
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The Gophers have played their best on the road so far ... can they bring the momentum and intensity to Williams Arena?
By ajrayno
Yes, Northwestern beat Michigan State a week ago. But the Wildcats were creamed by Wisconsin one game later. And the truth is, the Gophers couldn't ask for a much better opponent to come home to off a two-game winning streak.
Northwestern is among the bottom four in the league, and presents a very winnable game today. The Gophers have notched two big ones on the road and with a third-tier opponent on home court, should be able to keep the momentum rolling and make it three.
That would be huge for the Gophers, who head into Michigan State later this week. A stretch like that – with wins both at home and on the road – would give the Gophers confidence AND, considering all the upsets and craziness these past couple weeks, put them right back in the mix.
Three things coach Tubby Smith wants to see today.
1. Bring the momentum home. The Gophers have won on the road, but they're 0-2 in conference home games. Now they need to prove they can win in their own house. This is a good game to show it.
2. Penetrating the zone. The Gophers have traditionally struggled against the 1-3-1 the Wildcats use. They prevailed against Penn State's zone last week – can they do it again?
3. Keeping the intensity throughout. The Gophers have been trying different things to pick up the pace when they get stagnant in games. We've seen it work in the last two games, but the Gophers have still had moments where they've looked lost. When they keep the ball moving, they look the best.
"It seems like we were playing not to lose," said freshman Joe Coleman on the difference in the past two games. "We've got to play to win. We've got to be aggressive and assertive out there with the time we have."
• You can watch today's game on Big Ten Network.
• Listen to today's game live on 1500ESPN or here.
• Read my preview here.
• Check out today's matchup here.
Edwards has a sore right hip, and Conley has a sprained finger.