NIT PREVIEW: Gophers to face tough challenge in Indiana State on Sunday
After an opening NIT win over the Butler Bulldogs last Monday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Minnesota Golden Gophers will take on the Indiana State Sycamores on Sunday afternoon at the Hulman Center on the campus of Indiana State in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Entering Sunday, the Indiana Sycamores are 28-6 on the season and have been dominant at home with a 13-1 record. The Sycamores have won seven of their last eight games with their only loss coming to Drake in the Mountain Valley Conference championship game 84-80. In their opening round matchup against SMU on Wednesday, the Sycamores defeated the Mustangs 101-92.
For the Gophers, they'll enter with a 19-14 record overall but have struggled on the road with a 3-8 record. That third win of the season came last Monday in Indianapolis against Butler 73-72. The Gophers also won road games against Michigan State and Penn State.
Here's what to know about Sunday's second round matchup in the NIT.
WHERE, WHEN, HOW TO WATCH, SPREAD
WHEN: Mar. 24, 2024 - 1:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: Hulman Center (Terre Haute, Indiana)
TV/STREAM: ESPN 2
Radio: KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM) (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
SPREAD: Indiana State -7.5 / 163.5 over/under
Who is Minnesota's projected starting five?
| Pos. | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Cameron Christie |
11.3 |
3.5 |
2.2 |
|
G |
Elijah Hawkins |
9.4 |
3.6 |
7.5 |
|
G |
Mike Mitchell |
10.3 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
|
F |
Pharrel Payne |
9.8 |
6.0 |
1.1 |
|
C/F |
Dawson Garcia |
17.7 |
6.6 |
1.8 |
Who is Indiana State's projected starting five?
| Pos. | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Ryan Conwell |
16.4 |
5.7 |
2.3 |
|
G |
Isaiah Swope |
16.2 |
2.8 |
2.2 |
|
G |
Julian Larrry |
10.7 |
2.9 |
4.8 |
|
G |
Jayson Kent |
13.5 |
8.1 |
0.6 |
|
C |
Robbie Avila |
17.3 |
6.7 |
3.9 |
Ranking Comparison
| TEAM | NET | KenPom | BPI | HASLAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Minnesota |
89 |
76 |
85 |
83 |
|
Indiana State |
28 |
43 |
41 |
37 |
Four Factors
| TEAM | Eff. FG% | Turnover % | Off. Reb% | FT Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Minnesota |
54.2% |
17.5% |
30.7% |
35.0 |
|
Indiana State |
60.0% |
16.5% |
23.7% |
33.3 |
A few things to note with the four factors here for Indiana State. First, the Sycamores lead the country in effective field goal percentage at 60%. The Golden Gophers 54.2% is not too far behind at 38th nationally.
On the other end of the spectrum, Indiana State is among the worst teams when it comes to offensive rebounding this season, with an offensive rebounding percentage of 23.7% which ranks 327th nationally.
Statistical Overview
| Minnesota | STAT | Indiana State |
|---|---|---|
|
19-14 |
OVERALL RECORD |
28-6 |
|
75.4 |
SCORING OFFENSE |
84.4 |
|
71.8 |
SCORING DEFENSE |
72.0 |
|
3.7 |
SCORING MARGIN |
12.4 |
|
47.2% |
SHOOTING % |
50.5% |
|
44.7% |
OPPONENT SHOOTING % |
43.2% |
|
35.8% |
3P SHOOTING % |
38.5% |
|
69.3% |
FT SHOOTING % |
79.7% |
|
35.0 |
REBOUNDS PER GAME |
35.7 |
|
10.1 |
O-REBOUNDS PER GAME |
7.1 |
|
2.1 |
REBOUND MARGIN PER GAME |
3.9 |
|
1.4 |
ASSIST TO TURNOVER RATIO |
1.5 |
It is likely going to take a special offensive or an equally as special defensive effort from the Gophers to knock off the Sycamores on Sunday. Don't take these Sycamores lightly because of their conference affiliation, this is a very Indiana State team that would've had the chance to make a potential Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament had they made it. That being said, like any team, Indiana State isn't prone to having down nights in fact, they lost a Quad 4 game earlier this season to Illinois State and also lost to Southern Illinois. That being said, against Quad 2 opponents, they are 5-1 this season including wins against Bradley and Drake, two of the best mid-major programs in the country this season, and of course they're win over SMU earlier this week.
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