University of Minnesota Athletics
MBB: Gophers Head to Champaign to Battle No. 1 Illinois
1/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Matchup
The Minnesota Golden Gophers will attempt something the program hasn't accomplished since 1989 - beat the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Minnesota faces a daunting task facing the top-ranked Illini in its own gym. The Gophers are coming off a 70-65 win over Indiana on Wednesday improving their conference mark to 4-2, its best conference start under Dan Monson. Illinois hasn't lost since March. The Fighting Illini defeated Wisconsin on Tuesday, 75-65, ending Wisconsin's 38-game home court winning streak. Illinois leads the Big Ten Conference at 6-0.
Scouting the Fighting Illini
As we have firmly established, Illinois is No. 1 team in the country. They are 20-0 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten. They are one of two undefeated teams left in the country (Boston College 19-0). As a team, Illinois shoots .495 from the field and .390 from three-point range. The Ilini rank second in the nation in assists per game (20.1 per game), and their starting backcourt each have more than 100 assists already this season. All five starters average in double figures.
The Series
Illinois leads the series 104-60 (including vacated games). In Champaign, the Illini holds a 64-16 advantage. The last time, Minnesota won in Assembly Hall was 1996.
What's Next
Minnesota heads to Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday to face the Wolverines. The game begins at 7 p.m., Central time and can be seen live on FSN North.
