Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: 3 takeaways from Minnesota’s blowout loss at Northwestern

By Tommy McGowan

Feb 9, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson points to the bench against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson points to the bench against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Ta’lon Cooper Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Ta’lon Cooper Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports /

Different kind of defense

After running a zone defense nearly the entire way in their 61-57 loss to Indiana the game prior, Ben Johnson’s group opened up with the same look in this one. They quickly moved away from the approach after numerous threes from Northwestern’s guards, but it will be interesting to see whether this strategy is one Minnesota deploys more often down the stretch.

The zone is likely more of a response to this short-handed roster than a long-lasting strategy, but it could afford this Gopher team to slow down some of the fast-paced teams remaining on their schedule, while shielding their bigs from early foul trouble. Freshman center Pharrel Payne in particular has been a constant target from opposing offenses, with foul troubles forcing him into minutes restrictions in previous defeats at the hands of Michigan and Purdue.

A zone could also reduce the impact of poor perimeter defense and also save the team’s legs deeper into games. Neither Cooper nor backcourt mate Taurus Samuels are considered great on-ball defenders and a different defensive scheme could be exactly what is needed to lessen their negative impacts.

Preserving this team’s energy could be the greatest positive a shift to zone could have on this Gopher team. The lack of depth on the roster has been a problem all season, and it’s shown in close games down the stretch. Oftentimes, they simply don’t have the legs to compete with some of the best teams the league has to offer, which can cause their offense to be stagnant and lead to questionable fouls on the other end. If this team could have more energy in the final five minutes, it would go a long way in helping them come out on top in tight league games.

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