The last time the U of M men’s basketball team had a national ranking as lofty as their current status in the number 11 spot, they were on their way to the Final Four.
If you’re too young to remember that 1997 squad, you’d better ask your elders about it. You can’t read about it in the NCAA records, since an academic fraud scandal led them to erase any mention of those Gophers. But we digress.
The point is, this year’s team is gettin’ it done like no other recent version of the Gophers. They went 12-1 in their non-conference schedule, with the only loss coming at the hands of the top-ranked team in the country, Duke. As they prepare for Big Ten play, one website thinks a conference victory total of more than ten is feasible.
Another put together a wish list for the Gophers that includes stronger defensive rebounding (Minnesota is last among Big Ten teams in that stat) and a healthy Trevor Mbakwe — two wishes that are likely related to each other.
