After a tough loss to Indiana on Sunday night, Minnesota looks to bounce back on the road against Maryland. The game tips at 8:00pm tomorrow night, and will be aired on BTN. Currently sitting at 13-14 on the year, here are three keys to the game if Minnesota hopes to get back to .500.
Energy For 40 Minutes
It seems like every game Minnesota either comes out strong and falls off towards the end, or they come out flat footed and then bring a ton of energy in the last 10 minutes to try to come back. What they haven't done much in the past couple of months is play a strong 40 minute game. We saw what happens when Minnesota brings energy for a full game against Northwestern, and that resulted in a big win. It will be tougher to do on the road without the crowd on their side, but Minnesota has to find a way to provide that energy for themselves and tough it out for 40 minutes on the road if they want to win this game.
Post Up On Fatts Russell
Don't get me wrong, Fatts Russell is a very good point guard. He leads Maryland with 14.9 ppg and 105 assists on the season. But he comes in at just 5'11 and 165 pounds. Minnesota's smallest guard will be EJ Stephens who is listed at 6'3. Not sure who Fatts will get matched up with, but Minnesota has to look to exploit him down low. Even if Maryland responds by throwing a quick double to prevent a 1v1 look around the rim, Minnesota has a handful of shooters who will be more than happy to take a three off the kickout pass. If Minnesota can find ways to get post touches with Fatts Russell defending, it could lead to some high percentage looks.
Keep Sean Sutherlin In Attack Mode
I feel like this team plays so much better when Sean Sutherlin is getting touches off the bench and is looking to get into the paint. He has such an explosive burst that even though teams know he just wants to get to the basket, he's still able to blow by his initial defender. He's a tough finisher inside with above the rim ability, and that aggressiveness can also lead to picking up some fouls on key defenders. Even when he doesn't get off a shot, his presence in the lane forces defenders to collapse, and he can then kick it out to an open shooter or start off some good ball movement with guys out of place on defense. Sean scored 13 points off the bench on Sunday, and that type of production would be huge tomorrow night.
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