University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, January 4
Ann Arbor, MI
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Resume Big Ten Action at Michigan Thursday
1/3/2024 11:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Broadcast: Peacock
Tip Time: 8:02 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 382
SERIES INFORMATION*
158th Meeting (Michigan leads 94-63)
Minnesota at Michigan Record: 21-57
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 788-901
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Big Ten action when it travels to Michigan, Thursday, Jan. 4. The game will be shown on Peacock at 8 p.m. CT. Minnesota is 1-1 this season in Big Ten play, as it dropped an 84-74 decision to Ohio State, but defeated Nebraska at home, 76-65. Minnesota closed out the nonconference season with a 9-2 record. Minnesota enters the second half of the season with a 10-3 record.
• Minnesota is 1-2 against the Wolverines with head coach Ben Johnson at the helm. Minnesota won its lone meeting in the 2021-22 season as coach Johnson garnered his first conference win of his coaching career. The Wolverines, however, have won the past two meetings. The Gophers fell 90-75 at Williams Arena on Dec. 8, 2022, and fell in Ann Arbor, Mich., 60-56, on Jan. 22, 2023. Minnesota and Michigan are two of three Big Ten teams coached by alums as Juwan Howard is in his fifth season at the Wolverine helm. The other Big Ten team coached by an alum is Indiana's Mike Woodson.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (101) and assists per game (7.8). Hawkins 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. Additionally, he has allowed just seven turnovers in the last four games. As a team, the Gophers had their lowest amount of turnovers this season in the Ball State game when they committed just six turnovers.
• The Maine game also marked the return of preseason All-Big Ten athlete Dawson Garcia to the Gopher lineup. Garcia missed three-straight games due to an ankle injury he suffered in the Nebraska game on Dec. 6. In his return, Garcia added 12 points and six rebounds. The junior leads the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.
• The Maine win marked the fifth time this season the Gophers had five players score in double digits. Minnesota had five score in double figures in the UTSA, New Orleans, Nebraska, Ball State and Maine wins. In addition, the Gophers had also had four players score in double figures in the Ark-Pine Bluff, FGCU and IUPUI games.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 12 of 13 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. Minnesota ranks first in the Big Ten in this category and 33rd in the nation.
• The Gophers also fifth nationally in assists per game, averaging 20.2 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 22nd nationally in field goal percentage (49.61). The Gophers also rank first in the Big Ten and 20th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.568) and third in the league, 45th nationally in rebound margin (6).
LAST GAME RECAP
• Mike Mitchell Jr. hit five 3-pointers and scored 18, Elijah Hawkins added 12 points and 10 assists and Minnesota defeated Maine 80-62 on Dec. 29. Mitchell made 6 of 10 shots, including 5 of 8 from distance, for the Golden Gophers (10-3), who have won five in a row. Hawkins, who notched his second double-double this season, leads the country with 101 assists.
• Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne scored 12 each for Minnesota, with Payne grabbing eight rebounds and Garcia snagging six. Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 10.
• Minnesota made 29-of-57 (.509) field goals, its sixth game this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Over the past seven games, the Gophers have made 223-of-424 (.526) field goal attempts.
• Seven of the eight players to see court time for the Gophers scored points, with five players in double figures for the second straight game.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
• Michigan is 6-7 this season and 1-1 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines also last played on Dec. 29 where they fell to McNeese State, 87-76. Michigan is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after it also fell to Florida in double overtime on Dec. 19, 106-101. The Wolverines split its December Big Ten competition, falling to Indiana, 78-75, and won at Iowa, 83-66.
• The Wolverines have three in double-digit scoring. Dug McDaniel leads Michigan with 19.0 points, 65 assists and 14 steals. He ranks third in the Big Ten in overall scoring with 247 points and fifth in points per game. Oliver Nkamhoua averages 17.2 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds, while Terrance Williams II averages 12.3 points. Nkamhoua has four double-doubles this season.
• As a team, the Wolverines average 83.2 points, while allowing 79.1 to their opponents. They are shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. Michigan averages 9.5 threes per game, ranking first in the Big Ten. They also average 37.8 rebounds.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is back at Williams Arena when it hosts Maryland, Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on Gopher Radio Network, KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM).
