Preview: Gophers vs. Penn State

Anyone else been anxiously (and not very patiently) waiting to see how this new-look Gopher team will handle Big 10 competition? Well, the wait is finally over…pretty much. Penn State is currently the consensus pick as the oxymoronic 11th-place team in the Big 10 (of course, multiple magazines projected Minnesota there in the preseason), so the schedule will get much more difficult, but this is at least a start.

The Nittany Lions’ credentials coming in are not real impressive. They went 6-7 in a pretty week nonconference schedule (winning at Rutgers was their one impressive victory), and they were blown out 84-58 at home by Michigan State Wednesday night. And, looking at their schedule, it’s possible that they might go the rest of the way without being favored in a game.

Still, as is always the case, the Gophers can not take them lightly. The Lions have played a lot of teams close this year, and they’re due for an upset. The biggest thing they have going for them in that quest is one of the biggest players in the conference: junior power forward Aaron Johnson. The 6’9″, 240-lb former walk-on is off to a tremendous start. His 15-point, 11-rebound average makes him the only Big 10 player putting up double-doubles on a nightly basis. It also makes him an all-conference player at this point.

The other familiar faces from last year are guards Marlon Smith and Ben Luber. These two logged more minutes than any other freshmen in the Big 10 last season (actually, they played more than all but one player period) and played a big role in Penn State’s victory over the Gophers, but they’ve been in a bit of a sophomore slump so far. Smith is still averaging 11 ppg (down from 13 last year), but he’s shooting just 37% from the field and 27% from 3-point range. Luber is averaging just 5 points and is shooting even worse (26% FG, 22% 3pt). He does still lead the team with 4 assists per game, which is actually quite impressive since he’s playing just 23 minutes a night now.

The good news for Lions fans is that a significant reason for the decreased minutes of Smith and Luber has been impressive debuts by a handful of newcomers. Leading the way has been junior college transfer Travis Parker. The 6’5″, 240-lb power forward is averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds a game and also leads the team in 3-point makes (20) and accuracy (36%). Equally impressive has been 6’5″ freshman Geary Claxton. The athletic wing averages 11 points and 6 rebounds and also 5 free throw attempts per game.

Penn State’s short bench consists of 6’3″ freshman Danny Morrissey (7 ppg), 6’2″ freshman Mike Walker (7 ppg), and 6’9″ freshman Brandon Hassell (2 ppg, but his minutes have been increasing).

Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:

1. Same Old Lions. I’m a little worried about the inexperienced Gophers being a little overpumped for Big 10 season (just like we fans are). To settle themselves down a little, they need to realize the two meanings of my key. First, Penn State is still Penn State – one of the weakest teams in the conference. Second, and relatedly, they’re really not much different than the Loyola Marymount Lions that Minnesota played last week. The point is, is the Gophers just keep playing the way they have been playing (while of course still trying to improve) and treat this like every other game, they’ll be fine.

2. Hagen and Spence. No pressure intended, but getting a comfortable win in this game rests squarely on the play of Jeff Hagen and Spencer Tollackson. That’s because they’re the two guys who will be going against Aaron Johnson, the heart of the Lions. Stop the heart, and you kill the beast. Key #1 is to box out. Johnson is probably the best offensive rebounder in the Big 10 (not coincidentally, Penn State ranks #1 as a team), and that’s where he gets a lot of his points. The other place he gets a lot of points is at the free throw line (he attempts 7 per game), so they need to play smart defense against him. While Johnson’s shooting has improved greatly, it’s still not his strength. Finally, if Jeff and Spencer were to be aggressive on offense and get Johnson in some foul trouble, I wouldn’t complain.

3. Feed the Crowd. Usually my preview of a home game would tell the Gophers to feed off the crowd. But in the case, they need to do the reverse. Homecourt advantage probably isn’t too important for this game, but it’s going to be critical soon. And The Barn isn’t where it needs to be. Those fans who have been regulars this year have become believers, but we need more of them. It’s up to the Gophers to leave it all on the court Saturday night with another impressive display of hustle, selflessness, potential, and fun. If they do, the word will spread, and the [casual] fans will come.

I’ve been excited (more so than usual) for just about every Gopher game this season, and this one is no exception. Since this is “just” Penn State, the questions and doubts will still linger even if Minnesota wins handily, but it will still be great to get that first Big 10 win out of the way [instead of waiting 10 games like they did a year ago). It should happen. No, it will happen. My prediction: Minnesota 77 Penn State 60.

Talk about the game on our Gopher Basketball message board.