Gophers at a glance: Fresh off back-to-back losses, the Gophers hit the road again for a two-game jaunt to Northwestern and Wisconsin. After first falling at No. 5 Indiana, the Gophers followed that by losing Thursday to Michigan, also ranked No. 5 at the time. Concerned about a growing trend of his players lacking effort for extended periods, coach Tubby Smith openly questioned the team's work ethic after that loss. ... F Rodney Williams suffered a knee injury against Indiana and has been experiencing some hip soreness. G Joe Coleman rolled an ankle in the same game, but both are expected to play. ... The Gophers beat Northwestern 69-51 at home this season but have lost their past four in Evanston, Ill.
Wildcats at a glance: The No. 12 Gophers are the third consecutive ranked opponent they will face. The Big Ten slate has been a struggle early on for Northwestern, which lost its best player, forward Drew Crawford, for the year because of a torn labrum in his shoulder. But the Wildcats bothered the Gophers in the first half of their Jan. 6 game with their 1-3-1 zone defense. ... Guard Reggie Hearn has scored 42 points in Northwestern's past two games and leads the Wildcats with 14.5 points per game.
AMELIA RAYNO
