Gopher Women Sleepwalk Past Mankato

The Gopher women followed 1 strong effort with a weak effort, but finished the exhibition season at, well, 0-0, I guess. But with 2 wins. After 2 games:

Center

Micaela Riche 26 minutes, 14 ppg, 55% shooting, 9 rebounds

Jackie Johnson 10 minutes, has yet to score

Katie Loberg has not played, out for a couple weeks with a leg injury

Amanda Zahui B. not yet with the team

A lot will change here before we're done. The news right now is Loberg is hurt, and Jackie Johnson has not hit any kind of stride. Riche has been pretty solid at 14 and 9 and 55.

Power Forward

Kionna Kellogg 24 minutes, 8 ppg, 43%, 7 boards, 2 assists, 2.5 steals

Kayla Hirt 27 minutes, 9 points, 44%, 6 boards, 2.5 assists

Kellogg played in the post in game 1 and Hirt moved up, but longer term I think Hirt will be at the small forward. Kellogg had one great game and one not great game, nothing anywhere near her average. Hirt belongs.

Small Forward

Sari Noga 33 minutes, 7.5 points, 45%, 5.5 boards, 3 assists, 3.5 steals

Sari isn't quick, can't jump...but she is getting the job done. 

Point Guard

Rachel Banham 28.5 minutes, 21 points, 54%, 6 boards, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals, but 3.5 turnovers

Leah Cotton 15.5 minutes, 4.5 points, 52%, 2.5 boards, 2 assists, 3 turnovers

Cotton has done some nice things, but overall she still looks like a freshman out there. Banham has been fine fine fine.

Shooting Guard

Mikayla Bailey 30.5 minutes, 7 points, 36%, 2 assists, 2 steals

Shayne Mullaney played 13 minutes and then zero minutes, has yet to score

I was wrong about Mikayla Bailey, she can play at this level. I am not ready to say I was wrong about Shayne Mullaney, but she sure hasn't looked comfortable out there yet.

Summary

Minnesota is shooting 45%--50% on 3s and 44% on 2s. Opponents shot just 31%, and less than 25% on 3s. The Gophers are giving up a ton of offensive boards (23 in 2 games) and turning it over (25 times vs. Mankato along, 23 times per game over the 2 games. 

Strengths--So far, Banham, Riche, Hirt, Noga, Kellogg; points in the paint (37-21 advantage on average)

Weaknesses--So far, turnovers and defensive rebounding

With Loberg and Zahui B. out, and Johnson and Mullaney not yet in sync, it feels like we don't know much about this team just yet. But it doesn't hurt that Noga and Bailey are showing a lot more than expected and another newcomer--Hirt--is delivering more or less just as expected, considering that we expected a lot.