ucag111409
On the homepage
Sunday's paper
Out There
View Finder
Access Vikings
Tumultuous buildup to Gophers season gives way to blowout
With Royce White not even sitting behind the bench in street clothes, the Gophers showed they still have plenty of talent with a season-opening rout of Tennessee Tech.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on Digg
Follow Myron on TwitterNO. 25 GOPHERS 87, TENNESSEE TECH 50
Up next: vs. Stephen F. Austin • 7 p.m. Monday • Williams Arena • No TV (830-AM)
Related Content
More from Gophers
With all of the preseason drama, it's easy to forget about the talent that the Gophers men's basketball team still possesses.
Last season -- before Trevor Mbakwe and Royce White joined the program -- the Gophers swept Wisconsin, beat highly ranked Louisville and made it to the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers opened their 2009-10 season with a reminder Friday night that they remain a dangerous unit even without that pair of big-time recruits, who are sidelined indefinitely because of legal issues.
In an 87-50 victory at Williams Arena, the Gophers held Tennessee Tech to 28.3 percent shooting from the floor. Tennessee Tech had 27 turnovers to only 12 assists.
The Gophers also blocked 15 shots, the second-highest total in team history.
White was not on the sidelines on Friday night. When asked about White's absence, Gophers coach Tubby Smith said: "I'd rather not comment right now until everything's finalized." Campus police have named White a possible suspect in a Saturday night burglary, and he was arrested Oct. 13 for shoplifting and fifth-degree assault.
Smith said after the game that entering the season he expected the Gophers to make strides, even if they didn't bring in any newcomers.
"I thought that, whether we recruited anybody or not, I thought that we were going to be a pretty solid ballclub," Smith said. "It's early yet."
Lawrence Westbrook scored 16 of his game-high 22 points during a 10-minute span that included a 25-foot three-pointer at the first-half buzzer.
Ralph Sampson III showed off some of the new skills he honed over the summer working with his father, former NBA center Ralph Sampson Jr., with an effective turnaround jumper. He was one of three Gophers who scored nine points.
But Rodney Williams stood out most because of his youth and excitement. The freshman shined in his official debut with the Gophers, finishing with 14 points.
"Rodney's one of the most exciting players in the country," Westbrook said. "He jumps higher than anybody I've ever seen. ... If he keeps working on his game, the sky's the limit."
Smith added: "He had a nice debut for a freshman. He really played well."
There was, however, some rust.
Despite two easy victories in a pair of exhibitions against Division II teams, the Gophers had trouble finding their range early. They went 2-for-14 from the three-point line in the first half but ended with a 54 percent connect rate overall.
On back-to-back plays in the first half, Paul Carter airballed a deep three and Damian Johnson ruined a fast break with an misguided pass toward Tennessee Tech's bench.
Leave it to a rookie to straighten them out.
Williams' two-handed dunk off a Tennessee Tech turnover 13 minutes, 5 seconds before halftime provided an early spark that loosened up Minnesota's offense.
A few plays later, he threw Golden Eagles point guard Frank Davis' layup into the stands. The Gophers ended the first half on a 15-6 run.
Westbrook, a senior co-captain, said he is confident that the team's veterans and young guys are focused on playing good basketball this season.
"We don't really have any distractions," he said. "We just try to go out there and play."
Recent Gophers stories
Harris throws for 348 yards, No. 21 Miami scores 24 unanswered to beat Duke 34-16 - November 14, 2009
Harris throws for 348 yards, No. 21 Miami scores 24 unanswered to beat Duke 34-16 - Jacory Harris threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns, Darryl Sharpton capped his final home game with a 73-yard interception return for a score, and No. 21 Miami staved off a Duke challenge for the fourth straight year in a 34-16 win Saturday. More
 Open House ShowcaseThousands of homes open this weekend!View all open houses >> View all homes for sale >>  Open positions!A new career awaits. Look through thousands of listings to find your new job. Start now! |
Win tickets to Vita.mn's second annual Snowball: An Old School Funk and Rollerdisco at St. Louis Park's Roller Gardens.Vita.mn and Ragstock present the second annual Snowball: An Old School Funk and Rollerdisco at St. Louis Park's Roller Gardens on Dec. 11. |
Comment on this story | Read all 54 comments | Hide reader comments