Minnesota (6-0) vs. Mississippi State (6-1)
Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Mississippi; Sunday, 2 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two guards will be on display as Payton Willis and Minnesota will face Iverson Molinar and Mississippi State. The senior Willis has scored 23 percent of the team’s points this season and is averaging 17 over his last five games. Molinar, a junior, is averaging 16.6 points over the last five games.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Molinar has averaged 16 points and 4.7 assists to lead the way for the Bulldogs. Complementing Molinar is Shakeel Moore, who is accounting for 11.3 points and 2.4 steals per game. The Golden Gophers are led by Willis, who is averaging 16.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
OFFENSIVE THREAT: Molinar has been directly responsible for 41 percent of all Mississippi State field goals over the last five games. The junior guard has 31 field goals and 24 assists in those games.
STREAK STATS: Mississippi State has won its last five home games, scoring an average of 75.8 points while giving up 53.6.
ASSIST RATIOS: The Golden Gophers have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Bulldogs. Mississippi State has 37 assists on 74 field goals (50 percent) over its previous three matchups while Minnesota has assists on 38 of 73 field goals (52.1 percent) during its past three games.
SECOND CHANCES: Mississippi State has posted an excellent offensive rebound percentage of 37.6 percent this year. That figure is the 18th-highest in the country. The offensive rebound percentage for Minnesota stands at just 15.8 percent (ranked 344th).
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