What to Expect: Indiana vs. Minnesota
Indiana opens Big Ten play tonight against Minnesota at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Golden Gophers are 6-4 and lost their Big Ten opener 90-72 to Michigan State at Williams Arena.
Tonight’s game tips at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1:
Indiana will look to continue its recent dominance against Minnesota as it begins Big Ten play this evening in Bloomington. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series against the Golden Gophers 109-69 and have won eight straight.
Minnesota has lost three of its last four, which included hard-fought neutral court games against Wichita State and Wake Forest and a home loss to Michigan State last Wednesday.
The Hoosiers, meanwhile, have won three in a row and are 6-0 this season on Branch McCracken Court.
MEET THE GOPHERS
Ben Johnson is in his fourth season in Minneapolis. Last season, he led the Golden Gophers to the postseason for the first time, an NIT appearance that included a win at Butler and a loss at Indiana State.
With limited NIL resources, Minnesota was hit hard with transfer portal departures as point guard Elijah Hawkins left for Texas Tech, Pharrel Payne departed for Texas A&M and Joshua Ola-Joseph bolted for Cal. Minnesota also lost Cam Christie to the NBA after his freshman season.
The headlining returnees for Minnesota are a pair of seniors, Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell.
The 6-foot-11 Garcia is a versatile inside-out threat who averages 19 points and 7.4 rebounds in 33.9 minutes per game. Garcia is shooting 35.9 percent on 3s and 82.9 percent on free throws. Getting to the line is a significant strength for Garcia, who is attempting seven free throws per game.
Mitchell suffered an ankle injury in a win against Omaha on Nov. 9 and didn’t return to the lineup until Wednesday’s loss against the Spartans. The 6-foot-2 guard was 71-for-178 (39.9 percent) on 3s last season and is 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) in three games this season.
The Gophers have been starting a pair of transfers, Lu’Cye Patterson and Brennan Rigsby, in the backcourt. Patterson, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Charlotte, averages a team-high 3.9 assists and is second on the team in scoring at 10 points per game. He’s struggled with his 3-point shot through the first 10 games. Patterson is just 12-for-52 (23.1 percent) from distance.
The same has been true for Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby. The 6-foot-3 senior shot 35.3 percent on triples last season for the Ducks but is just 10-for-45 (22.2 percent) this season.
Senior wing Femi Okudale is now at his fourth school after previous stops at Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and New Mexico State. The 6-foot-6 Okudale has started the last eight games and is shooting just 35 percent from the field.
Frank Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Canisius, joins Garcia in the frontcourt. Mitchell is shooting 59.3 percent and averages four points and four rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.
The key reserves to know for the Gophers are freshman guard Isaac Asuma and senior forward Parker Fox. Asuma plays 27.2 minutes off the bench and averages 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. He’s shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40 percent (12-for-30) on 3s.
Fox, now in his fifth year of college basketball but just his second season at the Division I level, is Minnesota’s fourth leading scorer at seven points per game. He’s shooting a sizzling 65.9 percent from the field and is tied for the team lead with 10 blocked shots.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
According to KenPom, Minnesota is playing the third slowest tempo of any team in the country. The Gophers do a solid job handling the ball but have had poor shooting numbers through 10 games.
Minnesota ranks 294th in 3-point shooting percentage (29.7), 184th in 2-point shooting percentage (51), and 352nd in free-throw percentage (61.7). The Gophers score 28.5 percent of their points from 3rd, which ranks 245th in the country. Nearly 38 percent of their field goal attempts are 3s, which ranks 219th nationally.
Defensively, Minnesota does a solid job of forcing turnovers and defending without fouling. Gopher opponents turn the ball over on 19.1 percent of their possessions and have a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of just 26 percent. Minnesota also ranks 61st nationally in 2-point field goal percentage defense (46.3).
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 10 with an 82 percent chance of a Hoosier victory. Bart Torvik’s projections like IU by 11 with an 85 percent chance for the Hoosiers to prevail.
Minnesota is coming off its worst defensive performance of the season. In a loss to Michigan State, the Gophers were torched for 90 points (1.4 points per possession). This was just the second time this season that the Gophers have allowed more than a point per possession.
This is the first road game of the season for Minnesota, and it’ll be imperative that Indiana takes care of the ball and doesn’t allow the Gophers to get comfortable behind the 3-point line. The Garcia matchup could also be tricky for the Hoosiers because of his ability to play on the perimeter and stretch the floor with the 3-ball.
More importantly, Indiana must show more urgency and consistency throughout the game. The Hoosiers have played well in stretches but have had lapses throughout games that have allowed inferior competition to stick around. With Big Ten play officially here and a less-than-impressive start to the season, will the Hoosiers be able to change the narrative? Or are the up-and-down performances just who Indiana is as a team?
(Photo credit: Minnesota Athletics)
Filed to: Minnesota Golden Gophers