Minnesota - Franklin Pierce tips at 7 p.m. Watch online on BTN Plus, or listen live on 1500-a.m.

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Tonight's matchup at Williams Arena brings a Division II to to town, an honor not typically bestowed on a high-major power-conference school after the exhibition slate.

That means that tonight's results won't be officially counted as a win or loss and won't contribute to the team's RPI. It's not that big of a deal since in the absence of Franklin Pierce, the Gophers wouldn't have rescheduled, but simply played one fewer game, but it isn't exactly the most beneficial either -- adding another game to Minnesota's hectic work load leading up to the NIT Tipoff in New York, which should bring some significant challenges.

Now that I've really sold you on getting amped for this one, five things Minnesota will have its eyes on tonight:

1. Avoid a letdown. Is a loss possible vs. this DII team? Sure it is. St. John's, the Gophers opponent in the NIT Tipoff on Wednesday, learned that earlier this week when they were down, 50-43 at the half, with Franklin Pierce hitting shots. "We've got to be ready to play or we'll lose," coach Richard Pitino said. "We understand that, and I like the mindset of the team right now."

2. Keep up the pressure and the pace. Last time out, Minnesota played its fastest game of the Pitino era, with 79 possessions, and the defense looked legit -- the Gophers forced 17 steals and 25 turnovers overall -- the most since replicating that performance at Iowa in January of 2010. Even against a lower-level opponent, Minnesota would do well to make that type of intensity a habit.

3. Better rebounding. Through two games, the effort on the boards has started to look like a trouble spot. Minnesota managed just 35 rebounds against Louisville, and vs. Western Kentucky, when just about everything else was whipping along smoothly, the Gophers were out-rebounded 42-41 by the Hilltoppers. With two capable centers and a handful of athletic guards (Daquein McNeil is actually leading Minnesota in rebounding as of now), the Gophers should be able to do better than that.

4. Fewer jumpshots from Morris. Pitino had a bit of an on-court flashback when he talked to the media about it the other night, I think, practically yelling 'Stop shooting jumpshots all the time!' when asked about his message to Morris' regarding his trigger-happy tendencies. The three-man is capable of going by just about anyone with his explosiveness and slithering drive. So do it, Pitino says.

5. Consistency from the Dres. The game against Western Kentucky showed that Andre Hollins -- even when his shots aren't falling -- can be a very productive member of the rotation. That's a big deal for a team that is going to rely on him and fellow senior guard DeAndre Mathieu a lot this year, regardless of the newcomers' development. Mathieu, of course, was the games' star, doing just about everything for Minnesota on both ends of the court. It was a good rebound from a lousy performance vs. Louisville, when Mathieu was seen sulking on the bench while in foul trouble. Both need to prove that strong outings, in some fashion, will be a regular thing.