Know Your Opponent: Minnesota

Newly-appointed head coach Ben Johnson has the Golden Gophers currently sitting at 10-2 with wins over Mississippi State and Michigan. They most recently lost 76-53 at home to Illinois, however, and will be looking for redemption at Assembly Hall.

Hoosier fans will be seeing plenty of new faces on the Minnesota roster Sunday. Johnson took full advantage of the transfer portal and brought in some serious talent from smaller schools. The Gophers probably won't compete for a Big Ten title, but Johnson has turned the team into a tough out only a year removed from a 14-15 season.

There isn't one statistical category where Minnesota stands out, but they are solid across the board and have some serious individual talent. The most talented of all is former George Washington forward Jamison Battle. The First Team All-A10 forward leads the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.2 per game. His 6-foot-7 size helps him score in a variety of ways including spot-ups, post-ups, and pick-and-rolls. Battle shoots 35.8 percent from three on 6.8 attempts per game.

Vanderbilt and College of Charleston transfer Payton Willis form a dynamic duo with Battle. Willis dishes out more assists on the team than anyone else (3.9 per game) and also scores 15.7 points of his own. Willis is an excellent shooter who is currently hitting 44.1 percent of his threes. He is great as the pick-and-roll ball handler and is deadly in transition.

Lafayette transfer E.J. Stephens was an All-Patriot League player last season and is now averaging 10.7 points per game for Minnesota. The 6-foot-4 guard hits 43.2 percent of his three-point attempts and is one of the team's better defenders. Luke Loewe rounds out the backcourt. Loewe is a solid passer (3.2 apg) and rarely turns the ball over, providing another steady piece in the backcourt.

The paint is anchored by Eric Curry, the only non-transfer in the starting lineup. Curry stands at 6-foot-9 and leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game. Curry isn't much of a post-up player but he still manages to get 8.3 points per game on a solid mid-range game.

That core five has started all 12 of Minnesota's games this season. The main role player off the bench is New Hampshire transfer Sean Sutherlin, who averages 8.0 points per game. No other Gopher averages more than 1.6 points per game off the bench.

Minnesota Projected Starters:

G- E.J. Stephens (Sr; 6-3; 176)

Season Stats: 10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.7 apg

G - Luke Loewe (Sr; 6-4; 186)

Season Stats: 7.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg

G - Payton Willis (Sr; 6-4; 200)

Season Stats: 15.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.9 apg

F - Jamison Battle (Jr; 6-7; 225)

Season Stats: 18.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg

F - Eric Curry (Sr; 6-9; 240)

Season Stats: 8.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg

Things To Watch For Indiana:

The three-point shooting for the Hoosiers. Indiana only shot 13% from the three-point line against Ohio State and still managed to come away with a huge win. The Gophers rank as one of the best teams at defending the three.

The next step for Indiana will be replicating their performance against Ohio State but adding to it. The turnovers and free throw numbers were great, and if they can just generate some more good looks from three and knock them down they could become one of the elites in the Big Ten.

The only problem is the lineup that caused the game-winning surge against Ohio State features four players who struggle to shoot from deep. Will Minnesota pack the paint to take away driving lanes? If they do, how will the Hoosiers adjust?

Minnesota also is one of the best teams at not turning the ball over. If Indiana struggles turning the ball over, it could be the key at allowing Minnesota to come away with the win.