Gophers men’s basketball searches for offensive growth before Big Ten play resumes

Ben Johnson didn’t put together this year’s Gophers men’s basketball roster thinking it would be one of the worst scoring and shooting teams in college basketball.

Still, that’s where the fourth-year Gophers coach finds himself with only one game left before Big Ten play resumes Thursday vs. Purdue.

The Gophers (7-5) have defended well enough to stay above .500, but that might not keep them there for long after the final nonconference game Sunday against Morgan State.

Offense could be the difference between the Gophers staying afloat or sinking fast against conference foes.

“I think our guys know they have to stay confident offensively,” Johnson said after the 74-60 win last Saturday against Fairleigh Dickinson. “Once we get that feeling, we get into attack mode.”

A 54-point second half against FDU was an example of how Minnesota’s offense looks when it gets into rhythm. But that hasn’t happened too often.

Last season, the Gophers had their best scoring offense in six years at 75 points per game. That dropped to just 66 points per game so far this season, ranking last in the Big Ten. Only Seton Hall and Virginia are worse among power conference teams nationally.

Shooting only 28.8% from three-point range, Minnesota ranks 327th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten. Only Wake Forest and Michigan State are worse among power conference teams, but they both beat the U this year.

Six of Minnesota’s games have been decided by six points or fewer this season, so points are a premium in close games. But Johnson’s team shoots just 65.2% on free throws, which ranks 320th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten (ahead of only Washington).

Things seem to be getting better, though. In the last four games, the Gophers are averaging 73 points on 48% shooting from the field and 79% from the foul line.

Better ball movement and relying less on jump shots made a difference, as Minnesota shot a season-high 72% from the field in the second half vs. FDU. The Gophers scored 26 points in the paint and had 14 of their 19 assists in the second half.

“I thought we took pretty good shots for the most part,” Johnson said. “The ball was moving. We attacked the press the way we needed to get easy layups. Guys didn’t settle. We got to the line and made free throws.”

Three-point shooting wasn’t too much better at 32.9% the last four games, but it’s been a good sign that one of the best shooters in the Big Ten hasn’t missed a beat since his return from injury.

Senior guard Mike Mitchell Jr., is averaging 15 points on 45% shooting from beyond the arc (9-for-20) in three games since returning from a high-ankle sprain in November.

Mitchell tied Dawson Garcia for the team high with 18 points against FDU last week, along with six rebounds and five assists.

“At the end of the day, we’re all here for a reason,” Mitchell said. “We have to produce when we’re out there, but once [Garcia] gets going it helps us all figure it out together.”

The Gophers' offense not surprisingly isn’t the same when Garcia gets off to a slow start. Case in point was when they trailed 21-20 with his four points in the first half vs. FDU. Everything opened up once Garcia heated up with 14 of his 18 points in the second half.

“Teams are always going to guard Dawson differently,” Johnson said. “Are they not switching ball screens? Can you play through him in the post? Sometimes you want to him to double it. When you get two on the ball, you can [kick] it out. Now you’ve got in advantage on the backside.”

Garcia is the fourth-leading scorer in the Big Ten at 19.2 points per game, and Mitchell and senior guard Lu’Cye Patterson are averaging double figures at 11.6 and 10 points, respectively.

Patterson also leads the team with 3.8 assists and ranks second among Big Ten players in assist-to-turnover ratio (plus-4.5).

Developing the three-man attack of Garcia, Mitchell and Patterson could boost the Gophers offense Sunday and beyond, but they can’t forget about the other end of the floor.

“I feel like our offense is going to come,” Patterson said. “We don’t really pride ourselves on the offensive end right now. We just try to take care of the defensive end. Our offense feeds off our defense. Playing hard defense and getting stops makes us play better on offense.”

1 p.m., Sunday at Williams Arena

TV; radio: Peacock; 100.3-FM

Morgan State (6-9) enters Sunday as the lowest-rated Gophers opponent this season in the NCAA’s NET rankings at No. 353. Minnesota’s NET is 155th. The Bears are 0-7 on the road this season, including losses at Xavier (119-58) and Iowa State (99-72). Leading scorer Wynston Tabbs (16.1 points per game) was sidelined in the last game in the loss to the Cyclones.