There were moments on Monday – and some of these were extended stretches – when it looked like Trevor Mbakwe could single-handedly carry the Gophers to a win. In a sense, he did, with a 22-point, 13-rebound, six-block performance.
But that was against Division II Augustana. Come Big Ten season, Mbakwe will likely need some help.
The 6-8 forward was projected to be this year's leader, and so far has been every bit as good as advertised: in offensive rebounds, in blocked shots, in scoring in the paint … it seems even his free throw shooting, his greatest weakness last year, has seen serious improvement (he went 12-for-13 from the line Monday).
But is that enough to ignite the Gophers?
His running mates, senior Ralph Sampson III and junior Rodney Williams, have not stepped up in the same way. Williams scored ten points in each game but was a non-factor at times. Sampson had 15 points against Bemidji State but got pushed around in the Augustana game and committed seven turnovers.
"Today I was able to play big, Friday it might be Rodney, Ralph, Austin, Andre, whoever to step up," Mbakwe said after Monday's game.
"I think the pressure is on everybody, not just me or Ralph or Rodney. I think we all just want to play good."
Mbakwe and the rest of the team have remained very upbeat through two less-than-perfect exhibitions. Monday, Mbakwe was once again praising the team's potential, saying the "sky is the limit," with Williams echoing the sentiment.

But the problem remains that none of the Big Three aside from Mbakwe has come close to reaching their potential early on. And if the individual efforts fall short, the collective will collapse, even when Mbakwe excels.