The Wisconsin Badgers are rematching the Minnesota Gophers at the Kohl Center on Wednesday, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
The first game between the two sides went down to the final
buzzer, as John Blackwell hit a game-winning three to send Gopher fans home in a somber mood. That was a game where Wisconsin fell behind early, came back to take the lead, and had a battle in the final minutes before pulling away with the win.
There will be one key difference in the rematch: Minnesota star Cade Tyson is doubtful to play, according to Gophers insider Andy Greder, which will shrink an already-thin rotation for the Gophers.
Tyson is the Big Ten’s third leading scorer at 20.0 points per game. He’s been shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from deep, leading a Gophers offense that has been the second-worst in the Big Ten on a points-per-game average.
Without him, expect the Gophers to rely more on forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, who has averaged 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, while shooting 43.0 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from deep. Crocker-Johnson has topped 20 points in two of Minnesota’s last three games.
The Gophers have really struggled as of late, losing five straight, and now could be without their top player on Wednesday. Minnesota has been rolling out a seven-man rotation for much of the year, playing their starters heavy minutes. We’ll see if Niko Medved makes some changes ahead of Wednesday’s game.
