Gophers Struggle After Failing to Take Advantage of Favorable Home Schedule
Minnesota missed a prime opportunity to build momentum this season at home. After two surprising wins in Los Angeles, the Gophers had a chance to strengthen their Big Ten standing with two favorable home games against Penn State and Northwestern. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize, losing both games by a combined 21 points.
As a result, Minnesota finds itself on the Big Ten Tournament bubble, tied for 15th place following Tuesday night’s loss. With a 10-8 home record, four of those losses came against teams ranked outside the top 50 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).
“This one feels like we’re stuck, and that’s something we’ve got to work through. We need to fight through being stuck,” said head coach Ben Johnson after the loss to Northwestern. “We’re mentally stuck right now. I can’t exactly pinpoint what’s different when we’re at home, but we’re a completely different team.”
The Gophers are 4-4 on the road this season, with victories over UCLA, USC, Iowa, and Penn State. However, they’ve suffered losses by 15 points to Indiana, 21 points to Wisconsin, 6 points to Maryland, and 22 points to Michigan State.
Johnson mentioned that he and his coaching staff tried to recreate the environment of their successful LA road trip by setting up the locker room like a visiting team’s and conducting the pregame talk as if they were on the road.
With the Gophers now approaching their fifth consecutive season without an NCAA Tournament appearance, it’s becoming harder to generate excitement among fans. Johnson has urged fans to continue showing support at home, though the results have been mixed.
Despite hosting just a handful of NCAA Tournament-caliber teams this season, Minnesota has suffered significant home losses to North Texas, Washington, Penn State, and Northwestern. Their non-conference victories came by narrow margins against teams like Omaha, Yale, and Central Michigan.
Every Division I basketball coach will tell you that winning on the road is tough. While the Gophers have proven they can compete away from home, their struggles to protect their home court could cost them the chance to play in the postseason.
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