Minnesota had just been beaten badly by the hands of Iowa State in a closed scrimmage last weekend, so a little confidence is exactly what was needed heading into Puerto Rico -- where the Gophers play No. 8 Louisville -- next week.
Check and check.
The Gophers crushed Division II Minnesota Duluth, 95-68, in an exhibition game and final tuneup for the challenging season opener that looms on deck.
It was generally a positive performance, with Minnesota displaying a balanced offense, with five players finishing in double digits (highlighted by Carlos Morris' extremely encouraging 23-point performance) despite two key members of the rotation sitting on the bench. Center Mo Walker (hamstring) and guard Nate Mason (knee) were both out with injuries, and forward Charles Buggs, after tweaking the knee he had surgery on this summer, didn't play either.
The defense, our familiar punching bag, actually looked pretty good as well. Coach Richard Pitino ran the press and had guys trapping -- very effectively at times -- which mostly overwhelmed the few moments (especially at the beginning) when the defense looked largely out of whack. If nothing else, we saw a lot of activeness on that end. The Gophers don't have far to fall, having landed dead last in defensive efficiency last year, but improvement will come with stepping stones.
READ MY NOTES IN TOMORROW'S PAPER HERE.
A few others:
*I think at this point, Morris has the starting job at small forward. The guy was simple a scoring machine on Thursday, and has plenty of defensive potential. But it doesn't really matter. Between he and Daquein McNeil (who finished with 15 points and looked great), whoever doesn't wind up starting will make a very solid sixth man.
