3 keys for the Gophers to advance past Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament

What does Minnesota need to do in order to advance past the Wildcats?

Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Parker Fox (23) shoots as Northwestern Wildcats center Matthew Nicholson (34) defends during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers' 2024-25 season isn't done just yet. They will look to pull off the improbable run of winning five games in five days to claim the Big Ten's automatic bid at this week's conference tournament. First, they will have to beat Northwestern on Wednesday night, so let's look at three questions they will need to answer if they want to advance into the next round.

Fitting Frank Mitchell/Brennan Rigsby into the rotation

Outside of Dawson Garcia and Lu'Cye Patterson, Frank Mitchell and Brennan Rigsby have been Minnesota's most effective players over the last three games. Mitchell is averaging 10.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 93.8% from the field. Rigsby is averaging 12.6 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field and 53.8% from three. Their minutes continue to increase, but it's clear that Minnesota is a better team when they're on the floor, and they both should continue playing more than 25 minutes per game.

Let someone not named Nick Martinelli beat you

Nick Martinelli has scored fewer than 20 points 16 times this season, and Northwestern is 7-9 in those games. They're 9-6 when he scores 20 points or more. It's not a new strategy to slow down the team's best player, but Minnesota had no answer for him when he scored 29 points in their regular season matchup. Their chances of winning would increase dramatically if they can limit him on Wednesday.

What do you do with Mike Mitchell Jr.?

Mike Mitchell Jr. has made one of his last 17 shots from the field. He is shooting 5.8% in Minnesota's last four games. His minutes have decreased to 19.8 per game during this stretch, but he's averaging only 1.3 assists per game. At this point of the season, it would be hard to completely go away from a veteran player, but it's clear that Patterson, Rigsby and Isaac Asuma are all playing at a higher level.

Prediction:

In the last five games, the Gophers have looked like a team that is incredibly hard to trust. They had an impressive win over Nebraska on the road, but they lost at Rutgers and to Wisconsin, Penn State and Northwestern at home. I expect a better effort from Minnesota than their matchup last month, but at 3-2 in their last five, the Wildcats are simply playing at a more consistent level, and I feel more confident trusting them in a tournament setting.

• Score: Northwestern 72, Minnesota 64

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