Preview: Gophers vs. Florida State

Two teams coming off of long road trips (I guess Florida State is still on one) and sporting two-game losing streaks square off Tuesday on Day 2 of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Their losing streaks are a little different though, as the Gophers lost to a couple of Top 25 teams in Alabama and Oklahoma, while the Seminoles just dropped games to Kent State and TCU (solid teams, but not the same caliber).

The ‘Noles have also lost a game to Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Wins over Texas Southern and Shawnee State put them within a game of .500 but don’t prove much. This is a Florida State team that’s been struggling, and that’s not entirely unexpected. The team had a decent 19-14 season last year (good for 7th in the ACC), but they’ve lost 3 starters and 7 lettermen from that squad.

Expectations are actually higher this season, with a few magazines predicting the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the mid ’90s. They’re higher because of a highly regarded recruiting class and several unproven underclassmen though, and they obviously still need a little more time to develop. When they do though, watch out.

Leading the way in the talent department is 6’5″ sophomore guard Von Wafer. Wafer averaged 7.9 points per game last season and is putting up the same numbers this year (including an ugly 32% field goal percentage). The skill department is headlined by 6’10” Argentinean junior Diego Romero, who sports the usual talents of an international big man. Early in his first season at FSU, he’s leading the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and is also averaging 5 rebounds and shooting 75% from 3-point range (just 3 for 4, granted). And leading the muscle department is 6’10”, 250-lb sophomore Alexander Johnson. He’s a little off the numbers from his All-ACC Freshman season, but he’s still putting up a solid 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 56% field goal percentage.

Other players to keep an eye on are 6’7″ sophomore Al Thornton (7 ppg, 4 rpg), 6’2″ freshman Ralph Mims (a former Gopher recruiting target who’s averaging 7 ppg), heralded freshman point guard Isaiah Swann (7 ppg, 3 apg), multidimensional forward Adam Waleskowski (7 ppg, 4 rpg), speedy junior point guard Todd Galloway (7 ppg, 2 apg, 50% 3-pt), freshman guard Jason Rich (6 ppg), former McDonald’s All-American forward Anthony Richardson (5 ppg), and 6’6″ wing Andrew Wilson.

If that seemed like a very long list of names, it was. The Seminoles have perhaps the most balanced and deepest roster I’ve ever seen. They have 11 players averaging between 15 and 23 minutes, and 10 of them average between 5 and 9 points. That’s unbelievable, and it also means their legs are a lot fresher than their busy schedule would lead you to believe.

Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:

1. Opening Tap. Florida State is a young team with two losses in a row that’s really struggling. Minnesota is a young team with two losses in a row that was actually doing a lot of good things. It might not sound like much, but it could be. If the Gophers can jump out to a strong start, they can build on the positives and forget about the losses. If the Seminoles get down early, they might fold. If Minnesota instead lets them hang around, their talent could start to click at any moment. The first 5-10 minutes of this game could tell the story, and the Gophers need to make it a good one.

2. Take a Step Back. Minnesota began the year with a tenacious new attitude on the boards. Their rebounding in Alaska was solid, but they seemed to lose that edge. Now is the time to get it back. Florida State has a chance to be a dangerous rebounding team, but I don’t think they are yet. The Gophers need to take it to them. J’son Stamper‘s 10 rebounds in 22 minutes against Oklahoma were a sign that he’s finally healthy and comfortable and is ready to really start setting the tone.

3. The Streak. The Gophers have won two consecutive regular-season games at Williams Arena. So what? Well, every streak has to start somewhere. We need to get The Barn back to its glory days where #1 teams came in scared and left with a loss. That attitude is greatly assisted by the fans, but it needs to start with the players. They need that “Not in my house!” attitude. Early signs are positive, as the team has shown good energy and intensity and an ability to have fun. I’m hoping that will be enough for the fans to realize that this is a new team with 12 new players, and that we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Let’s build The Streak together starting Tuesday night on national TV.

The sizeable loss to Oklahoma has zapped some of the excitement from Minnesota win over Furman and close loss to Alabama, but I’m still really looking forward to being able to see this Gopher team take on an ACC opponent. Hopefully I’m not alone. It should be a fun game, but it’s also a game that Minnesota really need to win in order to get this season started off right. I think they’ll do it. My prediction: Minnesota 75 Florida State 68.

Talk about the game on our Gopher Basketball message board.