Minnesota coach Niko Medved has prioritized unselfishness among his players this season.
After one game, Medved is thrilled with what he is seeing.
Minnesota will look to continue its promising start when it tips off against Alcorn State (0-2) on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers are coming off an 87-60 win over Gardner-Webb in their season opener, Medved’s first game at the helm.
Medved wants his players to continue to look for open teammates against Alcorn State.
“What’s so fun is when the ball has energy, your team has energy,” Medved said. “Guys know if I give it up, I’m going to get it back. (Trade a) good shot for a great shot. If I cut hard to get my teammate open, it’s funny how the game rewards that kind of thing.”
Cade Tyson could draw more attention from the defense after scoring a game-high 30 points in the season opener. Tyson transferred from North Carolina to Minnesota during the offseason.
“We really did believe he would be a great fit for us,” Medved said.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson also figures to play a prominent role in the Golden Gophers’ second game of the season. He registered a double-double in his season debut with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and he added two blocked shots to tie for the team lead.
Alcorn State will play its third consecutive road game after losing its first two contests against Florida State and South Alabama. The Braves lost by 32 points against Florida State but competed against South Alabama before losing 76-70.
Jake Morton, Alcorn State’s first-year head coach, said he likes the way his players have battled this season. He said it was important to play smart in addition to playing hard.
“We’ve just got to find a way to take care of the ball a little bit better,” Morton said.
Shane Lancaster leads Alcorn State with 18.5 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting, including 60 percent shooting from 3-point range. Nick Woodard is next with 15 points per game to go along with a team-high 6.5 rebounds per contest.