No one is claiming the Gophers are perfect. Sure, they have shown plenty of shortcomings, mental lapses and physical limitations in this early season. Fans and media members all have differing opinions about just how good – or bad – the Gophers will fare once the Big Ten schedule commences. But there are two things that can't be denied:

1. The Gophers have been hit with everything from late-game deficits, to a battery of ankle injuries to the seemingly catastrophic loss of their leader and top player.

2. With nearly every twist and turn the Gophers have overwhelmingly found a way to adjust and compensate – usually on the fly.

"We've had a lot of things we've had to overcome but I'm really proud of these kids and how they've responded every time there's adversity or a hurdle put in front of them," coach Tubby Smith said. "They find a way to get over it."

  • Consider what the Gophers have gone through and come out of in the early season:
    After missing most of last season with knee surgery, Mo Walker experienced some pain and setbacks preseason and now might not return before the 2012-13 season. But regardless of whether the Gophers were penciling Walker in for a return, the loss – while drawing some fan concern here and there – has largely been a nonfactor with the team winning games.
  • A good chunk of the Gophers' games this season have featured second-half deficits – and nearly all of them have been close until the end. But in late-game pressure, the Gophers have excelled, wearing teams out with their tenacity as the clock winds down and staging big runs down the stretch.
  • After weeks of intense point guard competition and speculation about who – out of Julian Welch, Andre Hollins or Maverick Ahanmisi – would start, Welch turned his ankle before the first preseason game, taking a likely candidate out of the running. But in his absence, and as he has slowly made his way back from soreness, freshman Andre Hollins contributed a solid effort, night after night. While he wouldn't be described as spectacular, the young guard has held down the position with poise and has given the team everything they could expect from a raw player and natural shooting guard.
  • Just when the Gophers were starting to roll, they experienced the worst-case scenario: losing by far their best player and team leader, Trevor Mbakwe. On its face, the season-ending ACL injury seemed to be cataclysmic. National media began dictating the Gophers new place near the basement of the Big Ten. But in their first three games without Mbakwe, Rodney Williams went from sporadic at best to establishing himself as an honest-to-goodness leader of a team in great need.
  • Right after losing Mbakwe, Ralph Sampson III's tweaked ankle suddenly started keeping him out of games as well, leaving the Gophers with no seniors and only one real recognizable name. But Elliott Eliason – who had started once and otherwise only played spot minutes with meager results the whole year – stepped in and immediately looked great. His aggressiveness and tough play kept the Gophers afloat inside the paint as Sampson healed on the sideline.
  • The latest example came on Tuesday, when point guard Andre Hollins, playing on yet another turned ankle for the Gophers, was visibly hurting. No problem. Welch picked up the duties, Ahanmisi came off the bench for critical minutes and the Gophers maintained enough control in a tight game to pull out the win.

No, Big Ten play has not started yet, and things will certainly be different adjusting on the fly against Wisconsin vs. Appalachian State. But for now, the anecdotes don't lie. The Gophers -- so far -- have been pretty good at spur of the moment success.