5ive Questions: Will the Gophers stop Talor Battle?

State College, Pa. - What's up?

The Gophers face Penn State Thursday night.

It's a big matchup for the both teams, who have matching 6-7 Big Ten records.

Here are five questions related to the matchup:

Will the Gophers stop Talor Battle?

That's the big question entering Thursday's matchup. He's a very talented player. He can hit shots from all over the floor. He can score off the dribble. And he energizes his teammates.

The Gophers won't "stop" him but they can force him to take bad shots. They did that against E'Twaun Moore last month. But that team had Al Nolen.

Will other Penn State players create matchup problems for the Gophers?

Jeff Brooks, a 6-8 senior forward, is versatile. He's been bothered by a shoulder injury that kept him out of a game earlier this month. But the Nittany Lions are a much better team when he's productive. He's averaging 13.6 points per game and he's tallied nine or more boards in nine games. He's also 18 for 41 from beyond the arc.

Will Rodney Williams contribute consistently?

Maybe. Against Iowa, he proved that he's capable of playing a bigger role on offense. With his size and athleticism, however, he should be involved every night.

But even Tubby Smith said he doesn't know what it's going to take to get the best (consistently) out of Williams.

When the Gophers run, however, players like Williams are more efficient. Austin Hollins, Maverick Ahanmisi and Chip Armelin are also better when they pick up the pace.

Will the Gophers make the tournament?

ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi listed the Gophers as a 9-seed in his Monday bracketology report. The Gophers have the No. 36 RPI, according to collegerpi.com. And three of their final five games are at home.

This team has certainly struggled without Nolen. They could lose every game the rest of the way. But barring that kind of a collapse, they should earn an at-large bid. Few bubble teams can match their three quality wins (Purdue, North Carolina and West Virginia) and 25th-ranked strength of schedule.

Things could change if they lose two or three in a row, but if that happens, they'll have a chance to grab more wins in the conference tourney. The extra at-large bids also increase the odds that the Gophers will dance in March.

Mbakwe has averaged 20.5 points in the team's last two games. He's grown as an offensive player since the start of the season. It all comes down to free throws. When he's successful from the charity stripe (he went 10 for 11 against Iowa), good things happen.

I think he can play a bigger role on offense. But he has to capitalize on his scoring opportunities by hitting his free throws.

Prediction: Gophers 68, Penn State 64 (I'm 20-5 this season)

Big Ten Power Poll No. 14

(Results through Tuesday)