Gophers Basketball Faces Northwestern in Tense Big Ten Tournament Opener

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team, seeded No. 12, will face off against No. 13 Northwestern on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament following a tumultuous season.

Coach Ben Johnson, in his fourth season with a record of 56-70, expressed pride in his team’s ability to secure a place in the postseason after navigating through a challenging season that began with a six-game losing streak.

“I feel extremely fortunate,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into it. Being from here and playing here, you obviously have pride in that.”

Despite a rough start, the Gophers (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten) managed to finish the season with a respectable record, including key victories against Michigan and their long-time rival Iowa. The win against Iowa marked the Gophers’ first victory there since 2014.

Senior forward Dawson Garcia noted the importance of team unity during the challenging games. “You can tell when a head coach has the locker room with the respect and the belief, just by the celebrations at the end of games and how everybody’s into it,” he said.

The upcoming game will be critical for both teams, as the Gophers aim to maintain their momentum against Northwestern (16-15, 7-13), which also finished the season with a mix of victory and pain.

“It’s a whole new season,” Johnson said on the postgame radio show after their last regular-season game. “Every game now that urgency is at a new level, because you just never know when it can be over.”

Northwestern enters the matchup coming off two consecutive losses but has shown resilience throughout the season. The Wildcats’ junior Nick Martinelli leads the team as one of the top scorers in the league, making this a matchup to watch.

“We’ve had some pretty loud wins this year,” Garcia added, emphasizing the importance of confidence going into the tournament. “I’m excited about [Northwestern]. It’s a big game. I’m trying to make a run.”

The tournament presents one last opportunity for the Gophers to prove themselves and potentially earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. Johnson’s eyes are set on not just this tournament but what lies ahead for the program under his stewardship. “I’m a competitive dude,” he said. “That’s what excites me to do it in a place I know we can, and to do it now with a much closer playing field.”

“We just have to keep pushing forward and take it one game at a time,” Garcia concluded, hinting at the hope and determination resonating within the ranks of Minnesota’s team.