University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, January 18
East Lansing, MI
5:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan State
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Travel to Michigan State Thursday
1/17/2024 7:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Broadcast: FS1 (Jeff Levering, pbp), LaPhonso Ellis (color)
Tip Time: 5:31 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 380 and on the SiriusXM App
SERIES INFORMATION*
126th Meeting (58-67 all time)
Record at Michigan State: 21-40
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 790-903
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back in action on Thursday night when it travels to Michigan State at 5:30 p.m. CT. It marks the first time since 2021-22 these two teams have met as the scheduled game in January 2023 was canceled due to a school shooting on the MSU campus. It was the only meeting scheduled last season between the two teams. The Gophers are 58-67 all time against MSU and 21-40 on MSU's home court.
• Minnesota last faced MSU on Jan. 12, 2022, and lost the game, 71-69 in East Lansing, Mich. MSU's Joey Hauser made a low-post shot with a tenth of a second left for the victory. 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.
• Dawson Garcia produced his second 30-point game against a Big Ten team. He's the first Gopher to earn 30-point games against a league opponent since Marcus Carr in 2020-21 when he accomplished the feat at Nebraska (41 points) and Iowa (30 points). Should he reach another 30-point game he would tie Amir Coffey's 30-plus game performances in 2018-19 when Coffey scored 32 points vs. Ohio State, 31 at Northwestern and 32 vs. Purdue. In the league this season, 10 individuals have scored 30 or more points in a game and Garcia is one of five to accomplish it more than once. Zach Edey leads the league with four 30-plus performances this year.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (132) and assists per game (7.8). 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 on Jan. 7.
• Joshua Ola-Joseph holds a nine-game streak of scoring double-digit points. On the year, the sophomore has 12 double-scoring games this season, including a season-best 17 against Florida Gulf Coast. Ola-Joseph has scored double-digit points in all six Big Ten games, including 15 vs. Iowa on Monday.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 16 of 17 games this year. 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 and second in the Big Ten, averaging 19.2 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 second in the Big Ten and 40th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.550) and third in blocks per game (4.9) and 23rd nationally.
LAST GAME RECAP
• Despite Dawson Garcia's 30-point performance, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team fell to 3-3 in the Big Ten and 12-5 overall in an 86-77 loss to Iowa, Monday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Iowa improved to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. Joshua Ola-Joseph had 15 points and Cam Christie had 12 to round out Minnesota's high scorers. It was Garcia's second 30-point game of the season and in Big Ten play.
• Iowa shot 53.8 percent from the field, while Minnesota was held to 48.3 percent. The Hawkeyes also outrebounded the Gophers, 37-30.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State holds a 10-7 record and 2-4 in the Big Ten this season. MSU is coming off a 73-55 win over Rutgers Sunday and also earned a win over Penn State on Jan. 4. The Spartans are also 9-2 at home and 1-5 away from the Breslin Center.
• Tyson Walker averages a team-best 19.9 points, while A.J. Hoggard follows with 11.4 points and a team-best 86 assists. Jaden Akins and Malik Hall also average double-digit scoring with 10.8 points apiece. Mady Sissoko leads the defensive charge averaging 6.8 rebounds.
• As a team, the Spartans are averaging 77.1 points and allow 65.5. They are shooting 47.8 from the field, including 36.3 from beyond the arc. MSU also averages 37.0 rebounds per game. Their FG percentage defense ranks second in the league and 17th nationally.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is returns home to face the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on Gopher Radio Network and KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5.
Broadcast: FS1 (Jeff Levering, pbp), LaPhonso Ellis (color)
Tip Time: 5:31 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 380 and on the SiriusXM App
SERIES INFORMATION*
126th Meeting (58-67 all time)
Record at Michigan State: 21-40
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 790-903
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back in action on Thursday night when it travels to Michigan State at 5:30 p.m. CT. It marks the first time since 2021-22 these two teams have met as the scheduled game in January 2023 was canceled due to a school shooting on the MSU campus. It was the only meeting scheduled last season between the two teams. The Gophers are 58-67 all time against MSU and 21-40 on MSU's home court.
• Minnesota last faced MSU on Jan. 12, 2022, and lost the game, 71-69 in East Lansing, Mich. MSU's Joey Hauser made a low-post shot with a tenth of a second left for the victory. 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.
• Dawson Garcia produced his second 30-point game against a Big Ten team. He's the first Gopher to earn 30-point games against a league opponent since Marcus Carr in 2020-21 when he accomplished the feat at Nebraska (41 points) and Iowa (30 points). Should he reach another 30-point game he would tie Amir Coffey's 30-plus game performances in 2018-19 when Coffey scored 32 points vs. Ohio State, 31 at Northwestern and 32 vs. Purdue. In the league this season, 10 individuals have scored 30 or more points in a game and Garcia is one of five to accomplish it more than once. Zach Edey leads the league with four 30-plus performances this year.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (132) and assists per game (7.8). 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 on Jan. 7.
• Joshua Ola-Joseph holds a nine-game streak of scoring double-digit points. On the year, the sophomore has 12 double-scoring games this season, including a season-best 17 against Florida Gulf Coast. Ola-Joseph has scored double-digit points in all six Big Ten games, including 15 vs. Iowa on Monday.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 16 of 17 games this year. 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 and second in the Big Ten, averaging 19.2 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 second in the Big Ten and 40th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.550) and third in blocks per game (4.9) and 23rd nationally.
LAST GAME RECAP
• Despite Dawson Garcia's 30-point performance, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team fell to 3-3 in the Big Ten and 12-5 overall in an 86-77 loss to Iowa, Monday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Iowa improved to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. Joshua Ola-Joseph had 15 points and Cam Christie had 12 to round out Minnesota's high scorers. It was Garcia's second 30-point game of the season and in Big Ten play.
• Iowa shot 53.8 percent from the field, while Minnesota was held to 48.3 percent. The Hawkeyes also outrebounded the Gophers, 37-30.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State holds a 10-7 record and 2-4 in the Big Ten this season. MSU is coming off a 73-55 win over Rutgers Sunday and also earned a win over Penn State on Jan. 4. The Spartans are also 9-2 at home and 1-5 away from the Breslin Center.
• Tyson Walker averages a team-best 19.9 points, while A.J. Hoggard follows with 11.4 points and a team-best 86 assists. Jaden Akins and Malik Hall also average double-digit scoring with 10.8 points apiece. Mady Sissoko leads the defensive charge averaging 6.8 rebounds.
• As a team, the Spartans are averaging 77.1 points and allow 65.5. They are shooting 47.8 from the field, including 36.3 from beyond the arc. MSU also averages 37.0 rebounds per game. Their FG percentage defense ranks second in the league and 17th nationally.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is returns home to face the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
• 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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