Northwestern Wildcats vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview

by Rodger Sherman on Jan 21, 2012 12:39 PM CST in 2011-12 Northwestern Wildcats Basketball

Saturday mornings are never a good time to write basketball preview, but, welp, here we are. I blame Tubby Smith and his proficience in the field of tubbiness for this debacle. (NOTE: Spellcheck has a problem with the word "proficience", which is a real word, but not with "tubbiness", which is an adjective meaning "being like Tubby Smith" that I made up 38 seconds ago. The more you know.)

Are they good?: Minnesota had all the look of a very good team, starting off 6-0. In the seventh game, Trevor Mbakwe tore his anterior cruciate ligament - ACL, as the kids call it these days - and the Golden Gophers lost to Dayton. They then started off Big Ten play by dropping four straight, although a rando win over Indiana and a thumping of Penn State make them look modest. Long story short, Trevor Mbakwe is irreverently talented, and any B1G team with him will be a lot better than any team without him. They are now a team without him and have been for much of the season, and it shows.

Has Maverick Ahanmisi lost that loving feeling?: Inconclusive, but to figure it out, watch this highlight reel of his play this season.

If you've seen Top Gun less than five times, consider yourself to not be my friend anymore.

Can you randomly post a picture of Jamal Abu Shamala playing for the Jordanian national team?: Yes.

Can you provide any sort of actual basketball analysis about Minnesota?: To be honest, not really. Haven't seen any of their games this year, and their lineup without Mbakwe is a hodgepodge of guys who were role players last year, people who didn't play at all last year, and Ralph Sampson III. Sampson, still bitter about his grandfather, Ralph Sampson, harvesting his father, Ralph Sampson Jr.'s knees to prolong his NBA career (I MADE THIS UP), is a shotblocking stud, giving Minnesota some hot interior defense, but on offense the team is dependent on Rodney Williams, who so far as I can tell is not good at anything, and UC-Davis transfer/grape juice scion Julian Welch. It's not pretty, but it's a competent Big Ten team and I haven't really figured out how.

Can NU win?: The Barn is never a fun place for Northwestern - no wins there since 2007! - but I'm pretty genuinely not sold on Minnesota, in case you couldn't tell from the intense snark. Furthermore, I don't think Minny has the shooters to cut holes in Northwestern's 1-3-1 and don't think Ralph Sampson III is the big man to expose Davide Curletti IV and Luka Mirkovic XVII's defensive flaws. think this is a game NU has a fitty-fitty shot in, let's take it.

Poll

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Northwestern Wildcats

43 votes

Minnesota Golden Gophers

33 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Maverick

I here he’s lost his starting feeling.

Follow @Jeff_Erickson

by RotoJeff on Jan 21, 2012 6:30 PM CST reply actions

hear =/= "here"

Brutal. Spell much Jeff?

Follow @Jeff_Erickson

by RotoJeff on Jan 21, 2012 6:30 PM CST up reply actions

NU 70; UM 58

While Minn is rested and at home, I see this being a very important game against a comparable team in the Big Ten. Both teams are battling for the last couple of Big Ten tourney berths, so I hope NU continues its defensive improvement.

I also hope Marco and Cobb are back, b/c without them the team is just not the same.

by NU Alumni - Class of 2002 on Jan 21, 2012 8:21 PM CST reply actions

Is Blake Hoffarber still at Minny?

Or did he finally graduate?

by theresalwayshope on Jan 21, 2012 9:26 PM CST via mobile reply actions

graduated

by Loretta8 on Jan 22, 2012 9:32 AM CST up reply actions

NU 65 UM 63

I would say this is a MUST WIN for the ‘Cats. while I like the heart this team has showed over the brutal stretch of games, they haven’t done enough to make me think they are a tournament team this year.

I worry about our ability to defend inside, and that Curletti may go into foul mode. Hopefully Shurna and Crawford can continue their consistent play, and I expect Sobo will have a better game not being hounded by Taylor. I don’t think we’ll have an answer for Minny’s inside game and they seemed to find ways to break down the 1-3-1 last year esp. in the second half.

As long as Shurna doesn’t get mugged into a stanchion I think we close this one out a la the MSU game: play close most of the way, go on a little run to go up 7 or 8 with Minny clawing back in the last mins. A few Sobo FTs prove to be the difference.

by wcgrad on Jan 21, 2012 10:51 PM CST reply actions

This.

It’s not pretty, but it’s a competent Big Ten team and I haven’t really figured out how.

Watching them while I was home on break, I boldly told my dad that we’d handle the Gophers no problem; without Mbakwe inside tearing Luka apart, we’d have all the edge. I don’t feel so confident.

And a rec to you, Mr. Sherman, for a JAMAL ABU SHAMALA reference. The pride of good ol’ Shakopee High.

by MNWildcat on Jan 21, 2012 11:05 PM CST reply actions