Gopher Basketball
| Game Info | |
| Opponent: | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers |
| When: | Noon, December 3rd, 2005 |
| Where: | Williams Arena ““ Minneapolis, MN |
| Television: | None |
Coastal Carolina will hopefully be what the doctor ordered Saturday afternoon for a tired and injury-depleted Gopher team in the middle of a tough five-game stretch. The good news is that Rico Tucker will make his season debut. The bad news is that Moe Hargrow is likely out with a high ankle sprain.
Wisconsin cruised past the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 92-54 last weekend, so even though the Gophers are missing a lot of firepower, this is a game they shouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing. That will be a welcome relief before a tough trip to Arizona State on Monday.
Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:
1. Keep Looking Inside. The play of the Gopher frontcourt has been a relative positive in the past two losses, and they’ll definitely have an advantage in this game. Continuing to establish Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson as go-to guys along with finding more ways to utilizeJonathan Williams‘ size and athleticism will pay dividends later in the season.
2. Keep Up the Work. The biggest difference between the Grier-less Gophers and the team that began the season is how much harder the team is playing defensively and on the boards. Whether it’s because of the added youth on the court or the fact that everyone knows they have to step up without Vince, it’s good to see that intensity. They need to keep it up.
3. Rico. Rico’s return is giving the Gophers something they really need ““ added quickness and ball-handling in the backcourt. It may take Rico a while to find his offensive game (we need him to be confident), but he’ll hopefully start making an impact defensively from the get-go.
With Coleman playing more aggressively in his return Wednesday, with Rico now back, and with Grier no longer in a case, things are hopefully looking up for the Gophers. Gaining some confidence in this game will be important as they try to get through a difficult next two weeks. This game should at least get them back in the win column. My prediction: Minnesota 79 Coastal Carolina 60.
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