Indiana at GOPHERS
Three things to watch:
DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK – Jordan Murphy has streak of 16 straight games with a double-double, which is the longest to start a Division I basketball season since former Wake Forest and San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan had 17 straight in 1996-97. Murphy grew up idolizing Duncan living in the San Antonio area. His mother, Ceila, was a huge Duncan fan since they both were raised in the Virgin Islands. "Tim Duncan is one of my idols, one of my favorite players all-time," Murphy said. "Me being mentioned in the same breath as him is a blessing. As long as we get the W, I'm fine with it." Murphy's 17 points and 17 rebounds in Wednesday's win against Illinois improved his rebounding average to 12.9 per game, which leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally. He's no longer the Big Ten scoring leader (his 19.0 ppg dropped slightly behind Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop's 19.4), but you could see Murphy's scoring numbers jump with the suspension of center Reggie Lynch. Murphy's season-highs as a junior have been 35 points against USC Upstate and 18 rebounds against Drake.
BAKARY'S TIME – Lynch is appealing the Thursday ruling by a U panel that he be suspended and banned from school until 2020 after finding him responsible for an alleged sexual assault in 2016. But the Gophers have to consider he could be gone for the rest of the season. That means Bakary Konate is your starting center. Remember when Konate was the Gophers man in the middle before Lynch? That was two years ago when the 6-foot-11 Mali native averaged 4.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 21.7 minutes during the 2015-16 season. Konate was actually making big strides at the end of the season despite an 8-23 season. He averaged 7.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in his last three games, including a career-high 14 rebounds in a loss against Wisconsin. Konate isn't the same offensive and defensive presence as Lynch. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Lynch had 11 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks in what could end up being his last game Wednesday against Illinois. It was the second time this season he nearly notched the program's first triple-double since 1976.
GETTING DEFENSIVE – The Gophers have held their last five opponents to 35 percent shooting from the field combined, which has been a huge reason for their five-game winning streak. But can they continue to play defense at the same level without Lynch, last season's Big Ten defensive player of the year? Lynch stayed out of foul trouble this season (no foul outs, compared to eight last season) often erasing the mistakes of Minnesota's perimeter when it allowed dribble penetration. Now that safety net in the paint is gone – possibly for good. Richard Pitino and his staff might need to make changes (more zone?) to the way the Gophers play defensively to make up for the absence of a rim protector inside.
GAME INFO
Time: 4:15 p.m. CT, Saturday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Minnesota by 7 points. Series: Minnesota leads 66-93. Last meeting 75-74 Minnesota win against Indiana in Minneapolis on Feb. 17, 2017. TV: ESPN2 Online/Live video: ESPNWatch Radio: 100.3 FM and 1130 AM
PROJECTED STARTERS
