***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA AT ILLINOIS IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

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Stan

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Getting kicked in the nuts in Lincoln was no fun. Any fleeting chance we have to make the NCAA Tournament (outside of running the table in the BTT) requires a win tonight at Illinois. But we rarely win at Illinois and this Illini squad is tough!

But Ben Johnson seems to get this team focused quickly after ugly and tough loses, but we are beyond moral victories, this is a "show me" industry.

Keep the Bigs on the floor and we have to find a way to limit these brutal scoring droughts.

GET 'ER DONE JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 




Tonight is an opportunity for the Gophers to tell everyone, "we're not done yet!"
 


This would be the big win. Purdue almost was. Gophers match up well enough (unlike Nebraska) even if Illinois has strong talent.

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Bayfield Gopher said:
Neb showed the BIG how to contain the Gophers strengths on O. Poor shooting helped their cause. Can Illini do the same?

Ben needs to run sets to get more ops for Christie and Mitch. And establish an inside presence again.
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It seems like every game we run the no O, O. If Ben has a plan he is keeping it secret.
 

SHGopher said:
This would be the big win. Purdue almost was. Gophers match up well enough (unlike Nebraska) even if Illinois has strong talent.

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We do not match up well with Illinois. Especially compared to Nebraska.

Crazy shit happens. But that’s a wild fucking take.
 




Stan said:
Getting kicked in the nuts in Lincoln was no fun. Any fleeting chance we have to make the NCAA Tournament (outside of running the table in the BTT) requires a win tonight at Illinois. But we rarely win at Illinois and this Illini squad is tough!

But Ben Johnson seems to get this team focused quickly after ugly and tough loses, but we are beyond moral victories, this is a "show me" industry.

Keep the Bigs on the floor and we have to find a way to limit these brutal scoring droughts.

GET 'ER DONE JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Illini is listed as +11.5.

Anyone laying some cheddar on this tilt?
 

MUgopher32 said:
We do not match up well with Illinois. Especially compared to Nebraska.

Crazy shit happens. But that’s a wild fucking take.
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Fair enough. For the record I wrote "match up well enough (unlike Nebraska) even if Illinois has strong talent." I will stand by that.

Nebraska shut down the Gophers post players playing physical. Payne was a non-factor, Garcia held to 10. Sounds like you expect the same with Illinois. You are Nebraska Ii.
 

MUgopher32 said:
We do not match up well with Illinois. Especially compared to Nebraska.

Crazy shit happens. But that’s a wild fucking take.
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It’s actually a horrible match-up as our guards are all undersized compared to theirs. Hawk will look like a Jr High PG and how many times will they post him up? Mitch too. Dainja/other big vs PP will be a battle. Gotta shoot >50% and 75% FT to have a chance. I don’t expect Illini to be as strong as Neb on D
 



Illinois is a much better team. I never said Gophers can match them.

Nebraska at Nebraska was the worst matchup. I am fine if others disagree but think the Gophers have better chances this game than last.
 

SHGopher said:
Fair enough. For the record I wrote "match up well enough (unlike Nebraska) even if Illinois has strong talent." I will stand by that.

Nebraska shut down the Gophers post players playing physical. Payne was a non-factor, Garcia held to 10. Sounds like you expect the same with Illinois. You are Nebraska Ii.
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We just have no way to full match them in anyway with their size and athleticism combo.

Sleeper media did a preview and tried to give gophs props but break down match ups and it’s tough.

Who guards shannon? How do you hide Hawkins and Mitchell? It’ll be booty ball all game. Gophs play big? Illinois throws guerrier and Hawkins as athletes. They pound glass.

Illinois can’t defend/doesn’t try to. So maybe we pull what Iowa did and keep it close and unlike Iowa win it late.

But they are a match up nightmare on us o when they have the ball.
 




Not sure I agree that tonight is a must-win if we want to get in without winning the BTT. If we win the final three games and get to 11-9 and then win two in the BTT, that should move us to three Quad 1 wins. Seems like we would be in the conversation with that result.
 

Coleman Hawkins is (IMO) the soul of this Illini team and will give the Gophers fits. Payne not able to guard him, and he is much stronger than Garcia and can take him outside. As others have mentioned, we do not match up well at guard. Would need Christie to grow up quick.

I will DVR because we will be at the Barn for the Caitlyn Clark show. Too bad Mara is injured. I’m sure she wanted to go for this one. With Sophie Hart also out, it’ll be all Hawkeyes. But, a chance to see a generational player!
 
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Go4POV said:
Coleman Hawkins is (IMO) the soul of this Illini team and will give the Gophers fits. Payne not able to guard him, and he is much stronger than Garcia and can take him outside. As others have men, we do not match up well at guard. Would need Christie to grow up quick.

I will DVR because we will be at the Barn for the Caitlyn Clark show. Too bad Mara is injured. I’m sure she wanted to go for this one. With Sophie Hart also out, it’ll be all Hawkeyes. But, a chance to see a generational player!
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When you storm the court tonight after our win, I'd avoid that flopper Caitlyn Clark.
 

WriterGoph said:
Not sure I agree that tonight is a must-win if we want to get in without winning the BTT. If we win the final three games and get to 11-9 and then win two in the BTT, that should move us to three Quad 1 wins. Seems like we would be in the conversation with that result.
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Tonight is must win.

Conference tourney results are not considered very heavily. And only 2 there without this win would not be enough.
 

SHGopher said:
Illinois is a much better team. I never said Gophers can match them.

Nebraska at Nebraska was the worst matchup. I am fine if others disagree but think the Gophers have better chances this game than last.
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I'd say it's a pretty good bet that the Gophers will do better than they did against Nebraska because Nebraska gave them their worst conference loss and the Gopher line for this game is +11.5.

Nebraska obviously was very pumped and focused against us. We did have a two game winning streak against them and kept them from having a winning season by our Big Ten tournament victory last season. Illinois hasn't lost to us recently and probably will just approach this game like they would any other opponent.
 


MUgopher32 said:
Tonight is must win.

Conference tourney results are not considered very heavily. And only 2 there without this win would not be enough.
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In 2010 (I believe), the Gophers were on the wrong side of the bubble and made a run to the BTT final (beating MSU and Purdue along the way). That was 100% what got them in that year.
 

WriterGoph said:
In 2010 (I believe), the Gophers were on the wrong side of the bubble and made a run to the BTT final (beating MSU and Purdue along the way). That was 100% what got them in that year.
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The gophers are not even in the galaxy of the bubble. A couple conference tourney wins are tiebreakers.

The committee makes it clear every year.

The one thing they truly care about is winning either your regular season or conference tournament.
 

MUgopher32 said:
The gophers are not even in the galaxy of the bubble. A couple conference tourney wins are tiebreakers.

The committee makes it clear every year.

The one thing they truly care about is winning either your regular season or conference tournament.
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So your contention is that if the Gophers win their last three games including a Quad 1 at Northwestern and finish 11-9, they still won't be on the bubble?
 



WriterGoph said:
So your contention is that if the Gophers win their last three games including a Quad 1 at Northwestern and finish 11-9, they still won't be on the bubble?
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At 20-11(11-9), I don't think we'll be particularly close. We wouldn't show up in the First 4 Out, or Next 4 Out. If there was such a thing for the next 13-16 out, we'd probably be in that grouping.
 

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