No. 1 Michigan Looks to Rebound Against Minnesota

The Wolverines aim to bounce back from a rare loss against a struggling Golden Gophers squad.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 2:10pm

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After suffering just their second loss of the season against No. 3 Duke, the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Tuesday night. Michigan, led by Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., is looking to get back on track in Big Ten play, while Minnesota, in its first season under coach Niko Medved, hopes to avoid the opening round of the conference tournament.

Why it matters

This game is an important test for Michigan as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament, where they hope to make a deep run. For Minnesota, a win over the No. 1 team in the country would be a major boost as they try to change the culture of the program under Medved.

The details

Michigan is coming off a 68-63 loss against Duke on Saturday, their second defeat of the season. The Wolverines are led by Yaxel Lendeborg, who averages 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and Morez Johnson Jr., who contributes 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. Minnesota, meanwhile, has won its last two games against Oregon and Rutgers, and is hoping to avoid the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, where the bottom four teams compete.

  • Michigan suffered its loss against Duke on Saturday, February 22, 2026.
  • Michigan and Minnesota will face off on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.

The players

Yaxel Lendeborg

Michigan's leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Morez Johnson Jr.

Michigan's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Cade Tyson

Minnesota's leading scorer, averaging 19.5 points per game on 48.9% shooting, including 40.9% from beyond the arc.

Niko Medved

In his first season as the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Dusty May

The head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

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What they’re saying

“It's good because we're going to learn a lot from it. And we've got to turn our focus back to the Big Ten, where we have four games remaining and every one of them is a Big Ten championship-caliber game.”

— Dusty May, Michigan Head Coach

“One of our first goals is we want to avoid Tuesday in the Big Ten Tournament. From where we're at, that's a good first goal. ... We knew (our win over Rutgers) was massive in that regard.”

— Niko Medved, Minnesota Head Coach

What’s next

The winner of this game will have momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament.

The takeaway

This game will be a crucial test for both teams as they look to position themselves for the postseason. Michigan will be eager to bounce back from their rare loss, while Minnesota hopes to continue its recent success and avoid the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.