Tennessee Tech Postgame Analysis

The Gophers had a strong showing Friday night against the vaunted Golden Eagles. The offense looked in sync, even if the shooting was off for most of the first half. The interior defense was fantastic, creating fast break opportunities and gobbling up defensive rebounds.

The Good

1) Ralph Sampson III

What a tremendous game for Ralph, I am excited to see him play against more talented opponents in the future. His shooting was on, hitting from midrange as well as under the basket. His shot blocking seems to have improved from last year, as I don't recall him getting a foul on a shot block Friday night. Ralph's improvements from last season should become more apparent as the talent of the Gopher's opposition increases in the next few weeks (Baylor)

2) Rodney "Did He Just Do That?" Williams

I heard a lot about Royce White and his potential contributions this offseason, and I feel like I overlooked Rodney. He had a number of impressive dunks last night, but his overall poise was more noticeable. He didn't look like a Freshman last night, and I hope this remains throughout the rest of the season. Rodney even drained a shot from behind the arc to prove he has multiple ways to score.

3) Defense

The Golden Eagles were one of the worst teams at taking care of the basketball last season, and I can see why. The Gopher's defense caused a lot of turnovers, but Tennessee certainly helped out. I liked the big men's judgment about starting the fast break. Last year Colton and Ralph tended to force some passes, but this year they are more in control and willing to take what is available. Also, Damian Johnson is a beast.

The Bad

1) Davis. Watch out for that icy patch.

The Ugly

1) Tennessee Tech...

is far far away from the competition the Gophers will face in the Big Ten this season. The entire team looked good, and there were no major problems. That being said, look for any glaring weaknesses to be revealed against stronger opponents in the coming weeks.

2) Free throw shooting

I know the Gophers started out slowly with their free throw shooting last year too, but 10/20 from the line is not good enough to cut it. Only Rodney made more than 50% of his shots (3/4). Look for this to improve in the coming weeks, I'm sure it will be emphasized at practice.

Next: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 8:00pm