Gophers not rushing Mike Mitchell Jr. back from 'bad' sprained ankle

Minnesota has missed Mitchell's offensive firepower.

Mike Mitchell Jr. / Photo by Matt Krohn, University of Minnesot

Veteran guard Mike Mitchell Jr. has been out of the Gophers' lineup for four straight games due to a sprained ankle. With a pivotal four-team tournament this weekend in Orlando, Fla., Minnesota has no plans of rushing him back.

Mitchell suffered a significant sprained ankle in the Gophers' second game of the season against Omaha. Their offense has missed his shooting prowess, averaging only 58.3 points per game in their last four contests.

The Gophers will face their toughest test of the season at the ESPN Events Invitational later this week. They open play on Thursday against Wichita State (5-0) and then either Florida (6-0) or Wake Forest (6-1) depending on the results of the first-round games. Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson seems to have mixed feelings about whether or not Mitchell can return to the lineup.

"He's getting close. I think right now, it's not necessarily offensive end, it's more on the defensive end, just lateral movement and just seeing where he's at with that," Johnson said Monday after the Gophers narrowly escaped with a win over Central Michigan.

"He took a big jump these last four days and we'll see where he's at this week, but it's thankfully getting there, so we'll see where he's at."

“He took a big jump these last four days and we’ll see where he’s at this week.”

Ben Johnson on Mike Mitchell Jr.’s status heading into the #Gophers tournament later this week in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/cDNMbJQlDS

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) November 26, 2024

Charlotte transfer guard Lu'Cye Patterson had his best game in a Gophers uniform on Monday night. He had a season-high 19 points, four rebounds and three assists, but it was clear that Minnesota was missing Mitchell's shooting once again.

"Will he play in game one? That I don't know yet. Have I totally ruled it out? No," Johnson responded when asked about Mitchell's status for Wichita State. "If he doesn't go, does that mean he's taken a step back? Absolutely not... it was such a bad sprain, I don't want to rush him and all of a sudden a little tweak and that's another two weeks."

Minnesota's defensive effort has been impressive to start the season, allowing 55.6 points per game, which ranks seventh in the entire country. But that's been against six mid-major programs. If they want to compete offensively this week in Orlando, they might need to get Mitchell back in the lineup.