University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Kalscheur's Hard Work Paying Off Early
11/18/2018 7:56:00 AM | Men's Basketball
by Tommy Sletten, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Freshman Gabe Kalscheur lit the Williams Arena nets on fire Monday night against Pac-12 opponent Utah.Â
In the Gophers 78-69 win over the Utes, Kalscheur led Minnesota with 19 points, shooting 5-for-6 from behind the arc.
Kalscheur's five three-pointers is the most by a freshman since Gopher great Andre Hollins went 5-for-10 from three against Northwestern on March 8, 2012. More impressive was that  Kalscheur's coming-out party came so early in the season: his second career game.
The freshman from Edina, Minn. was a surprise to most outside the program with his consistent and impressive performance, but head coach RIchard Pitino saw the writing on the wall during training camp.
"Gabe Kalscheur was not even a little bit of a surprise because he takes the game seriously, he takes his approach to the game seriously," Pitino said. "He doesn't mess around, and rarely do you see that from freshman. He's just got a pro mentality, so every time he shoots, nobody is surprised when it goes in."
Pitino continued his praise of Kalscheur, highlighting his work ethic and professionalism.
"He's just serious about the game," Pitino said. "Every little part of it he's serious about and that's rare. There's never a time you go in and he's messing around on the court. If it's a 3:30 practice, he's on the court at 3. It's like clockwork. If it's a 10 a.m. practice on a Saturday, he's there at 9:30, always, and he's not going to deviate from that routine."
Kalscheur's professionalism was noted by junior guard Amir Coffey as well, with Coffey noting that his in-state teammate has always had that air about him.
"I knew that as soon as he got here, the way he carries himself in practice, in workouts," Coffey said of Kalscheur's work ethic. "I mean, I've known him since high school so I've always known that about him."
Wing shooting has been something Minnesota has lacked over the course of the last few seasons. Minnesota got one season with grad transfer Akeem Springs in 2016-17, but haven't had a consistent deadeye on the wing since second All-Time three-point field goal leader Blake Hoffarber played all four years from 2007-2011.Â
And Kalscheur showed shades of the Hoffarber in his game monday night, making more three-pointers than his fellow Minnesota native did in one game as a freshman.Â
Even in his first year, Kalscheur is proving to his more seasoned teammates that he's reliable with his shooting, and is someone they can trust.
"Gabe is a really good shooter," senior forward Jordan Murphy said. "I'm really confident in his ability to shoot when the team needs his shot and it's a bonus. That is something that we really were missing for a very long time since I've been here, so having that is a pressure relief right there, and Gabe's plus is always really good."
Â
Freshman Gabe Kalscheur lit the Williams Arena nets on fire Monday night against Pac-12 opponent Utah.Â
In the Gophers 78-69 win over the Utes, Kalscheur led Minnesota with 19 points, shooting 5-for-6 from behind the arc.
Kalscheur's five three-pointers is the most by a freshman since Gopher great Andre Hollins went 5-for-10 from three against Northwestern on March 8, 2012. More impressive was that  Kalscheur's coming-out party came so early in the season: his second career game.
The freshman from Edina, Minn. was a surprise to most outside the program with his consistent and impressive performance, but head coach RIchard Pitino saw the writing on the wall during training camp.
"Gabe Kalscheur was not even a little bit of a surprise because he takes the game seriously, he takes his approach to the game seriously," Pitino said. "He doesn't mess around, and rarely do you see that from freshman. He's just got a pro mentality, so every time he shoots, nobody is surprised when it goes in."
Pitino continued his praise of Kalscheur, highlighting his work ethic and professionalism.
"He's just serious about the game," Pitino said. "Every little part of it he's serious about and that's rare. There's never a time you go in and he's messing around on the court. If it's a 3:30 practice, he's on the court at 3. It's like clockwork. If it's a 10 a.m. practice on a Saturday, he's there at 9:30, always, and he's not going to deviate from that routine."
Kalscheur's professionalism was noted by junior guard Amir Coffey as well, with Coffey noting that his in-state teammate has always had that air about him.
"I knew that as soon as he got here, the way he carries himself in practice, in workouts," Coffey said of Kalscheur's work ethic. "I mean, I've known him since high school so I've always known that about him."
Wing shooting has been something Minnesota has lacked over the course of the last few seasons. Minnesota got one season with grad transfer Akeem Springs in 2016-17, but haven't had a consistent deadeye on the wing since second All-Time three-point field goal leader Blake Hoffarber played all four years from 2007-2011.Â
And Kalscheur showed shades of the Hoffarber in his game monday night, making more three-pointers than his fellow Minnesota native did in one game as a freshman.Â
Even in his first year, Kalscheur is proving to his more seasoned teammates that he's reliable with his shooting, and is someone they can trust.
"Gabe is a really good shooter," senior forward Jordan Murphy said. "I'm really confident in his ability to shoot when the team needs his shot and it's a bonus. That is something that we really were missing for a very long time since I've been here, so having that is a pressure relief right there, and Gabe's plus is always really good."
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