Gophers men's basketball vs. Iowa game preview: broadcast info and analysis
Marcus Fuller's analysis: Gophers face a tough challenge vs. Iowa as they try to maintain a nine-game winning streak.
January 15, 2024 at 5:23AM
Gophers vs. Iowa: 5 p.m. Monday at Williams Arena
Big Ten Network; 100.3 FM:
Pregame reading: Ben Johnson has only started his best low-post threat Pharrel Payne once with Gophers leading scorer Dawson Garcia. That might change Monday vs. Iowa. Will Johnson be forced to start talented big man Payne?
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Marcus Fuller's preview:
Opening bell: The Gophers (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) saw their seven-game win streak snapped in Friday's 74-62 loss at Indiana, but they still have another streak to maintain. They have nine straight victories at Williams Arena since falling 70-68 against Missouri on Nov. 16, including vs. Nebraska and Maryland. Iowa (10-6, 2-3) picked up its first two conference wins this season against Rutgers and Nebraska at home. The Hawkeyes are 0-4 on the road this year, but three games were against ranked opponents.
Watch him: Three Hawkeyes recorded double-doubles in Friday's 94-76 win against the Cornhuskers. Owen Freeman led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds. But Payton Sandfort had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Perkins finished with 11 points and 15 assists.
Injuries: None.
Forecast: The Gophers and Hawkeyes pretty much split the border rivalry series between 2014-19, but that has been far from the case recently. Minnesota has lost six of the last seven games against Iowa since 2019, including four straight. A recent win streak proved Ben Johnson's team clearly improved from last season. But the Gophers' struggles at Indiana were concerning with 14 turnovers and 3-for-20 shooting from three-point range.
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Rutgers views Athan Kaliakmanis as an upgrade over last year’s starting QB, and the Gophers are leaps and bounds better with Max Brosmer. Neither team expressed hard feelings this week.
