Preview: Gophers vs. Blazers

Don’t let the name fool you. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is not a cupcake non-conference game. Instead, the UAB Blazers will give the Gophers a very tough test Wednesday night at The Barn. With a 4-2 record and solid road wins at Nebraska and at UMASS, the Blazers return three starters from their 2004-05 team that finished 22-11 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Blazers will bring an athletic team to The Barn led by senior forward, Demario Eddins. The Gophers will need a healthy Vincent Grier and hopefully the return of Maurice Hargrow. The keys to the game:

1. Pound the ball inside. The Gopher big men need to have a big game. Sophomores Spencer Tollackson and Dan Coleman need to establish an inside presence early. They need to take up space on the defensive end and not be afraid to put a body on Eddins when he is around the basket.

2. Pressure D. Assuming that Hargrow returns, this may be the first game of the year that the Gophers use their three-quarter court trap that was so effective last year. We haven’t had the bodies or personnel to utilize this that much this season, but a lineup of Rico Tucker, Grier, Hargrow, Coleman and Tollackson could give the Blazers fits.

3. Get the crowd involved early. Hopefully the report of snow won’t keep the older crowd away and hopefully semester finals and tests won’t keep the students away. UAB plays an exciting brand of basketball that guys like Grier, Tucker and Hargrow could really play well off of, and that could get The Barn rocking!

Prediction: Minnesota 76 UAB 71