Minnesota set to chase better effort vs. New Orleans

Minnesota will try to bounce back from a lopsided defeat when it hosts New Orleans on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

The Golden Gophers (4-2) are coming off a 76-58 loss on the road against San Francisco Sunday night. It marked Minnesota's first road game this season and by far its worst performance, as its only other defeat this season was a two-point setback against Missouri.

Now, Minnesota will turn its attention to New Orleans (3-3). The Privateers won their first two games of the season, lost their next three and are looking for back-to-back victories again after knocking off host Central Arkansas 79-74 in their most recent contest.

Jordan Johnson scored 29 points to lead New Orleans in the win. Khaleb Wilson-Rouse added 22 points while shooting 9 of 13 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

On Monday, Johnson was named as the Southland Conference's player of the week. He leads the conference with 23.2 points per game, and he has scored 20-plus points in all but two games so far this season.

"This is more so a team award for me because of my teammates and coaching staff putting me in the right positions," Johnson said. "They have given me the confidence to play at a very high level."

The Golden Gophers hope to regain their confidence after their 18-point loss. Dawson Garcia leads the team with 18.8 points per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds, and true freshman Cam Christie has provided a spark by averaging 9.2 points per game and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range.

Six other players are scoring at least six points per game for Minnesota, which has improved its depth from a season ago. Christie has combined with Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. to handle duties at point guard.

"It's definitely different," Mitchell said. "I've never been on a team like this with so much depth. When you're on a better team, you have to sacrifice minutes. Hopefully that will help us reach our goal."

—Field Level Media