The UTSA Roadrunners and the Minnesota Golden Gophers meet Friday in college basketball action from Williams Arena. UTSA is fresh off an opener win over Western Illinois to start out the year at 1-0. As for Minnesota, they got a game one win as well, theirs versus Bethune-Cookman. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.

UTSA Roadrunners 

The Roadrunners posted a 10-22 overall record last season, the second consecutive year they’ve come up with that record. UTSA won an additional Conference USA game though, finishing at 4-16 for a last-place result in the standings. The Roadrunners would lose to Rice in their first game of the conference tourney. 

This year, UTSA kicked off the season with a victory to start on a high note. The Roadrunners outscored Western Illinois 13-3 in overtime to cap off a win 78-68. Christian Tucker led the team with 18 points and eight assists. Trey Edmonds posted 15 points with eight rebounds, and Carlton Linguard doubled up on 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

Minnesota Golden Gophers 

Over on the Gophers’ side, they’re coming off a rough season as well. Minnesota went just 9-22 overall in 2022-23, finishing 2-17 (last place) in the Big Ten among a competitive group. The good news is that the Gophers beat Nebraska 78-75 in the conference tournament before a loss to Maryland 70-54 in the second round. 

Minnesota also got off to a solid start this year, winning their first game over Bethune-Cookman. The Gophers jumped out to a dominant 46-22 halftime edge and cruised the rest of the way in an 80-60 finish. Dawson Garcia had a great game with 23 points and 14 rebounds, while Braeden Carrington added 13 points with three boards. 

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’m going to stay with Minnesota. The Gophers have plenty of room for improvement this year, but they started off fairly well versus Bethune-Cookman. Minnesota shot a nice 52.2 percent from the field in that one, but also got out-rebounded 39-37 and coughed up 17 turnovers. Still, it was a promising start to the season that featured significant minutes for a lot of different players. 

As for UTSA, they didn’t shoot well versus Western Illinois (35.9 percent) and got edged in rebounding 56-47 but turned it on in overtime for a nice win. This should be a manageable game for Minnesota—even if UTSA plays a little better—and I think the Gophers will pull off the cover in a 2-0 start.