Walker giving Gophers the inside game they've been waiting for

In the flurry of buckets, his production was nearly lost.

The Gophers pushed the score to 109-57 by the time the barrage was over, and senior center Mo Walker was on the lower tier of eight players who scored at least eight points in the victory over Division II Franklin Pierce.

He wasn't swarmed in the locker room. He didn't play a minute after the first half — with coach Richard Pitino choosing to exercise the bench instead with the biggest blowout in nearly a decade in play Thursday night. After the game, the starting center ranked fourth in both scoring and rebounding on the team's stat sheet.

None of that fully explains the 6-10 Canadian's worth: Through three games this season, Walker has been the Gophers' most efficient player in three major categories: scoring, rebounding and grabbing steals.

"He's such a veteran presence," fellow center Elliott Eliason said of the player he has platooned with the past two seasons. "He's got that low-post scoring, and I think he's improved his rebounding so much this year. I mean, we need him."

So far, the Gophers haven't witnessed what Walker could be capable of for a full game. The big man found foul trouble in the season-opening loss to Louisville, and he sat for long stretches in favor of reserve-heavy lineups in each of the past two games, both won by more than 20 points.

When Walker has been on the court, he's been nearly unstoppable. The fifth-year senior and sports management major is averaging 26.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.9 steals per 40 minutes — all team highs.

"I definitely want to establish myself as one of the best post players in the league," Walker said. "I'm just trying to do whatever I can for this team."

In Pitino's mind, Walker should set his sights even higher. Walker didn't receive any notable preseason accolades, but when Pitino contemplated the Big Ten's best big men earlier this week, the coach didn't take long to get to his starting center's name.

"Besides [Wisconsin's Frank] Kaminsky, I don't know who the next low-post threat is," he said. "[Purdue's] A.J. Hammons? But then you'd have to say Mo.

"There is no reason why Mo can't be one of the top low-post threats in our conference."

A year and a half ago, Walker was an overweight and underused benchwarmer whose career had been laden with joint injuries. After losing 60 pounds in the first year under Pitino and new strength and conditioning coach Shaun Brown, Walker — always known for his soft touch and scoring ability — grew his post game tremendously, transforming from a hesitant presence to a legitimate threat. This year, he's gotten even better, using his size and improved footwork to score almost at will.

Pitino wants his big man to rebound even more efficiently, and eliminate the turnovers — like last year, Walker has had the ball knocked out of his hands a couple of times.

But the trust in Walker's strengths is obvious. When he is on the floor, the Gophers try to go to him often. He has shot 63.6 percent, also a team best.

"Guys are comfortable with Mo in the low post," Pitino said. "They know that if they throw it to him, he's going to score."