With students on holiday break, the Gophers men’s basketball pep band was down to a couple dozen members, including just two sousaphones, for Sunday evening’s nonconference tilt with Campbell University. The shorthanded brass section notwithstanding, Minnesota had more than enough talent on the Barn’s court to blow the Camels away, 78-50. The hosts shot 58 percent from the floor, threw down half a dozen dunks and received another standout performance from senior swingman Cade Tyson, who delivered 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists. “Tyson gets all the limelight and rightfully so,” said Campbell coach John Andrzejek, whose team ended a weeklong road trip. “I think he’s an NBA player because he presents matchup problems. His shooting ability makes you want to put a smaller, quicker guy on him to navigate all the screens. “But he also is physical and can score in the post and get on the boards, which makes you want to put a taller guy on him.” Neither tactic worked and Tyson’s performance was complemented by point guard Isaac Asuma, who added 15 points and six of his team’s 26 assists. The Gophers entered the night leading NCAA Division I squads with a 72 percent assist rate. “There’s clearly an unselfishness… and we’re picking up more things on the offensive end,” said first-year coach Niko Medved, whose team has battled injuries. “We’re starting to show some defensive growth, but we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re really shorthanded and I don’t know if or when that’s going to change.” Said junior forward Bobby Durkin, who had 11 points and five rebounds: “There has to be a heightened emphasis and focus on what everyone does best and locking in on them doing that even better.” The Camels (5-7) couldn’t get over the hump from the opening tip, missing their first seven shots, committing three turnovers and falling behind, 12-0 during the first five minutes. The Colonial Athletic Association members, playing the toughest nonconference schedule in program history, never led while losing to their third Big 10 foe of the season. “it wasn’t quite as heinous as the early score looked,” said Andrzejek, at 33 the third-youngest Division I head coach in the country. “But after that we spiraled a bit and turned the ball over. A lot of them were unforced, just not playing on two feet or putting two hands on the ball.” The Gophers’ lead swelled to 23-8 after 10 minutes. Minnesota was up, 41-22, at halftime, improved to 7-0 at home and has won back-to-back games and three of its last four contests. One last nonconference game remains, a Dec. 29 meeting with visiting Fairleigh Dickinson, and then it’s Big 10 opponents the rest of the way. “We know we’re a little smaller and teams are really going to try to go at us on the glass and inside,” said Medved, who received more than 30 minutes from three starters Sunday and 27 from another. “We’re got to continue to play defense without picking up silly fouls. We have guys we can’t afford to have in foul trouble. “I think it’s having great conditioning and playing physical. But you have to learn when you can stick your nose in there and when you can’t, because then you’re putting things in the officials’ hands.” Andrzejek thinks the Gophers (7-5) will punch above their figurative weight. “They have an elite offensive system where the guys all complement each other and the ball moves around and they don’t care who gets the shot or the credit,” he said. “It’s about taking what shot is best for the team and that’s dictated by how the other team is guarding them.” Medved is giving his players four days off before it’s back to the grind. “Guys are going to have to log a lot of productive minutes,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot better the last couple of weeks but now we’ve got to make another major jump. Because after this, it’s on.” Related Articles Cade Tyson’s career high 38 paces Gophers blowout win over Texas Southern Men’s basketball: Gophers roster to remain shorthanded Half empty: Gophers blown out in second half of 85-57 loss at No. 6 Purdue Gophers basketball: That time Niko Medved and Gene Keady played H-O-R-S-E Barnstorming: Gophers upset No. 22 Indiana 73-64 in Big Ten opener ...read more read less