The Northwestern Wildcats' quest for the NCAA Tournament took a bit of a stumble this week when the team was blown out on the road vs. the Wisconsin Badgers, but the team can get back on track, and notch a much needed road win, on Saturday vs the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The game may be double important considering that both teams may be in the group battling it out for the Big Ten's final tournament spot, and a head-to-head victory could go a long way in moving the Wildcats up the pecking order.
The Gophers, for their part, started off Big Ten play with four straight losses, but have picked it up recently with two straight wins over the Indiana Hoosiers and Penn State Nittany Lions, both on the road. The team is led by senior forward Trevor Mbakwe, who is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds on the season. As a group, the Gophers are extremely efficient from the field, and their 47% shooting as a team is good for 40th in the NCAA.
Game date/time: Sunday, January 22, 2012, 2:00 p.m. CST
Location: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minn.
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: WGN 720 AM
Odds: Minnesota favored by 5.5
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