Gopher Basketball
| Game Info | |
| Opponent: | Furman Paladins |
| When: | 12:45 am, November 25th, 2004 |
| Where: | Sullivan Arena – Anchorage, AK |
| Television: | None (WCCO Radio) |
The 2004 Great Alaska Shootout tips off Wednesday evening, although the Gophers don’t actually play until 12:45 am Thursday morning for those of us on Central Time. The game isn’t televised, but it will be worth staying up late to listen to the radio broadcast (or at least recording it). Minnesota’s November match-up against Furman last year was very entertaining, and this one looks like it could be even better.
Like Minnesota, the Paladins are a very inexperienced team. Their core eight-man rotation consists of just one senior and only two juniors. Gone is forward Maleye Ndoye, who torched the Gophers for 32 points last year. But the rest of the team is back. Heading the list is 6’8″ sophomore Quan Prowell, who scored 15 against Minnesota last year and wound up being named co-Freshman of the Year in the Southern Conference. Prowell is averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds after two games this season.
The rest of the sophomore class is also very strong. Grand Rapids native Eric Webb is second on the team in scoring (13 ppg) and first in minutes (30.5) so far this season after having an up and down freshman year. 6’3″ wing Robby Bostain, 6’8″ forward Moussa Diagne, and 6’4″ wing Gerad Punch are also sophomore contributors.
Senior forward Nick Sanders and junior guards Tony Carter and Ben Earle are the other members of the core rotation. Hopkins grad Jadee Jones is the other Minnesota native on the roster, but he doesn’t figure to see any playing time against the Gophers.
Furman is 1-1 so far this season, having defeated Campbell 64-52 and then coming up short 74-85 at Auburn Monday night. The Gophers and Paladins appear to be pretty evenly matched (Minnesota does have a slight size advantage), but when both teams have traveled 1,000+ miles, you never know what to expect.
Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:
1. Back to the Basics. The Gophers got away from their focus on defense and rebound in Sunday’s victory over Lipscomb. They need to get back to that mindset as the competition starts getting tougher. Hustle and energy can go a long way in these preseason tournaments.
2. Speed Up, Slow Down. Minnesota has already shown that much of its offense is going to come in transition. Aaron Robinson has it figured out better than anyone: he outlets the ball to Vincent Grier as soon as possible and lets him do his thing. The Gophers need to continue that aggressiveness and push the ball against Furman. The Paladins also like to run though, and the Gophers can’t let that happen. So speeding it up on offense and slowing it down on ‘D’ will be key.
3. Stop the 3. Furman likes to shoot three-pointers, and that’s definitely one way they can beat Minnesota. Eric Webb attempted 9 threes by himself against Auburn. The Gophers need to forget about double-teaming inside and stick to the shooters on the perimeter.
I’m really not sure who should win this game. I was impressed by Furman last season (and I’ve always like Webb), and most of that talent is back and a year more experienced. They won’t be outclassed by Minnesota. Yet the Gophers strike me as a team that could come together in a tournament setting like this. Getting a win in this game would be both impressive and important, and most of you know I’ll never forecast the first loss of the season. My prediction: Minnesota 73 Furman 68.
Talk about the game on our Gopher Basketball message board.