Big Ten Basketball: Michigan’s rout puts them on top of Power Rankings

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-4, 3-4 Big Ten)

Minnesota has been felled in conference play after a hot start to the season. They’re coming off two straight losses, both of the blowout fashion.

First, they lost at Michigan by 25 points. Then, they lost at Iowa by 15 points. When the Golden Gophers lose, they lose big – they also lost to Illinois by 27 points. None of the team’s four losses have come by single digits.

The thing is, Minnesota is capable of keeping up with the big teams in the Big Ten. They crushed Michigan State by 25 points. They crushed Ohio State by 17 points. They even managed to beat Iowa earlier in the season by hitting them pound-for-pound, dropping 102 points on the Hawkeyes.

The inconsistency is frustrating, but the all-or-nothing facet of the Golden gophers can be infuriating. They’re either wrecking teams or getting wrecked themselves, but there’s no inbetween for Minnesota. They’ve only had one game this season decided by one basket, a three-point win over Loyola Marymount.

Minnesota will go as far as Marcus Carr carries them. He has scored less than 15 points only three times all season, each time resulting in a loss. The junior guard is averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game in his second season with Minnesota.