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Rutgers looks to avoid a repeat against depleted Minnesota

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Jan 22, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Gophers forward Charlie Daniels (15) passes the ball as Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Mawot Mag (3) guards him during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota (7-13; 1-9) visits the RAC on Wednesday night (8:30 pm, BTN) to take on Rutgers (14-7; 6-4). The Gophers bring plenty of injury issues with them to Piscataway. Their leading scorer, Dawson Garcia, has missed the past two games after injuring his right ankle against Michigan on January 22. Head coach Ben Johnson said on Tuesday that he remains a game-time decision.

 

Garcia leads Minnesota with 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds, along with 1.8 assists in 30.6 minutes per game. He’s shooting 44.7% from the floor, 32.3% from three-point range, and 71.6% from the foul line. The Gophers offense runs through the 6″11″ Garcia, who can stretch the floor with his versatile skill set. The North Carolina and Marquette transfer

While his injury is not serious, he is not being rushed back. Whether he plays against Rutgers on Wednesday night remains to be seen.

After Saturday’s 20 point loss at Northwestern, Johnson explained that Garcia wasn’t comfortable making moves off of his right foot.

“We’re going to be really smart with that,” Johnson said. “He couldn’t do it. I’d rather be overly cautious with it, so that when he comes back, he’s able to finish the year. We’ll see what he’s got for Wednesday [at Rutgers].”

Dealing with injuries is something Minnesota is used to. Frontcourt players Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen suffered season ending ACL injuries during summer workouts.

Guard Braeden Carrington is out for an extended period due to a stress reaction with his right leg. He’s averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game, but hasn’t played in over two weeks.

Freshman Pharrel Payne returned against Northwestern after missing a game due to concussion protocols. He is averaging 7.0 points on 67.5% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 21.8 minutes per game.

And then second leading scorer Jamison Battle, who has stepped up in Garcia’s absence with back to back 20 point games, is playing through a back injury. He also missed the first four games of the season following foot surgery.

In addition, Wednesday’s game at the RAC will be the sixth game in 16 days for Minnesota.

With all that being said, there is zero reason for Rutgers to take the last place Gophers lightly. And they don’t have to look far to realize why.

Last season, RU visited Minnesota, who were missing three starters and only had the league minimum requirement of seven scholarship players. They ended up losing anyway 68-65. It was a damaging defeat that would have been mourned forever had the Scarlet Knights not recovered by beating four ranked opponents in a row and advancing to the a second straight NCAA Tournament.

The good news is Payton Willis, who scored a career high 32 points in the victory, is out of eligibility. Although they will remember reserve center Treyton Thompson, who is back and will wear a mask over his newly broken nose. He’s averaging just 2.1 points and 2.4 points in 11.5 minutes per game. However he delivered 10 points and 6 rebounds in Minnesota’s shorthanded upset victory over Rutgers last season at the Barn.

Rutgers comes home after a deflating 93-82 loss at Iowa on Sunday. The game against Minnesota is an opportunity to get back on track at the RAC. Despite the disappointing performance against the Hawkeyes, RU is in a good spot. They’re currently tied in third place in the Big Ten after playing the hardest first half of the schedule in the league. Steve Pikiell’s team is No. 17 in KenPom and No. 22 in the NET rankings. The consensus projection for the Scarlet Knights by the bracketologists is as a No. 5 seed for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

As a decades long Rutgers fan, I can honestly say all of this makes me nervous. That’s not fair to this current team, but feelings are feelings. This is the last quad 4 game on the schedule and they’re close to avoiding any resume landmines this season.

Minnesota has nothing to lose. Being a wounded team also makes them a dangerous team. Their one win in Big Ten play came at Ohio State, a place RU has never won. And if Garcia does play, it will give his team an emotional lift. Without him and just seven scholarship players, the Gophers led red hot Indiana in the final minute plus last week before losing by 4 points. The Scarlet Knights are also playing on just two days between games along with a reported delayed arrival from Iowa City on Monday. This is the Big Ten, there are no easy games.

All of that being said, Rutgers is a double digit favorite for a reason. They’re still No. 2 nationally in defensive efficiency and have held 12 of 14 opponents to their season scoring low at the RAC. The top six players for RU all experienced the loss at Minnesota last season. Motivation will be there to not allow the same thing to happen twice. This team has played with a togetherness and toughness all season. They’ve been through plenty of adversity and never back down. And of course, the RAC is the RAC.

Don’t confuse long term trauma with doubt. I believe in this team fully and think they’ll win on Wednesday night. It’s a get well game and Rutgers is the better team. It’s also not a road game like last year.  However, I suspect other fans will be going through the same anxious game day rituals they normally do but perhaps a bit more than usual.

For a complete game preview, click here.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. BataliBoli98

    February 1, 2023 at 12:02 am

    I feel like as RU fans we are always nervous. I saw that ESPN gives RU a 97% chance of winning and that makes me every more apprehensive. That said, RU needs to come out and just take it to MN early and not give them any reason to hope. As Aaron implied, the longer they stay in the game the more dangerous it will get. Hopefully, Cam gets back on track and it would be nice to see Simpson also getting some of his mojo back. Go RU!

  2. InPikeWeTrust

    February 1, 2023 at 3:18 am

    This team has proven to be a different animal. With a full compliment of players, they’ve feasted on inferior teams. I don’t think there’s any reason to think otherwise. I agree with BOLI98. This is a game Spencer and Simpson can get some mojo back, especially Simpson. I watched some of the IU game and Minny showed some guts but were not quick at all in the backcourt. Battle seems like a perfect candidate for Caleb and Mag to contain. He’s dangerous though. Got a sweet left-handed stroke and is versatile enough to get to the rim. Cliff should be able to impose his will. Let’s get Aiden Terry a bucket 🙂 then onto the Garden Party and some vengeance against Sparty.

  3. pj43

    February 1, 2023 at 4:00 am

    I get that there’s some angst about this game, but even I have to believe that Rutgers’ defense will suffocate MN. The offense will have an opportunity to get out and score in transition where it does a good job of finishing, which should be sufficient maintain a comfortable edge and victory. When I worry is when the team has to rely on its inconsistent half court offense in a tight game. That shouldn’t be the case against MN.

  4. thevinman

    February 1, 2023 at 4:47 am

    I sure hope we not only win, but blow them out with Cam getting his shooting touch back as both Bataliboli and Inpikewetrust said.

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