gophers men’s gameday

1:15 P.M. VS. Illinois • Williams ARENA • BTN, 1500-AM

Minnesota at a glance: The Gophers (12-8, 1-6) are coming off one of the ugliest games of the year, at Nebraska, where the two teams piled up 31 total turnovers and 43 fouls and went long stretches without a basket. The Gophers missed nine of 19 free throws and lost 52-49 after three perimeter shots in their final possession all bounced foul. The loss marked Minnesota’s fifth of the conference schedule in which the Gophers lost by two possessions or fewer. Andre Hollins, who hit four three-pointers in the first half, has 52 points and 15 rebounds in the past two games.

Illinois at a glance: Injury-prone all year, the Illini (13-7, 3-4) just took another hit. Junior guard Aaron Cosby — who was averaging 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game — is expected to miss his second consecutive game after suffering an eye injury. The Illini, who watched senior captain Tracy Abrams go down with an ACL tear before the season and leading scorer Rayvonte Rice break a hand in early January, won on Wednesday anyway, topping Purdue 66-57 at home. … Six-foot junior Malcolm Hill is averaging 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds.

AMELIA RAYNO