Gophers at a glance: The Gophers got the season off to a good start with a 36-point victory over American on Friday, a game in which they showcased their athleticism and defensive prowess over 40 minutes. Austin Hollins scored 20 points while also grabbing five steals, and Rodney Williams picked up where he left off last year with 16 points and five rebounds. The Gophers significantly cut down on turnovers from their two exhibition games, and Andre Hollins had one turnover to his seven assists. But the Gophers remained cold from outside, shooting 4-for-22 from three-point range.

Toledo at a glance: The Rockets lost their opener Friday, falling at Loyola (Ill.) 62-50 in Chicago. Still, they are expected to be improved even from a season ago, when they went 19-17 and registered the second-largest turnaround in the nation with a 15-win improvement from 2010-11. The overwhelming favorite to win the Mid-American Conference's Western Division, Toledo returns all five starters, highlighted by junior guard Rian Pearson, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He had eight points and eight rebounds Friday, while sophomore Julius Brown had 15 points.

AMELIA RAYNO