Minnesota heads into their matchup against Jacksonville at 4-0 on the season, facing off against a 2-1 team that hasn't played a game since November 16th. Minnesota will have the home crowd at Williams Arena in a game televised on the Big Ten Network, and these are some keys to the game if they hope to come away with the win.
Limit Unforced Turnovers
This is a game that Minnesota will be expected to win, and in order to prevent an upset they can't beat themselves. This means not committing any unforced turnovers via mental mistakes and errors. Through four games the Gophers are averaging 11.8 turnovers per contest, and although that is less than their opponents have been averaging, I'd like to see them finish a game with single digit turnovers.
Defend Well In The Second Half
It seems like almost every game the Gophers start to lose their lead in the second half, and that shows in the numbers as Minnesota has given up 129 second half points compared to 104 first half points. Not sure if this is due to complacency with their leads or if they're just getting tired due to a small rotation. Guys have to stay locked in on the defensive end, end possessions after one shot by rebounding the ball well, and continue to remain active off the ball. It would be great to see the Gophers put together a full game of really good basketball, because based on the effort and chemistry we've seen in stretches this season, they have the potential to do that.
Keep EJ Stephens Involved
EJ Stephens seems like the type of player who's fine sacrificing individual numbers if it leads to team success, but I feel like this team just plays better when he's getting looks on offense. He's shooting a really good 9-17 from 3P to start the year, and at that percentage you'd like to see him getting a few more looks. His three point percentage (52.9%) leads the team, and his 48.6% from the field is second among Gophers with more than one field goal attempt. It was most evident against Kansas City, but EJ is a player who can be a spark for this team by getting two or three buckets in a hurry. I think if EJ gets 10-12 shots it will help increase Minnesota's chance of winning this game.
Key Players For Minnesota
Jamison Battle- 18.8 ppg, 6 rpg
Payton Willis- 16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
Sean Sutherlin- 10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Key Players For Jacksonville
Jordan Davis (6'3 Grad Senior Guard)- 14.3 ppg, 4 rpg
Osayi Osifo (6'8 RS Junior Forward)- 9.3 ppg, 7 rpg
Mike Marsh (6'10 RS Sophomore Forward)- 8 ppg, 5.3 rpg
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