SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – Richard Pitino knew when Minnesota's plane landed on Puerto Rico's sunny shores the Gophers' early-season growth and optimism would be tested. Two games later, those trials could not be more evident.
With turquoise beaches yards away, Pitino's bunch has shed sweat in gyms, trying to identify winning combinations against improved competition. That search continues Sunday against Tubby Smith's Texas Tech squad, the Gophers' third and final matchup in San Juan.
The Red Raiders squeaked out a win over Mississippi State on Friday after allowing their opponent to rally from a 13-point deficit and take the lead. Much like the Gophers, Texas Tech has struggled at times offensively and on the boards.
"It's another game," said Smith, who coached at Minnesota from 2007 to 2013. "You coach so many games, you've got to prepare your team and make sure they come ready to play. The incentive is to leave here 2-1 instead of 1-2."
The Gophers opened the tournament Thursday by dropping a disheartening game to Temple, losing by five. Less than 24 hours later, they slid by in another close one vs. Missouri State, winning 74-69. These tight, two-possession games have shown something about who these youthful, raw Gophers are now, and who they could become this season.
Among them:
Rebounds will not come easy this year: After four games, the Gophers have lost every rebounding battle, even against three undersized, overmatched non-Power Five schools. They are averaging 36.5 rebounds per game, to their opponents' 40.5. The issues? For some players, rebounding isn't a natural strength. But often, the Gophers simply forget to block out and stick around to fight for loose balls. And their frontcourt has size but has not proven to be effectively physical in the paint, sometimes backing down at the slightest pressure.
Minnesota's performance on the glass has been especially egregious on the defensive end, where the Gophers' 35.1 defensive rebounding average ranks 259th nationally. Foes have pulled down 55 offensive rebounds and made it look easy.