The Gophers men’s basketball team will look to prove doubters wrong for a second straight season.

Minnesota is predicted to finish last in the expanded 18-team Big Ten Conference, according to the media poll published Wednesday. The Gophers received only 62 votes, which is 25 votes fewer than the next closest team, Penn State.

A year ago, the U was projected to finish last, which then was 14th — UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington have since joined the league — but ended up ninth in the standings, with a record of 19-15 overall and 9-11 in conference play. Minnesota missed the NCAA tournament but advanced to the second round of the NIT.

The Gophers lost three starters from last year’s team — center Pharrel Payne, shooting guard Cam Christie and point guard Elijah Hawkins — but return forward Dawson Garcia and guard Mike Mitchell Jr. Garcia was one of 10 players named to the preseason all-Big Ten team on Tuesday. At 17.6 points per game, he is the conference’s top returning scorer.

The senior from Savage, Minn., was on this preseason list a season ago, too. Minnesota added nine new players for this year, including seven transfers. Six are seniors: Lu’Cye Patterson (Charlotte), Tyler Cochran (Toledo), Brennan Rigsby (Oregon), Fame Odukale (New Mexico State) and Caleb Willams (Macalester), and forward Trey Edmonds (Texas-San Antonio). One is a junior: Frank Mitchel (Canisius).

The Big Ten poll, which is conducted by The Columbus Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star, included 33 media members.