The Gophers men's basketball team could only gauge so much about itself through months of competing against each other in practices this summer and fall.
It's time to play a different opponent.
The Gophers will finally get that opportunity Saturday in Fort Collins, Colo., in a closed scrimmage at Colorado State. Closed, or secret, scrimmages are not open to the fans or media, and the game results aren't typically made public by the teams.
"One thing about the scrimmages that I like is that you try to get somebody that is going to be competitive," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said, "play a certain style that will challenge your team."
Johnson returns four players from last season's 9-22 team, including scoring and rebounding leader Dawson Garcia and sophomore big man Pharrel Payne. That frontcourt duo made strides at the end of last season.
But the Gophers are just as eager to get their newcomers on the court together for the first time against an opponent, especially guards Cam Christie, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Elijah Hawkins.
Veteran forwards Isaiah Ihnen and Parker Fox were cleared for full contact this fall, so they could play for the first time since before suffering back-to-back season-ending knee injuries.
Last season, Colorado State flew to the Twin Cities to play the Gophers at Williams Arena for a closed scrimmage. The final score wasn't kept, but Payne stood out with his physical presence.
