Gophers aim to flip the script against Minnesota-born Badgers

Desperate for his first Big Ten win this season Friday in Madison, Gophers coach Ben Johnson reminded his brokenhearted basketball team that records are thrown out in border battles against Wisconsin.

It shouldn’t matter how differently both teams are playing now; there’s a good chance it will be a close game.

Actually, all five losses to the Badgers in Johnson’s tenure were by six points or fewer.

“It’s going to go down to those last four minutes,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to be built for that.”

In what feels like a must-win game to change the direction of their season, the Gophers (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten) have to rely heavily on Minnesota natives. That’s something the Badgers have thrived on for years, using Minnesota-born players such as Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers and Tyler Wahl to torment the Gophers.

The Gophers came close to their first conference victory Monday in an 89-88 double overtime loss to Ohio State, as Minnesotans Parker Fox, Lu’Cye Patterson and Isaac Asuma combined for 59 points.

Patterson and Asuma will face the Badgers (12-3, 2-2) for the first time Friday at the Kohl Center.

The Gophers (seven) and Badgers (five) have a combined 12 players from Minnesota on their rosters. Former Lakeville North standout Nolan Winter is averaging a career-best 11.2 points and team-high 6.1 rebounds for Wisconsin.

As heated as the rivalry gets between the two programs with Minnesotans on both sides, the Gophers are carrying extra weight. They blew a chance to beat the Buckeyes with poor play in crunch time, including 15 missed free throws and fouling issues.

“We’re not a locker room who just wants to fall over and quit,” said Fox, who had his best game for the Gophers with 21 points. “That’s not who we are. Nobody in our locker room is like that, especially when it’s a senior-led group.”

Dawson Garcia’s been the senior leader, carrying the torch for the Gophers for most of the season, but he had a season-low five points after fouling out in regulation against the Buckeyes.

After Garcia left the game for good, Patterson had 11 of his team’s 24 points in the two overtimes on 4-for-4 shooting. He’s averaging 14 points in Big Ten games, which includes shooting 12-for-14 from the foul line.

“I think Lu’Cye has played better in the last couple games,” Johnson said. “He’s playing his most productive basketball on both sides of the floor.”

Asuma, a stout on-ball defender who is averaging 5.9 points, also has been a bright spot. The 6-3 Cherry native is averaging 26.3 minutes, which trails only Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper from Rutgers, Kasparas Jakučionis from Illinois and Derik Queen from Maryland among Big Ten freshmen. Those four freshmen are projected NBA first-round draft picks.

Johnson pointed out to the team how Asuma was trying to set the tone by slapping the floor, ready to play defensively vs. Ohio State late in the game.

“My teammates, they trust me a lot and just fill me with confidence,” Asuma said. “I’m thankful for them. The coaches tell me to just go out there, play your game and make plays.”

An eighth-year senior from Mahtomedi, Fox overcame multiple knee injuries during his Gophers career, but as he showed Monday, “I still have a little bit of game left.” It was his first 20-point game since he was a Division II All-American at Northern State in 2021.

“I just try to be confident,” Fox said. “Other guys are going to have those times. We’re going to need those guys to step up. [Garcia] isn’t going to be able to give us 30 every single night because defenses are going to scheme up for him.”

6 p.m. Friday at Kohl Center

Streaming; radio: Peacock; 1130-AM