Issues plentiful for struggling Gophers

Coming off two NCAA tournaments in the last three years under Richard Pitino, the Gophers men's basketball team wasn't expecting to be fighting in early December just to stay above .500.

Falling in the Big Ten opener 72-52 Monday at Iowa means the Gophers have their worst record through nine games since 2006-07.

Seven newcomers and a handful of returning players have struggled to play well together against one of the toughest schedules in the nation, which doesn't ease up Sunday against No. 3 Ohio State at Williams Arena.

The Gophers have struggled in a variety of ways, but these are the five biggest reasons:

Backcourt inconsistency: The Gophers filled their starting backcourt holes with transfers Marcus Carr and Payton Willis. They teamed up with sophomore Gabe Kalscheur, one of the best three-point shooters in the Big Ten last season. They hoped to become one of the best backcourts in the Big Ten. While their scoring numbers aren't bad overall, their lows have been near rock bottom. The Gophers are hard to beat when Carr and Kalscheur especially are playing at their best but have a slim chance to win when both are at their worst.

Underdeveloped bench: Pitino is not known to go deep into his bench. What about when the starters are really having an off night? That's happened with the backcourt a few times this year. Freshmen guards Tre' Williams and Bryan Greenlee are barely playing. Isaiah Ihnen, the top recruit in the 2019 class, hasn't gotten into the rotation after missing the first three games because of a wrist injury. Jarvis Omersa and Michael Hurt have been the only bench players with consistent minutes, but they are not allowed often to play through mistakes.

Helping Oturu: Sophomore Daniel Oturu has established himself as one of the top centers in the Big Ten. The 6-10 Cretin-Derham Hall product is putting up All-Big Ten numbers, but the Gophers are searching for more production alongside him in the frontcourt. Senior Alihan Demir struggled early on but is starting to feel comfortable playing with Oturu. The Drexel graduate transfer had 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks at Iowa. Omersa has been Oturu's backup at center when he gets into foul trouble, but he hasn't shown much offensive spark.

Maintaining an identity: Pitino used a Bill Belichick quote about maximizing strengths before the Gophers' 78-60 victory over Clemson; getting the ball inside to Oturu, catch-and-shoot jumpers and defending without fouling were emphasized. Oturu's production has been consistent. The Gophers are third in the Big Ten with 9.2 threes made per game, but they have struggled mightily at times against zone defenses. Defensive lapses and lack of communication guarding in transition were major issues at Iowa. Can they rely on their defense to keep them competitive in Big Ten play?