Read my full game story here.
This year's Minnesota team got an early litmus test. Usually, the Gophers have to wait.
There is talk about improvement, a new efficiency, a next stage while Minnesota picks up 11-13 wins and fans grow excited.
These Gophers, though, were tested right away against No. 8 Louisville. They showed fans, and the country, on national TV, just how far they are from a squad that can contend with the nation's elite.
None of this means they won't get there or that they aren't improved or that they can't find the next stage, only that they aren't there yet, at all.
And maybe, for Minnesota, that isn't the worst thing. This team could still have potential. It isn't here yet. Maybe better to know just how true that is early.
A few quick notes from the 81-68 loss:
*The Gophers will need all the depth they have and more if they continue to foul the way they did on Friday. Four of Minnesota's five starters finished with four and there weren't many exempt from the sloppiness. So many whistles. So. many. whistles.
*This team is still coming together. They looked young. Overwhelmed by the press and frustrated. And those sentiments seemed to bleed into more mistakes, aka rushed shots, turnovers and a 20-33 performance from the free throw line. Poise and chemistry aren't there yet.
