Things have been pretty rosy in Gopherland lately, which feels weird to say. The team owns a top-15 RPI, is sporting the 47th spot in KenPom, received 6 (count ‘em) AP poll votes and was newly minted as one of the last four teams IN in Lunardi’s latest Bracketology. Considering that the team won a measly 8 games last year, the turnaround so far has been fairly stunning.
The Gophers rebounded after a slow first half Sunday to totally rout Northern Illinois thanks to a ton of minutes from Reggie Lynch and some steady play from Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer. And with two games left until the conference season starts the Gophers are riding a 4-game winning streak and 10-1 record. Things are feeling pretty good around here.
Next up is LIU-Brooklyn out of the NEC. The Blackbirds have the lowest KenPom rating of any opponent Minnesota has faced this year, and presumably will face. Picked to finish in the middle of the NEC, Brooklyn has actually raced out to a 7-3 record this season with some wins over the little guys, and they are coming off a thrilling victory over St. John’s in their most recent game.
Essentials:
Who are the Gophers playing?
LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds (7-3)
What time are they playing?
7 p.m. CT
Where are they playing?
Williams Arena
Can I watch the game on TV?
Sort of. It’s on BTN Plus.
Can I listen to the game on the radio?
Yes. ESPN 1500.
Tell me more about the opponent.
LIU-Brooklyn was on the upswing in the NEC as recently as this summer. They were returning a ton of players and looked to have a strong, senior-laden backcourt. But two of their top scorers left the team through transfer and to pursue professional ball, which dashed what had become conference title hopes. Ouch.
The Blackbirds have a pretty ineffective defense, turn the ball over a ton and aren’t that efficient at scoring, so let’s just say they have more than a few warts. Their record is a bit inflated because they’ve played a terribly easy schedule and really haven’t faced a team that was a threat to give them much trouble.
One of the few things going for LIU is their experience. The Blackbirds are actually a pretty veteran team, which is always a scary proposition when facing a low/mid-major, and they return three of their five starters from last year.
They’re led by 6-7 senior forward Jerome Frink, who is having a healthy start to the season. A double-double threat, Frink is tallying more than 17 points and 8 boards per game, and has scored 20 or more points three times already. Though the Gophers have done a great job defending opposing front courts, Frink will be a challenge on Wednesday. LIU is also getting good minutes from senior guard Iverson Fleming, who hit the game-winner against St. John’s and has been a sneaky scorer all season long.
Keys to the Game
The Gophers would do well to not look past a veteran team like LIU, who has shown that they can at least hang with a power conference opponent outside their home gym. However, with the way the Gophers D has been so far, I don’t expect the Blackbirds to be able to generate much offense or be effective near the basket, where they’ve done most of their scoring.
- Neutralize Frink - The senior forward has been the Achilles heel so far this season for LIU. And going up against someone like Reggie Lynch doesn’t bode well for him. If the Gophers can keep Frink from having a big game the Blackbirds won’t have many other options
- Don’t be afraid of the three - It feels weird, but for the first time in a while the Gophers don’t absolutely suck at shooting. And with LIU leaving something to be desired from their three-point defense, Minnesota should be able to open things up from the outside.
Predictions
KenPom is giving this one to the Gophers, predicting an 79-60 blowout. I’m right there with them.