The 2020 nonconference season would have been gone before it started if Big Ten basketball programs followed the path of their football counterparts.
Instead of opening with grueling Big Ten games, Richard Pitino and many of his coaching peers got their teams going in November and December safely, which was a victory in itself with daily COVID-19 testing.
"Enjoyed the fact that we've been able to play seven nonconference games in the middle of a pandemic," Pitino said after Sunday's 90-82 win against St. Louis. "Not sure I would have bet on that."
The Gophers (7-1) went undefeated in nonconference play this year, with their lone loss this season coming in an early season Big Ten game at Illinois (a 92-65 loss on Dec. 15). There were some challenges in those seven victories, including against Loyola Marymount (67-64 on Marcus Carr's last-second three-pointer), Boston College (85-80 in overtime) and St. Louis on Sunday.
"Proud of where we're at," Pitino added, "but still know we have a long way to go."
Here are four takeaways from nonconference play:
Free-throw frequency
There seems to be no stopping the Gophers from getting to the free-throw line this season. They're attacking the basket, drawing contact, and making it count at the line at an astonishing rate. Pitino's team currently ranks No. 1 nationally in free throws made per game (23.4) this year, which includes twice hitting 34 free throws in a game, third most in Division I this season. The Gophers were 34-for-41 in Sunday's win against St. Louis, including 27-for-33 in the second half — much of that Carr's doing on 14-for-18 shooting in the second half.
Carr ranks 11th nationally with 6.9 free throws made per game, and ninth nationally with 8.6 free throws attempted per game. One of the biggest setbacks last season was when the Gophers ranked just 285th nationally with 11.5 free throws made per game. In fact, the Gophers suffered five losses in their first nine games last year making just 9.6 free throws a game. They are 6-14 when outshot by their opponent at the line the last two seasons. Can the Gophers keep it up in the Big Ten when the play gets more physical and it might be tougher to draw fouls?
Carr's crusade
Is there any guard playing better than Carr in college basketball right now? You could make a strong case that possibly only Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu is having a better season. Coming off being named to the All-Big Ten preseason team, the junior from Toronto burst out of the gates by tying his career-high with 35 points against Wisconsin-Green Bay. And he hasn't looked back.
Through seven nonconference games, Carr averaged 25 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 78% on free throws, 49.1% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. In his second 30-point game of the season, Carr's 32 points Sunday vs. St. Louis included 18 points in the second half when his team fought to pull away from one of the Atlantic 10's top teams. In the second win vs. LMU, Carr had 21 of his 26 points in the second half, including the go-ahead step-back three with 2.7 seconds to play. In the overtime win against Boston College, Carr had nine points in the extra period to seal it. It's clear that he's on a mission to lead a winning program after a combined record of 23-40 in his first two college seasons at Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
Ball movement
The Gophers had "for sure" their best ball movement of the season Sunday against St. Louis with 16 assists on 23 field goals, Pitino said. Many offensive issues that have occurred during the Pitino Era are the result of a lack of ball movement. Having one ball-dominant guard take shots without passing to his teammates is a formula that rarely works long term.
Carr averaged 29.7 points through his first three games, but it was tough to keep up at that pace. And it was just as tough for other Gophers players to get into rhythm. On Sunday, Carr scored 14 of his team's first 17 points, but he deferred to others once he cooled off. Both of Gabe Kalscheur's three-pointers Sunday were in transition off passes from Carr. It was the first game when Kalscheur hit at least two threes this season after a slow start (7-for-35 overall). The Gophers are better passing on the fast break, but they also have to improve on reversing the ball in the half court to move the defense. Looking to post players Liam Robbins, Isaiah Ihnen and Eric Curry worked well on the pick-and-roll plays against St. Louis. Carr understanding how to get his teammates involved is critical for the Gophers' success in the Big Ten, especially if they're struggling to score.
Newcomer impact
Utah transfer Both Gach and Robbins have been two of the best newcomers in the Big Ten so far. Gach's one-point effort in the 27-point road loss at Illinois was not indicative of the impact he's had on the backcourt next to Carr. The 6-foot-6 Austin native averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in seven home games. Robbins' inside presence also is a game-changer for the Gophers when he's not in foul trouble. The 7-foot Drake transfer had at least four fouls in five games, and fouled out in two of those. But Robbins is averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, highlighted by his 27-point, five-block effort vs. UMKC. He's already one of the league's top centers.
Brandon Johnson and Jamal Mashburn Jr. have had bright moments, but their roles haven't been as defined. Johnson has been a part-time starting forward while dealing with a lingering ankle injury. Mashburn has emerged as a spark off the bench after getting limited minutes to open the season. The ceiling of Pitino's team in Big Ten play could ride on this group's overall impact.
