NCAA tournament outlook
Marcus Fuller's projection: No. 8 seed
The Gophers are on their first four-game Big Ten win streak since 2010-11. They didn't make the NCAA tourney that season under Tubby Smith after losing 10 of their final 11 games. There's a difference between a win streak in January and early-to-mid February. This year's team under Richard Pitino seems to be playing its best at the right time as March approaches.
Key Numbers
Record: 19-7, 7-6 Big Ten
Ken Pomeroy (kenpom.com) rating: 39th in nation
RPI: 20
Strength of schedule: 18
Quality wins: at Purdue, at Northwestern, Arkansas
Bad losses: at Penn State
