Riding a two-game win streak – including an upset over No. 10 Illinois and a blowout of its crosstown rivals, UCLA men’s basketball (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) will turn its head to Saturday morning, where it will face Minnesota (13-15, 6-11) at Pauley Pavilion for the penultimate road game of the regular season. Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger breaks down the Golden Gophers’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of the matchup.

Personnel:
Coach: Niko Medved
Starting lineup: Guard/Forward Cade Tyson, Guard Isaac Asuma, Guard Langston Reynolds, Forward Bobby Durkin, Forward Grayson Grove
Best player: Cade Tyson
X-factor: Cade Tyson
KenPom ranking: No. 69
Adjusted offensive rating: 114.6 (No. 97)
Adjusted defensive rating: 102.5 (No. 50)
Adjusted tempo: 62.7 (No. 359)

Minnesota runs through Cade Tyson.

The North Carolina transfer is averaging 19.6 points per game, shooting 48.7% from the field and an ultra-efficient 41.5% from beyond the arc. Tyson’s point total ranks seventh in the Big Ten in points per game, and his 3-point clip ranks among the top of the conference among high-volume shooters.

Tyson is a pure 3-point shooter, comfortably shooting from deep and excelling off the pass and shoot 3-pointer. Tyson shoots 5.4 deep shots per game, comprising a big part of his 11.8 field goal attempts per game.

The guard/forward is a confident shooter under defensive pressure and can go off the dribble or curl off the pass. What makes his offensive game dynamic is his 6-foot-7 frame, allowing him to dominate smaller guards, bigger wings or slower forwards.

With forward Jalen Crocker-Johnson most likely out of Saturday’s contest with an injury, Tyson leads the team in rebounds, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game.

Not only is Tyson deadly accurate from the 3-point line, but he also brings that shooting prowess to the free throw line, shooting 81.3% from the free throw line. He is not the quickest or strongest player, but he boasts enough athleticism to compete with other high-major players.

Considering his ability to play as a wing or big, he will either attract the defensive attention of junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. or senior forward Tyler Bilodeau. Dailey may have the strength and speed to keep up with Tyson, but he will have to hard close out on Tyson on the perimeter and have help defenders in the paint if Tyson shoots fakes and drives.

If Bilodeau takes Tyson, he will be able to keep Tyson out of the paint but may struggle to keep up with him around the perimeter and bringing the ball up.

While the team runs through Tyson, the backcourt tandem of Langston Reynolds and Isaac Asuma follow Tyson in scoring, averaging 11.3 and 10.9 points per game. Reynolds is an efficient driver, getting the first step on primary defenders and dashing through the seam to easy finishes around the rim.

He also has an efficient spin move that gives him the opposite side of the rim when players are overplaying the strong side to the rim. While he shoots 54.3% from the field, he only nails 3-pointers at a 26.3% clip. However, he is not afraid to let it fly from deep and can hit if he gets hot early in the game.

Asuma follows Reynolds in scoring and offensive facilitation, averaging 10.9 points and 3.9 assists per game. He plays as a true point guard who can shoot the ball from deep and feels comfortable attacking the interior using hesitation moves and shot fakes to open up space throughout the inside.

Guards senior Skyy Clark, senior Donovan Dent and sophomore Trent Perry will take on the defensive assignments of Reynolds and Asuma. And if the Bruins go with their three-guard lineup, as they have in the previous two games, then one of the backcourt options, most likely Perry, will take Tyson.

Rounding out the Golden Gophers frontcourt is Grayson Grove – who is replacing Crocker-Johnson in the starting lineup – and Bobby Durkin. Grove and Durkin only average 4.1 and 9.8 points per game, respectively.

The Golden Gophers are not particularly gifted in the interior, averaging just 32 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 15 in the Big Ten – one spot behind the Bruins. After playing the top four teams in rebounds over the past four games, UCLA will get a break on the boards in Minnesota.

Furthermore, Minnesota does not boast any particularly gifted offensive weapons on the inside, giving Bilodeau and junior forward/center Xavier Booker the opportunity to excel in the Bruins’ offensive sets.

Bilodeau leads the team in scoring and will get a break after guarding some of the nation’s bigs, including Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan State forward Jaxson Kohler and USC forward Ezra Ausar.

Booker has hit his offensive stride in the last two games, scoring 27 points and shooting 10-for-16 from the field across the two games.

Given the Golden Gophers’ lack of offensive proficiency, the Bruins should have a good path to three straight wins with their last home game on the horizon.