Gophers coach Ben Johnson’s helpless expression said it all in the second half of Tuesday’s 75-63 loss against Northwestern in a game with heavy Big Ten tournament qualifying implications. How could his players go from being the surprise of the conference a week ago after upsetting UCLA and USC on the road to being outplayed at home by Penn State and Northwestern,

Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) shoots as Northwestern Wildcats center Matthew Nicholson (34) defends during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

After the home loss to last-place Penn State on Saturday, Gophers men’s basketball head coach Ben Johnson treated Tuesday’s game at Williams Arena as if it were on the road. The