Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Michigan makes big statement to start the season

By Austin Walther

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers reaches for the ball to keep it in bounds during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Mackey Arena on February 25, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers reaches for the ball to keep it in bounds during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Mackey Arena on February 25, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 20: Dupree McBrayer
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 20: Dupree McBrayer /

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0)

They have played two power-conference teams, but it’s kind of hard to believe it. Usually if a team has wins over Utah and Texas A&M, they’d be a little higher than ninth. But everyone else has had a couple better wins. The win over the Utes was a nice nine-point victory and the Aggies victory was on neutral court and that was a five-point performance.

Minnesota hast yet to get Eric Curry back. That’s beginning to show. But Amir Coffey has been handed the keys to the team and it has paid off. He’s a junior and Richard Pitino wanted him to be the guy. Isaiah Washington had some promise after last season’s freshman campaign, but he felt it was Coffey’s time.

Dupree McBrayer is the unsung hero of the team. He’s one of two veterans that are looking for a major turnaround after last season. He has seven made three-pointers while averaging over 12 points per game. Jordan Murphy hasn’t really exploded yet offensively, but the man can rebound. He will average a double-double this season. The freshmen Daniel Oturu and Gabe Kalschuer are exceeding expectations right now. Oturu is a nice front court partner for Murphy and Kalschuer is turning into the other three-pointer shooter that the Gophers needed.

Minnesota isn’t in a Tournament per say and they didn’t get a match up for the Gavitt Games. So scheduling Utah was needed and drawing the Aggies helped. They’re going to get a really nice test on Wednesday against Washington. The Huskies haven’t looked as impressive as some had thought, but they’re still a top-five team in the Pac-12. We’ll know more about this team in the finale of the tour in Vancouver.

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