Northwestern at GOPHERS
Three things to watch:
BATTLE OF TOP PGs – The end of 2017 could've been a lot different for two of the top point guards in the Big Ten. In separate games two days apart, Nate Mason and Bryant McIntosh suffered injuries that at the time seemed possibly season-ending in wins against Florida Atlantic and Brown, respectively. Mason's ankle and McIntosh's knee were both not as seriously injured as it looked after MRI tests. They both sidelined only one game and returned without missing much of a beat. Mason came back to lead the Gophers with 17 points, six assists and three steals in a win against Illinois on Jan. 3. He followed that with 22 points and nine assists in a loss to Indiana last weekend. McIntosh couldn't lead Northwestern to victory at Penn State, but he had 18 points and four assists in 34 minutes in the loss. McIntosh talked about his respect for Mason: "I love watching him play. He's a great change-of-pace guy. He uses ball screens really well. I'd like to say that's kind of something I do, too. He's a really skilled guy who can really shoot it. We've had some great battles. It's been a lot of fun going against a great competitor. We're both really skilled, understand how to play and create space to get off our shots. We're really good at reading the game."
HIGH-SCORING MURPH – Does "High-Motor Murph" have a high-scoring game in him in Big Ten play? The Gophers are going to need that from him without the inside presence of suspended center Reggie Lynch's double-digit scoring likely for the rest of the season. Murphy had a career-high 35 points and 15 rebounds in the season opener against USC Upstate. His next biggest game was 24 points and 18 rebounds against Drake on Dec. 11. But in four Big Ten games, the 6-foot-7 junior forward's average dropped from 19.9 points on 59 percent shooting in nonconference to 15.8 points on 34.6 percent shooting. That's a big drop off in efficiency. But Murphy can make a statement that he's still one of the conference's top scorers Wednesday at Northwestern. Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop overtook Murphy as the Big Ten's leading scorer overall (20.0 to 18.9). That was after Bates-Diop had games of 27 and 32 points recently, including the latter in an upset win over No. 1 Michigan State to win Big Ten and national player of the week honors. Penn State forward Lamar Stevens had 30 points on 14-for-19 shooting in a win against Northwestern last Friday. The last 30-point performance in Big Ten play by a Gophers post player was by Kris Humphries with 36 at Indiana in 2004. Can Murphy come close to that Wednesday night for Minnesota, while also surpassing Tim Duncan's record for consecutive double-doubles to start a season of 17 back in 1997?
NEW STARTERS? – The Gophers used their fifth different starting lineup last Saturday in a 75-71 loss against Indiana at home. Senior center Bakary Konate started his first game since the 2015-16 season on Saturday, replacing Lynch. Konate had a season-high three blocks, but he scored just two points and grabbed four rebounds in 27 minutes. Pitino talked about possibly starting Murphy at center instead in a smaller lineup, which he used the last game with junior Davonte Fitzgerald at power forward. Sophomore forward Michael Hurt replaced injured wing Amir Coffey (right shoulder) for his third career start Saturday. Hurt grabbed four rebounds and dished two assists, but he went scoreless on 0-for-1 shooting in 31 minutes. The Gophers could sacrifice size for more scoring. Pitino mentioned trying freshman Isaiah Washington at shooting guard, joining Mason and junior Dupree McBrayer in a three-guard lineup. That could be a starting lineup we see Wednesday or if not in the near future.
GAME INFO
Time: 8 p.m. CT, Wednesday. Where: Allstate Arena. Line: Northwestern by 4 points. Series: Minnesota leads 95-66. Last meeting 70-66 Minnesota won at Northwestern in Evanston on Jan. 5, 2017. TV: BTN Online/Live video: BTNPlus Radio: 100.3 FM and 1130 AM
PROJECTED STARTERS
