The No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (14-3, 5-1) look to shore up their first place standing in the Big Ten as they strive for four straight wins tonight as they host the struggling Minnesota Golden Gophers. Don Monson’s squad is still searching for its first conference win, and the Gophers have never won at the Kohl Center.

The Badgers learned Sunday that they would be without sophomore forward Alando Tucker for the rest of the season, and while this would generally be a severe let-down to the team, Bo Ryan’s squad has done phenomenally well in Tucker’s absence, going 10-3 without the forward on the floor.

Forward Ray Nixon and guard Clayton Hanson have done an admirable job filling in, and senior center Dave Mader has only seen his playing time increase as the Badgers have needed his bulk in the post when facing taller teams.

Such is the case with Minnesota, which boasts a formidable front court. NCAA Freshman of the Year candidate Kris Humphries highlights the Gophers roster as a 6-foot-9 forward who leads the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. The Chaska, Minn. native is an extremely talented player who initially signed with Duke University. The freshman has shown an ability to battle under the basket as well as put the ball on the floor and knock down a jump shot when needed. He is quickly becoming the player Gopher fans always wished the departed Rick Rickert would have become.

Sharp-shooting forward Michael Bauer has been a bit of a disappointment in his final season with the Gophers, failing to match his production and shooting accuracy from his junior season. The senior averages only 9.0 points this season after scoring close to 12 points a game last season. Bauer has been considered quite a hustler in his time in the Twin Cities, providing energy and hard-nosed play, and despite his deficiencies this season, is a shooter to keep track of, especially if the Badger defense collapses down on Humphries. The 6-foot-8 Hastings, Minn. native is also top ten in career blocked shots for the Gophers.

Sophomore forward Stan Gaines has been a pleasant surprise for Monson, improving his shooting and ball-handling in the off-season. The 6-foot-7 Chicago native has averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds for the Gophers in conference play.

The Minnesota backcourt took a hit when guard Maurice Hargrow decided to transfer to Arkansas with three semesters of eligibility after falling out of favor with Monson. Hargrow, a junior, averaged 11.4 points per game this season.

The remainder of the Minnesota backcourt is still a solid one-two punch with Adam Boone and Ben Johnson.

Boone, a junior transfer from North Carolina, is a solid point guard who has shown considerable on-court leadership despite this being only his first season on the floor with the Gophers. The Minnetonka native averages 9.0 points per game for Minnesota to go along with 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.

Johnson, a senior shooting guard who can play the point, is second on the team with a 9.6 scoring average. The senior is a multi-dimensional scoring threat who has shown he can both drive to the hoop and hit a jumper. Like most of the Gophers this season, Johnson has struggled from long range.

The storied “live by the three, die by the three” adage appears to ring true in Minnesota this season, as once-reliable shooters like Bauer, Boone and Johnson have struggled to find their marks, leaving the Gophers losers more often than winners this season.

Minnesota has also been failed by lackluster defense, which has only helped surge the Gophers downward spiral. Minnesota has allowed Big Ten opponents to average more than 75 points per game, a number far too high in a conference traditionally revered for stingy, hard-nosed defense.

The team’s woes have brought the heat on Monson for the first time in his four-year tenure with the Gophers. Despite having to deal with the punishments for NCAA rule violations under Clem Haskins’ watch in Minnesota, Monson has been at odds with his players for much of that time, thus resulting in the early departures of Hargrow and Rickert. Since coming from Gonzaga, Monson has led the Gophers to what have become seasons of failed expectations. Four years without an NCAA berth, and Monson is now in danger of adding a last place finish to his coaching resume with the Gophers.