3 Keys to Minnesota beating Santa Clara and how to watch

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Palm Springs

8:30

TruTV

Santa Clara

Minnesota Golden GophersRecord: 4-3KenPom Rank: 108

Santa Clara BroncosRecord: 6-1KenPom Rank: 54

After both teams lost their Thursday matchups in the Acrisure Series, Minnesota and Santa Clara face off in the 3rd place game.

Stay healthy – The Gophers are dropping like flies. Robert Vaihola hasn’t played in the last couple of games and Chansey Willis Jr played just four minutes yesterday before getting sidelined in a boot. This team is already limited; losing starters is not helping.

Box Out – The Broncos are one of the best teams in the country at getting offensive rebounds. Presumably, the Gophers will be without Vaihola again and rebounding could be a significant issue. There is going to have to be tremendous discipline to box out and finish possessions with a rebound.

Get to the line and convert – Santa Clara has been putting teams on the line at a high rate. Getting to the line has been a strength of Minnesota’s. This could work in our favor…if we make our free throws.

Santa Clara is the better team, even if Minnesota is at full strength. Minnesota is not at full strength.

I expect it will be relatively close for most of the game, but the Broncos will win unless some production comes from an unexpected source.

Minnesota – 68Santa Clara – 77