University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, October 29
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Hamline
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Matt Krohn
Gophers Set to Face Hamline in Final Tune Up Before Regular Season
10/26/2024 10:03:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SERIES INFORMATION
First Time: Dec. 16, 1914 (Minnesota W, 19-15)
Last Time: Dec. 8, 1934, Williams Arena (W, 31-24)
All-Time Series: Minnesota, 5-0 (exhibitions does not count towards all-time record)
STARTING FIVE
• Minnesota is hosting its second exhibition game of the 2024-25 season when the Hamline Pipers visit Williams Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 29. It marks the third-straight year the Gophers have invited a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) team to Williams Arena for an exhibition game. The first year was in 2022-23 with St. Olaf, while in 2023-24 it was Macalster. Caleb Williams, current Gopher, played for that Scots in that contest and turned heads when he scored 41 points.
• The Gophers are 5-0 against Hamline all time, facing the Pipers for the first time since 1934. Hamline also competed in the first "intercollegiate" basketball game against The Minnesota School of Agriculture (a separate division of the University of Minnesota). The Ag School held games prior to the start of the Gopher program. The first official University of Minnesota season began in the fall of 1895 and first contests began in 1896.
• The Gophers opened the 2024-25 season with a 90-65 win over Bemidji State, Saturday, Oct. 19 at Williams Arena. It's the first time since the 2017-18 season the Gophers have two exhibition games in a single season. Mike Mitchell Jr. led all scorers with 19, followed by Brennan Rigsby with 17, Dawson Garcia with 15 and Parker Fox with 14. In all, 10 Gophers saw action.
• Ben Johnson enters his fourth year at the helm of Golden Gopher men's basketball. In Johnson's third year, the Gophers held a 19-15 overall record in 2023-24. The Golden Gophers finished as the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, a five-seed improvement from the 2022-23 season. Minnesota improved from 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 in 2022-23, to 9-11 in league action and 19-15 overall in 2023-24. That win improvement marked the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among power conference teams. The Gophers also produced their first winning season in five years during the 2023-24 campaign.
• Minnesota hosts its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 6 when Oral Roberts comes to town. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and streamed on B1G+. It marks the fifth time these two teams have met and the first since 2017 as the Golden Gophers hold a 4-0 all-time mark against the Golden Eagles since 2003.
GET TO KNOW THE 2024-25 GOLDEN GOPHERS
• Minnesota returns two of its top three scorers in Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell as well as sixth-man Parker Fox, Kadyn Betts and walk-on Erick Reader. Garcia, a second and third-team 2024 All-Big Ten selection and 2025 Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, returns for his final year after averaging 17.6 points and is the top returning Big Ten scorer from a year ago. Of the returning Big Ten athletes, Garcia ranks first in scoring and only one of six returners who received All-Big Ten honors in the 2023-24 season. Mitchell Jr. is also a returning starter for the Gophers. He ranked third on the team in scoring when he averaged just over 10.2 ppg. He and Fox saw action in all 34 games in 2023-24, the only two Gophers to do so.
• The Golden Gophers add seven seniors (Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds, Femi Odukale, Lu'Cye Patterson, Brennan Rigsby, Caleb Williams as well as walk-on Lincoln Meister, a junior (Frank Mitchell) and two freshmen (Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove). Max Sheridan is also an addition as a sophomore walk on.
SCOUTING THE PIPERS
• The Oct. 29 game marks the first contest for the Hamline Pipers this season. The Pipers went 17-11 last season and 13-7 in MIAC action. With that mark, the Pipers finished fourth in the league standings behind Saint John's, Carleton and Gustavus.
• The Pipers return their top four scorers from a year ago. Bradley Cimperman returns to the Piper lineup after he started in 26 games, held a team-best 14.9 point and a .45.4 shooting percentage. Austin Holt also returns after starting in 27 games for the Pipers last year. He had a league-best 13 double doubles, 99 assists and 9.8 rebounds a game and averaged 14.8 ppg. Daniel McCarrell and Brendan Ebel averaged 9.0 points respectively.
• Hamline is coached by Jim Hayes, who is in his 12th season as the head coach. A 1994 Hamline grad, Hayes was at Carleton for seven years and an assistant coach at St. Thomas before that.
