University of Minnesota Athletics
Preview: Gophers vs. UL-Lafayette
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Minnesota (0-0) vs. UL-Lafayette (0-0) | |
| Date / Time | Friday, Nov. 11 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV/Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | UL-Lafayette |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | UL-Lafayette |
| Social Media | @GopherMBB | Facebook |
MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
As an appreciation to our men and women in the armed forces, military personnel can show their military ID at the door and get in for free to Friday night's game.
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: Second Meeting (1-0)
Series (Home): Second Meeting (1-0)
Current Streak: W-1
Richard Pitino vs. UL Lafayette: 2-0
Minnesota vs. Sun Belt: 6-1
Richard Pitino vs. Sun Belt: 10-4
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Gophers begin their 124th season of men's basketball Friday night, hosting the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana Lafayette in the regular season lid-lifter.
• Head coach Richard Pitino, entering his fourth season at the helm, welcomes six newcomers to the court to complement a veteran core. Those six newcomers are freshmen guards Amir Coffey, Brady Rudrud and Michael Hurt, freshman forward Eric Curry, and transfers Akeem Springs and Reggie Lynch. Another transfer, forward Davonte Fitzgerald, is eligible after redshirting last season but is expected to miss the year following a left knee injury.
• Among the headliners in the returning corps of Gophers is sophomore forward Jordan Murphy, who was selected to the 2016 Big Ten All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game a year ago. Junior guard Nate Mason is the team's leading returner offensively after he led the Gophers with 13.8 points per game a year ago, along with a team-high 121 assists. In total, the Gophers return 56.4 percent of their scoring and 68 percent of their rebounding to this year's roster.
• Minnesota defeated Bemidji State, 83-59, in their lone exhibition game on November 3. The Gophers defeated DePaul, 96-77, in a closed scrimmage last weekend at Williams Arena. Leading the way for the Gophers was sophomore Jordan Murphy, who poured in a game-high 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Freshman Eric Curry had a strong debut in his unofficial first game, posting a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures were sophomore Dupree McBrayer and redshirt junior Reggie Lynch, who chipped in 18 and 10 points, respectively.
• This is the second meeting for the Gophers and the Ragin' Cajuns, with Minnesota taking a 94-73 NIT third-round victory at Williams Arena on March 13, 1980, when the school was known as Southwest Louisiana.
SCOUTING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
• Louisiana, which finished 19-15 last season under head coach Bob Marlin, returns three starters and five players from last year's team. Johnathan Stove (8.9 ppg.), Jay Wright (8.9 ppg.) and Bryce Washington (8.7 ppg.) are the top returners for the Ragin' Cajuns with Scott Plaisance and Jacob Broussard seeing limited time in 2015-16.
• The Ragin' Cajuns defeated West Florida, 94-72, on November 3 in exhibition action. Bryce Washington posted a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
• Last year the Ragin' Cajuns fell to UC Irvine, 67-66, in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Quarterfinals in Lafayette.
GOPHERS VS. THE SUN BELT
• Minnesota has amassed a record of 6-1 against the current membership of the Sun Belt Conference.
• That total includes the following individual opponent records: Arkansas-Little Rock (1-1), Appalachian State (1-0), Georgia State (1-0), Louisiana Lafayette (1-0), Louisiana Monroe (1-0), Texas Arlington (1-0).
• Head coach Richard Pitino is no stranger to the Sun Belt, as he spent one season as the head coach at Florida International when they were members of the conference. His win-loss record against current Sun Belt members stands at 10-4, including a 2-0 mark against the Ragin' Cajuns.
• UL Lafayette is the first of four Sun Belt opponents the Gophers will face this season, joined by Texas Arlington (Nov. 14), Georgia Southern (Dec. 9) and Arkansas State (Dec. 23).
