It’s early in the season, but in Minnesota’s first real test of the season against No. 8 Syracuse, it became pretty obvious that it ain’t easy without the Big Easy on the floor.

Gophers junior center Elliott Eliason is the X-factor on this year’s squad, and his play will have a tremendous bearing on how Minnesota finishes in the Big Ten.

In the offseason, Eliason morphed from a finesse big man into a son of a gun down low. That transformation was as crucial as any development that took place in the offseason.