Gophers coach Pitino heavily emphasizing mental health with his team

Heading into Friday’s game vs. North Dakota, Gophers coach Richard Pitino is trying to find new ways to keep guys engaged and not feel so alone with the pandemic constantly changing the routines of his players.

"It’s a huge challenge. We feel we’ve been on a long 15 hour bus trip and we’ve only been around each other. You can’t take the guys bowling, so we try to do the best we can to keep them busy. We’re trying to do everything we can for them," said Pitino.

***To see video from Pitino and select players meeting the media Thursday, CLICK THE PLAY ICON***

The Gophers have gotten off to a 3-0 start with a team that’s seen many changes. Junior guard Marcus Carr has embraced his leadership role and wants the team to lean on him when they need to. Carr hit the game-winning shot to give Minnesota a three point win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday night. Carr leads the team in scoring at nearly 30 points a game.

"There’s plenty everyone can do. He’s making shots, but our rebounding was below average. Defense was good at times, his scoring was good and what he did at the end was great, but all players can improve," Pitino added.

"He’s always been a vocal leader. He was like that last year. We know what he’s capable of, he’s a very confident kid. When he gets like that we know what kind of mode he’s in. We just rally behind him," said Gophers redshirt senior forward Eric Curry.

The Gophers host North Dakota on Friday night at Williams Arena. The game will start at 8 pm.