LIVE! Illinois 43, Minnesota 31; 15:57 to play

Comply with together with beat author Scott Richey all evening from State Farm Middle:

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I spent a while going via Minnesota’s statistical profile right this moment looking for one thing the Gophers do nicely. There’s not a lot there, which should not be a lot of a shock contemplating their 1-13 Huge Ten document.

One of the best factor you possibly can say about this Minnesota staff is it would not foul that a lot. The Gophers rank third nationally, per Bart Torvik, in defensive free throw fee. That is a measure evaluating a staff’s free throw makes an attempt to whole subject purpose makes an attempt. 

In any other case, Minnesota is among the many nation’s worst groups in nearly all the pieces. That is significantly true on the offensive finish the place the Gophers rank 304th in adjusted effectivity, 312th in efficient subject purpose proportion, 338th in three-point proportion and 363rd in free throw proportion. As a reminder, there are solely 363 Division I groups.

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Terrence Shannon Jr. will not play once more tonight for Illinois. The 6-foot-6 senior guard and Illini scoring chief remains to be in concussion protocol.

Per coach Brad Underwood, Shannon entered protocol instantly after final Tuesday’s loss at Penn State. That stored Shannon out of Saturday’s recreation at Indiana (he did not even make the journey) and can preserve him sidelined once more tonight towards Minnesota.

Search for extra Matthew Mayer towards the Gophers. The veteran wing scored 24 factors and was the first offensive possibility at Indiana this previous weekend.

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Let’s be sincere. Illinois cannot achieve all that a lot from tonight’s recreation towards Minnesota. 

A win, after all, could be helpful in attempting to carve out an area within the crowded center of the Huge Ten. There’s not lots of room to maneuver up, however the Illini may climb to the No. 6 seed within the convention match.

However by way of total résumé? It may need been a greater transfer to not reschedule this recreation. Beating the Gophers will solely yield a Quad IV win. And if Illinois ought to one way or the other discover itself on the mistaken facet of tonight’s recreation, it could go down because the staff’s first Quad IV lack of the 12 months. The primary loss outdoors of the primary two quadrants really.

So do not lose this one, proper? 

On paper, Illinois should not. The Illini are roughly a 16-point favourite, per Bart Torvik, towards Minnesota. The Gophers have misplaced 9 video games in a row and 11 of their final 12. They’re higher with Dawson Garcia wholesome and on the courtroom, however not sufficient higher to make any type of actual distinction.

Minnesota’s solely Huge Ten win got here towards Ohio State on Jan. 12, and that win (which Illinois additionally has) simply retains trying worse and worse because the Buckeyes full their exhausting fall to the Huge Ten basement.

Scott Richey is a reporter protecting faculty basketball at The Information-Gazette. His electronic mail is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you may comply with him on Twitter (@srrichey).