Gophers men's basketball's NCAA Tournament resume
Higher NCAA, Big Ten seeds on line
Marcus Fuller's projection: No. 6 seed
The Gophers control their own destiny Sunday, with a victory getting them the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Lose, and they will be the No. 4 seed, still with a double-bye before opening play Friday in Washington, D.C. All they need to do is win at Wisconsin for the first time since 2009. No problem, right? The Badgers were a Final Four contender at the beginning of the season. But they have dropped five of six and now are projected as a No. 6 seed, just like the Gophers. A fifth seed or higher in the Big Dance is on the line in Sunday's matchup. The Gophers can also earn a top-25 ranking and take a potential nine-game winning streak into the conference tourney.
Key Numbers
Record: 23-7, 11-6 Big Ten
Ken Pomeroy (kenpom.com) rating: 32nd in nation
RPI: 18
Strength of schedule: 22
Quality wins: at Purdue, at Maryland, at Northwestern, Michigan, Arkansas
Bad losses: at Penn State
Top-50 RPI record: 7-5
about the writer
Bill Musselman coached the Gophers to the 1972 Big Ten men’s basketball title, and now his son, Eric, takes on Minnesota for USC.