Gophers men's gameday

Last update: December 7, 2007 - 9:56 PM

Preview: The Gophers (5-1) face off against a Colorado State (5-3) team that's coached by former North Dakota State head coach Tim Miles. Miles expects an aggressive Gophers defensive attack based on his conversations with Bison coaches whom he talked to after the Bison's 88-56 loss to Minnesota Monday. Colorado State has two 7-footers, Ronnie Aguilar and Stuart Creason, but they're also the only two players back from last year's team.

Players to watch: Minnesota senior forward Dan Coleman appeared to overcome an early-season slump -- compared with last season -- with a 15-point, eight-rebound, two-block performance against North Dakota State. Tubby Smith said Coleman is one of the team's hardest workers, and he'll have plenty on his plate with Aguilar and Creason in the paint. Junior college transfer Marcus Walker leads the Rams in scoring with 15.9 points per game.

Numbers: Freshman Al Nolen is averaging nearly three steals per game and continues to be one of the team's top perimeter defenders. Creason leads Colorado State's defense with 13 blocks.

MYRON MEDCALF

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