Golden Gophers vs. Bruins NCAA Tourney Spread/Handicapping
The No. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers will take on the No. 6 UCLA Bruins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament’s South Region. Despite their seedings, the Gophers are favored coming into this matchup by three points.
No. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers (20-12, 8-10 Big Ten) vs. No. 6 UCLA Bruins (25-9, 13-5 Pac-12)
Friday, March 22, 2013
9:57 PM ET
Austin, TX
Spread: Minnesota -3 at SportsBettingOnline.ag
ML: N/A
O/U: 135
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Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a tough draw for the No. 6 UCLA Bruins because of their size and athleticism up front. The biggest advantage that Minnesota will have in this one is rebounding, specifically on the offensive side of the floor. Getting offensive rebounds is going to be a priority, and it’s going to help them create second-chance opportunities.
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This team has been known to get into a rut early, but if it can pull down those crucial boards, it’s going to help them stay involved offensively even if their shots aren’t falling. The Gophers also have good size off the bench, so they won’t have to worry about losing that edge when the starters go out.
The problem with getting into a rut early is that it sets the tone for struggles the rest of the way. Yes, they can keep themselves in a game for a while, but against a more talented team, it may be difficult to keep up.
There are very few people – if any – on this roster who can truly take over, and jump shooting could be a problem whether they’re hitting the glass or not.
UCLA Bruins
Despite having a group of so many newcomers, this team shares and moves the ball nicely. They create offensive opportunities with their ability to space the floor, and they can score a ton of points as a result. [ad-6571516]
The player to watch out for will be Shabazz Muhammad. He was the nation’s most talked-about freshman to begin the year for a reason, and he’s become the No. 1 scorer on the roster – a roster that is averaging the 28th-most points in the nation.
He can score above the rim with his athleticism, but his three-point shot is one of the biggest reasons this team spaces the floor so well.
The No. 1 problem coming into the tournament is going to be the absence of Jordan Adams. The freshman, averaging the second-most points on the team, is out with a broken foot. His scoring is what the team will miss most on the surface, but his 2.2 steals per game will also be tough to replace.
On the whole, this team isn’t great from behind the three-point line. While Adams only contributed 30 percent shooting in that category, his scoring ability is what helped detract from the true shooters, and it will be tough to find good looks with less distractions for opposing defenses.
When it comes down to it, UCLA is arguably the more talented team, but Minnesota is a bad matchup for them in round 2.
The Bruins will likely struggle establishing a true second scorer behind Muhammed, and if they struggle on the boards against the Golden Gophers, this could be a prime example of how a bad matchup can force a good team out of the tournament.
Final Score: Minn 68 – UCLA 62
