University of Minnesota Athletics
Preview: Gophers vs. St. John's
11/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Minnesota (3-0) vs. St. John's (2-0) - Gavitt Tipoff Games | |
| Date / Time | Friday, Nov. 18 | 8 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV/Live Video | BTN/BTN2Go |
| Radio | 1500 ESPN |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | St. John's |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | St. John's |
| Social Media | @GopherMBB | Facebook |
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, November 18, 2016
Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
TV: BTN - Jeff Levering (Play-by-Play); Stephen Bardo (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/1500 ESPN Twin Cities -
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: Second Meeting (0-1)*
Series (Home): First Meeting*
Current Streak: L-1
Richard Pitino vs. St. John's: 0-1
Minnesota vs. BIG EAST: 43-32*
Richard Pitino vs. BIG EAST: 0-1
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Gophers make their first appearance in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, hosting St. John's on Friday night at Williams Arena. The series pits members of the Big Ten against BIG EAST opponents at campus sites.
• Minnesota has utilized big second-half scoring runs the past two games to pull away and post double-digit wins. During Monday's 84-67 win against UT Arlington, the Gophers opened the second half on a 24-3 run to rally from a six-point halftime deficit. Wednesday, Minnesota used a 20-1 run over a seven-minute span to stretch a 49-42 lead to 69-43. Minnesota also had a 12-2 run to start its season-opening win against Louisiana.
• The Gophers have had five or more double-digit scorers in each of the first three games, a feat that hasn't happened in three straight games in nearly nine years. It was last accomplished in December 2007, against UC Riverside (Dec. 1), North Dakota State (Dec. 3) and Colorado State (Dec. 8). All five Gopher starters are averaging double-figure points per game thus far this year.
• Minnesota topped 80 points for the third-straight game to open the season. It's the first time the Gophers tallied 80-plus in three-consecutive games since wins against Omaha (93-90) and Clemson (89-83) and an 85-81 loss to South Dakota during Nov. 27-Dec. 5, 2015. Minnesota hasn't opened a season with three-straight 80-plus point outings since wins against Mercer (80-59), UNC-Asheville (92-65) and Eastern Washington (86-68) during 2001-02. The last time a Gophers team started a season with four-straight 80-point games was 1992-93, when Clem Haskins' team opened the season with six-straight games over 80.
• St. John's and Minnesota met two years ago at Madison Square Garden, as the Red Storm took a 70-61 victory on their home court on November 26, 2014 in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals. They also played a home-and-home series in the mid-1990s, results of which were later vacated by the NCAA.
SCOUTING THE RED STORM
• St. John's has won both of its first two games, tallying double-digit victories over Bethune-Cookman and Binghamton at home.
• Marcus LoVett has paced the St. John's offense with 21 points per game, one of three Red Storm players with double-digit scoring averagas as Shamorie Ponds (14.5 ppg) and Federico Mussini (12.5) join him.
• St. John's is playing back-to-back games against Big Ten foes, following tonight's game with a matchup against Michigan State on Nov. 23 in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Last season, St. John's participated in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games where they defeated Rutgers, 61-59, on Nov. 19 in Queens.
• The Red Storm are coached by Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, who is in his second season at his alma mater following a successful NBA playing and executive career. He is one of just seven active Hall of Fame college coaches, including Rick Pitino.
GOPHERS VS. THE BIG EAST
• Minnesota has amassed a record of 43-32 against the current membership of the Big East Conference.
• That total includes the following individual opponent records: Butler (3-0), Creighton (7-3), DePaul (8-9), Georgetown (1-2), Marquette (18-14), Providence (2-0), St. John's (0-1), Seton Hall (0-1), Villanova (1-1), Xavier (3-1). Games that were later vacated are excluded from that list.
• Head coach Richard Pitino is facing a Big East opponent for the second time, following the matchup with St. John's in 2014. He is no stranger to the conference, however, as an alumnus of Providence College and having spent time on the Louisville coaching staff when the Cardinals were in the Big East.
