Niko Medved got the exact kind of response he wanted from his team after Monday’s wild finish at Cincinnati: no hangover, no drift, no letdown.
What he still didn’t get was clean basketball.
Minnesota rolled past Southern 91-61 on Thursday at The Barn to move to 4-0, but the turnover problem that has followed the Gophers all season showed up again. The opening possession set the tone when Kyan Evans’ bad pass turned into a Jaguars dunk, and the miscues kept piling up from there.
“That’s the biggest beef,” Medved said postgame. “We are just a little careless with the ball.
… We got to figure that part out. I thought for the most part, the guys had a good approach and got the job done.”
The Gophers had nine turnovers in the first half and finished with 17, matching their season high. That number has become a theme in the early going.
Minnesota also had 17 turnovers in the win at Cincinnati and is averaging 13.5 per game, including the victories over St. Thomas and North Dakota.
“Just ball security,” said guard Isaac Asuma. “Valuing the ball more.
I think we have a lot of unforced turnovers, just sloppy passes, sloppy catches. All that stuff.
So that is something that we are going to have to focus in on and intentionally get better at these next few days.”
Medved had already flagged the issue during his news conference Wednesday, and he made it clear on Thursday that the sloppiness bothered him from the start and kept popping up throughout the night.
Asuma gave Minnesota a big lift offensively, setting a new career high with 23 points. His previous best was 20 against St. Thomas last Friday.
“It’s helping that shots are going in,” Asuma said. “But my teammates are finding me in spots where I can succeed. We’re moving the ball, running good actions and it’s really helped me.”
Minnesota shot 60% from the field and 67% from 2-point range. Bobby Durkin added 15 points, while Evans, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Malick Kordel each finished with 10.
Southern, now 0-5, has already been through a rough opening stretch. The Jaguars pushed Southern Methodist in their season opener on Nov. 2, trimming the lead to 52-49 in the second half before falling 85-72. Since then, they’ve lost to Texas Christian 106-54, dropped a game to Drake and were blown out again by Iowa State 84-47 on Tuesday.
Minnesota paid Southern $90,000 for the nonconference matchup, part of the Jaguars’ road trip up from Iowa earlier this week.
The schedule gets tougher fast from here. The Gophers host Western Illinois on Monday, then face six straight high-major opponents, making the ball-security issues even more urgent as the competition level rises.
In Other News...
Minnesota Needs One Offensive Fix To End Its Slide At Penn State
Minnesota heads to Penn State trying to stop a two-game skid, and the Gophers know the margin for error is getting thin. The offense has been the biggest concern during the slide, and this matchup offers a chance to reset against a Penn State team that has shown some cracks on defense. For Minnesota, the challenge is less about finding a brand-new identity than cleaning up one area of the attack that has kept drives from turning into points.
Penn State still brings enough talent and disruption to make the trip tricky, which is why Minnesota cannot afford to let the game drift into the kind of uneven, possession-by-possession battle that has hurt it lately. The Nittany Lions have playmakers on defense who can change the tone quickly, and the outcome could hinge on whether Minnesota can finally string together a more complete offensive showing. There is room for an upset if the Gophers find the right answer, but there is also plenty of room for the game to tilt the other way in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Are Building Early Momentum Behind A Breakout Performance
Minnesota kept its perfect start rolling with a 91-61 win over Southern University, a game that showed just how balanced this group can be when it gets going. Five Gophers finished in double figures, and the offense hummed with the kind of efficiency that can make an early-season result feel more meaningful than the record alone.
Asuma was at the center of it, turning in a career-best scoring night and giving Minnesota a needed burst as the rotation continues to settle in. The Gophers also controlled the glass and dictated the pace for long stretches, two signs that suggest this unbeaten start is being built on more than just hot shooting. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Fans Have Another Reason To Worry About In-State Recruiting
Minnesota fans already know how hard it can be to keep top in-state talent home, and Jack Thelens college choice is another reminder of that reality. The Maple Grove senior center is a 4-star recruit with the kind of size and competitive edge that usually makes him a priority target, and his game has drawn attention well beyond the Twin Cities because of the way he blends physicality with basketball skill.
Thelen had once been headed to Wisconsin before reopening his recruitment, and his path through the process included official visits elsewhere before he made his decision. For the Gophers, it is the sort of recruiting miss that stings not just because of the player involved, but because it fits a familiar pattern in a state that keeps producing prospects worth chasing. Meanwhile, his teammate Baboucarr Ann is headed to Wisconsin, adding another layer to a recruiting story Minnesota followers would have preferred to see unfold differently. [Read more 🡒]