5:30 p.m. vs. No. 3 Ohio State • Williams Arena • BTN, 103.5-FM
Preview: The Gophers (4-5) will be facing an opponent that has a chance to be ranked No. 1 in the country if it can remain undefeated with a victory Sunday at Williams Arena. Ohio State (9-0) is ranked No. 3 by the Associated Press and No. 2 in USA Today's coaches poll, but top-ranked Louisville was upset Tuesday. The Buckeyes, led by big man Kaleb Wesson, are the fourth team ever to defeat two top-10 opponents by 25 or more points (Villanova and North Carolina). They also hit the century mark for the first time in a Big Ten game since 2004 in a 106-74 win against Penn State last weekend. Coach Chris Holtmann's team hasn't played at the Barn since a 78-68 loss on Jan. 8, 2017. It was the Gophers' only victory in the series in the past eight games.
Players to watch: Gophers senior forward Alihan Demir had his best all-around game in Monday's 72-52 loss at Iowa with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Demir, a Drexel transfer, has scored in double figures in three of his past four games. Ohio State junior center Kaleb Wesson recorded a season-high 28 points on 9-for-16 shooting and 10 rebounds in a Big Ten-opening victory against Penn State. The 6-foot-9 Wesson set a career high with four three-pointers in the game.
Numbers: Wesson's scoring average is down from last season (14.6 to 14.1 points per game), but he's averaging more rebounds (6.9 to 9.3) and shooting better from the foul line (73.4 to 81.6%) and three-point range (34.7 to 44.8%).
