Gophers men's basketball prepares for St. Francis: Four things to watch

Going into Monday's season opener, Ben Johnson already knew what he had with veteran transfers Dawson Garcia and Ta'Lon Cooper.

If anything, their performances (Garcia's 23 points and Cooper's 17 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists) just solidified that belief after the Gophers' 61-60 win against Western Michigan.

Garcia and Cooper, though, were the only players to score in double figures for the Gophers on the night.

What Johnson must figure out soon is which others he can count on, especially until All-Big Ten preseason forward Jamison Battle returns from a foot injury.

"That's what this part of the season is for to gain that experience," Johnson said. "I just thought collectively, guys off the bench brought energy, brought the right defensive mentality."

Here are four takeaways moving forward, with St. Francis next on Friday:

Garcia and Cooper tandem

Garcia made his Gophers debut Monday after being cleared to play coming off missing last week's exhibition win against St. Olaf with a muscle strain.

The 6-foot-11 North Carolina transfer's effectiveness (8-for-16 field goals and seven rebounds in 31 minutes) was impressive considering his 5-on-5 practice time was limited recently.

"He's had a lot of time off from playing," Johnson said. "So now to get him back in the routine and get his wind and legs underneath him [is important]. We're playing lineups that haven't really practiced a ton."

Battle opened the season last year with an 18-point game vs. UMKC in his first game. Garcia scored the most points in a Gophers debut since Vincent Grier's 23 points in 2004-05. But Cooper was just as stellar in his debut coming two rebounds shy of the program's first triple-double since Mychal Thompson in 1976.

Cooper and Battle combined for 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the second half.

Freshmen patience

There's big difference between playing Division III St. Olaf and even a Mid-American Conference opponent like the Broncos who finished 8-23 last season.

That's what the Gophers freshmen trio of Jaden Henley, Pharrel Payne, and Joshua Ola-Joseph found out in Monday's opening victory. The freshmen combined for 43 points in the exhibition game, but they had 13 points together in their debut.

It wasn't about a lack of efficiency (shot 5-for-10 combined). They just weren't looking for their shot, especially in the second half. Henley and Payne took only one field goal between them. And Ola-Joseph had one basket on two shots. Nobody played more than nine minutes after halftime.

Johnson saw the game getting tight in the second half, so the Gophers went with a more experienced group, including Cooper, Garcia, junior Will Ramberg, and senior Taurus Samuels.

Shooting identity

The Gophers ranked third in the Big Ten and 33rd nationally last season shooting 36.8% from three-point range, which was the best mark since 2014-15.

Problem is they lost 65% of their three-point shooting to graduation (153 of 234). They also are without last season's top shooter in Battle (75 threes). Sophomore Treyton Thompson (six) is the only player back that made a three-pointer with this team last season.

The culture was already set, though. Johnson wants a team that shoots well and he might have another one, but free throws were atrocious on Monday.

Six different players went to the foul line to combine for 9-for-23 shooting, including 7-for-19 in the second half. The game easily could've been put away late if not for five straight misses in the last 20 seconds.

This might end up being an aberration, but Garcia (4-7), Cooper (2-5), Taurus Samuels (1-4) and Payne (1-4) all missed at least three free throws.

The Gophers helped themselves, though, going 8-for-18 from beyond the arc Monday, including Cooper and Garcia shooting 6-for-10 combined. Battle and Braeden Carrington returning this season makes this an even better shooting team.

New roles

How much the Gophers planned to use Ramberg and Thompson was difficult to figure out before they ended up starting in the opener due to injuries.

Ramberg's story continues to be inspirational going from a walk-on last season to a scholarship player and now starter. The 6-5 Grand Marais native was a solid contributor Monday, tying for the team-high with eight rebounds in 34 minutes.

Thompson, who had 10 points in his only previous career start last season vs. Rutgers, didn't have stats that popped out against Western Michigan, but he had a three to open the game and finished with two assists and two blocks in 18 minutes.

The 7-footer from Glenwood played just six minutes in the second half, but he still led the Gophers with a plus-nine on the court. His playing time and production as the starting center while Payne develops could be a key factor early this season.