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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Gophers Back Home Monday for MLK Day Game vs. Iowa
1/13/2024 1:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Broadcast: BTN (Jason Ross Jr, pbp), Stephen Bardo (color)
Tip Time: 5:01 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 372 and on the SiriusXM App
SERIES INFORMATION*
198th Meeting (102-94 all time)
Home vs. Iowa: 63-36
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 790-902
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Williams Arena Monday when it hosts the Iowa Hawkeyes at 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The Golden Gophers are 102-94 all time against the Hawkeyes, including a 63-36 mark on their home court. Minnesota only played Iowa once last season, also at Williams Arena, on Feb. 12, 2023 where the Hawkeyes garnered a 68-56 win. Iowa holds a four-game win streak over the Gophers, with Minnesota's last win over Iowa on Dec. 25, 2020.
• Minnesota's seven-game win streak was snapped Friday when the Gophers fell, 74-62 at Indiana. Sophomore Pharrel Payne led the team with 17 points and added 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and fourth of his career. Payne was 7-of-8 from the field and had a career-best five blocks. Dawson Garcia nearly earned a double-double when he had 14 points and nine rebounds.
• For the second-straight year, Minnesota men's basketball will play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will celebrate his legacy throughout the game. This year, Minnesota track student-athlete Dalayni Etienne designed the team's shooting shirts. Etienne, an art major, and has been with the Gopher track team since the 2020-21 season.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (123) and assists per game (7.7). Hawkins had seven assists in the win at Michigan and added a double-double in the win against Maine when he had 12 points and 10 assists. It was his fourth double-digit assist game this season and seven with eight or more assists. Hawkins also had 10 points, nine assists and six steals in the Maryland win last Sunday.
• Minnesota has a well-balanced attack of scoring this season. The Michigan win marked the sixth time this year the Gophers had five players score in double digits and three time the past seven games. Minnesota had five score in double figures in the UTSA, New Orleans, Nebraska, Ball State, Maine and Michigan wins. In addition, the Gophers had also had four players score in double figures in the Ark-Pine Bluff, FGCU, IUPUI and Maryland games. In that Terrapin win last week, the Gophers also had two players with eight points.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 15 of 16 games this year and rank 41st nationally. Minnesota's highest bench-point production came in a 62-20 advantage during Minnesota's nonconference game against New Orleans. The only game where the opponent scored more bench points was against Missouri in a 26-20 Tiger advantage.
• The Gophers also seventh nationally in assists per game, averaging 19.7 a game. Minnesota ranks high nationally and in the Big Ten in a couple categories in addition to bench points and assists. Minnesota also ranks second in the Big Ten and 35th nationally in field goal percentage (48.2). The Gophers also rank third in the Big Ten and 41st nationally in effective field goal percentage (.551) and third in blocks per game (5.1) and 23rd nationally.
LAST GAME RECAP
• Pharrel Payne recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with a career-high five blocked shots, and Dawson Garcia added 14 points and nine rebounds, but Minnesota (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) had its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 74-62 loss at Indiana (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten).
• Payne's team-high 17 points was one shy of his career-high. He came off the bench to make 7-of-8 field goals in 29 minutes for the Gophers. Garcia just missed a double-double of his own, with 13 of his 14 points coming in the second half. Joshua Ola-Joseph also reached double-digits with 12 points and five boards, while Cam Christie had seven points and five rebounds, Braeden Carrington finished with seven points, and Elijah Hawkins had five points and six assists.
ABOUT IOWA
• Like Minnesota, Iowa played Friday night and earned a 94-76 win over Nebraska in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are 10-6 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten. Iowa has won the last five of six games, including back-to-back wins over Rutgers and the Huskers.
• The Hawkeyes have four individuals in double-digit scoring. Ben Krikke leads the teams averaging 16.4 and has the league's second-best FG percentage at 59 percent. He's followed by Payton Sandfort at 14.5 ppg and Tony Perkins at 13.9 ppg. Sandfort leads the team with 45 treys, which ranks third in the league, and 113 rebounds. Perkins also leads the team in assists (67) and steals (29). Freshman Owen Freeman averages 11.1 ppg and a team-best 30 blocks. Patrick McCaffery also averages 9.9 ppg this season.
• As a team, the Hawkeyes average 87.1 ppg and allow 77.5. They are shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 35.4 from three-point range. Iowa shoots 75.1 from the free throw line and average 38.6 rebounds per game.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Michigan State for a Jan. 18 game in East Lansing, Mich. The Gophers and Spartans will be televised on FS1 at 5:30 p.m. CT
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on Gopher Radio Network and KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5.
