Gophers Basketball Cracks Top-25 Ranking

The University of Minnesota Men's Golden Gopher Basketball team is ranked for the first time since Tubby Smith was the head coach back in 2013. Now, they are sitting at no. 24. 

That year, the Gophers were ranked as high as no. 9 in the AP poll.

Last season was terrible for the Gophers. They finished with a record of 8-23 including 2-16 in conference play. This year, the Gophers are 15-2 and 3-1 in Big Ten play.

It has been a breath of fresh air for the Gophers, as they are rank 1st in field goal percentage defense at .381 percent, and allow only .286 percent of the opponent 3's to go down, best in the Big Ten.

The defense play has been huge for the Gophers, but so as the play of Freshman Amir Coffey. Coffey just won his second consecutive Big-Ten Freshman of the Week honor. Coffey scored 19 against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and 17 against Northwestern.

The Gophers two losses have came against Florida State, who is ranked no. 9 right now, and Michigan State, who they have another shot at on Wednesday.

Minnesota has a couple huge wins. One against no. 15 Purdue on the road, and another road win against a tough Northwestern team.

This is one of the better Gopher teams in awhile, let's just hope they don't have that February meltdown we have come to know and love from old Gopher teams.