An Inside Look: Minnesota

While our own Matthew Dossett was preparing his preview for Middle Tennessee's opening round NCAA Tournament game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, I went behind enemy lines and caught up with EJ Stephens of TheGopherReport.com to gain some additional insights on the Blue Raiders' first round opponent.

Check out what he had to say below!

While they look to be pretty light on their rotation right now, Minnesota boasts a starting five that includes four players who average double-digit points per game. What is it about this group that makes them so efficient?

Their unselfishness is very impressive. Starting point guard Nate Mason takes a team-high 13.3 shots per game, but he also averages five assists per game, which is good for second in the Big Ten. They have three guys in Mason, McBrayer, and Coffey that can hit jump shots and are at their best when they are getting out in transition and taking the ball to the hoop. Each one of these guys can create their own shot when the offense breaks down and that is why they average 15.5, 10.9, and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Forward Jordan Murphy has been on a tear during the second half of the season and has seven double-doubles in his past 10 games. He is not a very good shooter but does most of his damage around the rim and from putbacks on the offensive glass. His rebounding is a big reason why Minnesota has won nine of their past 11 games and if he gets going the Gophers offense is tough to stop.

The Gophers had a dreadful month of January that included five straight losses, but put it all back together and closed the season out on a great run, much like they started the year with - what do you attribute that comeback to?

You have to give fourth-year head coach Richard Pitino a lot of credit. He switched up the rotation a little bit and inserted graduate senior Akeem Springs into the starting lineup as well as got them to play better team defense and share the ball better as a team. There was a players-only meeting after their fifth consecutive loss and after that Minnesota won eight straight games from early February to the first week of March. They had three Big Ten losses by two or less points in the first month and they just looked like they had no idea how to close out in tight games. After all the losses last year in the 8-23 season, it took awhile for them to learn how to finish games against good teams down the stretch. In the second half of the season, they were much better at that.

You mentioned Akeem Springs, how big of an impact will the loss of Springs be in this game, and who steps in the fill the void?

Losing Akeem Springs definitely hurts Minnesota. He was the only senior in the rotation this season and coach Pitino has raved about his leadership all year long. Akeem is a very confident player who is a solid defender and has a knack for hitting big shots from deep (He shot 38% from three-point range this year). While the loss of Springs shrinks their rotation a bit, Minnesota would be in much bigger trouble if they had lost one of their big men of Jordan Murphy, Reggie Lynch, or Eric Curry. The replacement for Springs is sophomore southpaw Dupree McBrayer. Dupree started the first 17 games for Minnesota this season over Springs before the lineup switch previous to the first Wisconsin game. McBrayer averages 27.6 minutes per game and had really embraced his sixth man role after being moved to the bench. He went through a mid-season lull after a hot start to the year but has been playing very well as of late. McBrayer has scored at least 14 points in three of his past five games and he shoots 41% from three-point range this year. He played all 40 minutes against Michigan on Saturday and will likely be asked to play 35 plus minutes against Middle Tennessee.

On paper, Minnesota's averages were better in every major category compared to their opponents (Points, shooting percentages, rebounds, steals, blocks, etc). What makes them so well rounded?

They are just a balanced team. There is not one guy that they need to score 25 points to win a game. It's not unusual for them to have four or five guys in double figures and they will likely need that kind of output from their lineup if they are going to win tomorrow afternoon. Illinois State transfer Reggie Lynch has been terrific defensively this season and is second in the nation in blocked shots per game at 3.5. His rim protection has allowed the Gophers perimeter defenders to take more chances and play tight defense because they know that they have the big man in back to clean up some of their mistakes. Starting forward Jordan Murphy and his backup Eric Curry combine to pull down 14.1 rebounds per game, which has been huge in limiting teams' second chances. In terms of their shooting percentages, they are not a great jump shooting team and they will struggle if their guards try to take too many three's. The Gophers are at their best when they are attacking the paint with their backcourt and getting Murphy and Lynch touches in the paint. The team's that have been able to have the most success against the Gophers are the ones that force them to shoot jump shots and keep them out of the lane. With Minnesota's solid interior defense as well, teams usually need to shoot at a high percentage from outside if they are going to win.

The turnaround of this Gopher team from last year to now has been incredible, and they received the second highest seed among Big Ten teams in this years field. Do you see any added pressure being put on this team to not only win this game, but to make a deep run in the tournament?

Not really. This team has really won the fanbase back after sinking to rock bottom last year with their 8-23 record and numerous off the court issues. They have finished fourth or higher in the Big Ten for the first time in 12 years, registered five road conference wins for the first time in 20 years, and went on an eight-game conference winning streak for the first time in over 20 years. The Gophers definitely have the talent and chemistry to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament this year. But I don't think there is any huge pressure because they return virtually everyone next season. They will also add two impact freshman guards in Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris and return redshirt junior forward Davonte Fitzgerald from an ACL injury. So while the fanbase would love to see this team advance in the NCAA Tournament and go on a little run, they really can't be too upset when you look back at the season that they have had. One year ago people were calling for the immediate removal of Richard Pitino, and now they are praising him as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. At the same time, you can never take it for granted any time you get to play in the NCAA Tournament and Minnesota hasn't been there in four years, so winning a couple games would really build excitement for the future.

BONUS QUESTION: Give us a prediction for the game and why do you see it shaking out that way?

The depth that Middle Tennessee has is a concern for Minnesota because they have several guys that can beat you if a player or two are having off games. The lack of depth that Minnesota has allows them a slim margin of error, especially if they have guys that get into foul trouble early on. At the same time, Minnesota has been excellent this season with their back against the wall and they are a resilient bunch that should be ready to go after four days of rest after the Big Ten Tournament. I see this one going down to the wire and coming down to a one-possession game late. I think the Gophers find a way to pull this one out by getting enough stops on defense late and attacking the paint on offense. Nate Mason and Amir Coffey will each have 20 points.

Minnesota 69

Middle Tennessee 68