Indiana Hoosiers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers preview

Looking for just their second win in six games, the Hoosiers host the Golden Gophers at Assembly Hall on Friday night.

Coming off a win against the less than impressive Rutgers basketball team, the Hoosiers will be looking to beat Minnesota for the second time this season. At 13-12 (6-7), Indiana could really use a win over the struggling Golden Gophers.

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In their last five games, the Hoosiers have become quite a conundrum for fans of the team. They put up a rough fight against in-state rival Purdue, and despite a late rally by the Boilermakers that put IU out of the game, they look like a legitimate tournament spoiler

.The team then proceeded to get stomped in Value City Arena against the Ohio State Buckeyes 71-56. After the loss to Ohio State, Indiana looked as if they were going to pull an upset over a top-5 Michigan State squad, however a 41-foot three pointer failed to go in at the buzzer, giving the Hoosiers another devastating loss.

Against Minnesota, Indiana’s guard play will be put to the test against the Gophers 1-2 punch of Jordan Murphy and Nate Mason. For the Hoosiers to come away with a victory, they’ll have to limit those two, as they are averaging just over 34 points a game combined.

In this video from the men’s basketball team’s Twitter account, assistant Tom Ostrom discusses the opponent and the plan of attack.

Another key to a victory for Indiana will be the play of the trio of Juwan Morgan, Robert Johnson, and Justin Smith. The last time these two teams matched up back on January 6th, those three players combined for 68 of the 75 points that the Hoosiers scored.

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If Indiana can come with another victory over Minnesota tonight, they will up to 7th in the Big Ten standings with a conference record of 7-7. After tonight’s game, the Hoosiers play Illinois next Wednesday at Assembly Hall.