Category: NCAA

Don’t expect a Big Ten team to make the Final Four.  That’s the opinion of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher who still intently follows college basketball.

Dutcher’s Final Four picks are Kentucky, Syracuse, Missouri and Kansas.  “I would pick Syracuse over Kansas, and I would pick Kentucky over Missouri, and then Kentucky to win it all,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

Michigan State is the No. 1 seed in the West Regional but Dutcher believes No. 2 seed Missouri will emerge as region champion.  He’s impressed with coach Tom Izzo’s tournament record and likes Michigan State’s inside players, but is concerned about the Spartans three point shooting. “They can have those scoring droughts,” Dutcher said.  “Not two or three minutes, they can go six, seven minutes without scoring a point when they don’t hit those threes.”

Michigan State and Ohio State, a No. 2 seed in the East Regional, are the highest seeds among six Big Ten teams in the tournament.  The Buckeyes were 34-3 last season and 16-2 in the Big Ten, while this year’s club doesn’t seem as formidable, 27-7 and 13-6.

“There’s just something that’s holding them back a little bit and that something is the play of Buford (William),” Dutcher said.  “He can be very good. But the games he doesn’t shoot the ball well, Ohio State has some trouble winning.  They’re not as good as they were last year because (Jon) Diebler and (David) Lighty gave them two extra outside shooters. …I see them getting to the Elite Eight.”

Ask Dutcher about individual stars worth following in this tournament and he includes former Hopkins and Gophers forward Royce White whose versatility despite his bulky 6-8, 270-pound body has impressed many observers. Dutcher said White, an all-Big 12 Conference sophomore, could be the most difficult match-up in the country to figure out who guards him.  White sometimes brings the ball up the floor for the Cyclones and triggers the offense.  “He’s an intriguing player just because of the style of game that he plays,” Dutcher said.

Others worth watching include Kentucky freshman center Anthony Davis, a popular choice for player of the year, who is extremely athletic for 6-10.  And former Gophers coach Dan Monson, now in his fifth season at Long Beach State, has 5-10 guard Casper Ware. “He’s really a dynamic little guy,” Dutcher said.

Long Beach State is in the NCAA tournament for the first time under Monson.  The 49ers, a No. 12 seed, play New Mexico, a No. 5 seed, in an opening West Regional game tomorrow afternoon.  New Mexico is coached by former Iowa coach Steve Alford, a friend of Monson’s going back to Big Ten days.

The thought won’t rally an apathetic fan base but the Gophers may have earned a National Invitation Tournament bid with their 75-68 win over Northwestern last night in Indianapolis.

Last Saturday morning Minnesota sources were talking about the need to win two games to make the NIT.  That was just hours before Minnesota, losers of six consecutive games, defeated Nebraska in the Gophers’ final regular season game.  And then early yesterday evening Minnesota, the No. 7 seed, defeated Northwestern, the No. 10 seed, in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament for both teams.

Minnesota’s two-game winning streak leaves the Gophers with a 19-13 overall season record.  That could be enough to put the school back in the NIT for the first time since 2008.

Certainly a win tonight over Michigan will remove any doubt the Gophers would be invited to the tournament that is the oldest in college basketball, and holds its semifinals and championship game in New York’s hoops mecca, Madison Square Garden.

The NIT selection committee will have to decide if there are 32 teams more to its liking than Minnesota.  Probably not, but either an invite or rejection won’t be met with much passion by Minnesota’s fan base.

The Gophers used to be popular with NIT administrators who liked the large crowds Minnesota drew for their NIT games.  That’s history now.  The NIT novelty wore off here long ago and the last NIT game (2008) in Minneapolis drew 3,882 fans.

Then there’s the problem of declining interest in the Gophers.  Coach Tubby Smith has been under heavy criticism after finishing with a 6-12 Big Ten regular season record in each of the last two years.  His five year Big Ten record is 39-52.  Average home attendance this season was the lowest in five years.

But give Smith and his players credit for upsetting Northwestern last night, spoiling any chance the 18-13 Wildcats had of earning an NCAA invitation.  In the overtime, Smith put a smaller lineup on the floor using four guards and forward Rodney Williams.  The unit shutdown Northwestern’s offense as the Gophers outscored the Wildcats 14-7 in overtime.

Minnesota trailed 36-34 at halftime after building a 15-5 lead early in the game.  Northwestern soon switched to a zone defense and half court trap that changed the game in the Wildcats’ favor despite 16 first half points by freshman point guard Andre Hollins.

It was Hollins who led the team in scoring with 25 points and showed promise of giving Minnesotathe leader it has been looking for all winter.  He made five of 10 three point shots and played with poise in overtime.

The Gophers will need more of that tonight against a Michigan team that was 13-5 during the conference regular season and shared the league title with Michigan State and Ohio State.  Game time is 5:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.