Believe it or not, itâÄôs that time of year for basketball players, too. Just like everyone else, players spend the last two weeks of the school year writing papers, going through textbooks with a highlighter and taking high-stakes tests. ItâÄôs one of several reasons why coach Tubby Smith is worried about WednesdayâÄôs game against South Dakota State at 8 p.m. at Williams Arena. âÄúYouâÄôre worried about guys looking past them,âÄù Smith said. âÄúI thought that was one of our problems in the Cornell game; our concentration and focus wasnâÄôt there to start. With exams and South Dakota State coming, itâÄôs even more concern.âÄù The Gophers trailed by double digits in the second half against Cornell before going on a 38-8 run to finish the game. They had focus problems last year too against the Jackrabbits, who came into Williams Arena and stayed within 3 points until the gameâÄôs last 30 seconds. After WednesdayâÄôs game, the Gophers have a 10-day break, so Smith said he hopes to keep the teamâÄôs attention for one more night. âÄúItâÄôs real hard,âÄù junior forward Damian Johnson said. âÄúThere are a lot of guys staying up late studying, working on papers and stuff. A lot of guys arenâÄôt as focused as they should be. But weâÄôre student-athletes, so schoolâÄôs a part of it, too.âÄù At the end of that break is the toughest game of the season, a neutral-site game against No. 9 Louisville on Dec. 20 in Glendale, Ariz. Smith crafted the Gophers schedule to have momentum against the Cardinals, who began the season ranked third in the nation, and it has worked out well. The Gophers are 8-0 and have gotten production out of all five of their newcomers. âÄúThe schedule has helped,âÄù Smith said. âÄúWeâÄôve been able to protect ourselves, especially because of all the injuries and medical problems weâÄôve had.âÄù Injuries have kept a key player out of nearly every game and practice this season, but Smith said he hopes the team will be completely healthy in time for the Louisville game. Senior center Jonathan Williams, who missed the first seven games of the year with a groin injury, returned to the team against Cornell in a limited role . But sophomore Blake Hoffarber sprained his ankle in the game and is unlikely to play Wednesday, Smith said. Junior Paul Carter will also miss WednesdayâÄôs game with an ankle injury.