Broadcast: BTN (Jason Ross Jr, pbp), Stephen Bardo (color)
Tip Time: 5:01 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 372 and on the SiriusXM App
SERIES INFORMATION*
198th Meeting (102-94 all time)
Home vs. Iowa: 63-36
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 790-902
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Williams Arena Monday when it hosts the Iowa Hawkeyes at 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The Golden Gophers are 102-94 all time against the Hawkeyes, including a 63-36 mark on their home court. Minnesota only played Iowa once last season, also at Williams Arena, on Feb. 12, 2023 where the Hawkeyes garnered a 68-56 win. Iowa holds a four-game win streak over the Gophers, with Minnesota's last win over Iowa on Dec. 25, 2020.
• Minnesota's seven-game win streak was snapped Friday when the Gophers fell, 74-62 at Indiana. Sophomore Pharrel Payne led the team with 17 points and added 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and fourth of his career. Payne was 7-of-8 from the field and had a career-best five blocks. Dawson Garcia nearly earned a double-double when he had 14 points and nine rebounds.
• For the second-straight year, Minnesota men's basketball will play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will celebrate his legacy throughout the game. This year, Minnesota track student-athlete Dalayni Etienne designed the team's shooting shirts. Etienne, an art major, and has been with the Gopher track team since the 2020-21 season.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (123) and assists per game (7.7). Hawkins had seven assists in the win at Michigan and added a double-double in the win against Maine when he had 12 points and 10 assists. It was his fourth double-digit assist game this season and seven with eight or more assists. Hawkins also had 10 points, nine assists and six steals in the Maryland win last Sunday.
• Minnesota has a well-balanced attack of scoring this season. The Michigan win marked the sixth time this year the Gophers had five players score in double digits and three time the past seven games. Minnesota had five score in double figures in the UTSA, New Orleans, Nebraska, Ball State, Maine and Michigan wins. In addition, the Gophers had also had four players score in double figures in the Ark-Pine Bluff, FGCU, IUPUI and Maryland games. In that Terrapin win last week, the Gophers also had two players with eight points.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 15 of 16 games this year and rank 41st nationally. Minnesota's highest bench-point production came in a 62-20 advantage during Minnesota's nonconference game against New Orleans. The only game where the opponent scored more bench points was against Missouri in a 26-20 Tiger advantage.
• The Gophers also seventh nationally in assists per game, averaging 19.7 a game. Minnesota ranks high nationally and in the Big Ten in a couple categories in addition to bench points and assists. Minnesota also ranks second in the Big Ten and 35th nationally in field goal percentage (48.2). The Gophers also rank third in the Big Ten and 41st nationally in effective field goal percentage (.551) and third in blocks per game (5.1) and 23rd nationally.
LAST GAME RECAP
• Pharrel Payne recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with a career-high five blocked shots, and Dawson Garcia added 14 points and nine rebounds, but Minnesota (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) had its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 74-62 loss at Indiana (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten).
• Payne's team-high 17 points was one shy of his career-high. He came off the bench to make 7-of-8 field goals in 29 minutes for the Gophers. Garcia just missed a double-double of his own, with 13 of his 14 points coming in the second half. Joshua Ola-Joseph also reached double-digits with 12 points and five boards, while Cam Christie had seven points and five rebounds, Braeden Carrington finished with seven points, and Elijah Hawkins had five points and six assists.
ABOUT IOWA
• Like Minnesota, Iowa played Friday night and earned a 94-76 win over Nebraska in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are 10-6 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten. Iowa has won the last five of six games, including back-to-back wins over Rutgers and the Huskers.
• The Hawkeyes have four individuals in double-digit scoring. Ben Krikke leads the teams averaging 16.4 and has the league's second-best FG percentage at 59 percent. He's followed by Payton Sandfort at 14.5 ppg and Tony Perkins at 13.9 ppg. Sandfort leads the team with 45 treys, which ranks third in the league, and 113 rebounds. Perkins also leads the team in assists (67) and steals (29). Freshman Owen Freeman averages 11.1 ppg and a team-best 30 blocks. Patrick McCaffery also averages 9.9 ppg this season.
• As a team, the Hawkeyes average 87.1 ppg and allow 77.5. They are shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 35.4 from three-point range. Iowa shoots 75.1 from the free throw line and average 38.6 rebounds per game.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Michigan State for a Jan. 18 game in East Lansing, Mich. The Gophers and Spartans will be televised on FS1 at 5:30 p.m. CT
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on Gopher Radio Network and KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5.
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