University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open New Year at Michigan
12/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2011
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, January 1, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Arena: Crisler Center (12,721)
Television: BTN
Gus Johnson (Play-by-Play)
Gary Williams (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/1500 ESPN Twin Cities
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play)
Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 138th meeting (59-78)
Series (Away): 70th meeting (20-49)
Current Streak: L-1
Last Meeting: Feb. 26, 2011 (L, 63-70)
Tubby Smith vs. Michigan: Ninth meeting (3-5)
Minnesota vs. Current Big Ten: 702-738
Tubby Smith vs. Current Big Ten: 53-53
Game Day Tid-Bits:
• The Gophers will head to Ann Arbor with a one-game win streak at Crisler. Minnesota defeated Michigan 69-64 last season despite losing starting point guard Al Nolen to a season ending foot injury in the first half.
• Michigan sits at 11-2 on the season, the best start for the Wolverines in the John Beilein era. Michigan's only setbacks have been to a pair of ACC teams, then #6 Duke and Virginia in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• The Gophers and Wolverines split the season series a year ago with each team winning on the road. Minnesota had lost four straight to Michigan before last season's 69-64 win in Ann Arbor.
• Minnesota finished the non-conference schedule, 12-1 to tie the most non-conference wins by the Gophers in the Tubby Smith era. The Gophers also won 12 games during the 2008 non-conference slate and hold a record of 54-7 under Tubby Smith in regular-season non-conference games.
• 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 182 career swats. Minnesota has blocked 82 shots already this season for an average of 5.9 per game, tops in Big Ten, led by Rodney Williams with 22. Williams is third in the conference with an average of 1.6 bpg.
Double-Overtime Thriller:
• The Gophers opened the 2011-12 Big Ten Conference schedule with a double-overtime thriller in Champaign.
• It was the first double-overtime game for Minnesota since losing to Alabama Birmingham 88-81 on Dec. 5, 2006.
• It was the first extra-session game for Minnesota since defeating Michigan State 72-67 in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament.
• The Gophers lost the game but fought back from 13 points down in the final 13:00 of regulation.
• The Gophers shot .625 (15-24) in the second half but managed just .231 (3-13) in the extra sessions.
• Senior Ralph Sampson III tied a career-high with 22 points in the contest while junior Julian Welch played 45 of a possible 50 minutes.
Conference Firsts:
• The Gophers began the 2011-12 Big Ten Conference season in Illinois with just two players that had experienced a game in Assembly Hall (Ralph Sampson III & Rodney Williams).
• Minnesota had a total of six players make their Big Ten Conference debuts against Illinois (Julian Welch, Andre Hollins, Joe Coleman, Oto Osenieks, Elliott Eliason & Andre Ingram).
• Consequently, all but Osenieks & Ingram collected their first Big Ten Conference points, led by Welch with 15.
• That group will also be making their debuts at the Crisler Center.
