With such a young squad, one might imagine inexperience and youth could be one of the Gophers' biggest problems as they try to recover from an 0-3 start to the Big Ten schedule.
One would be wrong.
"I thought our young guys did a heck of a job," coach Tubby Smith said. "I'm worried about my veteran players – that's my biggest concern."
It seemed he had one in mind with his statement, and not without cause. Ralph Sampson III got out to a hot start, scoring six of the Gophers first 10 points – but when the team needed him most, the senior did was he has done far too often this season: disappear.
Consider this: those first three shots Sampson took were all from at least 8-10 feet out. When the Hawkeyes went to zone defense, Sampson was overwhelmingly boxed out, despite the fact that Iowa really had no real size matchup for him.
"I was very disappointed we didn't get the ball inside. I need Ralph to go to the rim, attack the basket, not settle for jump shots and be stronger with the ball," Smith said with clear frustration in his voice. "I just think he needs to catch the ball closer to the basket where people can foul him and he can use his size – I mean, he is 6-11."
Getting to the free throw line has been a recent weakness for the Gophers, who have not made more than 10 trips in each of the last two games. It's not all the fault of Sampson – who was 0-for-1 on Wednesday, and didn't go to the line at all against Michigan after a 6-for-6 performance at Illinois. But as the team's only real big man left in the Mbakwe-less starting five, it is Sampson's job to be aggressive in the paint, throw his weight around, to find the basket and get to the line.
The Gophers need that if they're going to win games in the Big Ten.
