It does not get any easier for the Minnesota Golden gophers in Big Ten play. After losing a double overtime heartbreaker at Minnesota in the midweek the Gophers must travel to Ann Arbor to face No. 16 Michigan. The Wolverines began Big Ten play on Thursday night with a solid win over Penn State at home.
Minnesota's loss to Illinois was a frustrating one, as noted by The Daily Gopher:
This was so frustrating because we had a chance to win. Not the kind of "chance" where if we nail a late three we win or the kind of "chance" where if a call or two goes our way we win. This was one where we had ball in the hands of an 87.5% free throw shooter. I'm not pissed, just sad. Of course there were missed shots throughout the game, especially in the 1st half. There were some bad turnovers and defensive breakdowns. All of which were crucial to winning a close game. Would have been nice to have this win.
The Gophers cannot afford to fall to 0-2 in the Big Ten, especially when the conference is one of the highest rated conferences in the country. Minnesota could definitely use a victory for its NCAA profile this early. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. Central on Big Ten Network.