University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Head to Indy For Big Ten Tournament
3/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota holds a 5-8 record all-time in the Big Ten Tournament including vacated games.
Minnesota and Michigan have met one other time in the semifinals of the inaugural Big Ten Tournament in 1998. Michigan won 85-69.
Michigan leads the all-time series 75-61 including vacated games. Michigan won both meetings this season.
Minnesota (#5 seed) advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 Big Ten Tournament with a 71-55 win over Indiana (#4 seed) in the Quarterfinals before losing to #1 Illinois in the semis 64-56.
Vincent Grier was selected to the 2005 Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Matchup
Both teams arrive in Indianapolis looking to regain the momentum each team had just a week ago. Minnesota had won four of five heading into last week, but lost three games last week by 16 points at Wisconsin, vs. Illinois and at Northwestern. Michigan gave its NCAA hopes a huge lift by defeating Illinois at home on Feb. 21, but then lost the last two of the regular season - at Ohio State by 10 and to Indiana in Ann Arbor onSaturday, 69 -67.
Scouting the Wolverines
It’s not a question of what Michigan team will show up in Indianapolis, but who will be in uniform and available for head coach Tommy Amaker. Junior guard Lester Abram could have played vs. Indiana, but was held out as a precaution and senior center Chris Hunter has missed three games with an injured knee. One player who will be at Conseco will be senior guard Daniel Horton. Horton has been electrifying all season for the Maize and Blue averaging 17.7 points overall and 19.8 points per game in conference play. Horton has averaged 26.5 ppg vs. the Gophers this season. In addition, he is a perfect 18-of-18 from the free-throw line vs. Minnesota this season.
