The Gophers secured a 90-65 victory in an exhibition game against Bemidji State this afternoon, with four players reaching double-digit scoring.
Mike Mitchell Jr. scored 19 points and also contributed eight assists to help the Minnesota Gophers defeat Bemidji State 90-65. GI was there to provide you with the top five things to learn from today’s victory.
Alone. The movement of the ball was outstanding. This Gopher team is anticipated to pass the basketball as effectively as almost any team in the Big Ten. Our initial assessment indicates that things are going well up to this point. Aside from a few fast shots, the Gophers’ 62 percent shooting was mainly due to consistent passing and ball movement. Nine out of 18 shots from the three-point line contributed to those numbers. Minnesota also ensured that they had enough opportunities to score in the paint, resulting in 46 points.
Mike Mitchell Jr transitioned from being a point guard in Pepperdine to a shooting guard in Minnesota last year, and he demonstrated proficiency in both positions today. What was his performance like? Mike made 7 out of 13 shots, scored 19 points, had four made three-pointers, and dished out eight assists. I believed Mike had a few fast opportunities, but overall, his ability to make decisions was outstanding as he spent 30 minutes controlling the ball and making good choices on 24 of his 25 possessions.
Brennan Rigsby contributed 17 points, shooting 6 for 11, in a 32-minute game, Dawson Garcia added 15 points, shooting 5 for 10, in 22 minutes, and Parker Fox scored 14 points making all six shots from the field. I believed the delivery from Garcia and Frank Mitchell in the post was excellent, and I was impressed by Isaac Asuma’s amazing ball distribution.
A couple. Powerful Initial Impact. Freshman Isaac Asuma racked up eight assists during his debut game in just half an hour of play. The correct pass was made consistently, creating great reversals and successfully hitting corners or setting up post plays with precise touch passes. Adding two field goals, including a three-pointer, and making three out of four free throws resulted in a solid debut with eight points and eight assists.
Even more notable is that Isaac’s defense exhibited the effort, positioning, and intelligence typically seen in a third or fourth year player. I believed he performed exceptionally well against experienced players by adjusting his angles and maintaining strong positioning. An excellent initial impression.
Three numerical value. Defense in the first portion of the game. Mike Mitchell Jr and Brennan Rigsby characterized the defensive performance in the first half as nerves from the first game. Bemidji State isn’t particularly large and doesn’t seem to have a strong shooting game (shooting 33 percent from the arc last year and in this game), but they do have some tall athletes who can make plays. Christian Koonce, Jareon Mayo, and Peyton Newbern, who stand at 6’5, 6’4, and 6’4 respectively, came together to score 22 points against the Gophers in the first half, making 9 out of 12 shots. Minnesota had problems with their defense in the first half, but the Koonce was exceptional.
Fox had a shooting percentage of 48%, making 30 shots out of 63 attempts.
Does this pose a problem? Certainly. However, it should come as no shock that these three players are shooting poorly from the free-throw line. It is important to remember that these three players totalled 50 minutes of playing time on the court. Expect Dawson Garcia to play 35 minutes in most games, not just 22. Femi Odukale, Tyler Cochran, and Lu’Cye Patterson, all injured, were sitting out while Kadyn Betts may also see playing time at the four. I did not anticipate Edmonds, Fox, and Frank Mitchell being on the floor simultaneously very frequently, but tonight they were on the floor at the same time for approximately ten minutes.
Having said that, typically either Fox, Edmonds, or Frank Mitchell will be present on the court most of the time, so they need to work towards fixing this problem.
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