It may not the three you expected, but the Gophers – just like you thought preseason – have established that they have three main leaders. Now, of course, instead of Trevor Mbakwe in one of those roles, it's Julian Welch alongside Ralph Sampson III and Rodney Williams.
The difference now, is that while those three are the clear leaders, there are a host of other players that have established that -- when the new Big Three isn't dominating – they can step up in a big way.
A look at what the rest of the team did last night in a 76-56 victory over Central Michigan that improved the Gophers to 11-1 overall and 5-0 without Mbakwe:
Austin Hollins: The sophomore hit two three-pointers and finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and looked really solid in stretches. Even when Mbakwe was healthy, Hollins was coming up with big shots, but now, as the Gophers need him more than ever, he's becoming even more clutch.
Maverick Ahanmisi: Ahanmisi hit back-to-back threes in the second half and did an apt job at filling in for Andre Hollins, who didn't start because of continued soreness in his turned ankle. Ahanmisi finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Chip Armelin: His instant offense has long been a buoy for the Gophers and it continued Tuesday. The sophomore scored seven points in a four-minute stretch to help keep the Gophers' padded lead.
Joe Coleman: Now he's going. The freshman is finally getting meaningful minutes and he's proving he should continue to get them. Tuesday, the guard finished with a stellar 12 points – a season high --off the bench, with two assists and two rebounds.
Andre Hollins: He's clearly still battling soreness in his ankle, but Hollins had a good touch Tuesday, hitting his second three-pointer in four games.
Elliott Eliason: He still grabbed five rebounds even if he hasn't been as consistent lately as he was in the games immediately following Mbakwe's injury.
"That's what I want," said Tubby Smith of the balanced offensive attack. "I'd much rather have it this way than just one guy. You're not going to win a whole lot of games with just one guy. You've got a balanced approached. That's the only way I've ever coached. That's the only way I know how to coach."
