Gophers Back at Home Ready to Host Iowa

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (Cory Provus - Play-by-Play; Brian Butch - Analyst)
Tip Time: 1:07 p.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KFAN 100.3
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: 84

SERIES INFORMATION
194th Meeting (102-91 all time)
Home vs. Iowa: 63-34
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 781-871*
* - excludes vacated games

STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Williams Arena Sunday when the Golden Gophers host the Iowa Hawkeyes, at 1 p.m. It marks Minnesota's first meeting against the Hawkeyes this season and sixth Big Ten game this year. Minnesota is 5-2 at Williams Arena this season and 0-2 in league play.
• Minnesota went 1-1 against the Hawkeyes last season, including a 102-95 overtime win against Iowa Christmas Day 2020. Brandon Johnson made all four his 3-point attempts in overtime and finished with 26 points and nine rebounds, while Marcus Carr had 30 points in the win. In Minnesota and Iowa's last meeting, the Gophers fell, 86-71 in Iowa City, Iowa.
• A veteran group, the Gophers turn over the ball very few times (128), which ranks second in the league and fourth nationally. The Gophers have had five games in which they committed five or fewer turnovers a game. Of the five games, three have come against Big Ten opponents in Michigan State, Michigan and Indiana.
• Jamison Battle is ranked sixth in Big Ten overall scoring and 10th against Big Ten opponents (17.2). He averages 17.9 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks 13th in the league at 15.8. Battle added 13 points against Michigan State, which marked his 29th straight double-figure scoring game dating back to last season at George Washington. Battle's season high is 27 points (at Michigan), while his career high is 29 (vs. Duquesne). He has scored over 20 points for the Gophers in five games this season.
• The University of Minnesota announced Jan. 14 that it will require attendees at indoor events with 200 or more spectators to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative, third-party COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. The temporary policy, which reflects the University's vaccination announcement made earlier in the day, will start on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, and will end on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. This policy may be extended, and Athletics will work with campus leadership to determine if an extension is needed. Any extension of this policy will be announced prior to Feb. 9. The COVID-19 vaccine requirement applies to all attendees age five and older. Minnesota's indoor mask / face covering mandate also remains in effect for all home athletic indoor events.

SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
• Iowa has won five of its last six games, including an 83-74 win over Indiana Thursday night. The Hawkeyes (12-4 overall, 2-3 in Big Ten) lost Purdue and Illinois in December. They opened this second half of the season with a win against Maryland, a loss to Wisconsin and a win over Indiana.
• Iowa's Keegan Murray leads the Big Ten averaging 23.9 points per game. In conference action, Murray ranks second averaging 23.3 ppg. Jordan Bohannon averages 10.8 ppg, while Patrick McCaffery and Kris Murray average 10.7. Kris Murray is coming off his first career double double Thursday when he had 29 points and 11 rebounds in the Hoosier win.
• As a team, the Hawkeyes after 86.5 ppg, 36.6 rebounds per game and are shooting 47.8 percent from the field.

LAST GAME RECAP
• Michigan State's Joey Hauser made a low-post shot with a tenth of a second left, lifting No. 10 Michigan State to a 71-69 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night.
• The Golden Gophers (10-4, 1-4) were very competitive throughout the game and had opportunities to pull off the upset. Minnesota was led by Eric Curry with 19 points. Eylijah Stephens scored 18 points, Payton Willis had 15 and Jamison Battle added 13 points for the Gophers.

WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota ranks 15th nationally and first in the conference in three-point defense. The Gophers have allowed 274 attempts and 76 opponent threes through 14 games and just 27.7 percent.
• In addition, Minnesota ranks 17th nationally in fewest fouls (and first in the Big Ten) with 193.
• The Gophers also rank second in the Big Ten in fewest turnovers and fourth nationally with 128.
• Individually, Jamison Battle has played the most minutes per game by any Big Ten player and ranks 15th nationally. Battle is also 67th nationally in ppg (17.9). He and Payton Willis average 2.46 three pointers per game, which ranks fifth and seventh in the league.

UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back in action Jan. 19 when the Gophers travel to Penn State. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m., and televised on Big Ten Network. Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson will also provide the call on KFAN 100.3 FM.

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Players Mentioned

Jamison Battle

Marcus Carr

Eric Curry

Brandon Johnson

Eylijah Stephens

Payton Willis