Indiana opens Big Ten play tonight against Minnesota at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Golden Gophers are 6-4 and lost their Big Ten opener 90-72 to Michigan State at Williams Arena.

Today’s game tips at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1:

Indiana will look to continue its recent dominance against Minnesota when it begins Big Ten play tonight in Bloomington. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series against the Golden Gophers 109-69 and have won eight straight.

Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, including hard-fought neutral-site games against Wichita State and Wake Forest and a home loss to Michigan State last Wednesday.

The Hoosiers, meanwhile, have won three straight and are 6-0 on Branch McCracken Court this season.

MEET THE GOPHERS

Ben Johnson is in his fourth season in Minneapolis. Last season, he led the Golden Gophers to the postseason for the first time, an NIT appearance that included a win at Butler and a loss at Indiana State.

Due to limited NIL resources, Minnesota was hit hard by transfer portal departures, with point guard Elijah Hawkins heading to Texas Tech, Pharrel Payne heading to Texas A&M and Joshua Ola-Joseph heading to Cal. Minnesota also lost Cam Christie to the NBA after his first season.

The key returners for Minnesota are two seniors, Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell.

The 6-foot-2 Garcia is a versatile inside-out threat who averages 19 points and 7.4 rebounds in 33.9 minutes per game. Garcia is shooting 35.9 percent on three-pointers and 82.9 percent on free throws. For Garcia, who attempts seven free throws per game, getting to the line is a major strength.

Mitchell suffered an ankle injury in a win against Omaha on Nov. 9 and did not return to the lineup until Wednesday’s loss to the Spartans. The 6-foot-2 guard was 71-for-178 (39.9 percent) on 3s last season and is 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) in three games this season.

The Gophers started two transfers in the backcourt, Lu’Cye Patterson and Brennan Rigsby. Patterson, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Charlotte, is averaging 3.9 assists and is second on the team in scoring at 10 points per game. He had problems with his 3-point shot in the first ten games. Patterson is just 12 of 52 (23.1 percent) from distance.

The same was true for Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby. The 6-foot-3 senior made 35.3 percent of his three-point shots for the Ducks last season, but is just 10 of 45 (22.2 percent) this season.

Senior winger Femi Okudale is now attending his fourth school after stints at Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and New Mexico State. The 6-foot-6 Okudale has started the last eight games and is shooting just 35 percent from the field.

Frank Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Canisius, joins Garcia in the frontcourt. Mitchell is shooting 59.3 percent and averaging four points and four rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.

The Gophers’ key reserves are freshman guard Isaac Asuma and senior forward Parker Fox. Asuma plays 27.2 minutes off the bench and averages 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. He is shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40 percent (12 of 30) from three-pointers.

Fox, now in his fifth year of college basketball but only his second season in Division I, is Minnesota’s fourth-leading scorer with seven points per game. He shoots an impressive 65.9 percent from the field and is tied for the team lead with 10 blocked shots.

SPEED-FREE PREVIEW

According to KenPom, Minnesota plays at the third slowest pace of any team in the country. The Gophers do a good job handling the ball but have had poor shooting numbers through 10 games.

Minnesota ranks 294th in 3-point shooting percentage (29.7), 184th in 2-point shooting percentage (51) and 352nd in free throw percentage (61.7). The Gophers score 28.5 percent of their points from No. 3, which is ranked 245th nationally. Nearly 38 percent of their field goal attempts are three-pointers, which ranks 219th nationally.

Defensively, Minnesota does a good job of forcing turnovers and defending without fouls. Gopher opponents turn the ball over on 19.1 percent of their possessions and have a free throw rate (FTA/FGA) of just 26 percent. Minnesota also ranks 61st nationally in 2-point field goal defense (46.3).

What matters

The KenPom prediction is 10 points for Indiana with an 82 percent chance of a Hoosier win. Bart Torvik’s predictions have IU scoring at 11, with an 85 percent chance of the Hoosiers winning.

Minnesota had its worst defensive performance of the season. In a loss to Michigan State, the Gophers were bombarded to 90 points (1.4 points per possession). This was only the second time this season that the Gophers have allowed more than one point per possession.

This is the first road game of the season for Minnesota, and it will be imperative that Indiana takes care of the ball and doesn’t allow the Gophers to get comfortable behind the 3-point line. Matching up with Garcia could also be difficult for the Hoosiers given his ability to play on the perimeter and stretch the floor with the 3-ball.

More importantly, Indiana needs to show more urgency and consistency throughout the game. The Hoosiers played well at times, but repeatedly made mistakes in the games that allowed the inferior competition to hold on. With the Big Ten now officially in play and the start to the season less than impressive, will the Hoosiers be able to change the narrative? Or is it the fluctuating performances that define Indiana as a team?

(Image credit: Minnesota Athletics)

Submitted to: Minnesota Golden Gophers