Sunday Sound Off 11/21

What A Vacation
The boys from Minneapolis left Puerto Rico late Sunday night with newfound confidence, a tournament title, and a nice tan. The team came to Puerto Rico looking for all three of these things, but by defeating Western Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia, they certainly established themselves as a team to be reckoned with. With their win over the previously undefeated West Virginia Mountaineers, the Gophers improved to 5-0 on the season, and were crowned champions of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament. The game showcased all of the familiar elements to the Gopher's strategy early in the year. West Virginia came out hot, shooting the lights out from outside in the early going. As we have seen from the Gophers, their persistence and size ultimately won out over the jump-shooting Mountaineers. Casey Mitchell lead the Mountaineers with 27 points and shooting 4-9 from beyond the arc. Mitchell seemed like the only source of offense for most of the game, as they quickly began to struggle in many other areas. Size and control truly won the game for the Gophers, as Colton Iverson and Trevor Mbakwe dominated the boards all night. It was also noted throughout the telecast that Al Nolen often exerted his influence on the game by controlling the tempo and taking it into his own hands to convert crucial possessions into points. The Gophers set out to impress in San Juan, and that is exactly what they did, as I expect them to creep into the Top 25 on Monday.