How to Watch No. 7 Nebraska Basketball at Minnesota with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

After an injury scare that made things uncomfortable against Washington, the still unbeaten Huskers visit the Gophers for a Saturday morning showdown.

Nebraska forward Rienk Mast points after making a three-pointer against Creighton. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Disaster averted for the No. 7 Nebraska men's basketball team.

The Huskers and all of their thousands of fans around the country help their collective breath in a tighter-than-expected battle against Washington. Most of the reasons stemmed from true freshman sensation Braden Frager leaving the game after just four minutes of game action due to an ankle injury. Fortunately for NU, the diagnosis was a twisted angle, leaving the Lincoln native as day-to-day.

After losing sharpshooter Connor Essegian to a season-ending injury and barely having 6-foot-11 Central Michigan transfer Ugnius Jaruševičius, Nebraska couldn't afford another big-time injury. The Huskers outlasted the Huskies due in part to their 50.9 shooting percentage from the field, including a game-high 23 from Pryce Sandfort with Sam Hoiberg (14), Rienk Mast (12), and Jamarques Lawrence (11) each eclipsing double figures in the 76-66 victory.

With a showdown against No. 3 Michigan looming on the horizon, Nebraska enters trap game territory with an early Saturday morning contest against Minnesota in Minneapolis. Here's all you need to know.

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: No. 7 Nebraska (19-0, 8-0 B1G) at Minnesota (10-9, 3-5 B1G)
• When: Saturday, January 24
• Where: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time: 11 a.m. CST 
• Watch: FS1
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Minnesota head coach Niko Medved took control of his alma mater after 143 wins across seven seasons at Colorado State. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Minnesota Scout

Head Coach

• Niko Medved | 1st season at Minnesota; 13th as HC
• 10-9 (.529) at Minnesota; 232-181 (.562) Career Record
• 1x SoCon Regular Season (2017), 1x MWC Tournament (2025)
• Skip Prosser Man OTY (2024), SoCon Coach OTY (2017)
• Previous head coach at Colorado State, Drake, and Furman
• Previous assistant at Colorado State, Minnesota, Furman, and Macalester

2024-2025 Record & Awards

• Record: 15-17 (7-13 B1G, T-12th)
• All-B1G: 1x Second Team

All-Time Series

• Minnesota leads 60-27
• March 1, 2025, last matchup, 67-65 Minnesota

Key Returners

• Isaac Asuma | G | Soph. | Highest-scoring returner from 2024-2025, the true sophomore has doubled his scoring production (10.6 PPG) and has added 4.6 rebounds as a full-time starter.
• Grayson Grove | F | R-Fr. | The in-state forward redshirted his first season and has been thrust into action due to Gopher injuries, scoring 3.1 points per game in 18 contests.

Former Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia was one of the Big Ten's scoring leaders in his final collegiate season. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Key Departures

• Dawson Garcia | F | Graduated | Minnesota's lone All-Big Ten honoree last season, scoring a team-high 19.2 points per game as an All-Big Ten Second Team selection.
• Lu'cye Patterson | G | Graduated | Former all-conference transfer from Charlotte that averaged 11.6 points per game and ranked second on the team in assists (106).
• Mike Mitchell Jr. | G | Graduated | Another former transfer (Pepperdine), the veteran guard added 8.6 PPG and hit a team-leading 50 three-pointers last season.
• Femi Odukale | G | Graduated | 6-foot-6 guard that started in 30 of his 32 appearances while contributing 6.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG.
• Parker Fox | F | Graduated | Appeared in all 32 games and chipped in 5.8 points per contest as part of his final college basketball season.
• Brennan Rigsby | G | Sr. | Oregon transfer who posted 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in his final season with the Gophers.
• Frank Mitchell | F | Transfer | Ontario native who joined Adam Wojnarowski and St. Bonaventure over the offseason after putting up nearly five points and rebounds per game as a key reserve.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Cade Tyson | G/F | Sr. | After playing his first two seasons at Belmont, the North Carolina native transferred to the Tar Heels, but saw limited action, resulting in his arrival to Minnesota, where he ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring (20.5 PPG), adding 5.5 rebounds per contest and hitting 38 three-pointers.
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson | F | Jr. | Followed head coach Niko Medved from Colorado State and has grown to average 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as an emerging junior.
• Langston Reynolds | G | Sr. | First Team All-Big Sky performer from Northern Colorado has dropped in 10.8 points per game in his final season.
• Bobby Durkin | F | Jr. | Sharpshooting transfer from Davidson that's added 8.1 PPG and 30 three-pointers in his move up to the Big Ten.
• Chansey Willis Jr. | G | | Sr. | Western Michigan transfer who led the MAC in scoring last season, but suffered a season-ending foot injury in December.
• Robert Vaihola | F | R-Sr. | Another starter knocked out for the season, the San Jose State transfer was scoring five points and grabbing seven rebounds per game before his injury in early January.
• Kai Shinholster | G | Fr. | Grinds out over 13 minutes per game as a true freshman, but wasn't likely to play much before the devastating injuries to Willis Jr. and Viahola.

Minnesota guard Cade Tyson ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring with over 20 points per game after transferring from North Carolina. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Outlook

Fired from his alma mater after four seasons with Minnesota, going 56-71, Ben Johnson was let go to make way for another alumnus and Minneapolis native in Niko Medved. The 52-year-old was an assistant for the Gophers from 2006-2007 and returns after posting a 143-85 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances across seven seasons at Colorado State.

The transition of talent also made nice timing as seven impact players from the 2024-2025 squad exhausted their eligibility, including All-Big Ten Second Team selection Dawson Garcia, who averaged 19.2 points per game. All-conference performer Lu'cye Patterson leaves behind his 11 points per game, but the remaining five graduates scored in the single-digits and were nice depth pieces.

The influx of talent was extensive for the Gophers as Medved attacked the portal hard. The results are encouraging as Medved grabbed North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson, who's third in the Big Ten in scoring with 20.5 points per game after limited playing time back in his home state. Junior forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson followed Medved from Fort Collins and has become a program-building block with 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Keeping with the Mountain West theme, first team All-Big Sky guard Langston Reynolds (Northern Colorado) has scored 10.8 points per game during his final collegiate season. Plus, Davidson transfer Bobby Durkin has hit 30 three-pointers (second on the team) and over eight points per contest.

Minnesota guard Chansey Willis Jr. (0) suffered a season-ending foot injury after leading the MAC in scoring last season while at Western Michigan. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

However, the Gophers have been hit hard with the injury bug, losing starters Chansey Willis Jr. and Robert Vaihola for the season. Willis Jr. led the MAC in scoring at Western Michigan, while Vaihola was evolving as a force in the post after transferring from San Jose State and former Nebraska head coach Tim Miles.

Standing at 10-9, injuries have definitely hampered the ceiling for this new-look Minnesota squad, which has plenty of talent. With Frager day-to-day, the Huskers are more vulnerable than they've been in weeks, but it's debatable if the Gophers have the reinforcements to take advantage. Give me Nebraska to survive a close one on the road to set up a monumental showdown with Michigan next week.

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