Gophers men's basketball at Ohio State game preview: Broadcast info and analysis

Gophers vs. Ohio State: 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Value City Arena * Today's line: minus-12.5

TV; radio: Big Ten Network; 103.5 FM

Pregame reading: Gophers had a big moment last season at Ohio State. Can they do it again? Minnesota opens Big Ten play with hope of repeating rare success from last year.

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Opening bell: The early Big Ten season starts for two teams hoping to have a better finish in conference play than last season. The Gophers (5-2) lost 12 straight games at one point to finish in last place. The Buckeyes weren't far behind with nine straight losses to finish 13th. Ben Johnson's lone road Big Ten win was at Ohio State with 28 points from Dawson Garcia. But the Buckeyes (6-1) enter Sunday's rematch with five straight wins. Bruce Thornton's been scorching hot with 25 points vs. Central Michigan and 29 points vs. Alabama in recent games.

Watch him: A familiar face will be on Ohio State's team with ex-Gophers forward Jamison Battle, who transferred after playing two seasons at the U. Battle will face his former team twice this season, including Feb. 22 at Williams Arena. He has a three-pointer in every game this season for the Buckeyes. Gophers freshman Cam Christie had a season-high 20 points on 4-for-6 shooting from three-point range in Thursday's 97-64 win against New Orleans.

Injuries: None

Forecast: The Gophers won in Columbus last season for the first time in three years, but a victory Sunday would arguably be bigger for the program. Ben Johnson has a deeper and more talented roster in Year 3, but Garcia and company lack a quality win after losses to Missouri and San Francisco. Battle will want to beat his old teammates. How much do the Gophers want to show him that he never should have left?

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