University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Face #4 Purdue
1/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota at Purdue
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are in West Lafayette, Ind., for the first time since the 2007-08 season to take on the fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. The Gophers are trying to get to 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference for the first time since starting the 1974-75 season with victories over Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois (not counting vacated seasons).
The Gophers and Boilermakers have met only twice since the the end of the 2006-07 season. Purdue won both of those contests, 65-53 at Mackey Arena during the 2008 conference schedule and 70-62 last season at Williams Arena.
About the Golden Gophers:
- Golden Gopher head coach Tubby Smith's all-time record stands at 440-173 (18th Season), while his Minnesota record is 53-28 (Third Season)
- The Gophers entered Saturday's game against Iowa ranked sixth in the country in assists (18.3 apg), seventh in turnover margin (6.38), 10th in scoring margin (20.4), 11th in steals (10.8 spg) and 13th in blocks (6.9 bpg)
- The Gophers enter the contest against the Boilermakers having won seven in a row by an average of 25.2 points per game.
- The Gophers are averaging 89.1 points during the seven-game win streak.
- Minnesota leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring margin (+19.8), defensive field goal percentage (.371), blocked shots (94: 6.71 bpg) and steals (157: 11.21 spg).
- Blake Hoffarber is averaging a career-high 11.9 ppg this season and is shooting .542 (58-107) from the field and .506 (41-81) from three-point land, also career highs. He is coming off of a 24-point effort at Iowa.
- Hoffarber is averaging 18.3 ppg and is shooting .600 (30-50) from behind the arc during the win streak. Lawrence Westbrook is close behind at 15.0 ppg while shooting .548 from the field.
- Westbrook leads Minnesota in scoring for the season with a career-high 13.8 points per game. He enters the contest 56 points away from 1,000 for his career.
- Ralph Sampson III is the Gophers' leading rebounder at 5.9 boards per game. He missed the game at Iowa with a sprained right ankle. It was the first game Sampson has missed in his collegiate career.
- The Gophers went 8-0 this season at Williams Arena during the non-conference schedule. Under Smith, Minnesota is 25-0 in regular season non-conference games at the Barn. Dating back to the 2006-07 season under Jim Molinari, Minnesota has won 27 consecutive non-conference regular season home games.
- Smith is 37-8 (.822) overall at Williams Arena during his two seasons at Minnesota.
- Minnesota is allowing just 59.6 points per game at Williams Arena under Smith (45 games). The Gophers allowed just 58.4 ppg at the Barn in 2008-09 in 19 games and 62.2 in 17 games during the 2007-08 season. Under Smith, opponents have only reached 70 points 10 times in 45 games at the Barn (22% of the time).
About the Boliermakers:
- Matt Painter is in his 5th season as the head coach at Purdue.
- The Boilermakers come in to the game as the 4th ranked team in the nation. They become the Gophers' second opponent of the season to be ranked in the top-10. Minnesota defeated #10 Butler on Nov. 26 in the 76 Classic.
- Purdue defeated #6 West Virginia its last time out.
- The Boilermakers boast a starting lineup with three double-digit scorers, led by junior guard E'Twaun Moore at 16.3 ppg.
- Junior forward JaJuan Johnson leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 rpg.
Series History:
- Minnesota is 73-84 against Purdue all-time. The series dates back to 1904.
- The teams will play a home-and-home series this season for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
- The Gophers are on a three-game losing streak against Purdue. Minnesota's last victory in the series came during the 2007 Big Ten season.
- The Gophers are 25-56 against the Boilermakers away from Williams Arena.
- Minnesota holds a record of 678-727 all-time within the Big Ten Conference.
- Tubby Smith is 2-2 against Purdue as a head coach.
