King of little things: Gophers improve assist numbers on the court

Eleven games into the season, the Gophers' shortcomings on the "little things" have been well documented.

The Gophers have been plagued by turnovers. They've sent opponents to the free-throw line over and over. They're second-worst in the Big Ten at making their free throws. And they've struggled to match their opponents on the boards.

But there is one "little" area in which Minnesota has quietly improved, substantially: The Gophers have become an excellent passing team.

"We're sharing the ball," point guard DeAndre Mathieu said. "Guys are making the extra pass and really getting good looks."

Numbers bear that out: The Gophers comfortably rank first in the nation in assists per game, at 20.1.

Coach Richard Pitino said he doesn't think his team is rife with "naturally great passers," but unselfish play, defensive pressure and a quickly improving point guard has helped a not-so-great passing team to, well, make some great passes. The Gophers have tucked them between defenders, flipped them underneath the basket and tossed them on the run.

In four home games this month, the Gophers compiled 95 assists, with Mathieu notching a career high (10) vs. North Dakota. Pitino points to his point guard, spurred by a matured connection with fellow senior guard Andre Hollins, as a big reason for the team's improvement.

After a year of getting to know Hollins on and off the court, Mathieu often combines with his backcourt mate for scores — he to Hollins and Hollins to him — and to set up teammates in transition. "Phenomenal chemistry," Pitino said of the pair. "I've noticed that in practice, in games."

Meanwhile, guard Nate Mason has fit right in. His 3.1-to-1 assist-turnover ratio ranks second among freshman in the nation, trailing only some kid named Tyus Jones at Duke. Mason ranks sixth overall in the Big Ten.

A few weeks ago, Pitino showed his team video of the San Antonio Spurs — known for smart shooting — shot by shot, with the hopes of clearing up the difference between forced baskets and ones crafted with good ball movement. Shot selection was one of the coach's concerns at the start of the season, but the Gophers have started making better decisions since returning from New York and the NIT Season Tipoff. Talented newcomer Carlos Morris, in particular, has gone from liability to asset in this area.

The improved passing, however, has been offset by turnover troubles that haven't let up much. While Minnesota has 58 more assists than it did through 11 games last season, it also has 37 more turnovers and the assist-to-turnover ratio has only increased moderately, from 1.39-to-1 to 1.44-to-1.

Minnesota's worst games in that regard have come against its best opponents. Against Louisville, the Gophers had only 12 assists to 19 turnovers. Against St. John's in New York, the Gophers turned the ball over 20 times, with 12 assists. And the next night, in a victory over Georgia in the NIT Tipoff consolation game, Minnesota flipped the ratio but only barely — 15 assists to 13 turnovers.