5 things that stood out from the Gophers' loss to North Texas

Minnesota did not come to play.

Nov 13, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Lu'Cye Patterson (25) dribbles as North Texas Mean Green guard Jasper Floyd (3) defends during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

A horrendous first half of basketball was too much for the Gophers men's basketball team to overcome as it was handed its first loss of the season to North Texas 54-51 Wednesday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

There was plenty to take away from an uninspiring effort.

First-half disaster

Dawson Garcia (groin), Frank Mitchell (shoulder) and Kadyn Betts (heel) were all held out of practice at some point this week. With Mike Mitchell Jr. (ankle) out for an extended period of time, it was apparent that Minnesota had very little practice time together. The Gophers began the game severely unprepared, and it looked like they had no real game plan.

An entire half of basketball with only 14 points is inexcusable. The Gophers shot 3 for 21 (14.3%) from the field and had more than twice as many turnovers (8) than made field goals. They weren't a disaster defensively, but it's concerning to look so unprepared for one of the biggest nonconference games on your schedule.

Femi Odukale/Lu'Cye Patterson's struggles

New Mexico State transfer Femi Odukale and Charlotte transfer Lu'Cye Patterson were two of the Gophers' biggest pickups this offseason from the transfer portal. Both players have been underwhelming through three games.

Odukale was supposed to be a Swiss army knife point forward, but he's struggled to generate any offense, averaging only two points per game this season. Patterson struggled on Wednesday, going 3 for 14 from the field for only nine points.

Frank Mitchell brings the boom

After transferring in from Canisius, Mitchell made his regular-season debut on Wednesday after missing the Gophers' first two games with a shoulder injury. His physicality and energy were apparent right after the tipoff, but he did not bring much more than that. His day finished with zero points and zero shot attempts. It will be interesting to see how his role changes as he gets healthier.

Life without Mike Mitchell Jr.

Wednesday was the Gophers' first game without Mitchell Jr., who suffered what looked like a high-ankle sprain on Saturday against Omaha. It looked like Patterson, Odukale and Brennan Rigsby were overwhelmed with their expanded roles in the backcourt. Minnesota will need to find an offensive identity outside of Garcia's expected 20 points per game as Mitchell recovers.

Where do you go from here?

North Texas was one of three nonconference games that Minnesota had against teams ranked inside the top 100 of most every metric, but it was the only one at home. This could wind up being a Quad 3 blemish on the Gophers' 2024-25 NCAA Tournament resume, which makes their holiday tournament later this month that much more important.