Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

By Adam Childs

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: Big Ten logo on the floor before the Big Ten Men's Basketball Final against the Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan Wolverines at the Verizon Center on March 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Wolverines won 71-56. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: Big Ten logo on the floor before the Big Ten Men's Basketball Final against the Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan Wolverines at the Verizon Center on March 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Wolverines won 71-56. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 23: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 23: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

487. . . . Golden Gophers . 12. team

The Golden Gophers are a hard team to predict heading into the 2020 season. They have a great player in Marcus Carr and a namesake in freshman Jamal Mashburn Jr but have very little depth in the frontcourt.

They could have one of the better backcourts in the conference, but without any help down low it could be a long season in Minneapolis. Two transfers in Liam Robbins (Drake) and Both Gach (Utah) should be able to get waivers to play and that will help but can they produce in the Big Ten?

Carr and Mashburn Jr. look like they will do just fine for the Gophers and will be tough to stop, but the key is down low. The loss of Daniel Oturu is huge. He was nearly unstoppable inside for Minnesota last year and when he stayed out of foul trouble he was one of the best in the league.

Richard Pitino like a couple of other coaches in the conference can feel his seat getting warmer and this could be the year that puts the final nail in the coffin. Pitino has not had a lot of success in Minneapolis and hasn’t been able to get over that hump.

This year does not look like the year it will happen, but hey we didn’t expect Penn State and Rutgers to be great last year either. Anything can happen, but a lot would have to break right for the Gophers to make a splash in the Big Ten.

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