Ben Johnson Says ‘Mood is Good’ Despite Gophers’ 4-Game Losing Streak

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team got off to a fast 12-3 start this season. But things have gone sideways recently and now, they find themselves 12-7 after four consecutive losses in Big Ten play.

Ben Johnson still optimistic about season

Despite these setbacks, Gophers head coach Ben Johnson says he and his team remain optimistic. “The mood is good,” he claims, even adding that it’s scary how close they are to being really good.

#Gophers coach Ben Johnson said today in preparation for Saturday's game at Penn St that he wanted his players to realize even with 4-game losing streak they should be confident: "The mood is good. We talked about and showed them how close we really are — and it's scary."

— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) January 26, 2024

Related: Elijah Hawkins Tweets “lol” Over No-Call that Cost Gophers vs Badgers

Minnesota takes on Penn State, Saturday. Their four-consecutive losses have come against Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin. They remained competitive in all four matchups, but couldn’t come out on top, in the end.

Most notably, they held a one-point lead at The Barn vs #13 Wisconsin earlier this week, with just 34 seconds remaining. A combination of questionable refereeing and missed free throws ultimately denied the Gophers a win that would have flipped a nearly derailed season back on its tracks.

Still time for Minnesota Gophers to get back on track

There’s no doubt Minnesota has been well within striking distance late into all of their recent L’s. And there has been noticeable improvement, in this squad, vs past seasons. If nothing else, I don’t feel like I’m watching a Gophers team that is completely outmatched vs Big Ten opponents.

Related: U of M Plans to Renovate Williams Arena; New Gophers Basketball Venue Unlikely

As we near the end of January, the Minnesota Gophers have 12 games remaining on their regular season schedule. That means Ben Johnson & Co have plenty of time to prove he’s right before the Big Ten tournament, which will be held at the Target Center this season.