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Last updated: January 4, 2010 6:35 p.m.

A first look: Minnesota

By Stacy Clardie
The Journal Gazette

No. 4 Purdue plays its first Big Ten home game of the season Tuesday against Minnesota.

Here is coach Matt Painter's brief scouting report on the Gophers:

"They're a little bit different than a lot of teams you're going to play just because he (Tubby Smith) plays so many guys. He played 10 guys in between 14 and 26 minutes against Iowa, and Ralph Sampson didn't play because he sprained his ankle. They're going to try to wear you down. They have quickness with Al Nolen and experience at the point guard position. They have a freshman point guard that has done a great job backing Al up. They have quickness. They have great shooters in Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber. They can change their game with their ability to shoot and make plays. They have great athleticism and length with Carter and Johnson and Iverson and Sampson. They have a lot of guys. I could go on and on.

"They can beat you in a lot of ways. Their press will generate opportunities for them on the offensive end. They force you into a lot of turnovers. ... They can beat you on the glass. Unlike a lot of teams that press, they're good defensively in the half court. That's something you don't see a lot. His teams are always going to play hard. They're always going to be tough. But their press is very, very good, and if you cough it up, they're going to stick with it and keep coming at you. If you score off it a lot, they'll back up and just guard you in the half court and do a great job of it. So you've got to be prepared for a lot of different looks."

  • Looks like Minnesota won't have starting center Sampson III on Tuesday.
  • Minnesota beat writer Myron Medcalf blogs for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Check it out here.
  • The Gophers are coming off a victory against Iowa. The St. Paul Pioneer Press story is here.
  • On an unrelated note, I turned the video camera over to Chris Kramer this week for the next installment of "Kramer Chronicles." We'll see what we get. I'm hoping to get the video posted later this week.