Gophers Look For A 'W' In Madison
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Gopher forward Joey King say there's nothing like a Gopher-Wisconsin game.
"Just the opportunity to play Wisconsin, it's something that people from Minnesota really look forward to," King said.
The win the first time may have changed the Gopher's season. It also changed the way teams see Mo Walker, a key down the stretch, according to Coach Richard Pitino.
"It will be a lot more difficult for Mo this game just because just because when teams game-plan for you, so I'm sure they're going to talk a lot about what they're going to do defensively versus him," Pitino said. "He's probably gained a lot more respect from people in the league."
The Badgers restored hope with a last-second win over Michigan State, and the Gophers know how hard it is to win at Kohl Center.
You can play with them, but Andre Hollins says beating them is different.
"It's a fun place to play," Hollins said. "It's an NBA-style arena, holds like 17,000 fans and they're all screaming. It's a boarder battle, you know. It's always a great game."
For marketing purposes, they call this "Rivalry Week" in college basketball. But the truth is it's separation week in the Big Ten. There have been a number of teams who have been up and down, including the Gophers. A couple wins this week and the NCAA Tournament becomes a realistic thought.
They have put themselves into a position to play for the tournament. This week will decide it, and let's just say there is some Freudian-like optimism.
"We're really looking forward to these next two road wins, um, road games," King said. "Hopefully we'll come out with a win."
