Gophers men's basketball vs. South Carolina Upstate game preview: broadcast info and analysis

Gophers vs. South Carolina Upstate: 1 p.m. Saturday at Williams Arena

TV; radio: Peacock; 103.5 FM

Pregame reading: The Gophers' new, fast-paced style under Ben Johnson backfired in Thursday's loss to Missouri. Minnesota built a 20-point lead by playing fast. That style also led to turnovers, lengthy scoring droughts and a demoralizing loss.

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Opening bell: How do the Gophers (2-1) pick up the pieces after their hopes of a signature win were shattered in Thursday's 70-68 loss to Missouri at home? You would think by playing South Carolina Upstate (2-2) on Saturday, an opponent picked to finish in the lower half of the Big South. But the Spartans aren't to be taken lightly. They led Vanderbilt at halftime in a 74-67 loss Nov. 10 in Nashville. Former Ohio State associate head coach Dave Dickerson won 31 games the past two years combined at USC Upstate after going 6-26 in his first season in 2018-19.

Watch him: USC Upstate junior guard Trae Broadnax leads the team in scoring (14.0) and assists (4.0) through four games. But the backcourt of Broadnax, Justin Bailey and Nick Alves combined for 51 points in an 83-81 victory Nov. 15 against East Carolina. Dawson Garcia has led the Gophers in scoring in all three games this season, averaging 20.3 points, to go with 9.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks.

Injuries: Pharrel Payne returned from a foot injury to play in Thursday's loss.

Forecast: . . . The Gophers need better play from their guards taking care of the ball to have success moving forward. Elijah Hawkins (four), Braeden Carrington (three), Mike Mitchell Jr. (two) and Cam Christie (two) combined for 11 of the team's 16 turnovers against Missouri. USC Upstate leads the Big South in steals per game (11.0) and turnover margin (plus-6.8), forcing 18 turnovers per game.

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