The Gophers men’s basketball team was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten this season. That preseason prediction didn’t factor in Minnesota losing its starting point guard for the year before the conference opener.

Chansey Willis Jr. will have season-ending surgery to repair a broken foot, Gophers coach Niko Medved said Tuesday, with No. 22 Indiana coming to Williams Arena on Wednesday.

“Tough blow for the young man,” Medved said. “… Obviously, a really brutal blow for our team, too. That is what it is.”

Willis was the Mid-American Conference scoring leader (16.8 points per game) at Western Michigan last season and started the first seven games this year at Minnesota, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 assists in 27 minutes.

Medved said Willis will be a candidate to receive a med

See Full Page