Minnesota Basketball: Previewing Michigan Part III

The Gophers look to keep the magic going against Michigan in the Big Ten semis

By zipsofakron@zipsofakron Mar 16, 2019, 11:41am CDT

NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament-Iowa vs Michigan

With an NCAA Tournament berth in tow the Gophers took the shackles off and ran up a quarterfinals win over Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament on Friday night, which gave the season series to Minnesota and offered yet another Q1 win for the team’s resume.

Minnesota showed what it is capable of when its best players show up, as Jordan Murphy led all scorers with 27 points while Amir Coffey added 21 in a full 40 minutes.

Now, the Gophers face Michigan in the semifinals, with yet another chance to improve their postseason seed and continue has become an improbable run through the conference tournament. The Wolverines are fresh off a 21-point win over Iowa and are looking like one of the best teams in the nation, though the Gophers played them tough in their first matchup way back in late January.

Essentials:

Who are the Gophers playing?

Michigan Wolverines (15-5, 27-5)

What time are they playing?

Saturday, March 16 @ 2:30 p.m. CT

Where are they playing?

United Center (Chicago, Ill.)

Can I watch the game on TV?

Yes, CBS

Can I listen to the game on the radio?

Yes, KFAN 100.3-FM

Tell me more about the opponent.

The Wolverines hang their hat on defense, and have the second best defense in the country according to KenPom. They have the best defense in the Big Ten and own the second-best scoring margin as well.

Freshman forward Izzy Brazdeikis has been on fire recently, scoring 20 or more points in three of the last four games. Jordan Poole isn’t far behind, averaging 13 ppg, 3 rpg and 2 apg.

Predictions

The Gophers are now 6-0 this season on a neutral court. Are you convinced yet? They looked much more poised last night against Purdue with a proactive offense that looked to be firing on several cylinders. They’ll need a repeat performance today if they want to hang with a very good and patient Michigan team. The Wolverines are favored and the Gophers will be playing their third game in three days, but let’s have some fun and roll with a Minnesota victory again.