Gophers open as huge favorites for final nonconference game against Morgan State

Gophers men's basketball will cap off their 2024 nonconference slate against Morgan State on Sunday afternoon at the Barn. Early betting odds view Minnesota as 20.5-point favorites.

Morgan State hails from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and it will take a 6-9 overall record as it travels to Williams Arena for Sunday's matchup. Only two of their wins have come against Division I opponents — New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Campbell, while the other four were against Division II programs.

Under fifth-year head coach Kevin Broadus, the Bears were voted to finish fourth out of eight teams in the preseason MEAC media poll. They currently rank 346th in KenPom.com's latest rankings, which would be the worst team Minnesota has faced in its less-than-stellar nonconference slate.

Morgan State is a guard-driven team, led by veterans Wynston Tabbs (16.1 PPG) and Amahrie Simpkins (12.7 PPG). The status of Tabbs is unknown, as he's missed each of the last two games and he's not played since Dec. 10. They will look to speed up the Gophers, as they rank 47th in possessions per 40 minutes, while the Gophers rank 360th.

Prediction

Sunday's contest will be the Gophers' final game of 2024 and their final nonconference game, before hosting defending regular season Big Ten champion Purdue on Jan. 2. Minnesota should be well-rested, as Morgan State is only its second opponent in 20 days. With the status of Tabbs up in the air, there is no reason this game should be close.

I think the added rest will play in the Gophers' favor and we see their best overall performance since the season-opener, as they cruise to a big victory against one of the nation's worst Division I teams.

• Score: Minnesota 74 Morgan State 50

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