Purdue will continue a change of pace in its schedule with a trip to Minnesota Thursday.

The Boilers' record may soon turn toward more familiar territory as No. 20 Purdue (9-4, 1-1 Big Ten) takes on the Gophers (8-5, 0-2) in Minneapolis in the second of a six-game run against currently unranked opponents.

The Gophers have played to expectations this season; which is to say they are the lowest-rated team in the Big Ten on the major analytics sites – 108th on Kenpom, 125th on Barttorvik, 103rd on EvanMiya – and last in the conference in victory margin.

Purdue, on the other hand, has slipped from October opinions that held the Boilers as a clear conference favorite. With Big Ten season starting in earnest in the New Year, Purdue's margin for error is tiny if it wants to remain in the conference race.

A first road win would put the Boilers on the right track.

"We haven't had a road win," head coach Matt Painter said. "You gotta start somewhere."

"We're very familiar with him," Matt Painter said of fifth-year forward Dawson Garcia. Very familiar indeed.

Garcia is a formerly coveted recruit who has made a long term residence for himself in college basketball. He'll play his 114th game Thursday, and sixth against the Boilermakers.

"Very talented, causes a lot of problems," Painter said. "His ability to post, put the ball on the floor, make 3s."

Garcia is fourth in the conference with 19.1 points per game, and 11th with 7.4 rebounds. The fifth-year senior is shooting from deep at the second-best clip of his career, 36.7%, on a career-high 3.8 attempts a game. He has the highest true shooting percentage of his career.

Matt Painter said Wednesday that Garcia would be guarded by his team's best defenders, regardless of size.

"It's not like one guy's gonna guard him," Painter said. "Do a good job keeping him off the glass, not letting him have an easy post-up, not letting him have a wide-open 3. He's gonna score some points, there's no doubt about that. Just make him earn it."

Minnesota's offensive strength is its passing: the Gophers rank just under Purdue in assist rate in the Big Ten, and in the 98th percentile nationally.

They're a low turnover outfit, too: 7th in the Big Ten. The playmaking effort is led by senior guards Lu'Cye Patterson and Femi Odukale, both inside the conference top 20 in assists per game.

It hasn't led to much offensive success, though. The Gophers are laggards in scoring efficiency, at 1.06 points per possession. They play glacially slow and don't shoot many 3s. Minnesota is in the bottom quarter of teams nationally in both 3-point and free throw percentage (only 65% from the line).

Dawson Garcia has an offensive co-star in guard Mike Mitchell Jr. In the senior's second year with Minnesota, he's averaging 13.3 points in the six games injuries have limited him to this year. He's a shooter, making nearly half his 3-point attempts.

"He can make step-back 3s with people on him," Painter said of Mitchell. "Just can't let him have a couple step-in 3s. Limit his good looks, even though he'll make tough ones.

"With the other guys, you've gotta do your best with keeping them in front of you," Painter said. "Just can't let them live in the paint. I think it's gonna be important for us to contain the dribble and, as a team, keep the ball out of the paint. And then not allow second-chance opportunities."

Odukale also sticks out on the defensive end – he's eighth in the conference in blocks, tied with teammate senior forward Parker Fox. Garcia is 16th, with one block a game.

The result is that the Gophers tie for first in the conference in blocks per game, and sit in the 94th percentile nationally in block percentage. They do so mostly without fouling, too.

Even with the inside presence, Minnesota ranks one spot below Purdue in effective field goal percentage against, at 14th in the Big Ten. Its defense is No. 90 on Kenpom.

Myles Colvin is now shooting 34% from 3, a number that clearly belies the true ability of the sophomore who rose confidently and slung his jumper through the net at will earlier this season.

A 1-of-13 stretch from deep since going 2-of-3 at Penn State is to blame. But Painter thinks his wing will start to find his rhythm.

"You hope so," he said. "The better decisions our playmakers can make, the better chance we're gonna have for guys who are shooters to get opportunities."

The Purdue coach likes the looks Colvin and his other shooters are getting. There's room for improvement, though, in the looks they're creating.

"What I've talked to (Colvin) about, what I've talked to (sophomore wing Cam Heide) about is, sometimes you're gonna get more opportunities than others, but make some opportunities by running the floor, make some opportunities by getting on the glass.

"You know, Myles has won a game for us by getting on the glass at Ole Miss. But if you look at his activity defensively, you look at his activity in transition – he starts off that game by getting a steal – that's what we need. We gotta have some activity outside just catching and shooting the basketball, because sometimes people are gonna take that away, but the other parts are always there."

Sophomore Will Berg is on track to play against the Gophers after missing a game against Toledo Sunday due to a foot sprain.

"He practiced, so he should be able to go," Painter said. "I haven't talked to (trainer Chad Young) since we've practiced these two days about where he. But he's been in everything."

Painter needs one Big Ten win to tie Purdue legend Ward "Piggy" Lambert (228) for fourth place in all-time conference wins.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on FS1.