Gophers men's hoops vs. Loyola Marymount Game 2
FULLER'S FOUR THINGS TO WATCH:
Not so slow start – Imagine trying to generate your own energy from the opening tip playing in front of an entirely empty arena. That wasn't a reality until what the Gophers faced in the first two games. They better get used to it. Nothing will change anytime soon in college basketball during the pandemic. A slow start in the first meeting Saturday against Loyola Marymount led to a 19-10 deficit midway through the first half. If not for Marcus Carr exploding for 22 of his 28 points in the first half, the Gophers could've easily been staring at their first halftime deficit of the season. Utah transfer Both Gach said he noticed LMU having more energy than this teammates in pregame warmups, which carried over. Playing LMU in back-to-back games will give Minnesota a chance to get off to a better start than in Saturday's 88-73 win.
Carr's consistency – Carr has opened the 2020-21 season as the best scorer in the Big Ten not named Luka Garza. The 6-foot-2 junior point guard only trails Iowa's All-American and last year's NCAA player of the year in points per game in the first two games this season at 31.5, ranking fourth in the nation. His 35 points in the 99-69 season opening win against Wisconsin-Green Bay tied the career high he set last season in an upset over Ohio State at the Barn. Carr averaged 15.4 points, including 16.2 in Big Ten play. The biggest difference so far this season is his efficiency, going from 39.3 to 53.7 percent shooting from the field. It's a pretty small sample size, but Carr is so far more accurate from three-point range at 43.8 from 36.1 percent last season, which is on 7-for-16 shooting. How long can Carr continue scoring at this level? The Gophers might be the first to slow him down. He could benefit from more rest before Big Ten play, playing 37 minutes in Saturday's win vs. LMU.
Inside presence – The Gophers would love to have the next Daniel Oturu on their roster. After all, the former Cretin-Derham Hall star and All-America center became the first U player drafted since 2004. But that type of pressure isn't fair to be placed on his replacement Liam Robbins. The 7-foot Drake transfer joined the Gophers during an unprecedented offseason with COVID-19. Robbins has the talent to become a go-to inside presence, which he displayed averaging a team-high 14.1 points last season as a junior, including a 28-point game as his high. After coming back from an undisclosed injury in the preseason, Robbins has been building up his conditioning and comfort level. After struggling with foul trouble Saturday, the Iowa native finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. His potential is obvious with his ability to stretch the floor (two three-pointers Saturday) and be a rim protector. Senior Brandon Johnson will get the start Monday night alongside Robbins. The 6-8 Western Michigan grad transfer was recovering from an ankle injury last month, but he seems to be getting his legs back. Johnson had eight points and seven rebounds Saturday, including all of his scoring in the second half. Johnson and Robbins were projected to start in the frontcourt, but Richard Pitino wanted to give redshirt senior Eric Curry a chance coming off missing last season with a torn ACL.
Three-point shooting – After two games, the Gophers are shooting just 30.9 percent from three-point range, which is worse than last season (33.7). A big reason for the drop off so far has been a slow start from beyond the arc from junior guard Gabe Kalscheur, who led the team with 76 three-pointers last season. Kalscheur, who ended the regular season tying a school record with eight threes against Nebraska, is 1-for-8 from three this season. For the first time in his career, the former DeLaSalle star didn't even attempt a three-pointer Saturday vs. LMU. But it's a good sign that Kalscheur sees it just as important to attack the basket and get to the foul line. You can bet Kalscheur is on the verge of a breakout game. Carr appears to have improved his outside shooting. Gach and freshman Jamal Mashburn Jr. and might be able to help the Gophers from three-point range as well this season.
GAME INFO
Time: 7 p.m. CT, Monday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Minnesota 14-point favorite. Series: Gophers won the only the second meeting in the series 88-73 on Saturday at home. TV: Big Ten Network. Online/Live video: BTN2go. Radio: 100.3.
