Michigan basketball vs. Minnesota prediction: Top vs. bottom of Big Ten for a reason

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The next time Michigan basketball takes the court, it will represent a different type of test.

The No. 19 Wolverines travel to Minneapolis for Thursday’s clash at “the barn” against Minnesota the league’s doormat thus far in 2024-25.

While conventional wisdom would lead one to believe U-M (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten) should handle this game with little trouble, coach Dusty May has been around the block one too many times to think about this game any more or any less than any other league game.

Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) makes a layup against Washington center KC Ibekwe (24) during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025.

Instead, he’s implored to his team that it must approach the game the same way they have the first five league games; all against teams with winning records, many of whom like UCLA and Wisconsin had designs on competing for league supremacy.

“Hope that they’re keeping level head and as excited to play this game as they would if Minnesota was 6-0,” May said of the expectation for his team’s. “Just turn on a game, (Minnesota) has had some tough breaks…played well enough to win several games, just the margin is small for really all of us.”

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It’s been even smaller for Ben Johnson (no, not the Lions’ offensive coordinator) and his Gophers who after starting the year 5-1 have dropped eight of their past 11 games to fall below .500.

Frankly, there’s not much Minnesota (8-9, 0-6 Big Ten) does well. As a team the Gophers are No. 97 in turnover rate (16.2%), No. 170 in 2-point shooting (51.0%), No. 233 from long range (32.2%), No. 201 in overall effective field-goal rate (50.2) and are particularly bad from the free-throw line (63.3%), No. 350 nationally.

Fifth-year forward Dawson Garcia is back for a third season in Minneapolis and putting up big numbers at 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 49.0% field goals and 36.9% from long range, but Minnesota…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-basketball-vs-minnesota-prediction-170105792.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-01-15 17:01:00

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