4:30 p.m. vs. Ohio State • BTN, 100.3-FM

Buckeyes are foe in bounce-back game

Preview: The No. 21 Gophers (9-2, 2-2) saw their three-game win streak end on New Year's Eve in a 71-59 loss at No. 6 Wisconsin, but they still have a chance to remain undefeated at home. The No. 25 Buckeyes (8-2, 2-2) come to Williams Arena trying to win their first Big Ten road game after falling 67-60 at Purdue and 71-70 at Northwestern. They won 90-54 on Wednesday against Nebraska. Ohio State was swept by the Gophers last season for the first time since 2005, including a 62-59 Gophers win in the last meeting in Columbus. In two games vs. Ohio State last season, Marcus Carr averaged 28 points on 63% shooting.

Players to watch: Gophers center Liam Robbins started off 0-for-6 from the field but bounced back to finish with 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks at Wisconsin. The 7-foot Drake transfer leads the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks per game. Ohio State sophomore big man E.J. Liddell, one of the most improved players in the league, has seen his numbers increase across the board while leading the team in scoring (6.7 to 14.4 points), rebounding (3.8 to 6.4) and blocks (0.9 to 1.4) this season.

Numbers: The Gophers were still ranked 34th nationally in the KenPom.com rankings after their loss at Wisconsin.

Marcus Fuller