5 things to watch in Minnesota's final exhibition tune-up against North Dakota

The Gophers welcome North Dakota to Williams Arena on Saturday for their final exhibition of the season. The Fighting Hawks were voted to finish 8th out of nine teams in the preseason Summit League poll, and they rank outside the top 300 in KenPom.com's preseason ratings. Here are five things to watch in Minnesota's final tune-up opportunity before the regular season.

Cade Tyson's encore

Tyson had a standout performance in Minnesota's first exhibition against North Dakota State (NDSU). The North Carolina transfer forward had a game-high 28 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the field and a 6 of 9 mark from beyond the three-point line. He looked like a player who could lead the Gophers in scoring this season. It will be interesting to see if his 28-point performance becomes a trend or an anomaly.

Do the rotations stay the same?

Minnesota started Chansey Willis Jr., Isaac Asuma, Tyson, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Robert Vaihola against the Bison. Langston Reynolds led the way with 29 minutes off the bench and Bobby Durkin played 25 minutes. I will be watching closely to see how willing Niko Medved and his staff are to change things up.

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Willis and Reynolds

Willis Jr. started alongside Asuma for Minnesota against NDSU, but Reynolds played 29 minutes compared to 23 from the Western Michigan transfer. Asuma's role as a starter in the backcourt seems ironclad, but Reynolds and Willis Jr. could be fighting for minutes all season. Willis Jr. had seven points, five assists and three rebounds against the Bison compared to Reynolds, who had four points, six assists and four rebounds.

Grayson Grove's role

Grove was among the first three people off the bench against NDSU alongside Durkin and Reynolds. The former Alexandria High School standout redshirted last year before opting to stay on through the coaching change. He played only seven minutes against the Bison due to foul trouble, so I will be watching closely to see how things look on Saturday.

Can Minnesota run North Dakota out of the gym?

The Gophers took care of business with an impressive 26-point win over North Dakota State last week. The Bison are projected to finish much higher than North Dakota in the Summit League standings. After Saturday's game, the Gophers will open the regular season against two more teams ranked outside the top 300 of KenPom.com's preseason ratings. Good college basketball teams demolish inferior opponents, and Minnesota will have its first opportunity to do so against the Fighting Hawks.