Gophers Back in Action Saturday vs. Rutgers

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (Cory Provus - Play-by-Play; Jess Settles- Analyst)
Tip Time: 11 a.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KFAN 100.3
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: 372

SERIES INFORMATION
15th Meeting (8-6 all time)
Home vs. Rutgers: 5-1
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 781-873*
* - excludes vacated games

STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back in action Saturday when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights come to town Saturday. The Golden Gophers are 8-6 all time against Rutgers, dating back to 1973, and 6-6 since the institution joined the Big Ten in 2014-15 season. Minnesota's last win against the Scarlet Knights came in Jan. 12, 2019 when the Gophers won, 88-70 at Williams Arena. Since then, Minnesota has dropped four straight, including the two team's last meeting on March 6, 2021 in a 77-70 overtime loss at Williams Arena.
• Minnesota postponed its Jan. 19 men's basketball game at Penn State due to internal COVID-19 protocols within the Golden Gopher program. Minnesota missed athletes in the Iowa game. Following additional testing Monday, the Gophers fell below the Big Ten Conference roster minimum, with fewer than seven scholarship players available. The programs will coordinate with the Big Ten Conference office to reschedule the game.
• Jamison Battle is ranked sixth in Big Ten overall scoring and eighth against Big Ten opponents (17.7). He averages 18.0 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks 15th in the league at 15.5. Battle added 20 points against Iowa, which marked his 30th 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 20 points or more points in six games this season.
• During Minnesota's second-half rally versus Iowa, the Gophers made 16-of-28 (.571) field goals, including 5-of-9 (.556) from behind the three-point line. For the game, Minnesota made 28-of-55 (.509) field goals, marking the fifth time the Gophers have shot 50 percent or better this season. Last season, Minnesota failed to shoot 50 percent in any of its 29 games. The Gophers' best game shooting the ball was when they made 25-of-43 (.581) against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 14. Sunday's 50.9 percent effort tied its best in Big Ten play, as they also made 29-of-57 (.509) shots in the win at Michigan on Dec. 11.
• Freshman Treyton Thompson saw the most time of his collegiate career when he played 11 minutes, offered eight points and two rebounds Sunday against Iowa. His only point of his collegiate career prior to Sunday's game was a made free throw against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi.

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
• Rutgers enters the Minnesota game with an 11-6 overall record and 5-2 within Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights are coming off back-to-back conference wins at Maryland (70-59) and home against Iowa (48-46).
• Ron Harper Jr. averages a team-best 16.5 points per game, and averages 19.6 ppg game in conference action alone. That ranks fourth in the league. Harper Jr. was named a Preseason All-Big Ten selection and John R. Wooden Award Preseason Watch List. Clifford Omoruyi averages 8.1 rebounds per game, which is good enough for seventh overall in league standings. He ranks second on the team in scoring averaging 11.1 ppg. Geo Baker rounds out the top three with 10.9 ppg.
• As a team, Rutgers averages 67.76 points per game, allows just 63.94 points per game and averages 37.9 rebounds per game. Through 17 games this season, they are shooting 42.8 percent from the field.

LAST GAME RECAP
• Minnesota fell to Iowa, 81-71 Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena. Minnesota played without four student-athletes in Sunday's game against Iowa, due to injury, illness and protocols.
• Eylijah Stephens scored 22 points and played all 40 minutes for the Golden Gophers. Battle sank four 3-pointers and scored 20. The duo combined for 29 of Minnesota's 44 second-half points.

THE HOT HAND
• Eylijah Stephens added a season-high 22 points Sunday against Iowa. Over the course of three games, Stephens has scored 52 points (12 at Indiana, 18 at Michigan State and 22 against Iowa), averaging 17.3 points per game. Stephens has nine double-figure scoring games this season, which includes six of the past eight games, and is averaging 13.4 points during that stretch. On Sunday, he also established his 200th career assist. In his collegiate career, Stephens has scored 1,197 points, including 180 as a Gopher.

MANDATES SET TO BEGIN JAN. 26
• 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.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
• A veteran group, the Gophers turn over the ball very few times (142), 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.

UP NEXT
• Minnesota stays home for a battle against No. 19 Ohio State, Thursday Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN, while Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson provide the radio call on KFAN 100.3 FM.

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Players Mentioned

Jamison Battle

Eylijah Stephens

Treyton Thompson

Payton Willis