Gophers Travel to Mississippi State for Sunday Matinee

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPNU (Roy Philpott - Play-by-Play, Mark Wise - Analyst)
Tip Time: 1:01 p.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG College/ KTLK (AM-1130), FM 103.5
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: XM 389

SERIES INFORMATION
Series: First Meeting Between the Two Schools
Minnesota vs. SEC: 18-14

STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is on the road for the second-straight game as it travels to Mississippi State Sunday at 1 p.m. It marks the first-ever meeting between the two institutions. Both programs own six wins early this season.
• Minnesota is coming off a road win against Pittsburgh in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The win signified a few firsts: It was Minnesota's first true road win since Feb. 23, 2020 (at Northwestern, 83-57). It also marked the first true non-conference road win since Nov. 13, 2017 at Providence. Minnesota's last non-conference road win vs. a Power Five team, also came during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge when the Gophers defeated Wake Forest on Dec. 2, 2014. All other events were at home, during tournaments or neutral site locations. It was also just the fourth true non-conference road win over the last eight seasons (Richmond - 2013, Wake Forest - 2014, Providence - 2017).
• Minnesota is just one of 14 teams in the country still undefeated and only one of three left in the Big Ten. The Gophers held a 6-0 record in both the 2020-21 season and the last time Minnesota opened a season 7-0 was during the 2017-18 campaign when the Gophers defeated both UMass and Alabama during the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Minnesota tops the nation in three-point defense. The Gophers have allowed just 118 attempts and 25 opponent threes through six games and just 21.2 percent. Minnesota currently ranks 18th nationally in defensive rebounds. The Golden Gophers have 181 defensive rebounds to average 30.2 per game. Through six games this year, five Gophers have over 20 defensive rebounds: Jamison Battle (37), Eric Curry (32), Payton Willis (26), Sean Sutherlin (23) and Eylijah Stephens at 22. In addition, Minnesota ranks 10th nationally in fewest fouls (and first in the Big Ten) with 80. The Gophers also rank second in the Big Ten in scoring defense and 30th nationally averaging 58.5 points allowed.
• Jamison Battle is ranked sixth in Big Ten overall scoring. He averages 17.5 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks 10th in the league at 16.3. Willis and Battle rank fourth and sixth within the Big Ten in three-point percentage (.429 & .313) and fifth and sixth in three-pointers per game at 2.5 and 2.6. Willis and Eylijah Stephens both average 1.8 steals per game, which ties for second in the league. With the Gophers playing a short bench, Minnesota also has three of its five starters in the top five of minutes played within the Big Ten. Battle leads the league averaging 38.0 minutes played.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Mississippi State enters the Minnesota game with a 6-1 overall record. The Bulldogs played Thursday night and defeated Lamar 75-60 in Starkville. Michigan State transfer Rocket Watts contributed 15 points in the Lamar win. The Bulldogs also claimed wins against North Alabama, Montana, Detroit Mercy, Morehead State and an overtime win over Richmond. Their sole loss came against Louisville, 72-58.
• Mississippi State captured a runner-up finish at the 2021 NIT and went 18-15 overall and 8-10 in the SEC.
• Head coach Ben Howland is in his seventh year at the helm of Mississippi State. He owns a 105-83 school record there and has been a head coach the past 26 seasons (506-289).
• The Bulldogs have four individuals averaging over 10 points per game. All-SEC Preseason honoree Iverson Molinar leads the team with 16.0 points per game, followed by Tolu Smith (15.3), Shakeel Moore (11.3) and Garrison Brooks (10.7). Brooks is a transfer from North Carolina and also an All-SEC Preseason pick, while Moore transferred to Mississippi State from NC State.

GOPHERS VS. THE SEC
• Minnesota is 18-14 all time against current SEC members. It will be the Gophers' first meeting against Mississippi State in program history.
• The last time a Minnesota team played a SEC team and on the road dates back to Dec. 9, 2017. The Golden Gophers fell, 95-79 to Arkansas. Minnesota, ranked 14th at the time, was led by Jordan Murphy, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
• Minnesota's last win over an SEC school was that same season when the Gophers defeated Alabama in a neutral win on Nov. 25, 2017 89-84.

LAST GAME RECAP
• A Luke Loewe put back the rebound off an Elyijah Stephens miss with 2.4 seconds left to lift Minnesota to a 54-53 win over Pittsburgh in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest Tuesday night.
• It was the Gophers' first Power Five team they have faced this year.
• Jamison Battle led Minnesota with 16 points and seven rebounds. Willis added 15 points and the only points Loewe scored came on his game-winning put back. The Gophers were out-rebounded 40-33, but made up for that shortfall by making 7 of 19 shots from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT
• Minnesota opens up Big Ten play on Wednesday, Dec. 8 when Michigan State comes to town. Game time is set for 8 p.m., and televised on BTN. Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson can also provide the call on KFAN 100.3 FM.

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jamison Battle

Eric Curry

Luke Loewe

Eylijah Stephens

Sean Sutherlin

Payton Willis