GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY

5:30 p.m. at Michigan State's Breslin Center • FS1 • 103.5 FM

Pregame reading: Big Ten men's basketball power rankings: Gophers fall, Wisconsin still near top

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Marcus Fuller's preview:

Opening bell: Having a deeper team has aided the improvement of the Gophers (12-5, 3-3 Big Ten) this season. That depth might be put to the test Thursday with starting point guard Elijah Hawkins and big man Pharrel Payne both dealing with injuries. Hawkins sprained his ankle during Monday's 86-77 loss against Iowa; Payne was limited to three points in 14 minutes with back spasms. A gimpy Hawkins would mean Mike Mitchell Jr. or Cam Christie would lead the offense. Payne's absence could leave a bigger hole. Michigan State (10-7, 2-4) has won six of eight games, including 73-55 Sunday against Rutgers at home.

Watch him: Michigan State forward Malik Hall was a no-show going scoreless in a Jan. 7 loss at Northwestern, but he's scored 15 or more points four times in the past five games. Hall's season-high 24 points led the Spartans against Penn State earlier this month, their fifth consecutive victory at the time.

Injuries: Hawkins (ankle) and Payne (back) are both questionable to play Thursday at Michigan State. Gophers coach Ben Johnson said they will be game-time decisions. Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was out in the last game.

Forecast: One of the best wins for the Gophers so far this season came against Nebraska when Dawson Garcia was sidelined because of an ankle injury. Garcia, who had 30 points Monday, is back healthy. But this team learned that it could rely on other scoring options. The Gophers haven't won in East Lansing since 2015, but the Spartans appear to be more vulnerable this season. Their 1-4 start to Big Ten play was the worst since 1988-89, before Tom Izzo's tenure began in 1995.

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