Off to a 3-0 start and fresh off of winning the title at the Asheville Championship, the Gophers return to Williams Arena to take on a 2-0 Purdue Fort Wayne squad. Minnesota heads into the game as the favorites, but will still need to execute if they hope to come away with the win. Here are my three keys to the game for Minnesota.
Get A Full Game From Jamison Battle
Jamison Battle was very productive at the Asheville Championship, but the bulk of his scoring in both games came in the first half. Against Western Kentucky he was lighting it up from beyond the arc, while against Princeton he was knocking down everything in the mid-range. But once that halftime buzzer came he seemed to cool down and couldn't find a rhythm in the second half. That forced a bit more of a scoring load on to guys like Payton Willis and EJ Stephens. I'm not expecting 15+ points in both halves, but to see him score consistently in a second half this season would be beneficial for the Gophers. If his jump-shot isn't falling, I'd like to see Jamison look to get inside and score down low, as he has a great finishing touch around the rim and can get looks using his strength or footwork which makes him tough to stop when he gets touches in the paint.
Take Advantage Of Backcourt Height
This might be the smallest point guard that the Gophers will face off with all year, as Damion Chong Qui of Purdue Fort Wayne measures in at just 5'8. That means that all three of Minnesota's starting guards will be at least seven inches taller. We've seen the Gophers excel at moving without the ball early on this season, getting some open looks around the rim with hard cuts and running off screens. If the Gophers can find ways to either force switches that end up with Chong Qui in the post, or just go for straight post-ups with whoever he's guarding, it could end up with high percentage looks in the paint. It could also force hard double teams, leaving some of the Gophers' shooters open beyond the arc. Clearly Damion Chong Qui wouldn't be starting at 5'8 if he wasn't a good basketball player, but the height difference is something that should look to be exploited.
Find A Reliable 8th Man
Minnesota won't be able to last with just a seven man rotation throughout the season, especially once Big 10 play rolls around. Because of this, this matchup could be a good time for an 8th player to get solid minutes. We saw Abdoulaye Thiam get some minutes against Princeton as an athletic guard who can defend, but he didn't play much of a role on offense. He was a proven shooter at the junior college level, but has yet to make a shot for Minnesota, so we'll see if he can develop into a threat if given the chance this year. Will Ramberg saw time against Kansas City as a 6'5 wing who provides a bit of defensive versatility, but he didn't see the floor at the Asheville Championship. Freshman Treyton Thompson could provide a ton of length off the bench, as well as a floor stretching option offensively, but the concern there during his freshman season is his size/strength. We'll see if this is the game where he starts to see some minutes.
Key Players For Minnesota
Jamison Battle (6'7 Sophomore Forward)- 20.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Payton Willis (6'4 Senior Guard)- 20.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3 apg
EJ Stephens (6'3 Senior Guard)- 12 ppg, 4 rpg
Key Players For Purdue Fort Wayne
Jarred Godfrey (6'5 Senior Guard)- 14.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3 rpg, 3 spg
Jalon Pipkins (6'4 Senior Guard)- 14.5 ppg, 5 rpg
Ra Kpedi (6'9 Redshirt Senior Forward)- 14 ppg, 5.5 rpg
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