Minnesota Basketball: Gophers Host #5 Purdue - OPEN THREAD

When

11:00

How

ESPN2

When Purdue comes to town the games are typically quite entertaining. Consider the last 5 games played in the Barn between these two teams. The Boilermakers hold a 3-2 edge in wins but all but one game was decided by 4 points or less. But that seems unlikely this time around. Stranger things have happened in college basketball, right?

KEYS TO A GOPHER WIN

• DEFEND - Making only 31% of our shots is one thing, allowing your opponent to make 50% of theirs is inexcusable.
• Return of Murphy - Jordan Murphy’s double-double streak came to a crashing halt in Evanston. Now he faces probably the toughest frontcourt in the Big Ten, but he needs to dominate the paint. Tall order, but if we want to upset Purdue it’ll be necessary.
• Isaiah? - I’d like to see the freshman start taking some strides towards improving his game and making an impact on the floor. Shooting 2/12 from the floor isn’t an aberration as he’s shooting under 33% for the season. There’s little to be excited about for the rest of this season, I’d like to see Isaiah Washington give us something to be excited about for next year.

PREDICTION

Purdue is tough. Purdue is good. Right now we are neither.

Minnesota - 13
Purdue - 77