If back-to-back games against Big Ten favorites Indiana and Michigan were a mid-January barometer for whether Minnesota can win the league title, then Gophers fans aren’t going to like the answer.
Minnesota is good – heck, maybe even top 15 good – but the best Gophers team of Tubby Smith’s tenure still doesn’t appear to be quite formidable enough to challenge for first place in the strongest Big Ten in recent memory.
Last Saturday, Minnesota fell behind by 23 points at Indiana at halftime before a too-little, too-late second-half rally made the final score a respectable 88-81. Then Thursday night, the Gophers followed a similar pattern at home against Michigan, letting the Wolverines race out to a 19-point early second-half lead, clawing back to within six in the closing seconds and falling 83-75.
Continue Reading: Michigan’s victory at Minnesota clarifies where both stand in Big Ten pecking order (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)
