Minnesota college basketball seasons tip off

Gophers men: A Columbus Dispatch preseason media poll has Minnesota finishing 13th in the 18-team Big Ten conference.

• Their best player, Cade Tyson, is still awaiting a court decision on a class-action lawsuit that will determine if he's eligible to play. If he can play, ESPN says the Gophers are a "a dangerous bubble team."

Gophers women: Coming off last year's Sweet 16 appearance, Minnesota looked like it would contend for a Big Ten title this season. Preseason polls put the Gophers among the nation's top 20 teams.

• Yes, but: That was before they lost star guard Tori McKinney to a season-ending knee injury.

St. Thomas men: This will be the Tommies' second year of eligibility for March Madness. They're picked to finish a close second in the Summit League, but if they can win the conference they would get an automatic bid.

St. Thomas women: After a 16-16 finish last year, the Tommies have a new coach, Mandy Pearson, who came from University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The intrigue: For the first time in the Division I era, the Gophers and Tommies will play each other.

• The men play on Friday and the women play Dec. 2. Both games are at Williams Arena.