Minnesota began the Niko Medved era with a convincing win over the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, taking down the visitors from the Big South 87-60. The Gophers, who came into the game as 25.5-point favorites, raced out to a 20-1 lead behind an early outburst from UNC transfer and preseason superstar Cade Tyson. The lead grew as high as 35 by halftime and three Gophers, including Colorado State transfer Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (13) and Northern Colorado transfer Langston Reynolds (14) finished in double figures.
THE STAT: Tyson led all scorers with 30 points on 8-12 shooting. He was 4-8 from deep and hit 10 of his 12 free throw attempts. He flashed a strong all-around game, scoring from all over the court and showing a great ability to get to the hoop. He could be fun this year.
TURNING POINT: Minnesota got off to a 10-0 start and never looked back, eventually running that out to a 20-1 lead to begin the game.
HOT: Besides Tyson’s 30 points, Crocker-Johnson notched a double-double in the first half and finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds while going 7-10 from the line.
NOT: Chancey Willis, Jr., the team’s dedicated point guard, went 0-7 from the field and failed to score, though he only committed one turnover in 26 minutes.
NOTABLE: Medved’s offense was a stark contrast to Ben Johnson’s. Players were constantly moving, lots of cuts to the basket and back screens opened up tons of opportunities near the hoop and the team was frequently getting out in transition. Considering this is effectively a brand new team, the polish they showed in game one is promising.
UP NEXT: The Gophers host the Alcorn State Braves on Saturday at 11am CT. This game can be streamed on Peacock.
