A year ago, the optimistic discussion surrounding Minnesota's first season under Richard Pitino focused on whether the Gophers — lingering then on the edges of NCAA tournament bracket predictions — were bound for the Big Dance.
The Gophers enter Sunday's game against Indiana on a three-game winning streak, but this season, Pitino's Year 2, has had a much different feel. Minnesota fans spent most of January bracing for what was suddenly expected to be the worst Big Ten season in a decade.
Yet, just as suddenly, the Gophers now have the same record — 16-9 overall, 5-7 in the Big Ten — as they did through a dozen conference games last season.
"It's weird to think about," senior guard Andre Hollins said. "I don't know. We're just taking it one game at a time."
Minnesota is coming off its biggest victory of the year, a 64-59 road victory over an Iowa team sitting just outside of the Top 25. The Gophers are climbing the conference standings, unexpected movement for a team that started conference play 0-5 and then 1-6, stuck then next to Rutgers and Penn State in the basement. Since the woeful start, Minnesota has gone 4-1 and is fresh off its first Big Ten road victory.
"To get a win on the road is good," Pitino said. "We haven't gotten a lot of them, and certainly it's brought up a lot. So they've got confidence now going in. But every game is different."
However, those tempted to revamp their projections for this season again should be forewarned that although Minnesota is in the same spot as it was last year, realistically it's in a much different position.
Last year, the Gophers had the benefit of a strong strength of schedule (SOS) — ranked ninth on Selection Sunday —and had notched signature victories over Ohio State and Wisconsin when they were at the 5-7 mark. Ultimately, they got another big one: a home victory vs. Iowa when the Hawkeyes were nationally ranked.
