Gophers men’s basketball frontcourt banged up going into matchup at Rutgers

The forecourt of the Gophers men’s basketball team has been on the move in the last few games going into Wednesday night’s matchup at Rutgers.

Two different starting centers have replaced leading scorer and rebounder Dawson Garcia since he was sidelined with a bone contusion near the end of the Jan. 22 loss in Michigan. Garcia, who is questionable on Wednesday, started in the first 18 games before sitting out for the first time in the Jan. 25 loss to Indiana. His team was down to seven grantees in the 61-57 loss.

“It’s close, but I’m not entirely convinced of it,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday of Garcia’s return to play against the Scarlet Knights.

Sophomore 7-footer Treyton Thompson started in place of Garcia against the Hoosiers and finished with eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 37 minutes. Freshman Pharrel Payne, returning from a concussion, made his career debut in Saturday’s 81-61 loss at Northwestern but finished with just three points, three rebounds and four turnovers in 17 minutes.

Thompson will wear a protective mask on Wednesday after suffering a broken nose against Northwestern, but he will be available. Junior forward Jamison Battle, who scored 20 points against the Wildcats, injured his back early last month but he finally appears to be healthy.

In the first seven games this season, Thompson started with Garcia, but that was before freshman Joshua Ola-Joseph emerged as a smaller but stronger and more athletic option. Former walk-on Will Ramberg also started four games as Battle was due to start the season after foot surgery.

The Gophers even fought at full speed against some of the Big Ten’s best during their five-game losing streak. The Scarlet Knights have their own frontcourt that could be an impressive force with 6-11 junior Clifford Omoruyi leading the team with 13.4 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game.

GAME INFORMATION

Time: 7:30pm CT, Wednesday. Where from: Jersey Mikes Arena. Line: Gopher’s 15 point underdog. Series: Gophers lead 9-6, including 68-65 win at Williams Arena on January 22, 2022. TV: Big Ten Network. Online/Live Video: BTN Plus. Radio: 100.3-FM

PROJECTED STARTERS

MINNESOTA GOPHERS (7-13, 1-9 BIG TEN)

Pos. Player Ht. Year. PPG

G – Ta’Lon Cooper 6-4 195 Jr 10.

G—Taurus Samuels 6-1 195 Sr. 3.0

F – Jamison Battle 6-7 220 Jr 13.1

F—Joshua Ola-Joseph 6-7 215 Fr. 6.9

F—Pharrel Payne 6-9 255 Fr. 7.0

Important Reserves – Treyton Thompson, C, 7-0, Sun., 2.1 pp; Jaden Henley, G, 6–7, Fr., 3.9 pages; Will Ramberg, F, 6-5, Jr., 2,2 pp.

Coach: Ben Johnson 20-30 (Season 2)

Remarkable: Jamison Battle, who missed the first four games of the season after foot surgery, played a few games last month with an ongoing back injury sustained in the Jan. 16 loss to Illinois. Battle, who is averaging nearly 13 points per game, rebounded and for the first time this season notched back-to-back 20-point performances in losses to Indiana and Northwestern and joined the team earlier this year. Betts will be part of a highly acclaimed class for 2023 signed Nov. 9 that includes five-star center Dennis Evans III and four-star guard Cameron Christie. Christie and Evans were named McDonald’s All-American nominees last week. … The Gophers have lost four of their last five games to Rutgers and have not won against the Scarlet Knights since a 72-63 win on Feb. 11, 2017 in Piscataway, NJ.

RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (14-7, 6-4)

Pos. Player Ht. Year. PPG

G—Paul Mulcahy 6-7 213 Sr. 9.1

G—Caleb McConnell 6-7 200 Sr. 9.6

G – Cam Spencer 6-4 Jr. 207 12.9

F – Mawot Mag 6-8 217 Jr. 7.8

F – Clifford Omoruyi 6-11 240 Jr 13.4

reserves – Aundre Hyatt, F, 6-11, Sr., 9.7 pp; Derek Simpson, G, 6–3, Fr., 6.0 pp; Antwone Woolfolk, F, 6-9, Fr., 3.0 p.

Trainer: Steve Pikiell 309-272 (Season 17)

Remarkable: The Scarlet Knights made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1975-76 last year in consecutive seasons, but they’re not slowing down anytime soon. Nobody in the country has a win on their resume quite like Rutgers’ excitement against No. 1 Purdue. Steve Pikiell’s program is also on track for his best conference result since joining the Big Ten in 2014. The Scarlet Knights, who finished fourth in the Big Ten in 2020-21, currently sit third with Northwestern in the overall rating.

Fuller Score Prediction: Rueger 66, gophers 55.