University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Back at Williams Arena to Face Northwestern
1/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2012
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
Television: BTN
Eric Collins (Play-by-Play)
Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/1500 ESPN Twin Cities
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play)
Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 151st meeting (90-60)
Series (Home): 73rd meeting (54-18)
Current Streak: L-2
Last Meeting: March 10, 2011 (L, 65-75)
Tubby Smith vs. NU: 12th meeting (7-4)
Minnesota vs. Current Big Ten: 704-741
Tubby Smith vs. Current Big Ten: 55-56
Game Day Tid-Bits:
• Minnesota is back at Williams Arena following a pair of Big Ten road wins, at then #7 Indiana and Penn State.
• The Gophers hadn't won two-straight Big Ten road games since defeating Iowa & Wisconsin during the 2009 conference season. That year Minnesota won a game at Williams in between the two road wins.
• The Gophers last back-to-back road wins before last week came during the 2005 conference season with wins at Purdue & Penn State to conclude the conference schedule. Minnesota went 1-1 at the Big Ten tournament that season and made the NCAA tournament, losing to Iowa State.
• The Gophers have lost two straight to the Wildcats but are 7-4 all-time against Northwestern since Tubby Smith arrived on campus.
• Minnesota freshman Joe Coleman is coming off of his best game in Maroon & Gold. The Minneapolis native led the Gophers with 23 points at Penn State that included a 13-of-14 effort from the free throw line. He was awarded the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week as a result. He has started the last three 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 tied for third all-time in program history with 191 career swats. Minnesota has blocked 112 shots this season for an average of 5.9 per game, tops in Big Ten, led by Rodney Williams with 28. Williams is fourth in the conference with an average of 1.5 bpg. Sampson III is second at 1.6 bpg with 25 swats on the season.
Coleman Picks up First Conference Award:
Joe Coleman was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week this week after helping the Gophers secure a pair of Big Ten road victories, at No. 7 Indiana and at Penn State. The victories marks the first time since the 2009 conference season that Minnesota has won back-to-back conference road games.
Coleman averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 rebounds on the week. He scored a career-high 23 points in the win over Penn State that included a 13-of-14 effort from the free throw line while playing 36 minutes, also a career-high.
Coleman, who has started the last three games for Minnesota, was clutch on the big stage as well, as he scored eight points, including four free throws in the final minute, to help the Gophers defeat No. 7 Indiana in Bloomington. The win gave head coach Tubby Smith his sixth victory over a top-10 opponent in his first five years at Minnesota and 31st overall.
Breakout Game for Coleman:
• Joe Coleman has played in all of the Gophers 19 games this season but has started the last three.
• The freshman scored a career-high 23 points in the win at Penn State, including a 13-of-14 shooting day at the free throw line.
• Coleman is averaging a team-high 15 points a game as a starter and is shooting .423 from the field and .920 from the line.
A Huge Win for the Program:
• The Gophers were able to secure their first conference win of the season with a 77-74 victory over #7/8 ranked Indiana in Bloomington.
• It was the first loss of the season for the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall.
• Minnesota had lost its last 43 road games against ranked teams, including vacated games.
• Not including vacated games, that number extends to 63 straight losses on the road against ranked opponents.
• It is the first time the Golden Gopher program has beat a Top 10 team on the road while unranked since defeating #9 Iowa during the 1981 conference season.
• The victory over #7 Indiana is the highest ranked opponent Minnesota has defeated in a true road game since a 1976 win at No. 6 Marquette (that game was later forfeited).
• The victory is the highest ranked Big Ten opponent Minnesota has EVER defeated on the road. The previous high was #8 Illinois in 1954.
Minnesota's Last Wins over Ranked Teams on Road:
• 2/26/97 at #24 Michigan, 55-54
• 1/8/97 at #15 Indiana, 96-91 (OT)
• 2/12/94 at #21 Wisconsin 109-78
• 1/19/85 at #19 Michigan State, 81-75
Minnesota's Last Wins over Top 15 Team on Road:
• 1/8/97 at #15 Indiana, 96-91 (OT)
• 2/27/82 at #11 Iowa, 57-55 (3 OT)
Minnesota's Last Wins over Top 10 Team on Road:
• 1/24/81 at #9 Iowa, 60-48
• 12/21/76 at #6 Marquette, 66-59 (Gophers were #20)
Minnesota's Last Win over Top 10 Big Ten Team on Road:
• 1/2/54 vs. #8 Illinois, 84-72 (Gophers were #6)
Sampson III & the Gopher Record Books:
Trevor Mbakwe had been the talk of the Gophers entering the season but the other senior co-captain, Ralph Sampson III, will more than likely finish his Minnesota career as one of the best big men in program history.
He has a chance to become just the fifth player to finish his Gopher career with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 blocks (Kevin McHale, Randy Breuer, Mychal Thompson and Michael Bauer).
Sampson III Career Numbers
• 113 career games played (102 starts)
• 926 career points (8.2 average)
• 581 career rebounds (5.1 average)
• 191 career blocks (1.7 average) - tied for third-most in Gopher History
