University of Minnesota Athletics
MBB: Gophers Travel to Indiana for Big Ten Showdown
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Matchup
The Minnesota Golden Gophers will attempt to bounce back from a Big Ten loss for the fourth time this season. The Gophers have been successful three previous times with two of those victories on the road. Minnesota gave up a 10-point lead with just over four minutes remaining Wednesday and lost at home to Northwestern, 55-53. The Wildcats outscored the Gophers 15-3 down the stretch with clutch shooting and tenacious defense. In addition, Minneesota only converted 3-of-6 free throws in the final minutes. Indiana has had all week to prepare for the Gophers with an off-date on Wednesday. The Hoosiers' last game was a 60-47 loss at No. 1 Illinois. Junior guard Bracey Wright did not play in the Illinois game and his status for Saturday's game is unknown. This game is critical to the Big Ten standings as the Gophers and Hoosiers are separated by only a half game.
Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana remains in the thick for a upper division Big Ten finish and today will go a long way in determining their seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers have the odds-on favorite for Big Ten Freshman of the Year in forward D.J. White. White had a huge game against the Gophers on Jan. 26 with 23 points and seven rebounds in the first matchup. White is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game and leads the team averaging 5.4 rebounds per contest. Another freshman, Robert Vaden, is also averaging in double figures at 10.0 ppg, grabs 4.7 rebounds and dishes out 2.1 assists per game. If Wright is unable to go on the ankle, these two will have to shoulder more of the scoring burden. The Hoosiers are 8-3 at home this season with losses to North Carolina, Notre Dame and UNC Charlotte on a half-court shot at the buzzer. Indiana is 4-0 at home in the Big Ten with wins over Wisconsin and Ohio State. They hold opponents to .388 from the field and .316 from beyond the arc in Assembly Hall.
The Series
Indiana holds a 84-61 lead in the series (including vacated games). Minnesota has won two straight in the series including a 75-70 win in Williams Arena on Jan. 26 of this year. The Gophers won the last meeting in Assembly Hall, 73-71. The Hoosiers hold a 24-5 advantage in Assembly Hall.
What's Next
Minnesota travels to East Lansing, Mich., to face the nationally-ranked Spartans on Wednesday. Game time is 6 p.m., Central time and can be seen on live on FSN North.
