Nine months after last year’s Final Four run and three games into the Big Ten season, the Gophers men’s basketball team is already faced with that ugly phrase.
It’s abused by TV commentators. Its rightful place is in an untidy corner, next to other overused utterances like “prime time player” and “senior leader.” And, in Minnesota’s case, it is also accurate.
In reality, tonight’s game against Michigan State isn’t a “must-win” for the Gophers. They could lose and, in theory, go on to win the rest of their games en route to a national championship. To stick even closer to the practical definition of the phrase, no game except for the last game of the season is a must-win game.
But in terms of a working definition, tonight’s matchup is such a game. The Gophers need to rebound after losing three consecutive conference games by seven or fewer points.
Those losses, the team’s overall record (7-7) and its overall performance can be attributed to a variety of factors — all of which Minnesota fans are painfully aware of by now.
At one point in Saturday’s loss to Penn State, the Gophers — for reasons ranging from graduation to injury to disciplinary action — were without seven of their top eight scorers from a year ago. Eric Harris was the only one left.
Quincy Lewis will return from a thumb injury tonight, which should help. But even when Lewis was healthy, the Gophers were struggling. At one point in the first half against Penn State, before Lewis’ injury, Minnesota had the following five players on the floor:
Russ Archambault, Miles Tarver, Rob Schoenrock, Jason Stanford and Kevin Nathaniel. All five of those players — while nicely performing specific roles on the team — have about as much chance of creating a good look at the basket as a blindfolded midget.
The team must live without Sam Jacobson for at least one more game as his sprained back heals. Early in the season, the Gophers found out how mediocre they can be when Jacobson isn’t playing well. In late December and early January, the team found out how competitive it can be when he’s on. In the past two games, Minnesota has discovered how bad it is when he doesn’t play at all.
Lewis’ tender thumb and Jacobson’s inactive status will make a win against Michigan State even less likely.
But it doesn’t make it any less important. A win is critical for a number of reasons.
First, the Gophers seem to be lacking in confidence after losing three in a row. Last year’s joy ride has made this year’s harsh reality even tougher to handle.
It showed particularly after the Penn State game, when Tarver suggested the team needs another game against Florida Atlantic to boost its spirits. Even though he was half-joking, that comment told the story of a frustrated team.
Second, the team needs to learn to win without Jacobson. Adversity could make the Gophers better down the stretch, but late-season games won’t matter if Minnesota drops to 0-4 and counting in the Big Ten.
If/when the Gophers get Jacobson back — which could be as early as Sunday’s game against Iowa — they once again become dangerous. Minnesota has already dropped two soft games without him, but a 1-3 record would keep the team’s NCAA hopes alive, particularly if it can ride a hot streak into the inaugural post-season conference tournament.
Obviously, Minnesota does not want to be mentioned in the same breath as Oklahoma State, Syracuse and Mississippi State — teams that have made recent Final Fours and then missed the NCAA tournament altogether the following year.
Third, the reputation of the program would take a hit if this turns into a disastrous year. Something like a 4-12 or 5-11 Big Ten record and a first-round loss in the conference tournament would qualify as such.
With a talented recruiting class coming in next year, it is important to at least bridge the gap from last year to next year so Haskins doesn’t have to start over completely.
All of those factors make tonight’s game one of utmost importance. The only question that remains is whether the Gophers will play like a team that realizes that or play like the one which created this position.

— Michael Rand is the sports editor at the Daily. He welcomes comments at [email protected]