Big Ten Basketball Power Ranking Through Nov. 26
By Jeremy Karll
No. 3 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-0)
Minnesota is a team that you simply have to give credit where credit is due. The Gophers are 6-0 after an eight win season a year ago. The Gophers have a chance to enter conference play 11-2 or 12-1, possibly even 13-0 if they upset Florida State this week.
It’s hard to tell if Minnesota is a legitimate contender in the Big Ten, but they haven’t had a cakewalk of a schedule. The Gophers faced two Power Five teams in St. Johns and Arkansas. The Gophers handily beat both — beat St. Johns by 16 and Arkansas by 14.
Minnesota’s early season success is due to their better offensive production. The Gophers scored at least 80 points in five of their first six games. The Gophers only reached that mark four times during the 2015-16 season.
Freshman Amir Coffey deserves a lot of the credit. He leads the team with 15.8 points per game and is shooting 52.5 percent from the field. He stepped up in Minnesota’s biggest games, too. Coffey scored 30 points versus St. Johns and 19 points against Arkansas.
He’ll be an even bigger weapon on the offensive end when he becomes a more consistent three-point shooter. Coffey is shooting a measly 31.6 percent from the field, but he’s still putting up big numbers.
Minnesota is 6-0, and that deserves credit. They might not be a true contender, but right now they’re playing better than anyone could have anticipated.