Takeaways as Gophers start Big Ten play with upset win over No. 22 Indiana
Minnesota’s Big Ten debut under head coach Niko Medved could not have gone much better. On Wednesday night at Williams Arena, the Golden Gophers, losers of three-straight, upset the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers 73-64, handing Darien DeVries’s program their first loss of the 2025-26 season. Here are five takeaways from the Gophers’ Big Ten opener.
Gophers dominate the boards
When you win the boards by 15, you’re usually in good shape. On Wednesday, the Gophers completely controlled Indiana on the glass, 40–25. Every starter contributed. Cade Tyson led with eight rebounds, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Isaac Asuma each grabbed seven, Langston Reynolds added five, and Bobby Durkin finished with four. Notably, in the second half, the Gophers outrebounded Indiana 23-13.
Everyone contributes
The Gophers’ five starters all finished in double figures Wednesday night. Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds each scored 17, Isaac Asuma added 15, Bobby Durkin had 12, and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson chipped in 11. The bench produced just one point, something that becomes a real problem if it turns into a pattern — but on a night like this, you can live with it.
What makes the effort even more notable is how much they needed every bit of it. Minnesota played just eight guys, with Grayson Grove, Nehemiah Turner, and Kai Shinholster as the only bench options.
Gophers continue to shoot well at the free-throw line
After a stretch where they shot 52.9% or worse in three of four games against Missouri, Green Bay, and San Francisco, the Gophers have flipped the script at the free-throw line. They’ve now shot well from the stripe in three straight games. After hitting 72.2% against Stanford, they went 20-for-27 (74.1%) against Santa Clara, and tonight they made 19-of-27 (70.4%). That easily outpaced Indiana, which finished just 12-of-20.
Minnesota has now shot 70% or better in five of nine games. Langston Reynolds, who had struggled recently, went 3-for-4. Isaac Asuma finished 6-for-9, and Cade Tyson hit 5-of-6.
Gophers survive the game despite sloppy play
We’ve hit a few positives, but there was one clear negative. The Gophers didn’t play a clean game, racking up 18 personal fouls and 16 turnovers. Indiana had more fouls (22) but only seven turnovers.
Minnesota’s 16 giveaways turned into 22 points on the other end, while Indiana’s seven turnovers led to just five Gopher points. In nine games, the Gophers have now had 10 turnovers or more in eight. They’ll have to clean it up if they hope to have more wins as they did on Wednesday night.
A strong night from distance
Finally, for a team that has struggled to hit threes this season, the Gophers had some success on Wednesday, hitting 8-of-21 attempts, a 38.1% make rate. Good enough for their third-best shooting percentage in nine games. Bobby Durkin continues to find a groove, making 3-of-6 attempts. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was 2-of-6, Cade Tyson shot 2-of-4, while Isaac Asuma still looks for his stroke, making just 1-of-5 attempts.
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