vs. Ohio State • 4 p.m. at Williams Arena • No TV; 96.7-FM
Don't be fooled by Buckeyes' record
Gophers update: Minnesota won Saturday's Big Ten opener at Penn State in a strange game in which the Gophers shot 63.6% while outscoring the Nittany Lions 54-21 in the first half, but shot just 42% with 10 turnovers while being outscored by 26 in the second half. But it was good enough for an 11th straight victory, and now the Gophers are looking to start 2-0 in conference play for the first time since starting 3-0 in 2014-15. The Gophers are 19-18 all-time in Big Ten home openers. The Gophers have lost five straight to Ohio State. F Taiye Bello is averaging 13 points and 10.1 rebounds).
Buckeyes update: Don't be misled by OSU's 7-5 record. The Buckeyes have played the nation's fifth-hardest schedule with three opponents — Connecticut, Louisville and Stanford — currently in the top five in RPI. Ohio State handed then second-ranked Louisville its only loss. The Buckeyes start a big, but young, team, starting two freshmen in Jacy Sheldon and Aixa Wone Aranaz, sophomores Dorka Juhasz and Aaliyah Patty with junior Braxtin Miller. But the starting five goes 5-10, 5-10, 6-3, 6-3 and 6-4, while the Gophers start only one player — Bello — over 6 feet. the 6-4 Juhasz (13.3 points) is the lone Buckeye averaging in double figures.
Kent Youngblood
