GOPHERS MEN'S HOOPS VS. IOWA
FULLER'S FOUR THINGS TO WATCH:
Shorthanded Gophers
The Gophers announced two assistant coaches and four players (Eric Curry, Sean Sutherlin, Danny Ogele and Joey Kern) out for Sunday's game against Iowa due to either illness, COVID-19 health and safety protocols or injury, per release.
Gophers coach Ben Johnson and assistant Marcus Jenkins will be available and at least seven scholarship players, which is enough to compete under Big Ten rules.
Sutherlin, is the top bench scorer for the Gophers (7.7 ppg), but the center position is where Johnson could afford an absence the least this season.
Curry's out Sunday afternoon against Iowa with a left ankle injury. The 6-9 captain was hurt late in Wednesday's 71-69 last-second loss at Michigan State.
Curry's career-high averages of 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 28.3 minutes per game doesn't tell the whole story of his importance. He was the U's only returning player, an emotional and inspirational leader, and the program's lone inside presence.
"EC's a big piece, but everybody has to step up a little bit," Johnson said of Curry, who had a career-high 19 points against the Spartans.