Gophers Resume Big Ten Play Tuesday

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: FS1 (Cory Provus: Play-by-Play; Stephan Bardo: Analyst)
Tip Time: 6:01 p.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KFAN 100.3 FM
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: XM 372

SERIES INFORMATION
184th Meeting (Illinois Leads, 117-66)
Home vs Illinois: 45-45
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 781-868
* - excludes vacated games

STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back in action Tuesday night as the Golden Gophers resume Big Ten Conference play against Illinois. Both programs are back in action for the first time since Dec. 22. This game was originally scheduled for Jan. 2, however, was rescheduled due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Illinois program. Minnesota's game against Alcorn State was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Braves' program. The Golden Gophers are coming off a 72-56 win over Green Bay (Dec. 22). Minnesota went undefeated in nonconference play this season with a 9-0 record.
• Despite its loss to Michigan State on Dec. 8, Minnesota is still one of 15 teams undefeated or have lost just once in Division I basketball. The Gophers are off to their best start since 2016-17. Minnesota went 13-1 to start the season that year, as it only dropped a road contest to Florida State during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The 13-1 mark was all during non-conference play that season.
• Payton Willis earned his 1,000th career point Dec. 22 in the win against Green Bay. The senior now has 1,013 career points, of which 420 have come as a Golden Gopher. Not only did Willis reach his 1,000th career point, he also had 10 assists in the win, a career high. Willis was the first Gopher since 2020 to have a double-double in points (14) and assists (10).
• Eric Curry accomplished something new in his six years with the Golden Gophers. Curry obtained his first career double-double in the win against Green Bay. This season, Curry has set career best games in points (18 vs. Michigan State), field goals made and attempted (9-of-14 against MSU), rebounds (12 vs. Texas A&M CC) and tied career bests in assists.
• Jamison Battle is ranked sixth in Big Ten overall scoring. He averages 18.9 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks ninth in the league at 16.3. Willis holds this league's best three-point percentage at 46.0 percent, while Battle is sixth at 35.9. Battle leads the league averaging 37.5 minutes played. The duo also ranks third and fourth in three-point average with 2.6 and 2.5 respectively. Willis also ranks fourth in the league in steals per game (1.6).

SCOUTING THE ILLINI
• Illinois enters the Minnesota game with a 9-3 overall record and 2-0 in conference play. The Illini's three losses came earlier this season at Marquette (66-67), vs. Cincinnati (51-71) and against Arizona (79-83). Illinois opened conference play with wins against Rutgers (86-51) and at Iowa (87-83).
• Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Kofi Cockburn averages 21.8 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game, despite missing three games earlier this season. Those numbers rank second and first in the Big Ten, respectively. Alfonso Plummer follows with 17.3 ppg, and Jacob Grandison with 12.8. Trent Frazier also averages double-digit points at 11.7 ppg. Similar to Minnesota, the Illini play with a short bench, having six athletes averaging over 22.5 minutes per game.
• As a team, Illinois averages 81.2 points per game, shoot 47.7 percent from the field and 39.7 from the three. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten in scoring offense, second in three-point percentage and first in rebounding offense and second in rebounding margin (13.0).

AGAINST THE BIG TEN
• Minnesota is 1-1 this season against the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers opened conference play on Dec. 8 at home against Michigan State (L, 67-75). It was the first Big Ten game played for Jamison Battle, Eylijah Stephens, Luke Loewe, Sean Sutherlin and Charlie Daniels. The Gophers rebounded for a 75-65 road win at Michigan Dec. 11. It was head coach Ben Johnson's first Big Ten and first Big Ten road win of his career.
• All time, the University of Minnesota is 781-868 against Big Ten teams (excluded vacated games). Last year, the Gophers went 6-14 against league opponents, including 6-4 at Williams Arena.
• Minnesota is 45-45 all time against the Illini at home, dating back to 1906. Last year, the Gophers fell to Illinois in both games contested. Minnesota's last win over Illinois dates to Jan. 30, 2019 in an 86-75 at Williams Arena.

BIG TEN POSTPONEMENT POLICY
• The Minnesota/Illinois game already put the Big Ten's new postponement/forfeit policy in place this week due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Illini program. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 2.
• This follows the current Big Ten guidelines due to COVID-19 policies and procedures announced earlier this week: If a team or teams is/are unable to participate in a scheduled Conference competition due to COVID-19, and as a result the competition is unable to occur on the calendar day on which it is scheduled, the competition will not automatically be considered a forfeiture. Upon review and approval by the Conference office, in consultation with the participating institutions and the Big Ten Chief Medical Officer, Dr. James Borchers, the competition may be rescheduled, or declared a no contest or a forfeiture.
• The number of competitors available – i.e. seven scholarship student-athletes for women's and men's basketball – and the availability of at least one countable coach will be factored into the decision-making process. A team that is below the number may still decide to compete if deemed safe by appropriate medical personnel (i.e. the decision to postpone a competition will not be automatic even if a team is below the number). Illinois has indicated it does not meet the seven scholarship student-athletes cleared for participation for Sunday's competition.

UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back in action Sunday, Jan. 9 when the Gophers travel to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Game time is set for 11 a.m. CT, and televised on BTN. Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson will also provide the radio call KTLK (AM-1130), FM 103.5.

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Players Mentioned

Jamison Battle

Eric Curry

Charlie Daniels

Luke Loewe

Eylijah Stephens

Sean Sutherlin

Payton Willis