Making some sense of Minnesota's 76 Classic experience

Anaheim, Calif. - Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolen were benched by Tubby Smith in the first half because of an "internal, attitude-type" thing.

Ralph Sampson III, Colton Iverson and Damian Johnson were in foul trouble.

Texas A&M launched a 23-6 run that started in the first half and carried over into the second.

Still, the Gophers had chances in a 66-65 loss to Texas A&M Sunday.

Chances to win. Chances for redemption. Chances to get signature victories. Chances to leave the 76 Classic on a good note.

I think the absence of Westbrook and Nolen in the first half contributed to Minnesota's fatigue, which created defensive lapses and an opening for Texas A&M's run.

But Blake Hoffarber and Devoe Joseph were deliberate in getting the ball inside to Iverson, Sampson and Johnson, leading to a lot of early success before Texas A&M's big rally.

But Minnesota went 2-for-10 in the final 3 minutes and 59 seconds of Sunday's loss. The opportunities were there against a good Texas A&M team.

Paul Carter's missed free throw and final shot were symptoms of greater problems for the Gophers.

Check out these stats from the 76 Classic for Minnesota (three games):

58-for-93 (62.3 percent) from the free throw line

16-for-57 (28 percent) from the three-point line

2-for-14 from the field under 2 minutes

Under pressure, the Gophers didn't perform the way they could have at the 76 Classic.

Give Texas A&M and Portland credit. The Aggies and Pilots should both be in the top 25 Monday after entering the holiday tournament unranked.

But challenges from the perimeter and free throw line cost the Gophers in the end.

Plus, with everything else going on, the Gophers didn't need a pair of veterans to miss the first half because of "attitude" issues.

Butler just lost to No. 19 Clemson, so right now, it's too early to suggest the significance of what appeared to be a guaranteed signature victory against the Bulldogs Thursday.

Minnesota will have another chance to get a solid win, however, when the team travels to Miami, Fla., Wednesday to face the Hurricanes, as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

For all of the fans who have pushed the "panic" button, I'd say relax.

It's very early.

There's plenty of time for the Gophers to pad their NCAA tournament resume. But after a 1-2 finish in the 76 Classic, the majority of those opportunities will come in Big Ten play.

-Devron Bostick, who has missed the team's first six games due to a rules violation, could join the team for a trip to Miami Wednesday. Smith said he'll review Bostick's situation when he returns to Minnesota.