GOPHERS MEN'S HOOPS vs. NEBRASKA
THREE THINGS TO WATCH:
Senior sendoff – Gophers seniors Michael Hurt, Alihan Demir and Brady Rudrud will be honored in their last home game Sunday against Nebraska. Hurt, a Rochester, Minn. native, has played in 109 career games in maroon and gold, including 23 games this season. The 6-foot-7 forward started 14 games as a sophomore during the 2017-18 season when the Gophers suffered several injuries, but his playing time was limited the last two years. Still, Hurt was named a team captain this year and found ways to lead from the bench. Demir, a Drexel transfer, averaged 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds and started 28 games. He hasn't been as impactful as the Gophers expected as an outside shooting threat (17 percent in Big Ten play from three-point range, including 20 straight misses). But Demir made strides rebounding against stronger frontcourt players in the league. Rudrud was a former walk-on who earned a scholarship this season. The Eden Prairie native had opportunities to play Division II and Division III basketball, but his dream was to play for the Gophers. Rudrud and Hurt have been roommates during their entire career.
Oturu swan song – It's been more than a decade since a Gophers big man had the type of impact in one season that sophomore Daniel Oturu experienced this year. The 6-10 former Cretin-Derham Hall standout will likely finish the regular season as the first player in program history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since Kris Humphries in 2004. All signs point to this being Oturu's last game Sunday at the Barn with the chance to be the first Gopher drafted since Humphries was taken in the lottery 15 years ago. Nobody has enjoyed playing for his home state more than Oturu, who could give Gophers fans something to remember in the regular season finale. He's averaging 25 points and 12.8 rebounds in his last four games. Oturu ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (20.3), but he's No. 1 in rebounding (11.6), blocks (2.5) and field goal percentage (56.2). Who was the last player to lead the Big Ten in those three categories in the regular season? That would be former No. 1 NBA Draft pick and Ohio State center Greg Oden in 2007. Oturu, who had 24 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday's loss at Indiana, will give Minnesota its third straight Big Ten rebounding champion overall after Jordan Murphy was the league leader in 2018 and 2019.
Depleted backcourt – Nebraska's starting guards Cam Mack and Dachon Burke, who combined to average more than 24 points and eight rebounds this season, have been suspended indefinitely by the school and will not play Sunday vs. the Gophers. Mack, who leads the team with 6.5 assists, was already suspended for Thursday's loss at Michigan for violating team rules. Mack was replaced in the starting lineup by walk-on freshman Charley Easley. The Cornhuskers will be down to only seven scholarship players Sunday. Meanwhile, the Gophers are at full strength in their backcourt with sophomores Marcus Carr and Gabe Kalscheur and junior Payton Willis. Carr and Willis are hoping to bounce back after being held to just 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting combined at Indiana. Kalscheur was the only other Gophers player after Oturu to score in double figures with 14 points, but he shot 1-for-6 from three Wednesday.
GAME INFO
Time: 12 p.m. CT, Sunday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Minnesota 16-point favorite. Series: The Gophers hold the edge 52-18, including a 62-61 win in the last meeting on Feb. 13, 2020 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. TV: Big Ten Network. Online/Live video: BTNPlus. Radio: 100.3.
PROJECTED STARTERS
MINNESOTA GOPHERS (13-16, 7-12)
Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG
G – Marcus Carr 6-2 So. 15.4
G – Payton Willis 6-5 Jr. 8.9
G – Gabe Kalscheur 6-4 So. 11.3
F – Alihan Demir 6-9 Sr. 6.7
C – Daniel Oturu 6-10 So. 20.3
Key reserves – Tre' Williams, G, 6-5, Fr., 3.1 ppg; Jarvis Omersa, F, 6-7, So., 1.9 ppg; Michael Hurt, F, 6-7, Sr., 1.3 ppg; Isaiah Ihnen, F, 6-9, Fr., 3.0 ppg.
Coach: Richard Pitino 143-122 (8th season overall)
Notable: Freshman forward Isaiah Ihnen scored a career-high nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range (all in the first half) in Wednesday's loss at Indiana. Ihnen also had six points and a career-high 10 rebounds last week at Wisconsin in 24 minutes off the bench. He returned from a wrist injury to score a career-best nine points on 3-for-7 shooting from three-point range the previous game in a loss against Maryland. The 6-9 German native missed the previous game at Northwestern after hurting his right wrist in practice. Ihnen came back even stronger with three three-pointers in the first half to help lead the Gophers to a 17-point lead against the Big Ten's top team. Ihnen had combined for 10 points and three blocks in losses to Indiana and Iowa that showed he was progressing ... Marcus Carr broke the Gophers' single-season Big Ten assists record held by Ray Williams with 118 in 1976-77. The sophomore point guard already set the overall school single-season record for assists by reaching 182 in the Maryland loss.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (7-23, 2-17)
Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG
G – Charlie Easley 6-2 Fr. 1.8
G – Hananif Cheatham 6-5 Sr. 12.8
F – Thorir Thorbjarnarson 6-6 Jr. 8.6
F – Kevin Cross 6-8 Fr. 6.5
F – Yvan Ouedraogo 6-9 Fr. 5.7
Key reserves – Jervay Green, G, 6-3, Jr., 7.7 ppg; Akol Arop, F, 6-6
Coach: Fred Hoiberg 122-78 (6th season)
Notable: The Cornhuskers under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg have lost 15 straight games. They are 0-11 on the road, but they have wins against Iowa and Purdue in Big Ten play at home. Five losses have been by single digits, including 72-70 at Maryland on Feb. 11. Nebraska's last victory was on 76-70 on Jan. 7 against the Hawkeyes at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Pitino is 3-6 in his career against the Cornhuskers, including a 88-73 loss at the Barn on March 2, 2017.
Fuller's prediction (18-11 with picks): Gophers 80, Nebraska 65.
