Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson was talking about the development of Frank Mitchell on Monday when the barrel-chested, bruising forward walked across the U’s practice courts.

“He’s done,” said Johnson, before raising his voice so Mitchell could hear, “all those morning workouts, right?”

Mitchell pumped his fist over his head. “Yes, sir!” he responded.

The 6-foot-8 Canadian has shed more than 30 pounds across his time at Minnesota and is listed at 260. That has helped him play his best basketball down the final stretch of the regular season.

The 12th-seeded Gophers (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten) look to keep their season alive against No. 13 Northwestern (16-15, 7-13) in the first round of the Big Ten tournament at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Mitchell has produced two straight double-doubles — 12 points and 11 rebounds in the 75-67 overtime loss to Rutgers on Sunday and 11 points and 11 boards in the Wisconsin loss a week ago.

Those numbers more than doubled his season averages (5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds) and came after a previous uptick in an 8-point, 9-board game in the win at Nebraska on March 1.

Besides improvements in his physical fitness, Mitchell had to make the big jump from Canisius in the mid-major Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. This comes on top of switching from hockey at age 18.

“Making the jump is real,” Johnson said. “Some guys, it becomes something with confidence sooner rather than later. Other guys it takes a little bit of time. I think you got to factor in he hasn’t been playing basketball that much. There is a confidence piece to that.

“To his credit, I think he realized at this level how much you have to put into the game. As simple as just conditioning, weight lifting, everything we are doing now. It is more than he has ever done. I think falling in love with the process is something I give him a ton of credit.”

The work doesn’t stop. After Mitchell missed free throws in the defeat to the Badgers, he quickly returned from the locker room and was almost immediately back on the stripe at Williams Arena, getting more shots up. Then on Monday, he was then the first player spotted at the U’s practice court.

“Just discipline, it’s paying off,” Mitchell said. “Just listening to my coaches and everyone around me … especially with this program.”

Mitchell’s maternal Italian heritage and love for the native food his mom, grandmother and friends make, especially pasta, makes it a challenge to not go in for second helpings.

“I’m Italian, so I like to eat food,” Mitchell said in February.

Mitchell also noted the discipline he’s trying to show in keeping his hand out of a bag of chips.

Mitchell’s development this season has Johnson talking about his future — something he has been reticent to do with other players given the state of college basketball.

After another offseason, what can Mitchell become on the court next year?

“Now the goal is to be greedy with that in this offseason,” Johnson said. “Attack it. That is the best part about guys that have multiple years. Your second year is probably going to be better than your first because the anxiety is gone. You know what it is. You know what it looks like.”

As far as next year goes, however, Mitchell said he is just focused on Northwestern.

Mitchell is already doing things he couldn’t do at the beginning of the season, including put-back dunks and increasing his rebounding range. There was also a new moment at the end of the Rutgers game.

“He is yelling in huddles about ‘I’m going to outrun this big,’ ” Johnson said. “He’s never said that before and then he did (it). But it’s having that pride now of playing with that motor and being really consistent.”

Briefly

Senior forward Dawson Garcia was named all-Big Ten second team by the conference’s coaches and media members on Tuesday. The Savage native was on both third teams last season and received honorable mention two years ago. In the 2024-25 regular season, he finished fifth in the league at 19.1 points and eighth at 5.9 rebounds per game.