NU's slim chances at March Madness start... NOW.
This game amounts to an NIT play-in game with major implications, since, basically, the team that wins has a shot at going to the consolation tourney while the team that loses, you know, doesn't. It would be a pretty big bummer to pretty much all of us if a team this talented went from potentially making NCAA's to missing the NIT's in no time at all, so, let's win this.
Minnesota has been absolutely slipping and sliding, with only one win since playing NU all the way back in January, seriously struggling without Al Nolen. Nolen dressed up for their last conference game but didn't play - the Cats better hope that stays the same, because Maverick "You big stud" Ahanmisi is pretty bad in comparison. On NU's side of the MASH unit, Mike Capocci and JerShon Cobb are out and doubtful, respectively, leaving the question: does NU go with a six-man rotation in a tournament that they'll need to win four times back-to-back in order to win or give meaningful minutes to Nick Fruendt, or even walk-on Reggie Hearn? Peljusic is already kind of an option with Mirkovic and Curletti's tendency to get into foul trouble. I think the best option is to stick with your top six and hope Juice and Shurna have enough in the tank to pull it out - this game is more important because of NIT connotations than games that could hypothetically happen down the line, so, play to win the game.
Go Cats, yo.