There's no shirking from it: Sunday is huge. If the Gophers can't notch a win against Purdue in a home game, a very real 0-5 start could be staring them in the face after next week's trip to red-hot Indiana.

What can be done to turn it around?

Well, for one, coach Tubby Smith is thinking of switching up his starting lineup.

At Friday's media access, Smith hinted that he's considering starting freshman Joe Coleman moving forward. Nothing is for sure, but with a clear need for a momentum swing, what better time than now?

"We will probably be changing the lineup," Smith said. "The guys that have been most efficient -- Joe who gives us a real aggressive nature there. Joe is a physical player and that's something we're lacking right now. Austin (Hollins) has been struggling shoot the ball. I'm not saying we will, but we're looking at that."

Coleman is averaging 3.7 points in 9.9 minutes a game off the bench, but has shown sparks of dominance. In a three-game stretch against Appalachian State, St. Peter's and Central Michigan, Coleman scored a total of 31 points and had five rebounds and a pair of steals to go with it. The guard still needs to tighten his defense, but with the Gophers' offense so sluggish and their intensity suffering some, Smith seems willing to make the trade.

Coleman has the intensity Smith wants

Smith mentioned two other players – Elliott Eliason and Oto Osenieks -- in the shake-up conversation, showing he's adopting a real willingness to make changes if necessary.

"A guy like Elliott, when he plays, he gives us a real physical presence inside," Smith said. "And a guy like Oto, Oto's a pretty physical player and we're missing that as well. .. In our starting lineup [now], there's no one person that can give you that physicality ... That's not Rodney's game. The nature of Ralph (Sampson III), Rodney (Williams), Austin. Some things you can't [do]. It is what it is and it's my job to put them in a situation they can be successful in, and when those guys that do have that trait, get them in the lineup when it's needed and when we have to do."