Gophers Look to Keep Momentum Rolling Against Campbell in Sunday Matchup
After a week off, the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood Sunday afternoon, hosting the Campbell Fighting Camels at Williams Arena. It’s only the second time these two programs have faced off, with the first meeting back in 1997 later vacated. For Gophers head coach Niko Medved, it’s a bit of a reunion-he last saw Campbell back in 2017 when his Furman squad took them down in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Minnesota comes into this one riding high after a dominant 89-53 win over Texas Southern on Dec. 14.
That performance wasn’t just a win-it was a statement. The Gophers caught fire from deep, drilling 15 of their 34 three-point attempts.
That mark ranks fourth all-time in program history and was the most threes they’ve hit in a game since setting the school record (18) against Nebraska in March 2020.
The star of the show? Cade Tyson.
The junior guard erupted for a career-high 38 points, tying for the eighth-most in program history. He also matched the school record for threes in a game with eight, becoming just the sixth Gopher ever to do so-and the first since Payton Willis did it against Rutgers in 2022.
Tyson’s performance wasn’t just a hot night-it’s part of a scorching season. He currently leads the Big Ten in scoring at 22.6 points per game and ranks fourth nationally.
With 249 total points so far, he’s sixth in the country in overall scoring.
But it wasn’t just Tyson lighting it up. Minnesota’s ball movement was on another level.
The Gophers assisted on 27 of their 28 made field goals-yes, that’s a 96.4% assist rate. That’s not just impressive, it’s elite.
In fact, they currently lead the entire nation in assist percentage at 72%. That level of unselfishness and execution is rare and speaks volumes about the chemistry this group is building.
Langston Reynolds was the engine behind that ball movement, dishing out a career-high 10 assists. It was the first time a Gopher hit double-digit dimes since Mike Mitchell Jr. did it against Oregon back in January. Reynolds continues to grow into a steady floor general, and his development is giving Minnesota another layer of offensive versatility.
Beyond the highlight reels, the Gophers are stacking up well statistically. Freshman guard Isaac Asuma has quietly made his mark, ranking ninth in the Big Ten in total assists (50) and eighth in assists per game (4.5). In the frontcourt, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is doing the dirty work, ranking top-10 in the conference in nearly every rebounding category-including seventh in boards per game (8.1) and seventh in double-doubles (3).
Defensively, Minnesota is holding opponents to 68.1 points per game, good for seventh-best in the Big Ten. They’re also winning the battle on the glass with a +5.0 rebound margin, which ranks eighth in the league. And when they get to the line, they make it count-the Gophers’ 50.2% free-throw attempt rate is the second-best among major conference teams, trailing only USC.
Now, they’ll face a Campbell team that’s been busy. Sunday’s matchup will be the Camels’ third game this week and second straight on the road.
Led by first-year head coach John Andrzejek-formerly an assistant on Florida’s national championship staff-Campbell enters with a 5-6 record and plenty of high-major experience. This will be their sixth game against a power conference opponent and their second against a Big Ten team.
They opened the season at Wisconsin and are coming off a tough loss at No. 7 Gonzaga.
The Camels can score-averaging 81.7 points per game-but they also give up nearly as much (79.5). They’re led by D.J.
Smith, who’s putting up 19.4 points a night. Forward Dovydas Butka adds 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, while Chris Fields Jr. leads the team in rebounding at 9.6 per game and chips in 13.3 points.
Jeremiah Johnson (10.7 ppg) and Cam Gregory (team-high 34 assists) round out a starting group that’s capable of pushing the pace.
Campbell is a strong rebounding team-ranking 45th nationally in rebounding margin-and they crash the offensive glass hard, sitting 22nd in offensive boards. They also get to the line often, ranking in the top 20 nationally in both free throw attempts and makes. And when they get out in transition, they’re dangerous, averaging nearly 17 fastbreak points per game.
For Minnesota, this is a chance to keep the momentum building as they head into the holiday break. With Fairleigh Dickinson on deck Dec. 29, the Gophers have an opportunity to close out the non-conference slate on a high note and continue sharpening the identity that’s starting to take shape-high-efficiency offense, unselfish playmaking, and a balanced attack that can beat you from the arc or in the paint.
Tip-off is set for 5:07 p.m. on BTN, with Cory Provus and Parker Fox on the call. The game will also air on KTLK (103.5 FM & AM 1130), with Mike Grimm and Al Nolen bringing the action on radio.