After his players clanked several shots to open Saturday's Gophers basketball scrimmage, Richard Pitino could only smile and shake his head as a man shouted from the crowd behind him, "Have your guys practiced much?"
Frustration still exists from last season's 8-23 record, but Pitino told fans after the 14-minute scrimmage that he was excited about what he has seen in the first month of practice.
A couple thousand fans got their first glimpse of the 2016-17 men's and women's basketball teams Saturday during a homecoming event at Williams Arena. The scrimmages followed the Gophers football team's 34-32 win over Rutgers at TCF Bank Stadium.
With less than a month before the season opener Nov. 11 against Louisiana-Lafayette, the Gophers are trying to build confidence and chemistry quickly with so many new faces.
These were the five biggest takeaways from Saturday's men's basketball scrimmage:
Mason eager to lead
Nobody felt worse about not being there for his team to finish last season than Nate Mason. The junior point guard was playing at an All-Big Ten level before being suspended the last four games. But Mason knows his teammates still trust him and follow his lead.
On Saturday, he was vocal on both offense and defense, something coaches have emphasized. Mason had a scrimmage-best eight points in a 22-15 win for the Gold squad. But he also had a few assists trying to get post players Jordan Murphy and Bakary Konate involved. The highlight of the scrimmage was Mason's transition pass to Murphy for a dunk.
McBrayer's new role
With the lack of depth at point guard this season, the Gophers need sophomore Dupree McBrayer to get comfortable in a new role as the backup floor leader. McBrayer played three positions last season, including small forward. The 6-5 New York native spent the entire scrimmage running the offense for the Maroon squad. He is naturally a gifted ballhandler, but it will take time for McBrayer to figure out how to balance scoring and facilitating. Despite shooting 25 percent from three-point range last season, he hit a couple of three-pointers Saturday. He worked on his jumper and gained 15 pounds (up to 190) in the offseason.
Outside shooting a concern
The Gophers ranked last in the Big Ten in three-point shooting (31 percent) last season. That was with one of the best shooters in the conference in Joey King, who graduated. McBrayer and Mason both hit multiple three-pointers Saturday, but the team shot the ball poorly overall. That was the theme in the first scrimmage this fall as well.
Freshmen will play
Amir Coffey made only one of five field goal attempts Saturday and finished with three points. But the skillful 6-8 guard was aggressive offensively, which is what Pitino wanted to see more of in practice. Coming off high ball screens, he looked for fellow freshman Eric Curry on several occasions. Curry had trouble finishing plays, but he was an active rebounder. The 6-9, 235-pound Curry has the size and athleticism to play both post positions. Michael Hurt spotted up twice for three-pointers that didn't fall, but he is still one of the team's best outside shooting threats. Hurt's potential role could increase with Davonte Fitzgerald out for the season with a torn ACL.
Lynch could be ready soon
Pitino announced to the crowd in attendance that junior Reggie Lynch should be ready for full contact in practice by the end of the week. Lynch is recovering from meniscus surgery on his left knee last month. The 6-10, 260-pound projected starting center was cleared for no-contact drills last week and is on track to be ready to play in the season opener. Konate, a junior currently replacing Lynch, looks more confident than last season. He had two dunks and a few rebounds in Saturday's scrimmage.
