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Minnesota to Meet Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament
3/7/2021 7:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Gophers set to tangle with Wildcats in Indianapolis
SERIES INFORMATION
169th Meeting (99-69 all-time record)
Home: 57-23 // Road: 38-44 // Neutral: 4-2 // Streak: L-1
B1G Tournament: 5-2 (last: UM won 74-57 on 3/11/2020)
Richard Pitino vs. Northwestern: 6-7
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 780-867*
Pitino vs. Big Ten regular season games: 54-96
Pitino vs. Big Ten (includes postseason games): 60-103
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
1. Minnesota will play Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota is seeded No. 13, while Northwestern is No. 12. The Gophers and Wildcats met once this season, with Northwestern winning 67-59 in Minneapolis. That game snapped a four-game win streak for Minnesota against Northwestern, which dated back to 2019 and included a 75-57 win in the 2020 Big Ten Tournament. This is the second time that Minnesota has entered the tournament as the No. 13 seed. Its previous appearance resulted in a first round loss to No. 12 Illinois in 2016.
2. Minnesota and Northwestern are no strangers when it comes to the Big Ten Tournament. The teams have met seven times previously, making Northwestern the most common opponent for Minnesota in the conference tournament. The Gophers are 5-2 against Northwestern in the tournament, posting wins in 2020, 2012, 2009, 2008 and 1998. Northwestern's two wins were in 2011 and 2003. The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the second round and will face fifth-seeded Ohio State.
3. The Gophers are 99-69 all-time against Northwestern. If Minnesota were to win on Wednesday, it would be the team's 100th victory against the Wildcats. Minnesota has beaten one other opponent - Iowa - 100 times in program history (U is 102-91 all-time against the Hawkeyes).
4. Minnesota has used six different starting lineups this year and nine different players have started. Many of these changes were because of injuries, as Liam Robbins (second leading scorer, leading rebounder and shot blocker has missed the last four games), Gabe Kalscheur (third leading scorer and best defensive player has missed the last six games) and Brandon Johnson (fourth leading scorer, has missed one game and played only 8:57 at Penn State) have all missed time this season. The only Gopher to start all 27 games is Marcus Carr.
5. Marcus Carr scored a career-high 41 points at Nebraska to become the fifth Gopher to score at least 40 points in a game (second since 1972). His 41 points is tied for third all-time with Andre Hollins, who had 41 points versus Memphis (11/23/12). The school record of 42 points is held by Eric Magdanz at Michigan (3/5/62) and Oliver Shannon versus Wisconsin (3/6/71). Carr (20 points in the first half, 21 in the second) is the second Gopher ever to score at least 40 on the road (Magdanz). Carr made 11 field goals, six threes (attempted school record 15 threes) and was 13-of-16 at the line. He added four rebounds, four steals and three assists in 40 minutes. Carr has scored in double-figures 48 times in his career, including doing so in 24 games this season. Carr has 11 games with 20-plus points this year, four with 30 or more and one 40-point game.
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
169th Meeting (99-69 all-time record)
Home: 57-23 // Road: 38-44 // Neutral: 4-2 // Streak: L-1
B1G Tournament: 5-2 (last: UM won 74-57 on 3/11/2020)
Richard Pitino vs. Northwestern: 6-7
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 780-867*
Pitino vs. Big Ten regular season games: 54-96
Pitino vs. Big Ten (includes postseason games): 60-103
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
1. Minnesota will play Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota is seeded No. 13, while Northwestern is No. 12. The Gophers and Wildcats met once this season, with Northwestern winning 67-59 in Minneapolis. That game snapped a four-game win streak for Minnesota against Northwestern, which dated back to 2019 and included a 75-57 win in the 2020 Big Ten Tournament. This is the second time that Minnesota has entered the tournament as the No. 13 seed. Its previous appearance resulted in a first round loss to No. 12 Illinois in 2016.
2. Minnesota and Northwestern are no strangers when it comes to the Big Ten Tournament. The teams have met seven times previously, making Northwestern the most common opponent for Minnesota in the conference tournament. The Gophers are 5-2 against Northwestern in the tournament, posting wins in 2020, 2012, 2009, 2008 and 1998. Northwestern's two wins were in 2011 and 2003. The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the second round and will face fifth-seeded Ohio State.
3. The Gophers are 99-69 all-time against Northwestern. If Minnesota were to win on Wednesday, it would be the team's 100th victory against the Wildcats. Minnesota has beaten one other opponent - Iowa - 100 times in program history (U is 102-91 all-time against the Hawkeyes).
4. Minnesota has used six different starting lineups this year and nine different players have started. Many of these changes were because of injuries, as Liam Robbins (second leading scorer, leading rebounder and shot blocker has missed the last four games), Gabe Kalscheur (third leading scorer and best defensive player has missed the last six games) and Brandon Johnson (fourth leading scorer, has missed one game and played only 8:57 at Penn State) have all missed time this season. The only Gopher to start all 27 games is Marcus Carr.
5. Marcus Carr scored a career-high 41 points at Nebraska to become the fifth Gopher to score at least 40 points in a game (second since 1972). His 41 points is tied for third all-time with Andre Hollins, who had 41 points versus Memphis (11/23/12). The school record of 42 points is held by Eric Magdanz at Michigan (3/5/62) and Oliver Shannon versus Wisconsin (3/6/71). Carr (20 points in the first half, 21 in the second) is the second Gopher ever to score at least 40 on the road (Magdanz). Carr made 11 field goals, six threes (attempted school record 15 threes) and was 13-of-16 at the line. He added four rebounds, four steals and three assists in 40 minutes. Carr has scored in double-figures 48 times in his career, including doing so in 24 games this season. Carr has 11 games with 20-plus points this year, four with 30 or more and one 40-point game.
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
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