Now we know why Tubby Smith has been giving so much playing time to his reserves. You need to develop a bench if you're going to make a run in the NIT.
The Gophers didn't just lose to Illinois 57-53 on Sunday night at The Barn. They earned a loss accompanied by a high degree of difficulty.
They lost at home to a team they beat on the road by 17 points a month earlier.
They lost at home after taking a 26-14 lead.
They lost at home against a team that had no answer for their inside players, as the Gophers outrebounded the Illini 39-26.
They lost for the sixth time in eight games, dropping to 5-6 in the conference and leaving Smith's Big Ten record in February at 3-15 the past three years.
After the game, someone threw the "snowball" metaphor at center Elliott Eliason. "I prefer the quicksand analogy," he said.
This is Smith's best team at Minnesota. These are his recruits. Once again, Smith's team is growing more confused and ineffective as the season progresses, and he's being outcoached by almost everyone in the conference.