5ive Questions: What happened to Michigan State?

What's up?

The Gophers face Michigan State Tuesday night at the Barn in a vital matchup for both programs.

Here are five questions related to the game:

What happened to Michigan State?

The Gophers are struggling, after losing three key players in Mo Walker, Devoe Joseph and Al Nolen. They might be a nationally ranked team competing for a solid seed right now if those three players were available.

Their opponent has encountered its own drama this season. Michigan State ended the last two seasons in the Final Four. The Spartans have a lot of work to do just to earn an at-large bid this year.

Their problems began before the start of the season.

But they still have the 2008-09 Big Ten player of the year in Kalin Lucas. Draymond Green contributed on both Final Four teams. And Durrell Summers was hyped as a possible first-round pick entering this season.

They have the pieces for success. But I think they're still searching for a leader, a role that Lucas and Summers have struggled with throughout their careers. Isaiah Dahlman didn't play a ton during his four-year career, but he was a leader that kept his teammates focused.

They're in the bottom-half of the Big Ten in scoring defense and offense. Summers has recorded single-digits in seven Big Ten games. They have the worst three-point defense in the Big Ten.

Bottom line is that they're just not playing well, even though they have a lot of talent of their roster.

Like the Gophers, I think all of the departures and dismissals have affected their chemistry. It's tough to build the latter but easy to lose it.

Are Gophers fans too vulgar?

Tubby Smith sent a note to student season-ticket holders Tuesday that condemned the use of "vulgar" terms in previous outings against Ohio State and Illinois, according to the Minnesota Daily.

I get a lot of emails about the chants that come from the student section. Folks ask me to compare Gophers fans to their peers around the Big Ten. There's really no difference.

I have heard offensive, crude remarks and chants in every Big Ten venue.

So I can't say the Williams Arena bunch is worse than any other crowd. It's the norm in my opinion.

But is that any different from other student sections around the league? I don't think so. And I doubt anything will change.

What will it take for the Gophers to make the NCAA tourney?

Last year taught me a lot of about the late-season opportunities granted to bubble teams. I thought the Gophers were done entering the conference tourney and then, they made history by winning three straight games and earning a trip to the title game.

I know it's a cliche, but there's potentially a lot of time left for the Gophers.

They have four games to go in the regular season. And they could play up to four more in the conference tournament.

Should the Gophers stick with the 2-3 zone?

I think the 2-3 zone is the best setup for a team missing a defensive star like Al Nolen. Without his skills, it's hard for this team to execute a man-to-man scheme, especially when they're up against players like Kalin Lucas and Talor Battle.

Right now, the Gophers have the No. 2 three-point field goal percentage defense in the Big Ten (33 percent). But their opponents have attempted 348 threes, the highest tally in the league. Wisconsin's opponents have attempted 192.

The Gophers' zone is forcing teams to rely on outside shots. But when they get so many opportunities, they're more likely to hurt the Gophers from the perimeter.

Minnesota's big problem in the 2-3 zone is its defensive spacing and rebounding. The Gophers are giving up too many second-chance opportunities, usually because they're out of position when the ball comes off the rim. Plus, more threes result in long rebounds that often end up in the hands of the shooters.

Will the Gophers win?

Both teams want it. But these Gophers haven't figured out how to finish since Nolen got hurt last month. And Kalin Lucas is as crafty as Talor Battle, who toyed with the Gophers in their last game. Plus, they haven't beaten the Spartans in the regular season under Tubby Smith. I don't think that will change Tuesday night.