U men gameday: Gophers vs. Northwestern

Last update: January 9, 2008 - 12:41 AM

Preview: Northwestern's 5-6 record means nothing in this game. The Wildcats have dominated the Gophers in recent years, in part because of their frustrating 1-3-1 zone defense. The Wildcats (0-2 Big Ten) will be looking for their fourth consecutive victory at Williams Arena. The Gophers will try to carry some of the momentum they gained in a tough loss at Michigan State on Saturday into their conference home opener. The Gophers trailed the Spartans by one with less than four minutes to play before losing 65-59.

Key players: Freshman guard Michael Thompson is averaging 13.5 points per game and is second in the conference at 5.0 assists per game. ... Fresh off a breakout performance, Gophers freshman Al Nolen enters the game as the league leader in steals (2.25). That defensive knack helped him hold Michigan State standout guard Drew Neitzel to only four points Saturday.

Numbers: Northwestern averages 18.54 assists per game, making it one of the top passing teams in the conference. The Wildcats' assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.67 is second in Division I to Tennessee (1.68). ... The Gophers lead the conference in steals at 10.7 per game. They have 398 bench points compared to 201 for their opponents.

MYRON P. MEDCALF

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