Rothstein | Nate Mason a game-time decision against Illinois

[GopherHoopsFan]

If we can't beat Illinois without Mason we don't deserve to make the tournament. We have 3 other starters in Coffey, Murphy and Lynch who are All-Big 10 talent

I would take Lynch right out of there. I don't think he's played to an all B1G level. Probably take Coffey out of there too. Also, the tournament comment feels pretty knee jerk. This is just one more game in a fairly long season. Beating a B1G team without your starting point guard (especially when he is your offensive catalyst) is a tall order. I honestly don't like our chances without Nate tonight. I hope he plays... obviously

 

[howeda7]

We have a long, mostly awful history with Illinois in this century. We've lost many home games to them that we should not have. Anyone saying this is easy is naive.

 

[SelectionSunday]

We have a long, mostly awful history with Illinois in this century. We've lost many home games to them that we should not have. Anyone saying this is easy is naive.

Indeed, let us not forget this gut-wrencher vs. Illinois in 2002, the one that directly started the downward spiral under Monson, at a time when the program was so close to getting over the hump. Win that game and the Gophers would have been in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, it went down as one of the most epic chokes in Gopher history.

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Indeed, let us not forget this gut-wrencher vs. Illinois in 2002, the one that directly started the downward spiral under Monson, at a time when the program was so close to getting over the hump. Win that game and the Gophers would have been in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, it went down as one of the most epic chokes in Gopher history.

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

No one on our team was above the age of 7 in 2002.