half, including five emphatic dunks that left Mount St. Mary's players shaking their heads.
"I think everybody wants to go into this tournament feeling good about how we played before we left," he said. "This is going to be a real good tournament. We can't be going in (sluggish) expecting to win."
The starting backcourt of Andre and Austin Hollins still seemed like a question mark after accounting for nine of the team's 23 turnovers in a forgettable performance against Fairfield last week. But they combined for 27 points, six assists and just two turnovers against Mount St. Mary's.
"We were playing up tempo like we want to play," said Austin Hollins, who had a team-high 14 points and five assists.. "We were running the floor, making shots. When our shots are falling, it makes everything easier. On defense, we had the intensity we were looking for."
Smith said he liked the effort of 7-foot freshman Elliott Eliason, who played in place of Sampson. Eliason finished with four points, four rebounds and four fouls in 14 minutes, but he also had two steals and a block.
Williams said the Gophers will need Sampson in Orlando because the level of competition will be "a step up" from the schedule so far. Sampson is expected to return Thursday.
"Not saying the teams that we've been playing weren't good," Williams said, "But I just think teams (now) will be a little bit bigger and more our size. We're going to have to be more aggressive."
http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_19385600
Ap ----Minnesota Rolls Mount St. Mary’s 85-56
http://minnesota.scout.com/2/1131355.html