The Gophers play their first regular season game on Friday night at 8 p.m. in Williams Arena against Concordia (St. Paul), but last week after the team’s second exhibition game coach Tubby Smith described junior college transfer Paul Carter as an “emotional and spiritual leader.” The statement said a lot about the sophomore forward who has played in just two games for the Gophers, and also the leadership void left from the departure of four seniors from last season’s team.
The 6-8 Carter was at times the best player on the floor for the Gophers last Thursday night in a 92-62 win over Northern State. In 21 minutes he had a team high seven rebounds, scored 17 points, had a couple of assists and steals, and blocked a shot. His energy and hustle were exemplary.
In his post game news conference Smith talked about how “people respect playing for glory, not of self, but of team,” and he was referring to his unselfish new player from Little Rock. “He’s been really that for us, mature,” Smith said. “That’s one of the reasons we wanted him to be part of this program because I knew that would be key to (the) maturity of this team. …”
The Gophers, including Carter, were unimpressive in the team’s first exhibition game, an 88-80 win over St. Cloud State on November 3. Carter’s stats included six points on two-for-seven shooting and six rebounds. The Gophers have five new players on the 13-man roster. Against St. Cloud they looked like what they were, a bunch of guys playing in their first game together, making an anxious debut on the home floor in front of the fans.
Carter talked about the change from exhibition game one to two. “As far as improvement from my perspective, it’s just the guys kind of feeling their way out on the court, getting to know each other,” he said. “Our chemistry has been kind of like off here and there because of different rotation of guys in. But definitely tonight we showed that we’re on the same page when we communicate. …”
Sophomore point guard Al Nolen, who while young and inexperienced has to be a team leader, too, said that it takes time for some players to come out of their “shells” in a new environment. Others, though, are more comfortable sooner on and off the court. “Like Paul, right away he was right around us,” Nolen said. “He was really, really social. Sometimes it takes people longer than others, but I think everybody is coming along well.”