University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Host Bemidji State in Exhibition Thursday
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. Bemidji State - Exhibition | |
| Date / Time | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV | No TV |
| Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | No Radio |
| Live Stats | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Bemidji State |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook |
The University of Minnesota men's basketball team unofficially lifts the lid on the 2016-17 season Thursday night, hosting Bemidji State in a 7:00 p.m. exhibition.
STARTING FIVE
- The Gophers begin their fourth season under head coach Richard Pitino, who will welcome 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.
- Minnesota's game Thursday night is their lone exhibition of the preseason, prior to next Friday's season opener against Louisiana Lafayette. The Gophers defeated DePaul, 96-77, in a closed scrimmage last weekend at Williams Arena.
- This is the third time the Gophers and Beavers have met, all coming in exhibition action at Williams Arena. Minnesota took the first meeting ever, 88-32, on Nov. 3, 2006 and notched a 71-58 win on Nov. 1, 2011, the last time these two teams faced.
- The Gophers feature two seniors on their roster in Springs and guard Darin Haugh, who earned a scholarship over the summer following two years as a walk-on.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Bemidji State is taking the court for its second exhibition game, following a 71-48 loss at Northern Iowa on October 28. The Beavers were led by forward Ben Best in that game, who contributed a team-high 10 points and five rebounds. BSU was picked to finish 14th overall and seventh in the NSIC North Division, while Best was named the Beavers' Player to Watch after leading the program in scoring and rebounds last season.
TRANSFERS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN IMPACT
While Fitzgerald (Texas A&M) has been sidelined after injury to his left ACL, guard Akeem Springs (Milwaukee) and center Reggie Lynch (Illinois State) will contribute heavily on the court this season for the Maroon and Gold. Springs arrives in Dinkytown as a graduate transfer following two seasons at Milwaukee, where he was a double-digit scorer including 13.2 points and 5.3 rebounds last year. Lynch, who joined the Gophers in 2015 but sat out last season as a redshirt, was an All-Conference performer in the Missouri Valley after racking up 189 career blocks, second on the Redbirds' career list.
HOME COOKIN'
Thursday's exhibition is the first, albeit unofficial, of seven straight home games to begin the season. Excluding the BSU exhibition, the six straight regular-season home games to start the Gopher schedule is the most since 1999, when the Gophers went 6-0 at home in their first six games of the year. The Gophers will host 20 regular season games at Williams Arena this season, including 11 non-conference foes.
NEXT UP
The Gophers officially begin the 2016-17 season a week from Friday, hosting Louisiana Lafayette at 7:00 p.m. on November 11.
