The basketball Gophers have been something of a one-man team in two exhibition game wins. The hope starting tonight at home with the regular season opener against Bucknell has to be that preseason All-American forward Trevor Mbakwe can sustain his heroics in most upcoming games and teammates will pitch in with more support.
Mbakwe scored on 13 of 15 field goals and 13 of 14 free throws in closer than expected wins over Bemidji State and Augustana (Sioux Falls). His totals of 39 points and 24 rebounds made it at least somewhat comfortable for the Gophers to earn 71-58 and 72-60 wins against a pair of Division II opponents.
In one of the most impressive second half performances for a Gopher seen in awhile, Mbakwe scored 16 points, had eight rebounds and five blocked shots against Augustana on Monday night at Williams Arena. The Gophers trailed the Vikings 38-33 at halftime and Minnesota had a 63-60 lead with 3:10 remaining in the game.
Only junior forward Rodney Williams with 10 points joined Mbakwe in double figures scoring. But more production is expected of Williams and also senior center Ralph Sampson III. Along with Mbakwe, they are the three Minnesota upperclassmen who have played Big Ten basketball. Sampson’s performance against the Vikings included seven turnovers and three points.
In the first two games coach Tubby Smith has given significant playing minutes to seven players who are either freshmen or sophomores, plus junior college transfers and newcomers Julian Welch and Andre Ingram. Collectively they’ve often looked unsure and when the Gophers play without Mbakwe on the floor the team usually struggles.
There’s not much doubt the Gophers need to improve to defeat Bucknell tonight at Williams Arena. The Bison are a favorite to win the Patriot League championship and center Mike Muscala, from Roseville Area High, is a mid-major preseason All-American. Bucknell has four starters back from a team that was 25-9 overall, 13-1 in the Patriot League and lost in the NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Connecticut.