Minnesota kept within striking distance the entire second half before tying the game up with just a couple minutes to go, but were unable to finish the game and lost to Wisconsin 68-67. The Gophers fought hard against a top-15 ranked team, but just couldn't make a few plays down the stretch to come away with a win. Here are three of my takeaways from the game.
Rebounding Struggles Continue
On multiple occasions in the second half, Minnesota had at least three guys around the rim, yet let a lone Badger beat them all to the ball for an offensive rebound. What was the same on both of those plays? Not a single guy was putting a body on an opposing player to box out. For a team without elite athleticism or size, it's crucial to be putting a body on a man in order to secure rebounds at a high rate. If you don't it's just a free for all and the better athlete is often going to win. In a one point game, giving up second chance opportunities like that is something you just can't afford to be doing. Minnesota was outrebounded 38-19, including giving up 10 offensive boards. That right there is a big reason for the loss.
Sean Sutherlin's Drive Pays Off
Last night Sean Sutherlin made some big contributions in his 27 minutes of play. He's so aggressive getting to the rim, and even though teams know that about him, they still have a hard time stopping him. Even when he wasn't getting all the way to the basket to finish, his ability to get into the lane causes defenders to collapse on him. That drive and kick gets the defense out of position, and gets the ball rolling to create some high percentage looks. Last night Minnesota had 18 assists, and Sean's ability to get defenders out of position helped a lot with that. He also threw down an explosive baseline dunk, and hit 5 of 6 free throws to finish with 11 points.
The Wrong Minnesota Players Step Up
Last night Minnesota played a solid game for the most part despite not being able to pick up the win, but it was a pair of Minnesota natives in red and white that really stepped up. Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl, both former Minnesota high school standouts, combined for 32 points and 17 rebounds last night. Why is this a key takeaway? Because Minnesota has to start keeping some of these recruits home, and it starts with a strong 2022 class with three in-state recruits. There's a lot of talent coming out of the state, and in the past years Gopher fans have had to watch them excel at other schools. With a recruiting class featuring three homegrown players, this is a chance for Minnesota to stop that trend of losing out on all of the top in-state prospects.
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