Gophers at a glance: After starting conference play 0-4, the Gophers shocked the Big Ten by beating No. 7 Indiana on its home court Thursday. The Gophers used a new lineup featuring Julian Welch at the point and Austin Hollins and Joe Coleman as the other two guards, and a new offense to maximize ball movement. The formula worked. Hollins exploded for a career-high 18 points, Coleman was clutch down the stretch and the Gophers managed to make the final plays needed to win a close one. Closing in tight games has been a recent struggle with the Gophers. How they fare at Penn State will say a lot about whether the victory was a fluke or a meaningful start to something good.
Penn State at a glance: After going 8-5 in the nonconference schedule, the Nittany Lions surprised by walloping Purdue by 20 and then playing Indiana to the wire. Since then, they lost to Nebraska rather decisively, so it's hard to quantify exactly where their talent lies, but one thing is clear: when their shots are falling, they can do quite well. Billy Oliver is shooting 38.4 percent from behind the arc, and Tim Frazier (17.4 points per game) had a career-high 30 points (and six steals) at Nebraska. Penn State plays a zone defense, something the Gophers have struggled against, and has statistically done better in the second half than the first at home this season.
AMELIA RAYNO
