Gophers men's basketball gets another shot at Mississippi State

The Gophers take on the unbeaten Bulldogs, looking to avoid their longest early season losing streak since 2006-07.

December 10, 2022 at 10:41PM
Mississippi State lost to the Gophers last season in Starkville 81-76. (Courtesy of Mississippi State athletics/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. vs. Mississippi State • Big Ten Network, KTLX 1130-AM

Gophers update: The Gophers (4-5, 0-2 Big Ten) are trying to avoid their first five-game losing streak before January since the 2006-07 season. After playing four straight games away from home, Minnesota returned Thursday and fell 90-75 in its Big Ten home opener against Michigan. Sunday's game against No. 23 Mississippi State will be the fifth high major opponent so far this season and fourth in a row. Ben Johnson's team is 0-4 this season against major conference foes, including DePaul, Virginia Tech and Purdue. Last season, Johnson won 81-76 at Mississippi State behind a combined 44 points from Payton Willis and Jamison Battle.

Mississippi State update: The Bulldogs (8-0) are off to a hot start in the first year under Chris Jans, who went to three NCAA tournaments and won 122 games at New Mexico State. Jans inherited a team that went 18-16 last season before Ben Howland was fired after his seventh season. Mississippi State ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (49.6 points) only behind Houston, the top-ranked team in the country. Big man Tolu Smith leads the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, which includes highs of 26 points and 16 boards.

about the writer

about the writer

Marcus Fuller

Reporter

Marcus Fuller covers Gophers men's basketball and college basketball for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He has 13 years of experience covering Twin Cities college and professional sports.

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