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The Minnesota Preview - Second Coming

Minnesota isn’t that great

NCAA Basketball: Nebraska at Minnesota Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Mighty Minnesota Golden Gopher Preview

Date: Saturday, February 25th

Time: 2:30pm CST

Location: Lincoln, NE

Record: 7-19 (1-15 Big Ten)

Last Meeting: Nebraska 81 Minnesota 79 (OT)

Head Coach: Ben Johnson (2nd Season)

Preview:

Minnesota hasn’t won a game since beating Ohio State 70-67 on January 12th. (The Bottom of the Big Ten Boondoggle)

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

They have since lost to Illinois 78-60. (The Land of Lincoln Lickin’)

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Illinois Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue 61-39 (The Boilermaker Brouhaha)

NCAA Basketball: Purdue at Minnesota Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan 60-56 (The Abyss of Ann Arbor)

Syndication: Detroit Free Press Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indiana 61-57 (Hamstrung by Hoosiers)

NCAA Basketball: Indiana at Minnesota Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern 81-61 (The Smart Kid Skid Marks)

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Northwestern David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers 90-55 (The Pounding in Piscataway)

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Rutgers Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Maryland 81-46 (A Turtle Ate A Gopher Blue Plate Special)

NCAA Basketball: Maryland at Minnesota Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa 68-56 (The Floyd of Rosedale F*#& Up)

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Iowa Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State 76-69 (The Pennsylvania Night of Horrors)

NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Minnesota Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois 78-69 (Illinois Doesn’t Like You)

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Illinois Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Maryland 88-70 (The Conundrum in College Park)

NCAA Basketball: Maryland at Minnesota Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

So, anyway. You came here for a preview.

Minnesota isn’t that good. They’re a team that should be decent but they are not. Ben Johnson has himself a situation in Minneapolis during his second year on the job. Not sure what his job security is but the Gophers have historically expected better from their men’s basketball squads.

They are finalizing a stretch of four games in eight days on Saturday following an 88-70 loss at Maryland Wednesday night. Yeah, they came close this time to beating the Terrapenes but alas. Dawson Garcia, who averages 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game is their best player on the court.

Jamison Battle had the best game against Nebraska when the Huskers beat them back in January where he ended the night with 20 points and 2 rebounds. Also of note is Ta’lon Cooper who is averaging 9.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and is leading the Gophers with 5.9 assists per game.

Expect a rowdy crowd on this cold Saturday afternoon in Lincoln as it looks like Pinnacle Bank Arena is sold out. This is also Nebraska’s best chance at getting one more win before the conference tournament so I would assume that coach Hoiberg has the boys in red ready to play.