University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Set to Host Fairfield on Nov. 17
11/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2011
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
TV: BTN
Tom Hart (Play-by-Play)
Jim Jackson (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/1500 ESPN Twin Cities
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play)
Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: First meeting
Series (Home): First meeting
Current Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Tubby Smith vs. Fairfield: First meeting
Minnesota vs. MAAC: 4-3
Tubby Smith vs. MAAC: 5-0
GAME DAY TID-BITS
• The Gophers and Stags will be playing for the first time in each school's history. Minnesota has only played seven games all-time (4-3) against members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
• Tubby Smith is a perfect 5-0 against teams in the MAAC but has never faced Fairfield as a head coach. • The Stags opened the season with a 72-60 victory over Quinnipiac and lost their last time out to Providence, 80-72.
• Minnesota and Fairfield may meet again next week at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. The rematch would be in the championship game of the event. The Gophers will open against DePaul and then play either Texas Tech or Indiana State in the second round. The Stags open with Arizona State.
• Minnesota has led the Big Ten Conference in blocked shots during the last three seasons, including three of the top four season block totals in the history of the Gopher program: a program leading 201 in 2008-09, 199 in 2009-10 and 169 last season. Senior Ralph Sampson III led the team in blocked shots last season and is currently fourth all-time in program history with 169 career swats. Minnesota blocked six against Bucknell in the season opener and nine against South Dakota State.
RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT OFF
• Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe finished his junior season with 19 double-doubles, tied for the second-most for a Gopher in a single season.
• He has produced two straight double-doubles to start the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds in each game. Dating back to last year, Mbakwe has managed five straight games with a double-double.
• In all, the Gophers recorded 22 double-doubles during the 2010-11 season (Mbakwe w/ 19, Ralph Sampson III w/ 2, Rodney Williams w/ 1).
• Mbakwe pulled down 16 rebounds in back-to-back games against St. Joseph's and Cornell last season. His 16 boards against Cornell were the most rebounds in a game since Zack Puchtel grabbed 15 against Michigan in the 2006 Big Ten Tournament. He had four 16-rebound games on the season.
Minnesota's Single Season Double-Doubles
1. Mychal Thompson - 21 (1975-76)
2. Trevor Mbakwe - 19 (2010-11)
Larry Mikan - 19 (1975-76)
Jim Brewer - 19 (1972-73)
Jim Brewer - 19 (1970-71)
6. Kris Humphries - 16 (2003-04)
7. Kevin McHale - 15 (1979-80)
8. Kevin McHale - 14 (1978-79)
9. Jim Brewer - 13 (1971-72)
Tom Kondla - 13 (1966-67)
11. Mychal Thompson - 12 (1977-78)
REVAMPED ROSTER
The Gophers are without four players from last season that combined to play in over 400 career NCAA basketball games, led by Blake Hoffarber who played a Gopher record 132 career games.
Through two games this season Tubby Smith has played seven new players - three true freshmen, a pair of redshirt freshmen and two junior college transfers.
One of the true freshmen, Andre Hollins, leads all "new" players with a 5.5 scoring average.
GOPHERS IN THE NON-CONFERENCE
• The Gophers have opened the season with a victory in 20 straight seasons following a loss to Arkansas in the first game of the Maui Invitational to kickoff the 1991-92 season.
• Tubby Smith has opened 10 straight seasons with a victory, dating back to a loss to Western Kentucky to begin the 2001-02 season.
• Minnesota has a combined record of 42-6 under Tubby Smith in regular-season non-conference games after an a 2-0 start this season. The Gophers went 11-1 last season, were a perfect 12-0 to start the 2008-09 season, went 10-2 during the 2007-08 non-conference slate and finished the 2009-10 non-conference 9-3.
• The Gophers went 2-0 to start the non-conference schedule at Williams. Under Smith, Minnesota is 33-1 in regular season non-conference games at the Barn.
• Smith is 55-17 (.764) overall at Williams arena during his four-plus seasons at Minnesota.
• Minnesota is allowing just 60.3 points per game at Williams arena under Smith (72 games). Under Smith, opponents have only reached 70 points 17 times in the 72 games at the Barn (23% of the time).
SMITH SEEKING 100TH WIN AT MINNESOTA
With 20 wins during the 2011-12 season Golden Gopher head coach Tubby Smith could join a short list of coaches to reach the 100-win plateau at the University of Minnesota. Smith began the season with a Gopher record of 80-53.
Smith's 80 wins at Minnesota are the most by a coach in his first four seasons on the bench in Gold Country.
Minnesota Coaches with 100 Wins
L.J. Cooke 250-135 (28 seasons)
Dave McMillan 196-156 (18 seasons)
Jim Dutcher 190-113 (11 seasons)
O.B. Cowles 147-93 (11 seasons)
Dan Monson 118-106 (7 seasons)
Clem Haskins 111-100 (13 seasons)
John Kundla 110-105 (9 seasons)
Tubby Smith TRENDS
In four-plus seasons under Tubby Smith, Minnesota has followed some pretty significant winning trends: • 75-8 when leading with 5:00 remaining
• 67-36 when bench outscores opponents bench
• 69-9 when leading at the half
• 50-14 with fewer turnovers than opponent
• 55-4 when scoring 70 points or more
• 55-17 at Williams arena
• 60-20 when outrebounding its opponent
• 56-14 when attempting more free throws than its opponent
