WESTERN CAROLINA at GOPHERS
Three things to watch:
HOT COFFEY – Some people like their coffee hot. Others like it warm. Some like it cold. They call that tea in my book. The Gophers prefer their Coffey scorching, burning hot like sophomore Amir Coffey was in the first half of their 107-81 win against Niagara on Wednesday. The 6-foot-8 Hopkins product hit scored 17 of his 18 points in the first half. At one point he scored 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting during a 12-minute stretch when Minnesota faced a 10-point deficit. Coffey hit three three-pointers. He hit fall-away jumpers. He drove and tossed in a lefty layup off the glass. Everything he threw up seemed to go in. It was reminiscent of his 17-point first half last year when he dropped a career-high 30 points against St. John's. The Red Storm led by 13 points that night in the first half, but Coffey fueled a 32-9 run to help Minnesota regain momentum for good. Coffey said Saturday that he typically tries to take over a game when his team needs it. But he usually picks and chooses when to be aggressive. Something tells me the Gophers are better off having their Coffey hot from the get go.
GUARD ROTATION – Richard Pitino blamed part of the NCAA tournament loss to Middle Tennessee last season on a lack of guard depth. Now that isn't an excuse. Minnesota has arguably one of the top backcourts in the nation with Coffey, Nate Mason, Dupree McBrayer, Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris. In Wednesday's win, Mason, McBrayer and Coffey combined for 46 points with eight three-pointers, to go with 19 assists and just two turnovers. That was a glimpse at the starting three-guard tandem's potential. But how does Pitino work Washington and Harris into the rotation? He's still trying to figure it out. Washington opened the second half as a starter after scoring eight first-half points against Providence. McBrayer, who was held under double figures in his first two games, didn't mind coming off the bench. And he made an impact in the second half against the Friars. That confidence carried over to McBrayer scoring a season-high 13 points against Niagara. Pitino hasn't changed his starting lineup to open games yet. Washington likely isn't ready to take on that role. Harris, who didn't play against Providence, might still see his playing time go up and down from game-to-game. But the Gophers should have their guard rotation settled by Big Ten play early next month.
DUNK YOU VERY MUCH – Who is the best dunker on the Gophers' squad? Big Ten Network posed that question to the players last week. The answers varied but Jordan Murphy, Davonte Fitzgerald and Coffey came up the most. Murphy is hands down the team leader (probably even the Big Ten, too) in dunks with 11 in three games. The 6-foot-7 junior forward is having an amazing season so far with 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. You can count on at least a couple crowd-pleasing slams from him every game. It not only ignites the fans but his teammates as well. What's interesting about Coffey and Fitzgerald is that neither have a dunk this regular season. Coffey's windmill in the maroon and gold scrimmage was a hit on social media. But will we see some above-the-rim action from him or Fitzgerald for the first time when it counts Sunday?
GAME INFO
Time: 3:30 p.m. CT, Sunday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Minnesota 29 points. Series: Minnesota is 3-0. Last meeting Gophers won 84-64 at home in 2014-15. TV: FS1. Online/Live video: BTN Plus (replay) Radio: 100.3 FM and 1130 AM
PROJECTED STARTERS
