DESTINATION SWEET 16, U.S.A. -- With the Twins season now over, it's time to hone in our focus on Richard Pitino's 2017-18 Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team. Prior to key rotation forward Eric Curry's season-ending knee injury, I felt pretty comfortable saying the Gophers would be a Sweet 16-caliber (at least) squad. Now, sans sophomore Curry, the Sweet 16 remains a reasonable goal, but in my mind it definitely knocks the Gophers down a peg or two. Sixth or 7th men off the bench the quality of Curry don't grow on trees.
The Gophers are now one key rotation-player injury away from being more like a bubble team than a sure-fire NCAA Tournament qualifier.