5ive Questions: Will Devoe Joseph play Monday?

The 15th-ranked Gophers (6-0) will take on Virginia (3-3) in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup Monday night at Williams Arena.

The last couple of days have been rocky for the Gophers.

Al Nolen is out with a foot injury. Rodney Williams will probably miss Monday's game with an ankle sprain.

And then, there's Devoe Joseph. The junior combo guard might return, might not.

Will Devoe Joseph play Monday?

I felt pretty confident last week that Joseph would make his debut against Virginia after missing the first six games of the season due to a violation of team rules.

ESPN's Andy Katz reported the same news over the weekend.

"As of now [he's expected to play," the source told me. "Things could change by game time and he might be back in street clothes."

The possible holdup is academic. Smith is still evaluating whether Joseph has made the academic progress he's demanded.

Stay tuned.

I still believe Joseph will play Monday. But I also know there's a chance he might spend another game on the bench, which wouldn't be good for a team that's not 100 percent right now.

Who will fill in at point guard for Al Nolen?

If Joseph plays, don't be surprised if he assumes that role early, especially if Ahanmisi has trouble in that spot.

The good news is that the Gophers should have Nolen back before the start of the Big Ten season. He's played through the foot injury all season so the move to bench him is precautionary.

During Saturday's media availability, Smith said Nolen could probably play if he had to against Virginia, but the team doesn't want to risk losing him for a longer stretch.

A source close to the program told me that the squad expects Nolen to return in two weeks. The one concern is that the foot injury could affect Nolen throughout the year. That's why I won't be surprised if he's out until the matchup at Wisconsin Dec. 28.

They need him to be 100 percent going into a very tough opening stretch in conference play.

Some of my readers think he should. I'm not sure.

I think Ralph Sampson III and Iverson (8.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game) are where they should be.

If you bring Sampson off the bench, you take away his support system. He's better this year in part because Trevor Mbakwe shares the post-production responsibilities. With undersized power forward Damian Johnson down there last year, Sampson was the squad's only true big. Now he's one key piece in a deep inside rotation.

Plus, Sampson needs the starting five's energy. When he starts, he knows he has to play hard and make an immediate impact if he wants to stay in the game. I don't know how he'd handle coming off the bench for a long period.

Iverson plays with fire every night. Starting, off the bench ... doesn't matter. He just wants to bang. He's a physical veteran who has really excelled this season.

Against West Virginia, however, Iverson proved that he can play big minutes when necessary (15 points, eight rebounds in 28 minutes).

What does Rodney Williams' injury mean for Austin Hollins?

If Williams sits against Virginia with an ankle sprain, the freshman wing will start. It's another opportunity for Hollins to earn more playing time and prove that he deserves a spot in the starting rotation.

He has poise, he's a solid shooter and he has a high basketball IQ. As I've stated in the past, he just knows how to play the game.

He's not as big as Rodney, but both guys struggle with on-the-ball defense. Williams is obviously more athletic. But Hollins is a more versatile scorer.

What are your predictions for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge?

OK. I'll try to make this quick.

Prediction on Gophers v. Virginia: Gophers 73, Virginia 62-Too much size inside for the Gophers (I'm 6-0 this season).

Prediction on North Carolina at Illinois: Illinois 75, North Carolina 70-UNC hasn't figured it out yet.

Prediction on Ohio State at Florida State: Ohio State 80, FSU 69-The Buckeyes look better every night.

Prediction on Georgia Tech at Northwestern: Northwestern 65, Georgia Tech 57-Northwestern's 1-3-1 will give turnover-prone Yellow Jackets fits.

Prediction on Iowa at Wake Forest: Wake Forest 78, Iowa 60-Wake Forest might be down but Iowa might be out.

Prediction on Michigan State at Duke: Michigan State 74, Duke 73-Izzo's boys ready to bounce back from rough week.

Prediction on Purdue at Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech 69, Purdue 67-Another good game. Boilermakers struggling on O.

Prediction on North Carolina State at Wisconsin: North Carolina State 70, Wisconsin 64-Bo's boys look vulnerable.

Prediction on Maryland at Penn State: Maryland 80, Penn State 70-The Terrapins have only lost to ranked teams.

The Big Ten wins the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a 6-5 mark.

My AP ballot:

Here's my ballot forthis week's Associated Press top-25 poll.