University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set for Rematch with Illinois
1/27/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2012
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
Television: 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: 167th meeting (59-107)
Series (Home): 83rd meeting (41-41)
Current Streak: L-2
Last Meeting: Dec. 27, 2011 (L, 72-81-2OT)
Tubby Smith vs. Illinois: 10th meeting (3-6)
Minnesota vs. Current Big Ten: 705-742
Tubby Smith vs. Current Big Ten: 56-57
Game Day Tid-Bits:
• Minnesota and Illinois will face off for the second time this season. The teams opened Big Ten Conference play in Champaign on Dec. 27.
• Minnesota is 41-41 against Illinois in games played in Minneapolis but dropped last year's matchup at "The Barn", 71-62. The Gophers & Illini have split the last four matchups.
• Rodney Williams comes into the game against Illinois with seven-straight double-figure scoring games, the longest such streak of his career. In comparison, Williams only had seven double-figure scoring games all of last season. He opened his freshman campaign with three straight.
• Senior Ralph Sampson III is averaging 12.2 points in five career games against Illinois. He led the team in scoring and rebounding with 22 point and nine rebounds in the double-overtime game on Dec. 27.
• Since being inserted into the Gopher starting lineup, Joe Coleman is averaging 14.0 points & 5.4 rebounds, second to Williams for the team lead. He has gone to the free throw line 43 times in those five games for an average of 8.6 per game, by far the most on the team.
• 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 118 shots this season for an average of 5.6 per game, tops in Big Ten, led by Rodney Williams with 32. Williams is fourth in the conference with an average of 1.5 bpg. Sampson III is seventh at 1.4 bpg with 25 swats on the season.
Missouri Valley Beginnings:
• The Big Ten Conference boasts a trio of coaches that started their careers at a Missouri Valley Conference, two of which square off Saturday at Williams Arena.
• Tubby Smith spent four seasons at the University of Tulsa, amassing a record of 79-43. He guided the Golden Hurricane to back-to-back Sweet 16's in 1994 & 95. Tulsa is no longer a member of the Missouri Valley.
• Smith won two MVC Championships at Tulsa
• Bruce Weber spent five seasons at Southern Illinois. He also won a pair od Missouri Valley titles and reached the 2002 Sweet 16.
• Purdue's Matt Painter spent the 2003-04 season as the head coach at Southern Illinois after five seasons as an assistant to Weber. He led the Salukis to a 25-5 record and a berth in the tournament.
Gophers & Illini 2.0:
• The Gophers & Illini opened the 2011-12 Big Ten Conference schedule with a double-overtime thriller in Champaign on Dec. 27.
• 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.
