MSU is walking into a win-lose situation heading into tonight's matchup with Minnesota. Win and keep hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth alive; lose and consider its dance card lost in the mail.
A loss at the Breslin Center tonight for the Spartans (14-11 overall, 6-6 Big Ten) could be catastrophic and running the table in the Big Ten Tournament might be the Spartans only hope for reaching the NCAA Tournament.
The Golden Gophers, on the other hand, are looking to steal a conference game on the road to keep their own tourney hopes afloat.
Minnesota (16-7, 8-4) strung several lopsided runs together en route to a 77-69 win in January when the teams met at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Though Jan. 18 was a sour homecoming for sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson (he scored only 4 points before fouling out with 3:18 remaining) the Minneapolis native knows what the game means for MSU.
"We know our backs are against the wall, so we will play like it," Anderson said. "We have to play like it. We've got one of the top contenders in the Big Ten, so it's an all-out effort."
Anything less could equate to a loss. The Gophers might be one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, winning seven of their past eight games. The past eight include winning two of three on the road - respectable considering Big Ten teams' difficulty winning conference games on the road.
Head coach Tom Izzo said shutting down Minnesota's Big Ten-leading 37 percent 3-point accuracy - a big part of the Gophers' win earlier this year - is vital for a much-needed Spartan win.
"Minnesota's playing awfully well right now," Izzo said. "We're going to have to stop the 3-point shot and not turn the ball over a lot. Those are the two keys."
In addition to leading the conference in 3-point shooting, Minnesota's hot streak has given them the edge in some areas MSU normally prides itself on.
The Gophers lead the Big Ten in blocked shots (6.96 per game), steals (7.8 per game) and offensive rebounds (12.8 per game).
Expect the battle on the glass to be fierce. MSU snagged a season-high 48 rebounds against Minnesota when the teams met last month.
Izzo called tonight an opportunity for redemption from past losses.
"They're playing as well as anyone left on our schedule," he said. "So the good news is this is our chance to redeem ourselves for (losses against Illinois and Syracuse).
But Minnesota head coach Dan Monson said wins matter more than redemption at this time of year.
Last year, Monson's Gophers went 9-7 in the Big Ten and were denied a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
"The exciting thing for us in this stretch run is it's the middle of February and we're in the thick of things," he said Monday. "It's just a matter of us being able to take advantage of it as we go down the road."
