Gophers to face Robbie ‘Cream Abdul-Jabbar’ Avila and Indiana State in NIT – 2nd Round

The Gophers began their 2024 NIT journey Tuesday, knocking off Butler 73-72 in a first round thriller at Hinkle Fieldhouse. No. 1 seed Indiana State defended its homecourt Wednesday taking down SMU 101-92, setting up a second round matchup with Minnesota at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The Sycamores are one of the best stories in college basketball this season, led by viral sensation Robbie “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” Avila. They’ve accrued a 29-6 record, leading to a short appearance in the AP Top 25 for this first time since Larry Bird’s legendary 1979 run to the Championship Game. Third-year head coach Josh Schertz has become one of the hottest names in coaching leading his program to their best season in nearly 50 years.

Minnesota Matchup:

While 6-foot-10 sophomore Robbie Avila might get all of the headlines, Indiana State is a much more complete team than you would imagine. Averaging, 17.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 3.9 APG, he is certainly a do-it-all big man, but he has plenty of help. Sophomore guard Ryan Conwell averages 16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 2.3 APG and junior guard Isaiah Swope isn’t too far behind averaging 16.2 PPG. Lastly, junior guard Jayson Kent is their versatile glue guy, leading to the team with 8.1 RPG and 13.5 PPG.

Overall, the shoot a remarkable 38.5% from beyond the arc, which ranks 10th best in college basketball. Kenpom.com ranks the Sycamores as the 16th best offensive team in the country based on efficiency.

Ultimately this game will come down to whether or not Minnesota can get enough stops. Tuesday night against Butler, the Gophers had tough stretches where the Bulldogs were able to get wherever they wanted on the floor. If they do that again on Sunday, I don’t think the Gophs have the firepower to keep up with Indiana State. The Sycamores have the 38th ranked tempo in the country, while Minnesota is ranked 239rd, so if this game turns into a track meet, I don’t know if they will have enough in the tank.

What’s Next:

The Gophers and Sycamores will play this Sunday at 1:00 PM (CST) on ESPN2. By the time they tip-off they will already know who they would face in the next round. Bradley and Cincinnati play Saturday afternoon in Ohio. If Minnesota advances the regional final will take place on March 26 or 27. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s fun to be talking about postseason Minnesota basketball.