The Gophers willingness to share the basketball in wins against Penn State, Michigan State and Purdue was refreshing. It helped open up the offense including a new found inside-outside game that featured an unlikely hero in reserve center Colton Iverson and also the team’s long distance shooters, mainly Westbrook, Hoffarber and Devoe Joseph. Iverson was in doubles figures in the first three games (scoring 35 points on 15 of 20 shots) and came up with a lot of hustle plays.
Joseph, the mid-season replacement for Al Nolen at point guard, was a new found hero, too, and a major reason the Gophers earned the NCAA invite. His ball handling, team direction and outside shooting have become better and more consistent in recent weeks. In the overtime win against Michigan State he had 17 points after halftime.
Give credit to Smith and his coaches for staying with his players and coaxing contributions out of starters and subs. The Gophers are a team with the sum greater than the parts. In the tournament center Ralph Sampson III was both a “spectator” and participant, but Iverson made up for Sampson’s sometimes uninspired play. Sampson had his moments, though, including a team high 13 points in the blowout 69-42 win over Purdue on Saturday. Forward Paul Carter, like Iverson, came off the bench to make key shots and boost the rebounding when Johnson was in foul trouble or needed a rest.
The Gophers had been flirting with their best basketball even before arriving in Indianapolis. Minnesota won four of its last six regular season conference games including an 88-53 win over Iowa.
In the tournament Minnesota, the No. 6 seed, defeated No. 11 Penn State, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 2 Purdue and lost to No. 1 Ohio State in the Gophers’ first ever Big Ten Tournament title game. Penn State’s Battle played on an injured ankle, Michigan State’s Chris Allen, one of the team’s leading scorers, was suspended and didn’t play against the Gophers, and Purdue was without All-Big Ten forward Robbie Hummel who is out for the season after injuring his knee in the Gophers’ game in Minneapolis on February 24.
The Gophers were fortunate not having to face three teams at their best, but that’s sports. And in the 72-67 win against Michigan State the Spartans gifted the Gophers by missing 16 free throws.
Luck? Yup, and that’s not a word often associated with Gophers basketball in recent years. Better enjoy the good fortune while it lasts. The Gophers play their opening NCAA tournament game in Milwaukee on Friday morning against Xavier. The tourney is lose one and be done. We’ll know soon if Cinderella made the trip.