Gopher Basketball
| Game Info | |
| Opponent: | Wake Forest Demon Deacons |
| When: | 6 pm, March 15th, 2006 |
| Where: | Williams Arena ““ Minneapolis, MN |
| Television: | ESPN2 |
It’s not the Big Dance, but it’s still one more chance to see Minnesota’s seniors, one more visit to The Barn, and one more game against a major college opponent. That’s why the NIT is better than nothing in my book, and that’s why we’ll hopefully get a good crowd at Williams Arena Wednesday night to help start the Gophers’ drive to New York.
Wake Forest had a pretty similar season to Minnesota. They had a solid 11-2 nonconference record, got off to a brutal start to the ACC schedule by losing 8 of 9 games, and then started playing good basketball down the stretch with consecutive wins over North Carolina State (twice) and Florida State before falling to Duke in the ACC Tournament.
Like the Gophers, the Demon Deacons are also led by seniors. Three outstanding players provide the vast majority of their scoring and rebounding: 6’2″ point guard Justin Gray averages 18 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds; 6’9″, 280-lb center Eric Williams averages 17 points and 9 boards; and 6’5″ wing Trent Strickland averages 12 points and 7 boards.
Here are my Gopher Keys of the Game:
1. Don’t Leave Guards. Gray and Strickland are dangerous players. Gray attempts 8 three-pointers per game and makes 36% of them. Strickland only attempts about 3 per game but hits them at a 45% clip. Both are also very good off the dribble and get to the free throw line a lot. The Gophers guards need to stick tight on these two rather than sagging to help inside, and the Gopher big men are going to have to give them some help off the dribble.
2. Big Ten Basketball. There’s a lot of offense in the ACC, and Williams is certainly a big boy, but they still don’t have the defense nor physical play that we’re used to in the Big Ten. The Gophers need to focus on playing harder and tougher than Wake. If this becomes a defensive battle, you have to like Minnesota’s chances.
3. Have Fun. This season wasn’t a lot of fun much of the time, but the NIT can be. Making a run to New York and trying to knock off five good (no, not great, but there are some very good teams in the bracket) teams in a row can definitely be fun. Wednesday night needs to set the tone.
Wake Forest probably has the better top three, and Minnesota is probably a little deeper. Either way, these two teams are pretty evenly matched, so the homecourt advantage will hopefully prove to be the difference. My prediction: Minnesota 73 Wake Forest 68.
Talk about the game on our Gopher Basketball message board.