Gameday preview: Gophers basketball at Michigan

7:30 p.m. at Michigan • Crisler Center • TV/radio: BTN, 1500-AM

Gophers: Minnesota (6-12, 0-6 Big Ten) improved in the eye test but not in the win column after falling 70-63 to Indiana at home Saturday. The Gophers led by as many as nine points in the first half and were tied at 34 at halftime, but a string of late turnovers and defensive miscues cost them the game. Minnesota has lost seven in a row and 10 of its past 11 games, starting conference play 0-6 for the first time since 2005-06. Freshman forward Ahmad Gilbert is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after having surgery on a finger on his left hand Sunday.

Michigan: The Wolverines (13-5, 3-2) hit a brutal three-game stretch of ranked teams just as senior star guard and All-America contender Caris Levert went down because of a lower left leg injury. Michigan emerged from that stretch bruised but not battered: losses to No. 20 Purdue and No. 16 Iowa on the road but also a huge home victory against No. 3 Maryland. According to multiple reports, Levert is walking pain-free but more than likely will be out again Wednesday. In the past three games, junior guard Derrick Walton has totaled 40 points, playing a bigger role without Levert, who is still leading his team in points (17.6) and assists (5.2) and is tied with Walton with 5.4 rebounds a game. The Wolverines are shooting 11.4 three-pointers per game and 42.9 percent from that distance in conference play.

Amelia Rayno