STrib: Whalen Goes Back to Basics-The Mikan Drill

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Gophers women's basketball team goes back to basics to improve shooting

Minnesota has shot 32.6% combined in two straight losses.

www.startribune.com

Nick Kelly:

With her team stuck in a recent scoring slump, Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen has found herself turning to another Minnesota basketball legend to help show the way.

“Mikan drill. Mikan drill,” Whalen said. “When I would go through a stretch with some layups where I’d be struggling, Mikan drill. Got to go back to the basics. He was one of the greatest 50 players of all time.”

Named after former Minneapolis Laker George Mikan, the drill forces a player to complete layup after layup as he or she alternates back-and-forth on each side of the basket.

All Minnesota players will need to improve and step up, but the Gophers especially need Gadiva Hubbard to get back on track. She is their third-highest scorer per game behind Pitts and Taiye Bello, but she has made only 15.8% of her shots the past two games.

“We can’t win without her,” Pitts said. “She is a big part of what we do.”

Hubbard attributes her struggles with being hesitant, stemming from a lack of confidence. That only compounds the more shots she misses.

To combat the lack of confidence, Pitts constantly tells Hubbard to keep shooting. Whalen also encourages Hubbard from the sideline.