Dance ticket available
ESPN's Joe Lunardi is picking the Gophers to make the NCAA tournament as of Monday, but just barely, as a No. 11 seed. The Gophers have a NET ranking of 56th and could use a big victory to boost their position. Fortunately for coach Richard Pitino's bunch, they have at least two opportunities to get one:
Tuesday: vs. No. 11 Purdue (NET rank: 11th)
Friday: at No. 24 Maryland (NET rank: 27th)
Big Ten tournament: Begins March 13 in Chicago
