Gophers’ Kalscheur to miss 3-4 weeks with broken finger

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota guard Gabe Kalscheur will miss three to four weeks with a broken finger on his shooting hand, taking a co-captain and the team’s best defender out of the lineup for the stretch run.

Coach Richard Pitino said Kalscheur was having surgery on Friday to repair the fracture that occurred in practice on Tuesday when the ball hit his right hand at a bad angle. Kalscheur missed the loss at Indiana on Wednesday and might not be available again until the NCAA Tournament, if the Gophers make it. The junior had started all 88 games of his career until this injury.

Kalscheur’s shooting percentage has sharply declined from his freshman year, but he routinely guards the opponent’s best perimeter player and has contributed in myriad ways beyond scoring. In a win last week over Purdue, Kalscheur had 16 points on a season-best 4-for-7 from 3-point range and a career-high eight rebounds.

Freshman Jamal Mashburn Jr. has replaced Kalscheur in the starting lineup for the Gophers, who host No. 5 Illinois on Saturday.