Michigan heads to the Barn tonight to face Minnesota (7:00 p.m., FS1) in a matchup of teams on the opposite end of the Big Ten spectrum. The Gophers have come close to stealing a victory at home — falling just short against Ohio State in double overtime — but are 0-6 in league games and on course to miss the Big Ten Tournament.
Michigan continues to stay the course. The Wolverines have a favorable schedule in January, but tougher games loom in February and March. Any slip-up now will be damaging because there aren’t many get-right spots in the back half of the calendar.
The Gophers have struggled in Ben Johnson’s fourth season. They have just one win over a team ranked 170th or better — a 59-56 home victory over Yale — and are the lowest-ranked team in the conference at 104th, according to KenPom. Sitting at 8-9 (0-6 Big Ten), Johnson’s seat continues to warm up as his Big Ten record dwindles to 15-50 through four years.
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