Gophers men's basketball vs. Maryland game preview: Broadcast info and analysis

Gophers vs. Maryland: 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Williams Arena

TV; radio: BTN; 103.5 FM

For the fans: It's fan appreciation day on Sunday. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free Minnesota basketball hooded long-sleeved T-shirt.

Pregame reading: Can a six-game winning streak help bring fans back to the Barn?

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Opening bell: One of the Big Ten's hottest teams right now, Ben Johnson's Gophers are riding a six-game winning streak into Sunday's matchup against Maryland at the Barn. To silence some of the doubters, the Gophers (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) picked up a hard-fought 73-71 win at Michigan on Thursday. That stands as their best win so far this season, but the Terrapins (9-5, 1-2) could be a tougher opponent this weekend. Don't let the five losses fool you. Maryland's recent five-game win streak included wins vs. UCLA and Penn State.

Watch him: Terps guard Jahmir Young topped Dawson Garcia's best scoring game for a Big Ten player this season with 37 points Dec. 22 against the Bruins. Young, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in points per game (19.8), had 28 points vs. Penn State and 26 points vs. Purdue. Gophers guard Mike Mitchell Jr. is averaging a team-best 16 points during the team's six-game win streak, including 18 points or more in the last three games.

Injuries: Maryland's Braden Pierce and Chance Stephens were both ruled out in the last game vs. Purdue.

Forecast: How can Johnson's team lure fans back to the Barn? It could start with beating Maryland on Sunday, which would end a 10-game U losing streak in the series. The last time the Gophers defeated the Terps was on Feb. 22, 2017, on the road. The previous such home win goes back further to the 2015-16 season when Maryland was ranked No. 5 in the country. Needless to say, a Sunday victory won't cause a court storming, but it would be another significant step.

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