In Tulsa, Gophers have a mirror of themselves
The Gophers finally found someone their own size to pick on. Whether that's a good thing or not, coach Dan Monson isn't so sure.
"I don't like this matchup at all," said Monson, whose 18-13 Gophers play 22-11 Tulsa in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament at 7 tonight at Williams Arena.
Tulsa doesn't start a player taller than 6-7. Its bench has one person bigger than 6-9, and he's young and basically a nonfactor.
Sound familiar?
"They're a lot like us," Gophers guard Terrance Simmons said. "They're a perimeter-oriented team. We're a perimeter-oriented team. ... We might have to put up 40 three-pointers to win this one."
Why then is Monson so worried?
For starters, Tulsa's Greg Harrington, Marcus Hill and David Shelton were key players on last season's team that went 32-5 and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Second, the Golden Hurricane has better three-point shooters (.389 to the Gophers' .380).
Third, and most important when it comes to Monson's bombardiers, Tulsa defends the three-point arc as well as any team Monson has seen this season.
"They defend it with all five guys," Monson said. "Even their big guys are athletic enough to get out and stop three-pointers."
In their 87-78 victory over Villanova in the first round of the NIT, the Gophers launched 30 three-point attempts.
"We have to live and die with the three-pointer," Monson said. "Against Villanova, we lived."
Like Minnesota, Tulsa averages 20.4 three-point attempts per game. The Golden Hurricane makes an average of 7.9 per game, slightly better than the Gophers' 7.7 average.
"I wouldn't say we live and die by the shot," said Hill, a 6-5 guard, "but it's certainly one of our main threats."
Tulsa also is tough to defend because all five starters average double figures in scoring. And although the Gophers might use only eight players tonight, Tulsa has nine who average at least 10 minutes a game.
Kevin Johnson, a 6-7, 215-pound sophomore, has been the Golden Hurricane's biggest surprise this season. Two years ago he was playing for the Homeschool Christian Youth Association Warriors in Missouri City, Texas. This season he's starting and leading the Golden Hurricane in scoring (13.5 points per game), rebounding (7.0 per game) and blocked shots (2.4 per game).
The Gophers' biggest advantage came late Wednesday when the NIT gave them another home game, despite the fact that only 4,529 attended the Villanova game. Tulsa drew 5,748 to its 75-71 victory over California-Irvine but was sent on the road because Williams Arena holds 14,625 while Donald W. Reynolds Center holds only 8,355.
Unlike Villanova, which had no spark against the Gophers, the Golden Hurricane insists it has shaken its NCAA blues. Tulsa was bumped from the NCAA tournament when it was upset by Hawaii in the Western Athletic Conference final.
Hill said the loss was crushing. He said he wasn't able to sleep until 7 a.m. the next day. Needless to say, the NCAA's Selection Sunday show that day was a downer for the Hurricane.
"I was worried about what happens if we get an NIT bid," Peterson said. "The guys were moping all over the place."
Tulsa fell behind 18-8 in the first 10 minutes before finally waking up.
"It was hard, especially for the seniors, because after going to the Elite Eight, all you want to do is go back to the NCAA," Hill said. "But now, it's just like any other tournament with a championship. We want to win it all."
The Gophers finally found someone their own size to pick on. Whether that's a good thing or not, coach Dan Monson isn't so sure.
"I don't like this matchup at all," said Monson, whose 18-13 Gophers play 22-11 Tulsa in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament at 7 tonight at Williams Arena.
Tulsa doesn't start a player taller than 6-7. Its bench has one person bigger than 6-9, and he's young and basically a nonfactor.
Sound familiar?
"They're a lot like us," Gophers guard Terrance Simmons said. "They're a perimeter-oriented team. We're a perimeter-oriented team. ... We might have to put up 40 three-pointers to win this one."
Why then is Monson so worried?
For starters, Tulsa's Greg Harrington, Marcus Hill and David Shelton were key players on last season's team that went 32-5 and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Second, the Golden Hurricane has better three-point shooters (.389 to the Gophers' .380).
Third, and most important when it comes to Monson's bombardiers, Tulsa defends the three-point arc as well as any team Monson has seen this season.
"They defend it with all five guys," Monson said. "Even their big guys are athletic enough to get out and stop three-pointers."
In their 87-78 victory over Villanova in the first round of the NIT, the Gophers launched 30 three-point attempts.
"We have to live and die with the three-pointer," Monson said. "Against Villanova, we lived."
Like Minnesota, Tulsa averages 20.4 three-point attempts per game. The Golden Hurricane makes an average of 7.9 per game, slightly better than the Gophers' 7.7 average.
"I wouldn't say we live and die by the shot," said Hill, a 6-5 guard, "but it's certainly one of our main threats."
Tulsa also is tough to defend because all five starters average double figures in scoring. And although the Gophers might use only eight players tonight, Tulsa has nine who average at least 10 minutes a game.
Kevin Johnson, a 6-7, 215-pound sophomore, has been the Golden Hurricane's biggest surprise this season. Two years ago he was playing for the Homeschool Christian Youth Association Warriors in Missouri City, Texas. This season he's starting and leading the Golden Hurricane in scoring (13.5 points per game), rebounding (7.0 per game) and blocked shots (2.4 per game).
The Gophers' biggest advantage came late Wednesday when the NIT gave them another home game, despite the fact that only 4,529 attended the Villanova game. Tulsa drew 5,748 to its 75-71 victory over California-Irvine but was sent on the road because Williams Arena holds 14,625 while Donald W. Reynolds Center holds only 8,355.
Unlike Villanova, which had no spark against the Gophers, the Golden Hurricane insists it has shaken its NCAA blues. Tulsa was bumped from the NCAA tournament when it was upset by Hawaii in the Western Athletic Conference final.
Hill said the loss was crushing. He said he wasn't able to sleep until 7 a.m. the next day. Needless to say, the NCAA's Selection Sunday show that day was a downer for the Hurricane.
"I was worried about what happens if we get an NIT bid," Peterson said. "The guys were moping all over the place."
Tulsa fell behind 18-8 in the first 10 minutes before finally waking up.
"It was hard, especially for the seniors, because after going to the Elite Eight, all you want to do is go back to the NCAA," Hill said. "But now, it's just like any other tournament with a championship. We want to win it all."
