BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story is part of a series that will continue through October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
Minnesota is in the spotlight today. To some degree, you have to feel for Minnesota coach Ben Johnson.
The transfer portal has created roster chaos at Minnesota since Johnson arrived prior to the 2022-23 season. After a 9-22 first season for Johnson in 2023, he lost three of his six leading scorers.
Still, Johnson re-built the Golden Gophers to be even better. Minnesota was 19-15 in 2024 and played in the National Invitation Tournament.
So what happened? Four of the six leading scorers exited stage left again.
Promising freshman Cam Christie left for the NBA and was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Underrated forward Pharrel Payne departed for Texas A&M, dynamic point guard Elijah Hawkins headed for Texas Tech and forward Joshua Ola-Joseph transferred to California.
Johnson will pick up the pieces again. One constant has been center Dawson Garcia, but there will be plenty of new faces around him.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and the Golden Gophers shakes out.
• Point guard play – Hawkins left a big hole. He was tied with 2024-25 Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith at 7.5 assists per game. The next-best disher is senior Mike Mitchell Jr. (2.6 apg). With Myles Rice, Trey Galloway and Gabe Cupps, the Hoosiers have a superior blend. Edge: Indiana.
• Free throw shooting – Neither team is blessed in this department.
Mitchell (80.6%), Garcia (80.2%) and Lu’Cye Patterson (75.7% at Charlotte) all top 70%. That’s still better than Indiana as Mackenzie Mgbako (82.1%) and Rice (81.1%) were the only Hoosiers over 70% in 2024. Edge: Minnesota.
• Inside scoring – Garcia is one of the better big men in the Big Ten. He’s averaged 16.5 points in his two seasons with the Gophers and challenges defenders with a solid 3-point shot in addition to his inside game. However, with the loss of Payne, Garcia lost a valuable wingman in the paint. Canisus transfer Frank Mitchell (12.1 ppg) has the potential to help, but he hasn’t played in the Big Ten yet.
Meanwhile, Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau form a formidable, Power Five-proven 1-2 punch for the Hoosiers. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – The Golden Gophers don’t have a standout 3-point shooter, but they have a lot of good ones. Mike Mitchell Jr. (39.9%), Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby (35.5%), Patterson (35%), Frank Mitchell (33.3%), Garcia (31.9%) and New Mexico State transfer Femi Odukale (31%) all cleared the 30% bar.
Only Luke Goode (38.9%), Mackenzie Mgbako (32.7%) and Kanaan Carlyle (32%) can claim the same 2024 production on Indiana’s roster. Edge: Minnesota.
• Rebounding – An intriguing name here for Indiana fans is Minnesota-Duluth transfer Lincoln Meister, the brother of Lilly Meister, Indiana’s women’s basketball center. He’ll help, but so will Frank Mitchell, who was dominant on the glass at Canisius (11.6 rpg, the leader in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Garcia (6.7 rpg) handles his business on the boards, too.
Garcia is the only Power Five-proven rebounder, though. Ballo and Reneau have demonstrated they can play at this level already. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – Neither team is strong in this department. Minnesota ranked 12th in Big Ten games in both 3-point defense and steals. Indiana was 13th in both departments. The transfers for both teams are a wash in this category, so we’ll go with Minnesota’s less mediocre track record. Edge: Minnesota.
• Defense at the rim – The Gophers will miss Payne (1.4 bpg) who was a real blue-collar grinder in the paint. Garcia (1 bpg) is capable at blocking shots. Frank Mitchell (0.9 bpg at Canisius) has potential.
Ballo (1.2 bpg) will be an X-factor for Indiana with his shot-blocking, and he’ll be difficult to move out of the lane. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
Minnesota’s exodus of players obviously hurts them here. Garcia and Mike Mitchell Jr. are the only Gophers to clear the 25-minute threshold. Conversely, five Hoosiers clear the 25-minute bar to give Indiana the experience advantage. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – Johnson did a great job keeping Minnesota on the improvement track with a roster rebuild prior to the 2024 season, but it’s tough to keep having to do it. Will Minnesota’s chemistry be where it needs to be by the time January begins? Hard to know. Indiana has similar questions, but it’s coming from a place where it has more returning players to form a foundation. Edge: Indiana.
• Verdict – A 6-3 decision for Indiana seems about right. Indiana just has more proven pieces than Minnesota does.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Men’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 7-2.
Rutgers – Indiana 7-2.
Maryland – Indiana 6-3.
USC – Indiana 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 5-4.
