GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
8 p.m. Thursday at Michigan (Crisler Center)
TV; radio: streamed on Peacock; 103.5 FM
Pregame reading: Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. give the Gophers their most experienced backcourt since 2021.
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Marcus Fuller's preview:
Opening bell: Heading into the New Year, the Gophers (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) are carrying their longest winning streak since winning five in a row in 2018-19. They added a sixth in row with a victory at Wisconsin that season before losing to Maryland at home. Similarly, the Gophers have a home game Sunday looming vs. the Terrapins after resuming league play at Michigan. While the Wolverines (6-7, 1-1) appear to be down this season, Gophers coach Ben Johnson and his team are expecting a big challenge in Ann Arbor to keep the winning streak alive.
Watch him: Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel leads the team in points (19.0), assists (5.0) and steals (1.1). Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkahmoua is averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. But the X-factor for Michigan could be Stewartville, Minn., grad Will Tschetter, the 6-8 sophomore who averaged 13.5 points and six rebounds in two December Big Ten games.
Injuries: Gophers guard Braeden Carrington is expected to play Thursday. Michigan's Jaelin Llewellyn (knee) and Jace Howard (stress fracture) are out.
Forecast: This Gophers-Michigan matchup might seem as one-sided as it has been in years record-wise in favor of the U. Not so fast. The Wolverines have played a much tougher schedule so far with five Quad 1 games (2-3 record), tied for second most in the Big Ten. In comparison, the Gophers have only two games vs. teams viewed by the NCAA tournament committee as the best on you can play on your résumé. And they lost both. This would be Minnesota's best victory yet this season.
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