Ogee Ogilthorpe
Over Macho Grande?
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
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The key for the Gophers so far this season:
No bad losses.
The key to any season, IMO, is win the games you should and steal a few you shouldn't. MSU is better than the Gophers, Purdue is better than the Gophers, and Northwestern was a tough game on the road against a vastly improved team.
The bottom line: the Gophers still don't have a loss on the record that you could point to and say "That one will really hurt them on Selection Sunday" (provided Northwestern continues to play good basketball.
To top things off, they did steal a couple they "shouldn't have", in wins over Louisville and Wisky, which at this point more than make up for the last two losses.
In the Pioneer Press, Powers says they need 5 more regular season wins to make the tourney. He's probably not far off. Sweep Indiana, beat Michigan and Northwestern at home, and that leaves just one more win to account for.
No "bad losses" and the Rodents shouldn't be sweating anything on Selection Sunday.
Furthermore, record in your last 10 games is another important criteria for tourney selection. Provided the Gophers play 2 games in the BTT, they'll have just ONE game in their last 10 against the top 3 teams in the conference (MSU, Ill, PU), perhaps a second one in the BTT. The RPI is also looking pretty decent at the moment, currently at 30.
That gives them a decent shot to finish the season on a roll as well. Still a little early to be sweating anything just yet.
No bad losses.
The key to any season, IMO, is win the games you should and steal a few you shouldn't. MSU is better than the Gophers, Purdue is better than the Gophers, and Northwestern was a tough game on the road against a vastly improved team.
The bottom line: the Gophers still don't have a loss on the record that you could point to and say "That one will really hurt them on Selection Sunday" (provided Northwestern continues to play good basketball.
To top things off, they did steal a couple they "shouldn't have", in wins over Louisville and Wisky, which at this point more than make up for the last two losses.
In the Pioneer Press, Powers says they need 5 more regular season wins to make the tourney. He's probably not far off. Sweep Indiana, beat Michigan and Northwestern at home, and that leaves just one more win to account for.
No "bad losses" and the Rodents shouldn't be sweating anything on Selection Sunday.
Furthermore, record in your last 10 games is another important criteria for tourney selection. Provided the Gophers play 2 games in the BTT, they'll have just ONE game in their last 10 against the top 3 teams in the conference (MSU, Ill, PU), perhaps a second one in the BTT. The RPI is also looking pretty decent at the moment, currently at 30.
That gives them a decent shot to finish the season on a roll as well. Still a little early to be sweating anything just yet.
