University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Host Virginia Tech in 2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
11/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2011
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
Television: ESPN2
Dave O'Brien (Play-by-Play)
Bob Knight (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/1500 ESPN Twin Cities
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play)
Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: First Meeting
Series Home/Away: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Tubby Smith vs. Virginia Tech: 2-0
Minnesota vs. ACC: 14-23
Tubby Smith vs. ACC: 20-15
GAME DAY TID-BITS:
• The Gophers and Virginia Tech Hokies will be meeting for the first time.
• Tubby Smith is 2-0 all-time against Virginia Tech, both victories coming during his tenure at Georgia (85-72 during the 1995-96 season and 60-57 in 1996-97).
• Minnesota 4-8 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge following last season's 87-79 loss to the University of Virginia at Williams Arena.
• The Gophers will be playing their first game without senior co-captain Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee on Nov. 27 against Dayton. He is leading Minnesota in scoring & rebounding.
• Mbakwe was named to the Old Spice Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds prior to the injury. He was named the MVP of the 2010 Puerto Rico Tipoff following the Gophers 3-0 record.
• 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 172 career swats. Minnesota has blocked 39 shots already this season,second in the Big Ten behind Illinois, led by Trevor Mbakwe with 12.
2011 BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE:
• Minnesota and Virginia Tech will be meeting for the first time in each school's history but head coach Tubby Smith has a perfect 2-0 record against the Hokies. Smith's Georgia Bulldogs defeated Tech in back-to-back seasons, 85-72 during the 1995-96 season and 60-57 in 1996-97. The Gophers' last victory in the challenge came in 2008, a 66-56 triumph over Virginia at Williams Arena.
• The Gophers are 4-8 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge following last season's 87-79 loss to the University of Virginia at Williams Arena. The Michigan State Spartans (6-5) and Wisconsin Badgers (6-6) each have six victories in the history of the challenge. Illinois (5-7), Northwestern (5-7) and Ohio State (5-5) have five wins followed by the Gophers, Michigan (4-6) and Purdue (4-7) with four. Indiana (3-7) and Penn State (3-7) each have three victories while Iowa (2-7) has two. Duke holds the best record in the challenge at 11-1.
• The 2011 challenge will feature 12 games for the first time in the history of the event, all of which will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU & ESPN3.com).
• The Big Ten is the defending Commissioner's Cup champion, defeating the ACC by a 7-to-4 margin a year ago. Road teams won six of the 11 games in 2010.
gophers lose mbakwe for the season
• Minnesota senior forward, a co-captain, will miss the remainder of the season following a tear to the ACL in his right knee.
• Mbakwe suffered the injury in the second half of the Old Spice Classic championship game against Dayton.
• Surgery has notyet been scheduled but will occur in the coming weeks.
OLD SPICE CLASSIC WRAPUP:
• Minnesota lost in the championship game of the Old Spice Classic, 86-70 to Dayton. The Gophers were trying to capture an in-season tournament title for the second consecutive season.
• Minnesota lost senior Trevor Mbakwe for the season following an ACL injury in the second half against Dayton.
• Julian Welch led Minnesota in scoring during the tournament games with a 13.3 average.
• Minnesota had three players (Mbakwe, Welch and Austin Hollins) finish the tournament with double-figure scoring averages.
• The Gophers defeated Indiana State in the semifinals in what was just the fourth meeting in the history of the two schools.
• The Gophers overcame a nine point ISU lead with just 9:18 remaining to take the victory.
• Minnesota outrebounded the Sycamores 21-8 in the second half and 38-21 for the game. The Gophers have won the rebound battle in five of their six games.
• Minnesota finished the game 8-of-15 from behind the arc. The eight makes are a season high for the Gophers as is the .533 percentage.
• Julian Welch led the team in scoring with 17, his season high, and also leads the team in scoring average in the two Old Spice Classic games (14.0 ppg).
• Freshman Andre Hollins scored a career-high 16 points against Indiana State. He also made a career-high four trey's in the game.
• The Gophers came back from 12 points down to defeat DePaul 86-85 in the opening round of the classic. It was the biggest comeback of the season for Minnesota.
• Junior Rodney Williams contributed a career-high 18 points in the victory. His previous career-high was 17 against Western Kentucky in the first round of the 2010 Puerto Rico Tipoff.
• Senior Trevor Mbakwe contributed his fourth double-double in five games with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
• Welch contributed his first double-digit game as a Gopher with 11 points, nine of which came in the second half.
• Sophomore Chip Armelin scored six points and snatched a career-high six rebounds to provide a spark off the bench.
• Minnesota's bench outscored DePaul's bench 43-19, led by Welch's 11.
