GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
7:30 p.m. at Purdue's Mackey Arena
TV; radio: BTN; 100.3 FM
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Marcus Fuller's preview:
Opening bell: The Gophers (15-8, 6-6 Big Ten) could have been close to the NCAA tournament bubble with a big road win Sunday, but instead they're picking up the pieces after blowing a 20-point lead at Iowa. Leading scorer Dawson Garcia missed most of the second half because of an undisclosed lower-body injury that could sideline him Thursday at Purdue. Sophomore Pharrel Payne will have to provide an even stronger inside presence without Garcia. The No. 2-ranked Boilermakers (22-2, 11-2) are riding an eight-game win streak since falling 88-72 on Jan. 9 at Nebraska. Reigning Big Ten and national player of the year Zach Edey is leading the Big Ten in scoring (23.3), rebounding (11.7) and field-goal percentage (62.3). The 7-4 Edey had 26 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in Saturday's 79-59 win vs. Indiana.
Watch him: Boilermakers point guard Braden Smith is averaging 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the past five games, which included back-to-back 19-point efforts in wins vs. Indiana and Wisconsin. Smith had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his last meeting vs. the Gophers a year ago.
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Injuries: Garcia will be a game-time decision and is likely questionable.
Forecast: The Gophers have two road wins in the Big Ten this season, but they haven't won at Purdue since 2017. Third-year coach Ben Johnson made a statement last week by beating Michigan State at home. But Purdue is the biggest test of how far Minnesota's program has come. The defending Big Ten champion Boilermakers are 12-0 at Mackey Arena this season. The Gophers' past five losses in the series have been by an average of 16 points, including by a combined 41 points in two games last season.
