FULLER’S FOUR THINGS TO WATCH: Defensive identity Richard Pitino laughed when it was brought up to him that the Gophers had their best defensive showing of his seven-year tenure holding Michigan State to 25.7 shooting from the field in the 81-56 victory this season. Obviously, Pitino doesn’t just judge performances on field goal percentages, but it was the lowest an opponent ever shot against one of his Minnesota teams. The complete opposite occurred in Thursday’s 71-59 loss at Wisconsin, because the Badgers shot 50 percent overall, including 65 percent in the second half. Clearly, the Gophers let their frustration offensively carry over to the other side of the floor after scoring a season-low 22 points in the first half on 19 percent shooting. There will be more tough shooting nights in the Big Ten, but Pitino said his players can’t afford to let that influence the type of defensive identity…
Continue Reading: Can Gophers basketball get back to playing winning defense Sunday against Ohio State?
