When Gophers coach Tubby Smith recruited Julian Welch, he knew he was nabbing a player capable of being a leader. And if he had the foresight to know top player Trevor Mbakwe would be lost for the season in December because of a torn ACL, he probably would have been even more aggressive in going after the guard.
But while Welch led the team intangibly and in scoring during Tuesday's 76-56 victory over Central Michigan, the Gophers (11-1) are continuing to show they are more than a one-man band.
With Mbakwe out and Ralph Sampson III still recovering from a tweaked ankle, Welch stepped up. But he is simply one of the many who have stepped up and made a difference. Welch has become an emotional leader for a squad of players -- seven of whom scored at least five points Tuesday -- who are suddenly playing with a new balance.
"That's what I want," coach Tubby Smith said. "I'd much rather have it this way than just one guy. You're not going to win a whole lot of games with just one guy. You've got a balanced approach. That's the only way I've ever coached. That's the only way I know how to coach."
Tuesday, he was thankful once again for that. The Gophers won by 20 but they did it largely without Sampson, who was somewhat hobbled by cramping in his calf, and Rodney Williams, who had eight rebounds but was limited offensively by the Chippewas' defense.
Instead, the Gophers' four double-digit efforts came from junior college-transfer Welch, Austin Hollins, Maverick Ahanmisi and freshman Joe Coleman, who has had three consecutive solid outings off the bench.
With Big Ten play just one game away, the Gophers are moving the ball better, shooting the ball better as a whole and playing more team-oriented ball.
"Trevor was a important part of us, and so we were gearing to get the ball inside and use his physicality," Smith said. "But now it's not there. So we've got to do it a different way now, we're going to have to do it by committee and by team. And the only way we're going to be able to compete is to play that way."
