Gophers Destroy Bemidji State 88-32

It is hard to gauge what we really learned tonight about the Gophers. One thing is certain, even though we won by “œonly” 56 points, it felt like it could have been double that. But a few things that Coach Dan Monson and the staff can take away as positives is that the team played pretty crisp on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes, there are some pieces of the puzzle that Monson can work with and the team has a decent amount of depth.

The Gophers were without likely starting guards Lawrence McKenzie and Limar Wilson who were out with minor injuries, so the team turned to a starting lineup of Kevin Payton, Jamal Abu Shamala, Damian Johnson, Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson. Instead of recapping the blowout, here are some thoughts on the play tonight:

Kevin Payton: Kevin was able to log a number of minutes at point guard and had a great stat line of 10 points and 11 assists. I thought that Kevin did a decent job running the point and looked relatively comfortable in this role, but he still has a long ways to go to be a true floor leader for a Big Ten team, but if we can mold him into this role, his size will create some nice mismatches for us.

Jamal Abu Shamala: Jamal was quiet for the first 30 minutes of the game, but midway through the second half he hit four three pointers in five possessions and once again showed the sweet outside touch that made him a fan favorite as a true freshman. He looked quicker on defense and even tried to create a few shots for himself.

Damian Johnson: Damian was active early on both offensively and defensively, but was pretty quiet after that. He played pretty good defense and mixed it up a bit down low, but all in all he didn’t do too much tonight to stand out.

Dan Coleman: I thought Dan looked very good in the first half where he had 10 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. With the game out of hand he didn’t play as much in the second half, but he was definitely the best player on the floor while he was out there and appears (at least for a night) more focused and consistent. I am still hoping we can get 15 points and 7 rebounds out of Dan this year.

Spencer Tollackson: Early on Spencer resorted back to his fade-a-way in the lane, but after that shot hit the front of the rim he took the ball aggressively to the hoop. Spencer had eight points in the first half and finished with 10.

Bryce Webster: Bryce was the first guy off the bench tonight which is a good sign for him in the big man rotation as he battles Jonathan Williams and Engen Nurumbi. Webster didn’t show too much flash, but he was steady as always. As he continues to gain confidence in himself at this level and adapts to the speed of the game, his contribution will continue to grow.

Lawrence Westbrook: This kid is not afraid to shoot. It is easy to see how he broke Arizona’s all time scoring records ““ he has a knack for putting the ball in the hoop ““ and he is not afraid to let it fly. It is also clear that (at least right now) he is not a point guard and will probably settle into a permanent shooting guard role. The ball had a tendency to stop rotating when it got to his hands, but he often made things happen with it. He hit a number of outside jumpers and certainly had his fair share of floaters in the lane and transition buckets as he finished with a game high 21 points. When Wilson and McKenzie get in the rotation, Westbrook’s minutes and shots will definitely lessen, but you can never have enough scorers, and Westbrook defines the scoring guard label.

Brandon Smith: Brandon was more aggressive tonight which is important. He made a few ill-advised plays offensively and his outside jumper still looks flat, but he is athletic and is able to get a shot off in a crowded lane. He needs to define his own role on this team early otherwise he could struggle to find minutes. I think this needs to start on the defensive end and possibly the glass where his athleticism and strength will be a big asset ““ from there he needs to prove to the coaches that he can make good decisions offensively and in transition. The potential is there ““ it’s up to him to tap in to it.

Jonathan Williams: I was hoping to see Jonathan see more action tonight, but he was the last guy off the bench. He had a thunderous dunk towards the end of the game and altered a few shots on the defensive end, but there is going to be a battle for minutes between him, Webster and Nurumbi and he needs to be more assertive to stand out in this trio.

Engen Nurumbi: I was surprised to see him finish with a game high 13 points, but he was hitting the glass hard. He still looks mechanical at times so it will be important for a guy like him to get minutes early in the non-conference games when we get big leads. Nurumbi is fun to watch off the ball as he really enjoys the crowd and atmosphere. It was a horrible crowd tonight, but you could see his smile singing the Rouser to the student section after the game.

All in all I think tonight was a step in the right direction. We were crisp, we looked pretty confident in both the full and half court traps and we showed that this team has depth. Wednesday night will present a much better test, but I hope the team and staff feel good about the progress the team has made from the scrimmage two weeks ago to tonight. It’s a process and tonight was a tiny step in the right direction.