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Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
Gophers Visit Wisconsin in Border Battle Thursday
1/2/2019 11:28:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, January 3, 2019
Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: Madison, Wis.
Arena: Kohl Center (17,230)
TV: BTN – Brian Anderson (Play-by-Play); Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/KFAN 100.3 FM –
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 193rd Meeting (96-96)*
Series (Away): 93rd Meeting (33-59)*
Current Streak: L-8
Richard Pitino vs. Wisconsin: 1-8
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 751-823*
Richard Pitino vs. Big Ten: 34-61
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• Big Ten play resumes for the remainder of the season as the Minnesota men's basketball team crosses the border to face Wisconsin on Thursday night. The Gophers are looking for their first win in Madison since 2009.
• Redshirt sophomore forward Eric Curry made his return to the lineup on Dec. 30 in the win over Mount St. Mary's. Curry, who missed all of last season and the first 12 games of this year with a knee injury, scored six rebounds, four points and an assist in 17 minutes of action against the Mountaineers.
• On Dec. 21 with the win over N.C. A&T, head coach Richard Pitino earned his 100th victory at the helm of Gopher basketball. He became just the ninth coach in program history to reach the mark. Pitino is the youngest Power Five coach with 100+ wins at one school, and the third youngest in the nation with 100 wins at one school.
• Senior forward Jordan Murphy became the 11th player in Big Ten history with 1,400+ points and 1,000+ career rebounds. Additionally, Murphy broke Jim Brewer's 45-year old school record when he scored 18 points and 13 rebounds against Nebraska for his 52nd career double-double. Murphy leads the nation in rebounding (12.6) and is fourth in double-doubles (nine) this season, as of Jan. 2. He is also fourth in free throw attempts (111) and 18th in free throws made (77). Murphy needs just 14 points to become the ninth Gopher with 1,500+ career points.
• Freshman Daniel Oturu has posted four straight double-doubles, including a career-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds vs. the Aggies on Dec. 21. Oturu has nine games this season with eight or more rebounds, and seven games in double‐figure scoring. Oturu is leading the team and ranks second in the Big Ten blocking 2.1 shots per contest. For his efforts vs. N.C. A&T, Oturu was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 24.
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
• Wisconsin has split its last four games, most recently being tripped up at Western Kentucky, 83-76, on Dec. 29.
• In their two December conference contests, the Badgers won at Iowa and held off Rutgers at home.
• Preseason All-America honoree Ethan Happ leads the Badgers and ranks in the Big Ten's top four in scoring (19.2), rebounding (10.6 rpg) and assists (4.8 apg), one of a trio of UW players averaging double-digit scoring (D'Mitrik Trice - 15.5 ppg, Brad Davison (10.5 ppg).
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
• Minnesota wrapped up non-conference play in December with a 10-1 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in home games.
• Included in the 10 wins were four over Power Five opponents in Utah (Pac-12), Texas A&M (SEC), Washington (Pac-12) and Oklahoma State (Big XII).
• The four non-conference wins against those conferences (and their historical predecessors) is the most since the 1959-60 season (Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Missouri, at Oklahoma).
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is idle over the weekend before opening the first of three two-game Big Ten homestands next week. It begins with a 6:00 p.m. tilt against Maryland on Tuesday, January 8 at the Barn.
Date: Thursday, January 3, 2019
Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: Madison, Wis.
Arena: Kohl Center (17,230)
TV: BTN – Brian Anderson (Play-by-Play); Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Learfield/KFAN 100.3 FM –
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series: 193rd Meeting (96-96)*
Series (Away): 93rd Meeting (33-59)*
Current Streak: L-8
Richard Pitino vs. Wisconsin: 1-8
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 751-823*
Richard Pitino vs. Big Ten: 34-61
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• Big Ten play resumes for the remainder of the season as the Minnesota men's basketball team crosses the border to face Wisconsin on Thursday night. The Gophers are looking for their first win in Madison since 2009.
• Redshirt sophomore forward Eric Curry made his return to the lineup on Dec. 30 in the win over Mount St. Mary's. Curry, who missed all of last season and the first 12 games of this year with a knee injury, scored six rebounds, four points and an assist in 17 minutes of action against the Mountaineers.
• On Dec. 21 with the win over N.C. A&T, head coach Richard Pitino earned his 100th victory at the helm of Gopher basketball. He became just the ninth coach in program history to reach the mark. Pitino is the youngest Power Five coach with 100+ wins at one school, and the third youngest in the nation with 100 wins at one school.
• Senior forward Jordan Murphy became the 11th player in Big Ten history with 1,400+ points and 1,000+ career rebounds. Additionally, Murphy broke Jim Brewer's 45-year old school record when he scored 18 points and 13 rebounds against Nebraska for his 52nd career double-double. Murphy leads the nation in rebounding (12.6) and is fourth in double-doubles (nine) this season, as of Jan. 2. He is also fourth in free throw attempts (111) and 18th in free throws made (77). Murphy needs just 14 points to become the ninth Gopher with 1,500+ career points.
• Freshman Daniel Oturu has posted four straight double-doubles, including a career-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds vs. the Aggies on Dec. 21. Oturu has nine games this season with eight or more rebounds, and seven games in double‐figure scoring. Oturu is leading the team and ranks second in the Big Ten blocking 2.1 shots per contest. For his efforts vs. N.C. A&T, Oturu was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 24.
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
• Wisconsin has split its last four games, most recently being tripped up at Western Kentucky, 83-76, on Dec. 29.
• In their two December conference contests, the Badgers won at Iowa and held off Rutgers at home.
• Preseason All-America honoree Ethan Happ leads the Badgers and ranks in the Big Ten's top four in scoring (19.2), rebounding (10.6 rpg) and assists (4.8 apg), one of a trio of UW players averaging double-digit scoring (D'Mitrik Trice - 15.5 ppg, Brad Davison (10.5 ppg).
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
• Minnesota wrapped up non-conference play in December with a 10-1 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in home games.
• Included in the 10 wins were four over Power Five opponents in Utah (Pac-12), Texas A&M (SEC), Washington (Pac-12) and Oklahoma State (Big XII).
• The four non-conference wins against those conferences (and their historical predecessors) is the most since the 1959-60 season (Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Missouri, at Oklahoma).
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is idle over the weekend before opening the first of three two-game Big Ten homestands next week. It begins with a 6:00 p.m. tilt against Maryland on Tuesday, January 8 at the Barn.
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