Nineteen days ago, Rachel Banham tore her ACL going up for a contested layup on a cold night in Grand Forks, N.D.

In a flash, the Gophers lost their senior floor leader, the No. 2 scorer in Minnesota women's basketball history and the preseason pick for Big Ten player of the year.

So, yeah, the outlook for the Gophers' 18-game Big Ten season has changed a little this month.

Since then, the Gophers have said they will "play for her," and they also have escaped two nonconference home games with unspectacular victories.

Can the 11-1 Gophers shake off the loss of a leader, keep the victories coming and rally for a successful Big Ten campaign?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will be the first to press the Gophers for an answer.

The Big Ten season starts Monday night for Minnesota, and here are three U story lines to watch for the next three months:

Will Stollings' 'score, score and score some more' style work?

Having made eight stops in a 14-year coaching career, Marlene Stollings is well aware that implementing a new system doesn't happen overnight.

But the first-year Minnesota coach is moving full steam ahead with a vision that is slowly starting to take shape.

Stollings, an Ohio Hall of Fame sharpshooter, has the well-established reputation of an offensive force. At Beaver-Eastern High School, she claimed the state record — girls or boys, including some kid named LeBron James — for career points. At VCU, her last job, Stollings' 2013-14 team averaged a school-record 75.8 points per game.

And with more talent at Minnesota, her offense has so far racked up even more, ranking 29th nationally with 77.8 points a game. After a summer of ramped-up conditioning sessions, players are expected to be able to sprint back and forth for a full 40 minutes.

"Some teams, you want to go fast-paced, but you might not do it the whole game," transfer forward Shae Kelley said. "We're going fast-paced the whole game, getting transition points, getting fast looks and open looks at the basket."

Still, the style is a work in progress. The Gophers played more half-court offense last year. With the pace picking up, so have turnovers — Minnesota is ranked 11th in the 14-team league in turnover margin.

"We're in the beginning stages of it, no question," Stolling said of the new up-tempo system. "We've had some really bright moments where I think you can see it really flourish against certain people. But is a process, much like you're seeing with [men's coach Richard] Pitino, and it takes time. I don't think you're going to see it completely in full effect until probably Year 3 in terms of on the level that we really want it. But we're moving forward in that direction. We're going to continue to coach that style, we're not going to wait."

Amelia Rayno

As Gophers rally for Rachel, watch for Wagner

Carlie Wagner is only a freshman, but a lack of experience doesn't keep her from understanding the importance of everybody having to adapt to larger roles in Banham's absence.

"It just means that we all have to step it up big time, get more rebounds, fill in three-point spaces for her," Wagner said. "We all have to step up and play with confidence."

Stollings has liked what she has seen from her players in Banham's absence.

"This is a very unselfish group, who also cares a lot about Rachel," Stollings said. "They want to honor her by doing well. I think they've really been committed here, and what they've shown in these past couple of games is that they are going to step up. They've really bought in to stepping up a couple areas of their game to really account for Rachel's absence."

Wagner has scored in double figures in both games since Banham has been sidelined. She was only in double digits in four of the first 10 games.

"I have to become more aggressive, and not play so relaxed," Wagner said. "It's a great opportunity for me. I can't play like a freshman anymore."

As she continues to gain confidence, Wagner will mature into a more consistent contributor, just as Banham has done throughout her career.

"Rachel is one of the most consistent players I've ever seen. She is so smooth all the time," Wagner said. "I've been inconsistent so far, and have to become a more consistent player."

RON HAGGSTROM

The new Option A?  Zahui B. is an easy choice

A year ago, having led the league in rebounds and blocks, Amanda Zahui B. was the unanimous league Freshman of the Year, a media All-Big Ten selection and a Freshman All-America.

Small potatoes, according to Stollings.

"She's carrying the load for us now and doing a great job," the coach said. "But we think from a big picture perspective, she's only scratching the surface of how great she can be as a player."

Minnesota will rely on its 6-5 center taking those next steps even more now. In Banham's absence, Stollings promoted Zahui B. — who dropped nearly 40 pounds in an offseason in which she played for the Swedish national team — to one of two on-floor captains for the team.

Assistant coach Niki Dawkins, a Big Ten Hall of Famer, is working with Zahui B. daily on new moves to the basket and getting more physical. As an international player, Zahui B. was brought up to avoid contact more than players do in the U.S.

Without Banham, one of the team's main post distributors, Zahui B. will have to find more points off offensive rebounds and pick and rolls.

"We will go to her a little more frequently," Stollings said. "The thing we really enjoy most about her is her desire to be an elite player, to be a top-notch player nationally, and she really works hard at trying to get there."

Amelia Rayno