University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 24
Terre Haute, IN
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Indiana State
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Gophers Travel to Indiana State Sunday For NIT Second Round
3/22/2024 8:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SERIES INFORMATION
5th Meeting (Minnesota leads 3-1 all time)
Road Record at Indiana State: 0-1
Last Meeting: 2011 (Old Spice Classic: MN W, 76-69)
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team will play Indiana State in the Second Round of the NIT on Sunday. Game time will be at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Should the Gophers win over Indiana State, Minnesota would advance to face the winner of Bradley/Cincinnati in the Third Round.
• Minnesota advanced to the Second Round when it defeated Butler Tuesday night in Indianapolis, 73-72. Dawson Garcia scored a team-high 25 points, while Elijah Hawkins had 11 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, and the game-tying and game-winning free throws. Hawkins shattered Minnesota's single-game NIT record for assists. It marked the most assists by a Gopher in postseason play. The point-assist double-double was the sixth this season for Hawkins.
• It marks the first time the Gophers have competed in the NIT since 2014, when Minnesota won the championship over SMU, 65-63, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 2024 bid marks the 14th NIT appearance in program history, not including 1996 and 1998 appearances that were later vacated. The Gophers have amassed a 28-12 record in NIT games (.700), excluding vacated seasons. It marks the first postseason play for the Gophers since 2019, when Minnesota was selected to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Second Round.
• Minnesota is 3-1 all-time against the Sycamores, dating back to 1983 and meeting for the first time since 2011. The Gophers are 0-1 in Terra Haute, which came in a 94-86 loss on Dec. 11, 1984. Minnesota's last meeting against Indiana State came in nonconference tournament play when the two teams faced each other in the Old Spice Classic on Nov. 25, 2011, where the Gophers won 76-69.
• This time last year, Minnesota was 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 overall. The Gophers finished 9-11 this year and 18-14 overall. That win improvement marks the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among Power 6 teams. South Carolina went from 11 wins to 26 this year, while Cal went from 3-29 (2-18 in PAC-12) to 13-19 and 9-11 in conference play. Ole Miss was 12-21 and 3-15 last year in the SEC and finished 20-12 and 7-11 in league action.
ABOUT INDIANA STATE
• Indiana State enters the Minnesota game with a 29-6 overall record and finished 17-3 in Missouri Valley Conference. The Sycamores fell in the MVC championship to Drake 84-80, which snapped a six-game win streak. ISU earned a 101-92 win over SMU Wednesday night to advance to the NIT Second Round. The Gophers and Sycamores had common opponents in IUPUI, Ball State and Michigan State this past season.
• Five Sycamores are scoring double-digits this season, starting with First Team MVC selection Robbie Avila, who is averaging 17.3 points per game and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. He's followed by Second Team MVC honorees Ryan Conwell (at 16.4 points per game) and Isaiah Swope (16.2). Jayson Kent, who scored 35 points against SMU Wednesday, averages 13.5 points per game. Larry Julian rounds out the double-digit scoring, averaging 10.7 points.
• As a team, ISU averages 84.9 ppg and allows 72.6 per game. ISU is shooting 50 percent from the field. That ranks third nationally, while the Sycamores rank first in efficient field goal percentage. ISU is shooting 38.5 percent from three and averages 10.1 per game. ISU also shoots 80 percent from the free throw line, which ranks third nationally. The Sycamores average 35.7 rebounds.
5th Meeting (Minnesota leads 3-1 all time)
Road Record at Indiana State: 0-1
Last Meeting: 2011 (Old Spice Classic: MN W, 76-69)
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team will play Indiana State in the Second Round of the NIT on Sunday. Game time will be at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Should the Gophers win over Indiana State, Minnesota would advance to face the winner of Bradley/Cincinnati in the Third Round.
• Minnesota advanced to the Second Round when it defeated Butler Tuesday night in Indianapolis, 73-72. Dawson Garcia scored a team-high 25 points, while Elijah Hawkins had 11 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, and the game-tying and game-winning free throws. Hawkins shattered Minnesota's single-game NIT record for assists. It marked the most assists by a Gopher in postseason play. The point-assist double-double was the sixth this season for Hawkins.
• It marks the first time the Gophers have competed in the NIT since 2014, when Minnesota won the championship over SMU, 65-63, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 2024 bid marks the 14th NIT appearance in program history, not including 1996 and 1998 appearances that were later vacated. The Gophers have amassed a 28-12 record in NIT games (.700), excluding vacated seasons. It marks the first postseason play for the Gophers since 2019, when Minnesota was selected to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Second Round.
• Minnesota is 3-1 all-time against the Sycamores, dating back to 1983 and meeting for the first time since 2011. The Gophers are 0-1 in Terra Haute, which came in a 94-86 loss on Dec. 11, 1984. Minnesota's last meeting against Indiana State came in nonconference tournament play when the two teams faced each other in the Old Spice Classic on Nov. 25, 2011, where the Gophers won 76-69.
• This time last year, Minnesota was 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 overall. The Gophers finished 9-11 this year and 18-14 overall. That win improvement marks the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among Power 6 teams. South Carolina went from 11 wins to 26 this year, while Cal went from 3-29 (2-18 in PAC-12) to 13-19 and 9-11 in conference play. Ole Miss was 12-21 and 3-15 last year in the SEC and finished 20-12 and 7-11 in league action.
ABOUT INDIANA STATE
• Indiana State enters the Minnesota game with a 29-6 overall record and finished 17-3 in Missouri Valley Conference. The Sycamores fell in the MVC championship to Drake 84-80, which snapped a six-game win streak. ISU earned a 101-92 win over SMU Wednesday night to advance to the NIT Second Round. The Gophers and Sycamores had common opponents in IUPUI, Ball State and Michigan State this past season.
• Five Sycamores are scoring double-digits this season, starting with First Team MVC selection Robbie Avila, who is averaging 17.3 points per game and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. He's followed by Second Team MVC honorees Ryan Conwell (at 16.4 points per game) and Isaiah Swope (16.2). Jayson Kent, who scored 35 points against SMU Wednesday, averages 13.5 points per game. Larry Julian rounds out the double-digit scoring, averaging 10.7 points.
• As a team, ISU averages 84.9 ppg and allows 72.6 per game. ISU is shooting 50 percent from the field. That ranks third nationally, while the Sycamores rank first in efficient field goal percentage. ISU is shooting 38.5 percent from three and averages 10.1 per game. ISU also shoots 80 percent from the free throw line, which ranks third nationally. The Sycamores average 35.7 rebounds.
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