Gameday preview: Gophers men's basketball at Rutgers

8 p.m. at Rutgers • Rutgers Athletic Center • FS1 • (100.3 FM)

Seeking first road win in six tries

Preview: The Gophers (11-6, 4-6 Big Ten) are trying to end their road skid Thursday with a win at Rutgers (10-6, 6-6) in Piscataway, N.J. They've lost all five road games this season by an average of nearly 19 points, which included falling 81-62 Saturday at Purdue. The Scarlet Knights are on a three-game win streak after defeating Northwestern 64-56 on the road Sunday. They have three road victories this season, including at Indiana and Maryland. Last season, Rutgers and Minnesota won just two road games each. The Gophers, who join Nebraska as the only Big Ten teams with no road wins this season, last beat the Scarlet Knights at the RAC on Feb. 11, 2017.

Players to watch: Gophers sophomore guard Tre' Williams got his first start this season in Saturday's loss at Purdue. Williams, who replaced junior Both Gach in the lineup, finished with eight points and five rebounds in a season-high 23 minutes. Rutgers guard Jacob Young led his team with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting off the bench against Northwestern. Young, a 6-2 senior, ranks second on the Scarlet Knights in scoring (14.6) and first in assists (3.8) and steals (1.8).

Numbers: The Gophers dropped out of the Associated Press poll for the first time in five weeks after being ranked as high as 16th. The Scarlet Knights were ranked as high as No. 11 this season, their highest since 1975-76.

Marcus Fuller