Gophers men’s basketball vs. Indiana game preview: Broadcast info and analysis
Marcus Fuller’s breakdown: The Gophers play their final home game of the season Wednesday against Indiana with a chance to finish with six straight victories at Williams Arena.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 6, 2024 at 4:20PM
vs. Indiana, Williams Arena, 8 p.m. Wednesday
TV; radio: BTN; 100.3 FM
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Marcus Fuller’s analysis:
Opening bell: The Gophers (18-11, 9-9 Big Ten) can guarantee to finish at least .500 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 2016-17 season with a win Wednesday against Indiana. Minnesota also has a chance to finish the season with a six-game home win streak, but that possibility almost didn’t come to pass. A 23-point deficit on Saturday threatened to ruin the Gophers’ Senior Day, but they outscored Penn State 57-29 in the last 25 minutes for the 75-70 win. The Hoosiers (16-13, 8-10) snapped a four-game losing streak with back-to-back wins vs. Wisconsin and at Maryland. They’ve also won Big Ten road games at Michigan and Ohio State this season.
Watch him: Hoosiers center Kel’el Ware dominated inside with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a 74-62 win Jan. 12 against Minnesota in Bloomington, Ind. The 7-foot Ware is averaging 18.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in his last five games, which included a 27-point, 11-rebound, five-block effort vs. Wisconsin.
Injuries: Gophers guard Braeden Carrington was out Saturday with a concussion, so he’s likely questionable to play until clearing protocol.
Forecast: A season-best crowd of 11,318 was announced against Penn State last weekend, so the Gophers clearly have momentum with fans going into their final home game this season. Ben Johnson says his team is playing like an NCAA tournament team, but the Gophers need to prove it by winning the last two regular-season games, including Saturday at Northwestern. Guard play has been critical, with Cam Christie, Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. combining for 48 points Saturday.
The Gophers were left to ponder what might have been and what kind of team they are after staging a stirring fourth-quarter comeback in a 27-24 loss to the Wolverines.
