Following weeks of chatter in the Twin Cities about Quadrant 1 wins and "last four in," the Minnesota Golden Gophers escaped the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble and punched their NCAA tourney ticket with their inspired work in the 2019 Big Ten tournament, outlasting Penn State in overtime and upending league co-champ Purdue in the Big Ten quarterfinals. The two Big Ten tourney triumphs inflated Minnesota's Quadrant-1 win total from four to six and took all of the suspense out of Selection Sunday. Now in the field of 68, Minnesota -- led by the glass-eating and in-the-paint-scoring prowess of Jordan Murphy and the all-around offensive wizardry of Amir Coffey -- might not leave without a fight. How far can Richard Pitino and his seemingly tireless starting five go in the Big Dance?
ESPN+ has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel, and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.
TOURNEY PROFILE
Best wins: vs. Texas A&M, vs. Washington, at Wisconsin, vs. Iowa, Purdue (twice)
Worst losses: at Boston College, at Illinois, at Nebraska
Regular-season conference finish: 7th, Big Ten
Polls and metrics: Thanks in large part to two wins over Big Ten co-champ Purdue and a non-league triumph over Washington (plus a 7-3 record against Quadrant-2 opponents), the Gophers own an NET ranking in the mid-50s.
All-time tourney record: 13-13, one Final Four
Coach (tourney record): Richard Pitino (0-1)
PERSONNEL
(Note: Player statistics are through games of March 14.)
Starting lineup
C Daniel Oturu (10.8 PPG, 7.2RPG)
F Jordan Murphy (14.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG)
G Amir Coffey (16.2 PPG, 3.3 APG)
G Dupree McBrayer (9.4 PPG, 2.8 APG)
G Gabe Kalscheur (9.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG)
Key bench players
G Isaiah Washington (4.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG)
C Matz Stockman (3.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG)
G Brock Stull (1.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG)
Biggest strengths: Minnesota's starting five features two of the Big Ten's best players, Coffey and Murphy. The 6-foot-8 lefty Coffey is a tough cover because of his length and toolbox of scoring tricks, and the 6-foot-6 Murphy is an undersized 4-man with lots of heart and an insatiable appetite for rebounding. Another hidden strength is Minnesota's height at each position: 6-foot-10 frosh Oturu has through-the-roof potential in the pivot, 6-foot-5 senior McBrayer is athletic enough to defend all three perimeter spots, and 6-foot-4 frosh 2-guard Kalscheur has a textbook J and isn't afraid to use it.
Biggest weakness: A season-ending foot injury to Minnesota's top sub, Eric Curry, and Pitino's reluctance to play guard Washington late in the season have made the Gophers' bench thinner than a swimsuit model. Without Curry, and with Pitino opting against giving minutes to Washington, the Gophers are essentially down to a two-man bench of 7-foot Norwegian import Stockman and shooting guard Stull. The result is play-til-you-drop minutes for the Gophers' starting five.
Best players: Too close to call between Coffey and Murphy. Coffey is the Gophers' go-to guy because he's taller than most wings at 6-foot-8 and has lots of offensive tools in his arsenal. Murphy originally committed to play for Shaka Smart at VCU but reopened his recruitment after Smart departed for Texas. Murphy ultimately chose Minnesota, where he blossomed into the second-best rebounder in Big Ten history, thanks to a nonstop motor.
X factor: The toughness, maturity and resilience displayed by senior guard McBrayer have served as season-long inspiration for the Gophers. McBrayer's mother, Tarya McFarlane, died of cancer at the age of 58 in early December (the Gophers wear a "TM" patch on their uniforms in her honor). Through the toughest of times, McBrayer has soldiered on, averaging 9.4 points per game, covering the other team's top perimeter threat and stuffing the stat sheet each night.
SCOUTING REPORT
How they beat you: The Gophers' starting five log ironman minutes and lean heavily on unquestioned leaders Murphy and Coffey. Murphy averages a double-double and is impossible to keep off the boards, and Coffey scores in every way imaginable: pull-up runners in the paint, 3-balls, spin moves, finishes in the lane and fast-break layups. In addition, Pitino's club has played a much tighter brand of 3-point defense the past two months of the season, keeping opposing long-distance dialers largely in check.
How you beat them: Minnesota wants to put the pedal to the metal, so control the game's pace, keep Coffey and Murphy from going totally bananas, get one of their tireless starters into foul trouble, and you'll have a good chance of upending the Gophers.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
(Note: All statistics in this section are courtesy of kenpom.com and are accurate through games of March 14.)
NATIONAL RANKS
Offensive efficiency, 50th (111.0)
Defensive efficiency, 37th (95.7)
3-point percentage, 267th (32.5)
3-point percentage D, 134th (33.7)
Free throw rate, 9th (42.8)
Free throw rate D, 74th (29.1)
TO percentage, 118th (17.7)
TO percentage D, 283rd (16.8)
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
Best-case scenario: Sweet 16
Pitino's starting five, like a bride on her wedding day, features something old (senior starters Murphy and McBrayer and junior Coffey) and somethings new (gifted frosh Oturu and Kalscheur). The puzzle pieces fit well together, as this quintet rarely comes off the court, wowing all comers with their combination of heart and talent. These Gophers have a lot of fight in them and could easily win two games in the win-or-go-home tourney.
Worst-case scenario: One and done
Minnesota has a really thin bench. If one of the starting five gets into foul trouble or has an off-day, Pitino has few alternatives to turn to. But an opponent is going to have to beat these proud Gophers because this bunch has no quit in them.