Ben Johnson on Gophers’ 0-6 Big Ten start: ‘Nobody puts more pressure on myself than me’

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team is 8-9 on the season and 0-6 in Big Ten play, below /500 for the first time this season.

The Gophers have lost four straight as Michigan comes to Williams Arena Thursday night, but the team doesn’t say it’s feeling the pressure of a season potentially in free-fall. They feel they’re close to breaking through.

"Throughout the course of the year, every team is going to go through lulls. Us unfortunately to start the year. I think there’s a strong belief that we can play and compete with anybody and now it’s about closing it," Gophers’ coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday.

The context

Why it matters: The Gophers were two free throws and a poorly-timed foul away from beating Ohio State. They trailed Wisconsin by one at half before the Badgers pulled away and led Maryland at half before being plagued by turnovers, fouls and missed shots.

The numbers

What we know: Minnesota’s 0-6 start in Big Ten play is the program’s worst under Johnson. Even the team that went 2-17 two seasons ago started 1-4. The Gophers went 9-11 last season and thought they were building something until Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins and several others went to the transfer portal, and Cam Christie to the NBA.

The numbers are what they are – In three-plus seasons, Johnson is 15-50 in Big Ten play. The Gophers will have to start winning, or changes are likely coming after the season.

"You’re a competitor by nature, so nobody puts more pressure on myself than me. If you’re playing good, you know what people are saying. If you’re playing bad, you know what people are saying," Johnson said. "I think the pressure is more of you want to do it for the guys that came to play for you, you want to do it for the people that hired you, do it for the fan base. You get that one win, now we have something to fall back on."

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