Losers of seven straight, the Minnesota Golden Gophers could use a pick-me-up victory. But the task won’t be easy against the Michigan State Spartans, who are coming off a dramatic three-point victory over No. 3 Purdue.
The Spartans (24-3, 12-2) have had their share of off-the-court issues with the university undergoing various allegations of sexual misconduct in their athletic programs, but Pitino sees little comparison between Michigan State’s situation and Minnesota’s situation.
The Gophers lost center Reggie Lynch due to sexual misconduct allegations early in the Big Ten season, but aside from that, have been decimated by injuries, which Pitino believes is the root of the problem — not off-court distractions.
Senior Nate Mason has taken on a massive workload with Dupree McBrayer and Amir Coffey injured, spending just 14 minutes on the bench over the last eight games.
He hopes the Gophers can make a statement on Tuesday, similar to how they upset Maryland late in the season two years ago at Williams Arena when Mason was a sophomore.
Mason still believes the Gophers (14-13, 3-11) can finish the season over .500 and make some noise in the Big Ten tournament.