GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
Sunday, 4 p.m. at Purdue • Big Ten Network, KTLK 1130-AM
Gophers update: The Gophers (4-3) had three losses before December for only the second time since 2016. Monday's 67-57 defeat at Virginia Tech was the final year of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The U's fourth straight game away from home will be Sunday's Big Ten opener at Purdue. Poor shooting has plagued the Gophers in losses to UNLV and Virgnia Tech. They shot 37% (43-for-117) from the field, including 28% from three-point range (15-for-54). Dawson Garcia, who averages a team-best 14.3 points per game, has been battling flu-like symptoms and missed a practice last week.
Purdue update: The No. 5-ranked Boilermakers (7-0) enter Big Ten play as one of the hottest teams in the nation, especially after crushing Gonzaga and Duke by a combined 37 points in the Phil Knight Legacy Classic last month. They jumped 19 spots in the Associated Press poll with those consecutive victories against top-10 opponents. Purdue's 7-foot-4 center, Zach Edey, reached 20 points or more for the sixth time this season with 25 points in Wednesday's 79-69 win against Florida State.
