University of Minnesota Athletics
Preview: Gophers vs. Drake
12/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2017
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Monday, December 11, 2017
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
TV/Live Video: Big Ten Network - Cory Provus (Play-by-Play); Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/KTLK 1130 AM/103.5 FM -
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 137/XM 196
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 20th Meeting (12-7)
Series (Home): 11th Meeting (9-1)
Current Streak: L-2
Richard Pitino vs. Drake: First Meeting
Minnesota vs. MVC: 39-20*
Richard Pitino vs. MVC: 2-0
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Gophers open a six-game homestand, their longest of the season, on Monday evening hosting Drake. It's the first meeting between the two schools in 29 years, despite Drake being one of just four Division I schools located within 250 miles of Minneapolis (Northern Iowa, Iowa State, South Dakota State).
• Jordan Murphy is leading the team averaging 19.9 points (B1G: 2nd) and 12.5 rebounds (B1G: 1st/NCAA: 4th)per game through the first 11 games. Murphy has posted 11 double-doubles (highest in the country) thus far this season, and the three-time Big Ten Player of the Week became the first Gopher to win the award in back-to-back weeks. Murphy is also just the second Gopher to win it three times in the same season. He is additionally leads the country in offensive rebounds (5.5) per game, as of Dec. 10.
• Reggie Lynch is second in the country with 4.2 blocks per game. Lynch, who stands five blocks behind Joel Przybilla on the Gophers' career list, is also just four points shy of the 1,000-point mark in his career, split between his time at Illinois State (597) and in Dinkytown (399). Only one other current Gopher has scored more than 1,000 points in Nate Mason, who is approaching the school's top-10 with 1,388 career points.
• Monday's game marks a homecoming for three members of the Drake coaching staff. Head coach Niko Medved ('97) and director of operations Aaron Katsuma ('14) both served as student managers at the U, while assistant coach Dave Thorson was a Gopher assistant coach (1990-94) before a long career at DeLaSalle HS in Minneapolis.
• Head coach Richard Pitino won his 100th career game on Nov. 25 against Alabama. Pitino is one of five active Division I head coaches who have reached the 100 career victory mark in their sixth season or sooner.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Drake is 5-4 on the season, coming off a 93-71 win at home on Saturday against Omaha. The Bulldogs are looking for their first win in a true road game this season, with losses at Omaha (Nov. 29, 75-73), at Wyoming (Dec. 2, 96-89 in 2OT) and at South Dakota (Dec. 6, 93-65).
• Senior guard Reed Timmer leads the Bulldogs and the MVC while ranking 16th in the country scoring 22.1 points per game. Timmer is also third in the country in 3-point FG percentage (56.1).
GOPHERS VS. THE VALLEY
• Minnesota has amassed a record of 39-20 against the current membership of the Missouri Valley Conference.
• That total includes the following individual opponent records: Bradley (4-5), Drake (12-7), Evansville (1-0), Indiana State (3-1), Loyola Chicago (15-3), Missouri State (1-0), Northern Iowa (1-0), SIU (1-1), Wichita State (1-3). Games that were later vacated are excluded from that list.
• One member of the Gophers is very familiar with the MVC in redshirt junior Reggie Lynch, who spent two seasons at Illinois State - coincidentally, the only MVC school Minnesota has never played. Lynch left the Redbirds and ranks seventh among all-time career MVC shotblockers (189).
• Head coach Richard Pitino is facing a MVC opponent for the third time - the Gophers notched a 74-69 victory over Missouri State in November 2015 at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, and a 57-45 win over Southern Illinois on Nov. 25 last season.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota begins a 10-day break for final exams, returning to the court on Dec. 21 when the Gophers host Oral Roberts.
