Ten takeaways from Sunday's scrimmage

We got our first glimpse of Richard Pitino's second team at Minnesota on Sunday evening, and after the maroon-on-gold scrimmage (the Gophers played four 8-minute quarters) was finished and players scattered around the concourse to sign autographs for the approximately 2,000 fans in attendance, there was plenty to talk about.

Sophomore Daquein McNeil and freshman Nate Mason battling against each other to lead their respective teams in points? Just what we predicted, right? In general, the newcomers all created plenty of buzz, even as a couple of the veterans appeared a bit sluggish.

As is the case at this time every year, it was only a scrimmage -- nothing monumental can be derived from an off-format, fan-oriented Gophers game against themselves. Still there were plenty of takeaways.

Among them:

1. Nate Mason is going to see playing time, and a lot of it. The freshman looked like the real deal on Sunday night, connecting on five of eight three-point attempts and leading the Gold team with 17 points. But perhaps even more impressive than his clear scoring ability? His poise. He played great defense on DeAndre Mathieu throughout, and exuded the kind of steady presence that doesn't often come packaged in a freshman. Gophers fans, I think you'll get to know him well.

2. Turnovers? Yeah, that's still a problem. So some things haven't changed. The Gophers squads had 15 slip-ups each, for a grand total of 30, with Mathieu (7), being the biggest offender. "That's been an issue," Pitino said. "We've tried to correct it as much as possible. We want them playing aggressive, we want them playing fast, we're really trying to stay away from running as many sets as we did last year, so maybe that's a little growing pains from that. We'll fix it."

3. Mo Walker looked very efficient before coming out of the game. The big man finished with seven points and five rebounds through the first (16-minute) half before sitting with a tweaked hamstring. Pitino didn't seem to believe the injury was serious, and sounded buoyed by Walker's early performance. The fifth-year senior continues to get better and stronger under the basket.

5. The lauded veteran backcourt wasn't the highlight. Andre Hollins seemed off, going 1-for-9 from the field, while Mathieu was a turnover machine, without much offensive production to show for it. He didn't even attempt a basket until late in the first half, and finished with just four assists to his seven turnovers. The Gophers showed plenty of other offensive options on Sunday, with Carlos Morris, Daquein McNeil and Nate Mason grooving, but Minnesota will certainly need that pair come November. "Those guys were not very good," Pitino said. "But I'm not as worried about those two guys as much. Andre has been practicing really well and so has DeAndre. For whatever reason, they just didn't play real well today."

6. Daquein McNeil looked as offensively aggressive as ever. Now a sophomore, the Maryland guard looked a world away from his 2013-14 campaign. He finished with a game-high 20 points while looking more confident than he did through all of last season. He covered Andre Hollins like a blanket. At one point he huddled his teammates and called a play for himself. "He would have never done that last year" Pitino said.

7. Josh Martin is very athletic. Yes, we knew that, but now we've really seen that. The freshman had a couple of beautiful slams, including an alley oop that he leapt over a hoard of teammates to get to the hoop for. Then he hung on the rim for about twenty minutes, prompting Pitino to snap at him to get back on defense. All in all, he was very active and showed a glimpse of the potential that lies underneath. The talent is certainly there, and the rest will come.

8. The starting job at center is still up for grabs. Yes, Walker is only getting better, but Elliott Eliason certainly didn't sit back and concede the spot in the opening five on Sunday. Rather, the fellow fifth-year senior filled up the boxscore, posting 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists four blocks and a steal. "They're different players," Pitino said. "I understand the starting thing, but I don't think it matters for those guys. They both bring great value."

9. These newcomers are exciting. Not since I've been on this beat has an incoming class been so intriguing. Carlos Morris started the firestorm. Nate Mason looked like a legitimate star. Bakary Konate showed enough promise for Gophers fans to dream about. Zach Lofton, though redshirting, flashed his pro potential. Josh Martin nearly jumped through the rafters. It could be a fun year to watch.