Minnesota Golden Gophers
Big Ten (19-14, 6-12)
Minnesota has had a decent season in 2011-2012. They had a losing record in the Big Ten, but really had some solid wins against Indiana and Illinois. They were a streaky team throughout the year. They won 11 of their first 12 games. Then they lost four straight before winning three straight. Their rollercoaster season has made it difficult to determine if this team can make a run in the postseason. Whether they can or not, Tubby Smith has kept Minnesota competitive in the Big Ten since his tenure began in 2007.
Big Wins: 11/14 South Dakota State (71-55), 1/12 at Indiana (77-74), 1/28 Illinois (77-72)
Bad Losses: 11/27 Dayton (70-86), 1/4 Iowa (62-64), 2/1 at Iowa (59-63)
Coach: Tubby Smith (5 seasons at Minnesota)
Why They Can Surprise:
Minnesota will certainly be battle tested when they reach postseason play. The Big Ten was a dogfight all season. Minnesota also found itself on the positive side of wins against big conference players Southern California and Virginia Tech. It’s a balanced team that shares the ball very well, and they create good offensive possessions. Winning in turnover margin will be key for the Gophers. They tend to turn it over a little too much right now. Without Trevor Mbakwe, the statistical leader for the Gophers in almost every major category, other players need to step up. Their non-starters get a lot of minutes. This is a great opportunity for Tubby Smith to see what he’s got.
Why They Can Disappoint:
This team just doesn’t score enough points. They average under 68 points a game for the season. Individually, they don’t have too many offensive options outside of Mbakwe, and he has not played for most of the season and won’t be back. A knee injury to Ralph Sampson III has also been a concern. The Golden Gophers did fine without him in the Big Ten Tournament, but they need him back. The second and third scorers for Minnesota average just over 10 points per game apiece. A lot of players get a lot of minutes of the bench, but they don’t get much production from their reserves. This team is also extraordinarily young. They don’t have much postseason experience. The lights might become a little bright for them.
Probable Starters:
Austin Hollins, Freshman, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 2.1 apg
Andre Hollins, Freshman, Guard, 7.8 ppg, 1.7 apg
Joe Coleman, Freshman, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Rodney Williams, Junior, Forward, 11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.5 bpg
Ralph Sampson III, Senior, Forward-Center, 7.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Chip Armelin, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Maverick Ahanmisi, Sophomore, Guard, 3.1 ppg, 1.8 apg
Oto Osenieks, Freshman, Forward, 3.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Elliott Eliason, Freshman, Center, 2.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Julian Welch, Junior, Guard, 10.1 ppg, 3.0 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.1 (189th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.1 (92, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.0 (72, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.2 (81, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.3 (251, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.3 (179, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.3 (158, 9)
Rebound Margin: 3.2 (72, 4)
Assists Per Game: 15.3 (30, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.1 (225, 12)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Minnesota 2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Xavier
Minnesota 2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas
Minnesota 2008 NIT First Round loss to Maryland
Minnesota 2006 NIT First Round win over Wake Forest
Minnesota 2006 NIT Second Round loss to Cincinatti
Minnesota 2005 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Iowa State
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