• BTN Plus will carry the live stream, while KTLK will have the radio broadcast.
| Minnesota (8-3) vs. Drake (5-4) | |
| Date / Time | Monday, Dec. 11 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| TV | Big Ten Network |
| Live Video | BTN2Go |
| Radio | KTLK 1130 AM / 103.5 FM |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Drake |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Drake |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Monday, December 11, 2017
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena: Williams Arena (14,625)
TV/Live Video: Big Ten Network - Cory Provus (Play-by-Play); Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/KTLK 1130 AM/103.5 FM -
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 137/XM 196
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 20th Meeting (12-7)
Series (Home): 11th Meeting (9-1)
Current Streak: L-2
Richard Pitino vs. Drake: First Meeting
Minnesota vs. MVC: 39-20*
Richard Pitino vs. MVC: 2-0
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Gophers open a six-game homestand, their longest of the season, on Monday evening hosting Drake. It's the first meeting between the two schools in 29 years, despite Drake being one of just four Division I schools located within 250 miles of Minneapolis (Northern Iowa, Iowa State, South Dakota State).
• Jordan Murphy is leading the team averaging 19.9 points (B1G: 2nd) and 12.5 rebounds (B1G: 1st/NCAA: 4th)per game through the first 11 games. Murphy has posted 11 double-doubles (highest in the country) thus far this season, and the three-time Big Ten Player of the Week became the first Gopher to win the award in back-to-back weeks. Murphy is also just the second Gopher to win it three times in the same season. He is additionally leads the country in offensive rebounds (5.5) per game, as of Dec. 10.
• Reggie Lynch is second in the country with 4.2 blocks per game. Lynch, who stands five blocks behind Joel Przybilla on the Gophers' career list, is also just four points shy of the 1,000-point mark in his career, split between his time at Illinois State (597) and in Dinkytown (399). Only one other current Gopher has scored more than 1,000 points in Nate Mason, who is approaching the school's top-10 with 1,388 career points.
• Monday's game marks a homecoming for three members of the Drake coaching staff. Head coach Niko Medved ('97) and director of operations Aaron Katsuma ('14) both served as student managers at the U, while assistant coach Dave Thorson was a Gopher assistant coach (1990-94) before a long career at DeLaSalle HS in Minneapolis.
• Head coach Richard Pitino won his 100th career game on Nov. 25 against Alabama. Pitino is one of five active Division I head coaches who have reached the 100 career victory mark in their sixth season or sooner.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Drake is 5-4 on the season, coming off a 93-71 win at home on Saturday against Omaha. The Bulldogs are looking for their first win in a true road game this season, with losses at Omaha (Nov. 29, 75-73), at Wyoming (Dec. 2, 96-89 in 2OT) and at South Dakota (Dec. 6, 93-65).
• Senior guard Reed Timmer leads the Bulldogs and the MVC while ranking 16th in the country scoring 22.1 points per game. Timmer is also third in the country in 3-point FG percentage (56.1).
GOPHERS VS. THE VALLEY
• Minnesota has amassed a record of 39-20 against the current membership of the Missouri Valley Conference.
• That total includes the following individual opponent records: Bradley (4-5), Drake (12-7), Evansville (1-0), Indiana State (3-1), Loyola Chicago (15-3), Missouri State (1-0), Northern Iowa (1-0), SIU (1-1), Wichita State (1-3). Games that were later vacated are excluded from that list.
• One member of the Gophers is very familiar with the MVC in redshirt junior Reggie Lynch, who spent two seasons at Illinois State - coincidentally, the only MVC school Minnesota has never played. Lynch left the Redbirds and ranks seventh among all-time career MVC shotblockers (189).
• Head coach Richard Pitino is facing a MVC opponent for the third time - the Gophers notched a 74-69 victory over Missouri State in November 2015 at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, and a 57-45 win over Southern Illinois on Nov. 25 last season.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota begins a 10-day break for final exams, returning to the court on Dec. 21 when the Gophers host Oral Roberts.
• BTN Plus will carry the live stream, while KTLK will have the radio broadcast.
Players Mentioned
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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