| Big Ten Men's Basketball No. 21/22 Wisconsin vs. Minnesota | ||
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| 18-6 (7-4 Big Ten) | 17-7 (5-6 Big Ten) | |
| Feb. 9, 2012 6:00 PM CT Williams Arena (14,625), Minneapolis, MN | ||
| TV: ESPN (Dave O'Brien, Stephen Bardo) Radio: 1070 FM / 1310 AM (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas) | ||
| All-time Series: Minnesota leads 100-89 Last Meeting: UW won 68-60 (12/28/10) | ||
The border battle between the Badgers and Gophers renews for the 190th time tonight. Minnesota leads the series in Minneapolis, 67-30.
Gopher fans can only wish that Minnesota native Jordan Taylor had stayed home, because Tubby Smith's team lacks a true point guard. What they do have is a bevy of young guards in the 6'1 to 6'4" range, like the Hollins brothers. Freshman Joe Coleman in particular has raised his level of play lately to bring some toughness to the backcourt. Both he and high-flying Rodney Williams have been the keys to Minnesota's remarkable turnaround. After starting 0-4 in conference, the Gophers have won five of seven.
Wisconsin is trying to avoid starting another losing streak and will have to shake off the rough shooting performance they produced against Ohio State. Taylor must also regain his recent form taking care of the ball. Ryan Evans is coming off his third-straight game in double figures and is now scoring 10 ppg in Big Ten play.