Big
Ten Schedule Makers Did U No Favors
Train wreck ahead or program-turning opportunity?
The Gophers are 6-1 and ranked No.
13 nationally. Ahead are five more nonconference games against teams
that don’t match Minnesota’s talent and depth. Cornell, Eastern
Kentucky, Akron and South Dakota State will be home games, with one
business trip to St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia.
But then the party is over and the Big Ten
Conference schedule starts. Earlier this fall Michigan State, Ohio
State and Purdue were ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation.
Illinois and Wisconsin were top 25 choices.
Minnesota will play its first five league games against all of the above
except Illinois. The Gophers are at Wisconsin on December 28 and at
Michigan State December 31. A home game follows against Indiana on
January 4, then back on the road at Ohio State January 9 before playing
Purdue at home on January 13.
With three of the five games
on the road, the Gophers won’t have the support of a potentially raucous
Williams Arena audience.
Wisconsin doesn’t have enough votes to make the top 25 this week, but
Michigan State is No. 6, Ohio State No. 2 and Purdue No. 18 in the
latest USAToday/ESPN national poll.
It’s obvious the Gophers have a major
challenge ahead starting later this month but what’s interesting is the
Big Ten schedule makers have given Minnesota arguably the most difficult
five-game start in the league. Among the six most likely title
contending teams, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the only ones that must
play three or four of the best during the first five games.
The Badgers play Illinois twice, along
with Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State once each. Three of the
five games, though, are in Madison.
What will the Gophers record look like
after five games? Put the possibilities in a hat and draw them out? A
3-2 start or better will be an indicator this team could be in pursuit
of the program’s first conference title since 1998. A 1-4 or worse
beginning won’t deter hopes for the NCAA tournament in March, but will make
a league championship a long shot.
The Gophers received no favors from the
Big Ten last season either. Minnesota played national powers Purdue,
Ohio State and Michigan State in three of its first five conference
games. Of course two of the three games were on the road. The Gophers lost
two of the three, winning at home against Ohio State. Minnesota also
had wins over Penn State and Iowa to start the conference schedule 3-2.
The Gophers this week are a bit in
recovery mode after blowing a double digit lead at home on Monday night
against Virginia. Minnesota gave up 58 points in the second half to
lose 87-79 after leading 39-29 at halftime. The Gophers allowed
Virginia to shoot 53 percent on field goals, including 57 percent on
three pointers in a defensive performance Minnesota coach Tubby Smith
described as “pathetic as we’ve had in a long time.”
The Gophers Blake Hoffarber said:
“I think we have to go out there every game like we’re the underdog.
…We weren’t as intense as we normally are. We weren’t all over the
ball, getting on the floor. It’s better now rather than later that we
get this wake up call and get back to work, and work on the
fundamentals.”
Part of the problem was the Gophers played
without point guard Al Nolen who is one of the nation’s best
defenders. Minnesota missed his leadership on offense, too. Smith said
Nolen will not play for awhile because of a foot stress fracture but the
coach seemed optimistic Nolen will return for the Big Ten schedule.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett said Nolen “steadies the ship” for
the Gophers.
“I know that was a loss for them,”
Bennett said. “Obviously, he puts pressure on the point of attack
defensively. …It was fortunate for us that he wasn’t out there.”
