The Gophers finally welcomed St. Thomas to The Barn on Friday night for the first time since the Tommies transitioned to Division I before the 2021-22 season. The Tommies overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to give Minnesota a solid run, but the Gophers prevailed 76-62. Here’s what you missed.
Isaac Asuma looks ready for the next step
Fans of Gophers hoops have been waiting for Asuma to take the proverbial “next step,” and he’s finally ready to do that this season. He looked like the best player on the floor Friday night and took over the game in the first half with four threes. He had a quieter second half, but he still finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting from the field.
Rotation without Kai Shinholster
Andy Greeder of The Pioneer Press reported before Friday’s game that Shinholster has a calf injury that could sideline him for up to a month. He played 20 minutes in the season opener, and it’s clear that he’s the first or second guard off the bench for the Gophers when healthy. It was interesting to see what the rotation looked like without him.
Nolan Groves took his game to another level with 15 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, and it’s clear that he can be a great sixth man in the Big Ten this season. Villanova transfer Malachi Palmer played just nine minutes, and true freshman Cedric Tomes made his college debut.
Kendall Blue vs. Cade Tyson
On a day when a court ruling didn’t help Tyson’s chances of playing for the Gophers this season, Blue made his season debut for St. Thomas, despite having nearly an identical eligibility case to Tyson’s. Blue played just 16 minutes off the bench, and he finished with 6 points, but it really adds to the absurdity of the entire situation.
Minnesota-St. Thomas history
The Gophers’ decision to schedule St. Thomas has been widely discussed since the Tommies became a Division I program. Minnesota closed as a 15.5-point betting favorite for the matchup, but the Tommies gave them a real test…