These days, Gophers junior Julian Welch walks around grinning so much it has coach Tubby Smith wondering if he missed the joke.

"He's always engaging, always smiling," Smith said with a smirk of his own. "Almost to the point where I'm like, 'What are you smiling about?'"

Here's a guess: His shooting, which has jumped to 55 percent over the past seven games after being below 40 percent early in the season, is worthy of teeth-baring. If that doesn't crack a grin, the increase of 10 points per game in that span probably would. Welch has earned nine more minutes a game during that stretch and has wowed Williams Arena patrons and his own teammates with his production.

He's also aptly picked up a leadership role, looked more aggressive on the court and more comfortable overall.

And hey -- he's showing his pearly whites, too.

"Yeah, I smile a lot," he said.

Who could blame him? It's been a rough road to where he is now, a starter on a major Division I team. Welch -- who transferred to Minnesota after a year each at California-Davis and Yuba (Calif.) Community College -- got off to a slow start with the Gophers. He was a solid candidate for the starting point guard role, but after turning his ankle in a practice before the first exhibition game, the job went to freshman Andre Hollins. Welch instead came off the bench.

The junior averaged more than 17 minutes through the first five games, but he never seemed to be able to get into a real groove. His scoring was erratic and his turnovers outpaced his assists at a 2-to-1 ratio in the first three games.

"It was definitely frustrating," Welch said. "I just talked to close friends back in California, they just said, 'Stay positive and keep working on your game.' I just had to have faith in myself and be positive. Sports in general is mostly mental. You can go out and practice all you want and hit those shots and catch the ball, but you just need to have that faith in yourself come game time."

Suddenly, that faith was rewarded, just when the team needed him the most. When Trevor Mbakwe went down with a season-ending ACL injury, there was a clear leadership vacancy and new spot available in the starting lineup. At the same time, Welch's ankle improved. The effects of the perfect storm were evident.

He started scoring in double-figures consistently, and with the new production came a new confidence. He became one of the key guys players looked to late in games. With Mbakwe gone, and Ralph Sampson III out of the starting lineup for three games, Welch embodied the role of a leader. His aggressiveness began to show as well, prompting an Mbakwe-like scream at a critical moment in last week's game against Central Michigan.

"I think he's taken the role well," Austin Hollins said. "He's stepped up and I think he's been a leader. I know he's a transfer but he's still an upperclassman being a junior, so he took on that leadership role and we just follow behind as a team."

Early in the season, Welch was coming off the bench and then either playing the point guard or shooting guard position. In his starting role, he's responsibilities have been much more defined, and he's been able to ease into his game without worrying about getting benched after one mistake. Having Andre Hollins, another point guard, also in the starting lineup, has helped free up Welch to capitalize on his offensive abilities.

"I feel a lot more comfortable than when I first came in, and I was a new face and I was just trying to get to know people on and off the court," Welch said. "It helped a lot just to be able to key in on one spot."

He still has room to improve. Welch leads the team in turnovers and his rebounding -- while getting better -- remains a work in progress. But if he continues to improve in those areas at the same rate he increased production in other spots already, it will be a huge boost for the Gophers as they prepare for the start of Big Ten play next week.

"He's just a really versatile player -- that's why he's a combo player," Smith said. "He can shoot it, he can pass it, he can defend, he's got the total package."

Now that's something to smile about.