Coach Tubby Smith is watching his Gophers team to not allow “selfishness to rear its ugly head.” Leading scorer Lawrence Westbrook said “nothing really concerns” him about Purdue.
Whatever the mindsets of coaches and players, tonight’s game at Williams Arena against No. 3 ranked Purdue is an extraordinary challenge and opportunity for the Gophers. Minnesota (7-7 in the Big Ten, 16-10 overall) played impressively in home victories last week over Wisconsin (68-52) and Indiana (81-58) and created momentum toward a possible, though unlikely, season ending run of wins that could boost the Gophers’ resume enough to receive an NCAA tournament invitation.
Starting with Purdue, Minnesota might have to win three of its last four Big Ten regular season games and then earn one or two more victories in the conference tournament. Not likely since Purdue (11-3 in the Big Ten and 23-3 overall) will come ready to play tonight, and then the Gophers have road games at Illinois and Michigan before ending the season at home against Iowa on March 7. The Gophers’ road record in conference games is 2-5.
Smith said on Saturday night after his team defeated Indiana that he likes how the Gophers are playing including their defense, togetherness and relaxed nature. This has been a team with distractions on and off the court, but it is accepting coaching now including the coach’s mantra not to be selfish in attitude and execution. “That’s always a struggle,” Smith said. “That’s the demon within us. That’s what we have to guard against all the time.”
The Gophers have used a zone defense effectively in recent games. Westbrook said the team has spent considerable time practicing the zone and a reason for the success is 6-11 center Ralph Sampson III and 6-7 forward Damian Johnson. “We’ve got two of the best shot blockers in the country in Ralph and Damian so they help a lot,” Westbrook said.
Purdue had an easy time with the Gophers in a game at West Lafayette in January, winning 79-60. The Boilermakers had 36 free throw attempts in the game to Minnesota’s 25, and Purdue had 11 more points at the free throw line. Westbrook suggested his team can’t expect a favorable outcome on fouls playing at Purdue.
The confident senior guard predicted last fall the Gophers could be a Final Four team so it wasn’t surprising to hear him say this a few days ago when discussion turned to Purdue: “We have a good chance to beat anybody.”
The Boilermakers’ big three makes this a special team. Guard E’Twaun Moore (18.3 average in the Big Ten), forward Robbie Hummel (16.6) and center JaJuan Johnson (14.4) are among the top 12 conference scorers in league games. In conference play Purdue leads the Big Ten in points per game at 69.6 and is fourth best defensively, 62.3.
The Boilermakers, who have won nine straight including two recent road wins at Michigan State and Ohio State, are experienced with a roster that includes the junior threesome of Moore, Hummel and Johnson, plus senior guard Chris Kramer, a physical defender. Purdue entered this season with six players having two or more years in the program. The Gophers had four.
The Boilermakers’ star power and experience could be a difference maker in a close game. If Minnesota can build a second half lead, the ability to close out the game will no doubt be the storyline of the evening.
The Gophers led nationally ranked Michigan State at home in January by 11 points with 10:53 remaining in the game. The Spartans rallied to win 65-64. A week ago Sunday in Evanston the Gophers blew a 13 point lead with about eight minutes to go and eventually lost to an ordinary Northwestern team in overtime.
Those losses and a couple others like an overtime defeat in Bloomington against lowly Indiana (3-11, 9-17 overall) have demonized a Gophers season. Tonight we find out how the exorcism is going.
Westbrook is confident: “Nothing really concerns me about Purdue. …They’re basketball players like we are, so go out and play.”