First-year Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved and his team are embarking on a grueling stretch of 18 consecutive Big Ten games to finish the regular season.
He’s trying not to think of the full obstacle ahead.
“If I looked at it as 18 straight Big Ten games, I don’t think I would sleep at night,” the former Colorado State head coach told reporters on a video call Friday. “Not even with the cliche, but (I) try to take it one day at a time and try to get better and focus on the next challenge.”
The first test for the Gophers (8-5, 1-1 Big Ten) is Northwestern (8-5, 0-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.
Minnesota knocked off then-No. 22 Indiana in its Big Ten opener on Dec. 3 and is 8-0 at Williams Arena. But the Gophers are 0-5 away from home this season, including a blowout loss at now-No. 5 Purdue.
After the Wildcats, Minnesota — which was picked to finish 16th in the 18-team league — will have three straight home games at The Barn: No. 25 Iowa on Tuesday, No. 24 Southern Cal next Friday and Wisconsin on Jan. 13.
Another year for Vaihola?
The Gophers will attempt to obtain a medical redshirt for fifth-year senior center Robert Vaihola, who has elected to have season-ending knee surgery after playing only five games into mid-November.
“I told Rob the other day, the whole thing is frustrating,” Medved said. “I really had high hopes for him. I thought he could really have a great season in the things he brings to the table. He is an elite rebounder, a Big Ten-level rebounder, and defensive player and physical guy.”
The 6-foot-8 transfer from San Jose State was leading the U with 7.6 rebounds per game before he aggravated his knee injury in the 66-54 win over Chicago State on Nov. 18.
“This stuff has been bothering him all year,” Medved said. “It just got to the point where he did not feel like he could come back and do it.”
Medved said Vaihola would “easily” qualify for a waiver for a sixth season of eligibility in 2026-27. That same status can be applied to starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr., who played in only seven games before his season ended with a broken foot in late November.
Who guards Martinelli?
Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli leads the Big Ten at 22.8 points per game and will create matchup problems for the Gophers.
The U will throw multiple defenders at the three-level scorer, including Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Langston Reynolds and Cade Tyson, Medved said.
“You obviously have a guy that is in charge of the matchup, but so much of it is team defense,” Medved said. “It’s how do you bring help to him in certain situations, shrink the floor, bring an extra defender at times, help bump a screen.”
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