University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Travel to East Lansing to Battle the Spartans
1/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game No. 20 • Big Ten Game 6
MINNESOTA (7-12, 1-4 Big Ten)
vs.
Michigan State (16-4, 3-2 Big Ten)
January 24, 2007 • 6 p.m.
Breslin Center • East Lansing, Mich.
Television: FSN North - Dick Bremer, PBP; Tim McCormick,
analyst.
Radio: Gopher Radio Network - Mike Grimm, PBP; Kevin Lynch, analyst
STORYLINES
• Minnesota travels to take on Michigan State after playing the last two games at home.
• Minnesota will play its fourth game without injured center Spencer Tollackson. Tollackson broke his left hand in the first half at Wisconsin on Saturday, Jan. 6, and will miss a minimum of three weeks.
• Minnesota holds a 53-43 all-time lead in the series (not including vacated games).
• Michigan State leads the series played in East Lansing 28-20.
• The last Gopher win in the series was Feb. 11, 2006, 69-55, in Minneapolis.
• Minnesota juniors Lawrence McKenzie and Dan Coleman currently rank sixth and eighth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 15.7 and 15.0 points, respectively.
• Coleman’s 8.8 rebounds per game in Big Ten play rank him first in the conference.
MATCHUP
The Gophers take to the road for the first time in 11 days for a match-up against Michigan State after losing consecutive home games to Illinois and Northwestern last week. The Spartans beat Penn State on the road on Saturday 91-64.
SCOUTING the Spartans
Michigan State has won its last three conference games after starting the Big Ten season 0-2. The Spartans have defended their home court well, and are an unblemished 12-0 at the Breslin Center. With the departure of former stars Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis, junior point guard Drew Neitzel has developed into the team’s overall leader (18.5 ppg). After early doubts as to where its offense would come from, Michigan State went on a tear in its last outing, scoring 91 points in a drubbing of Penn State in State College, Pa. Four different Spartans finished in double figures, led by Neitzel’s 28 points. Freshman forward and Braham, Minn. native Isaiah Dahlman will miss the game against the Gophers because of a foot injury he suffered in practice.
