Ben Johnson knew before seeing his Gophers on the bottom of Big Ten men's basketball predictions this year that belief in his program, outside of Dinkytown, was hard to come by.
After all, Johnson welcomes in eight newcomers, tied for most in the Big Ten — coming off a last-place league finish with 10 newcomers a year ago.
As a Minneapolis native, Johnson knows it's hard to get Minnesota sports fans to jump on board with local teams, especially with low expectations nationally.
Injuries have hit his program for the second straight year, including for leading returning scorer Jamison Battle, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury. But the Gophers second-year coach is ready to change the woeful narrative.
"I think our mindset will flip, and it has to flip," Johnson said. "No longer are we looking in the past, or we're looking about what we didn't do or haven't done, the misfortunes that we might have had. We recognize it. We honor it, but we've moved past that."
There hasn't been a worst-to-first Big Ten success story in the modern era. The closest was Purdue going from last place to a tie for third and an NCAA tournament bid in 2015. Indiana went from rock bottom to fifth in the Big Ten with a Sweet 16 run in 2012.
The biggest turnaround in recent Gophers history was going from 13th place to fourth in the Big Ten with a 16-win improvement and NCAA tournament berth in 2017.
Last season's surprising 10-1 start faded with 15 losses in the last 18 games due to a roster of mid-major transfers and little depth inside. The 13-17 Gophers just couldn't sustain success in the thick of conference play because of injuries and a lack of depth.
It's one thing to approach the season with major turnaround goals, but the Gophers needed a talent upgrade to make that a reality. Transfers Dawson Garcia and Ta'Lon Cooper and a talented freshman class added more firepower to the roster.
"I think it would be unrealistic for us to expect Minnesota to jump out with a 10-1 record," Big Ten Network analyst Stephen Bardo said. "I don't think they should have that pressure on them this year, even with the addition of Dawson Garcia. They have so many new players they have to intergrate. It's just going to take some time."
Season-ending knee injuries to versatile forwards Isaiah Ihnen and Parker Fox for the second straight year and Battle's foot surgery derailed more experienced lineup possibilities for Johnson.
Garcia and Cooper are immediately the top big man and point guard on the team. The U's five-player freshman class also includes Big Ten-ready bodies with Joshua Ola-Joseph and Pharrel Payne.
Battle and developing sophomore 7-footer Treyton Thompson are the only returners. The Gophers are also the only Big Ten team with no Big Ten experience in their backcourt. But they have potential impact freshman guards with Braeden Carrington and Jaden Henley.
This is a different Big Ten from a year ago. Only three of the 15 all-league players are back. The league race appears wide open with only three Big Ten teams ranked in the preseason — no higher than Indiana at 13th.
Like the Gophers, Ohio State (eight roster additions), Illinois (seven), Michigan (six) and Purdue (five) also expect to lean heavily on newcomers. The Gophers have two of the most high-profile transfers in the league with Garcia from North Carolina and Cooper from Morehead State.
Three transfers were named U team captains with Garcia, Cooper and Dartmouth guard Taurus Samuels joining Battle. The Gophers will lean heavily on their veteran leadership, but six underclassmen have to speed up their development, especially with Battle out.
"It's always next man up," Cooper said. "Everybody's got to step up. Somebody's got to score more. Somebody's got to defend. Somebody's got to rebound more."
The Gophers have a home-friendly early schedule with four straight games at Williams Arena to start the season, including vs. DePaul in the Gavitt Games on Nov. 14.
Johnson's team will need to keep the momentum going with a winnable SoCal Challenge during Thanksgiving. The true test comes with four consecutive games vs. major conference opponents in late November through early December. Virginia Tech and Purdue on the road. Michigan and Mississippi State at the Barn.
"It's all about your start," Battle said. "The Big Ten is a beast of a league, but still you can apply the experience [from fellow captains Garcia, Cooper and Samuels] and take that to help the young guys."
Johnson challenged the Gophers to open practice this season to have the same winning mentality that Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan State, Purdue and other powerhouse programs have going into every season.
It's only Year 2 for him coming off a bottom finish in the Big Ten, but Johnson has no patience for changing what he thinks should be expected for Gophers basketball.
"Only thinking about winning," Johnson said. "Not thinking about the negatives or things that might have stunted the growth as a program."
