Gophers men's basketball-Butler game preview
November 12, 2019 at 5:08AM
Bulldogs own home floor in nonconference games
Preview: The Gophers (1-1) are looking to avoid losing two consecutive nonconference games for the first time since the 2015-16 season. In order to do that, they will have to end the second-longest nonconference home winning streak in the country. Butler (2-0) has won 52 consecutive nonconference games at Hinkle Fieldhouse, trailing only Duke's streak of 148. The Gophers lost 71-62 to Oklahoma in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday. The Bulldogs have withstood having only six healthy and eligible players. Returning All-Big East guard Kamar Baldwin has seen his scoring average drop from 17.5 to 3.5 points per game this season after injuries limited him to a total of 19 minutes over two games.
Players to watch: Through two games, the Gophers have gotten 66% of their scoring and 57% of their rebounding from three players. Marcus Carr (17.0), Payton Willis (16.0) and Daniel Oturu (15.5) are averaging a combined 48.5 points per game. Oturu (9.5) and Carr (8.5) combine to average 18 rebounds. The undermanned Bulldogs have gotten contributions from several players in two victories, most notably guard Sean McDermott and Wisconsin-Milwaukee transfer Ben Eze.
Numbers: Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy played for the Gophers in their only previous game at Hinkle, a 70-68 triple overtime victory on Dec. 22, 1973. The two programs last met when the Gophers beat Butler 82-73 in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2009; that Bulldogs team lost to Duke in the first of back-to-back national championship game appearances for Butler.
MARCUS FULLER
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Brennan Rigsby, a transfer from Oregon, has a 40-inch vertical and can shoot from long range. The Gophers are counting on him now with Mike Mitchell Jr., injured.
