A week before he was cleared to play last Saturday, Dawson Garcia wanted to be on the court. The Gophers' leading scorer and rebounder thought his injured right foot felt much better. He knew his teammates needed him.
Still, the 6-11 former Prior Lake star left his uniform in the locker room and sat on the bench in street clothes. Garcia was determined to be ready for the next time out after missing five straight games with a bone bruise.
"I'm glad I had people around me to steer me in the right direction," Garcia said after his 23-point performance in his first game back in Saturday's 76-69 loss vs. Penn State. "I have a feeling if I came back a little earlier, I'd be sitting out for much longer."
The Gophers (7-18, 1-14 Big Ten), who play Wednesday at Maryland, showed patience with Garcia's injury. The result was the North Carolina transfer displaying little to no rust in his first two games back, including with 18 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 78-69 loss at Illinois.
There were a few awkward falls vs. Penn State and Illinois where the Gophers had to hold their breath when Garcia got up limping, but he didn't let that slow him down.
"Being able to have games and stretches when he's healthy, to be able to play well and help our team, that's important to him," coach Ben Johnson said on his Tuesday radio show. "He's all about winning."
Garcia's presence to again be the focal point of opposing defenses allowed one of the Big Ten's best scorers last season to break out of a slump. Junior Jamison Battle erupted for a season-high 31 points Monday against the Illini, including 22 points in the second half.
Battle had been held under double figures in scoring for three straight games, which never happened before in his career. Figuring out how to find his rhythm without Garcia in the lineup was difficult, especially with no other consistent offensive threat on the floor.