Broadcast: Peacock
Tip Time: 8:02 p.m. CT
Radio: KTLK AM 1130 / FM 103.5 (Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: SiriusXM 382
SERIES INFORMATION*
158th Meeting (Michigan leads 94-63)
Minnesota at Michigan Record: 21-57
Gophers All-Time vs. Big Ten: 788-901
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team returns to Big Ten action when it travels to Michigan, Thursday, Jan. 4. The game will be shown on Peacock at 8 p.m. CT. Minnesota is 1-1 this season in Big Ten play, as it dropped an 84-74 decision to Ohio State, but defeated Nebraska at home, 76-65. Minnesota closed out the nonconference season with a 9-2 record. Minnesota enters the second half of the season with a 10-3 record.
• Minnesota is 1-2 against the Wolverines with head coach Ben Johnson at the helm. Minnesota won its lone meeting in the 2021-22 season as coach Johnson garnered his first conference win of his coaching career. The Wolverines, however, have won the past two meetings. The Gophers fell 90-75 at Williams Arena on Dec. 8, 2022, and fell in Ann Arbor, Mich., 60-56, on Jan. 22, 2023. Minnesota and Michigan are two of three Big Ten teams coached by alums as Juwan Howard is in his fifth season at the Wolverine helm. The other Big Ten team coached by an alum is Indiana's Mike Woodson.
• Elijah Hawkins tops the nation in assists (101) and assists per game (7.8). Hawkins 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. Additionally, he has allowed just seven turnovers in the last four games. As a team, the Gophers had their lowest amount of turnovers this season in the Ball State game when they committed just six turnovers.
• The Maine game also marked the return of preseason All-Big Ten athlete Dawson Garcia to the Gopher lineup. Garcia missed three-straight games due to an ankle injury he suffered in the Nebraska game on Dec. 6. In his return, Garcia added 12 points and six rebounds. The junior leads the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.
• The Maine win marked the fifth time this season the Gophers had five players score in double digits. Minnesota had five score in double figures in the UTSA, New Orleans, Nebraska, Ball State and Maine wins. In addition, the Gophers had also had four players score in double figures in the Ark-Pine Bluff, FGCU and IUPUI games.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Minnesota continues to show its depth winning the bench-point advantage in 12 of 13 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. Minnesota ranks first in the Big Ten in this category and 33rd in the nation.
• The Gophers also fifth nationally in assists per game, averaging 20.2 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 22nd nationally in field goal percentage (49.61). The Gophers also rank first in the Big Ten and 20th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.568) and third in the league, 45th nationally in rebound margin (6).
LAST GAME RECAP
• Mike Mitchell Jr. hit five 3-pointers and scored 18, Elijah Hawkins added 12 points and 10 assists and Minnesota defeated Maine 80-62 on Dec. 29. Mitchell made 6 of 10 shots, including 5 of 8 from distance, for the Golden Gophers (10-3), who have won five in a row. Hawkins, who notched his second double-double this season, leads the country with 101 assists.
• Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne scored 12 each for Minnesota, with Payne grabbing eight rebounds and Garcia snagging six. Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 10.
• Minnesota made 29-of-57 (.509) field goals, its sixth game this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Over the past seven games, the Gophers have made 223-of-424 (.526) field goal attempts.
• Seven of the eight players to see court time for the Gophers scored points, with five players in double figures for the second straight game.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
• Michigan is 6-7 this season and 1-1 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines also last played on Dec. 29 where they fell to McNeese State, 87-76. Michigan is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after it also fell to Florida in double overtime on Dec. 19, 106-101. The Wolverines split its December Big Ten competition, falling to Indiana, 78-75, and won at Iowa, 83-66.
• The Wolverines have three in double-digit scoring. Dug McDaniel leads Michigan with 19.0 points, 65 assists and 14 steals. He ranks third in the Big Ten in overall scoring with 247 points and fifth in points per game. Oliver Nkamhoua averages 17.2 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds, while Terrance Williams II averages 12.3 points. Nkamhoua has four double-doubles this season.
• As a team, the Wolverines average 83.2 points, while allowing 79.1 to their opponents. They are shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. Michigan averages 9.5 threes per game, ranking first in the Big Ten. They also average 37.8 rebounds.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is back at Williams Arena when it hosts Maryland, Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on Gopher Radio Network, KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM).
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Beat Fighting Camels
Tuesday, December 23
Highlights: Gophers 78, Campbell 50
Sunday, December 21
Cade Tyson's 38 Point Performance
Tuesday, December 16
Highlights: Gophers 89, TX Southern 53
Sunday, December 14