First Time: Dec. 16, 1914 (Minnesota W, 19-15)
Last Time: Dec. 8, 1934, Williams Arena (W, 31-24)
All-Time Series: Minnesota, 5-0 (exhibitions does not count towards all-time record)
STARTING FIVE
• Minnesota is hosting its second exhibition game of the 2024-25 season when the Hamline Pipers visit Williams Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 29. It marks the third-straight year the Gophers have invited a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) team to Williams Arena for an exhibition game. The first year was in 2022-23 with St. Olaf, while in 2023-24 it was Macalster. Caleb Williams, current Gopher, played for that Scots in that contest and turned heads when he scored 41 points.
• The Gophers are 5-0 against Hamline all time, facing the Pipers for the first time since 1934. Hamline also competed in the first "intercollegiate" basketball game against The Minnesota School of Agriculture (a separate division of the University of Minnesota). The Ag School held games prior to the start of the Gopher program. The first official University of Minnesota season began in the fall of 1895 and first contests began in 1896.
• The Gophers opened the 2024-25 season with a 90-65 win over Bemidji State, Saturday, Oct. 19 at Williams Arena. It's the first time since the 2017-18 season the Gophers have two exhibition games in a single season. Mike Mitchell Jr. led all scorers with 19, followed by Brennan Rigsby with 17, Dawson Garcia with 15 and Parker Fox with 14. In all, 10 Gophers saw action.
• Ben Johnson enters his fourth year at the helm of Golden Gopher men's basketball. In Johnson's third year, the Gophers held a 19-15 overall record in 2023-24. The Golden Gophers finished as the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, a five-seed improvement from the 2022-23 season. Minnesota improved from 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 in 2022-23, to 9-11 in league action and 19-15 overall in 2023-24. That win improvement marked the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among power conference teams. The Gophers also produced their first winning season in five years during the 2023-24 campaign.
• Minnesota hosts its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 6 when Oral Roberts comes to town. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and streamed on B1G+. It marks the fifth time these two teams have met and the first since 2017 as the Golden Gophers hold a 4-0 all-time mark against the Golden Eagles since 2003.
GET TO KNOW THE 2024-25 GOLDEN GOPHERS
• Minnesota returns two of its top three scorers in Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell as well as sixth-man Parker Fox, Kadyn Betts and walk-on Erick Reader. Garcia, a second and third-team 2024 All-Big Ten selection and 2025 Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, returns for his final year after averaging 17.6 points and is the top returning Big Ten scorer from a year ago. Of the returning Big Ten athletes, Garcia ranks first in scoring and only one of six returners who received All-Big Ten honors in the 2023-24 season. Mitchell Jr. is also a returning starter for the Gophers. He ranked third on the team in scoring when he averaged just over 10.2 ppg. He and Fox saw action in all 34 games in 2023-24, the only two Gophers to do so.
• The Golden Gophers add seven seniors (Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds, Femi Odukale, Lu'Cye Patterson, Brennan Rigsby, Caleb Williams as well as walk-on Lincoln Meister, a junior (Frank Mitchell) and two freshmen (Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove). Max Sheridan is also an addition as a sophomore walk on.
SCOUTING THE PIPERS
• The Oct. 29 game marks the first contest for the Hamline Pipers this season. The Pipers went 17-11 last season and 13-7 in MIAC action. With that mark, the Pipers finished fourth in the league standings behind Saint John's, Carleton and Gustavus.
• The Pipers return their top four scorers from a year ago. Bradley Cimperman returns to the Piper lineup after he started in 26 games, held a team-best 14.9 point and a .45.4 shooting percentage. Austin Holt also returns after starting in 27 games for the Pipers last year. He had a league-best 13 double doubles, 99 assists and 9.8 rebounds a game and averaged 14.8 ppg. Daniel McCarrell and Brendan Ebel averaged 9.0 points respectively.
• Hamline is coached by Jim Hayes, who is in his 12th season as the head coach. A 1994 Hamline grad, Hayes was at Carleton for seven years and an assistant coach at St. Thomas before that.
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