University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, November 28
Palm Desert, CA
8:30PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Santa Clara
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Gophers Set to Close out AcriSure Invite
11/28/2025 10:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: truTV (PBP - Brendan Glasheen, Analyst - Randolph Childress, Sideline - Jahmai Webster)
Tip Time: 8:30 p.m. (or 20 minutes after the first game)
Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 - (Tanner Hoops, Al Nolen)
SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MN Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 20, 2018 (MN W, 80-66)
Minnesota Record vs. Current WCC Schools: 17-6
Medved vs. Santa Clara: 1-0
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team is back in action Friday when it faces Santa Clara at 8:30 p.m. CT. The game will be shown on truTV with the radio call on KFAN 100.3 FM. Santa Clara and Minnesota are both coming off losses and will play in the third-place game of the AcriSure Invitational.
• Friday's match-up vs. Santa Clara is the second time head coach Niko Medved will coach against the Broncos. The first and only other time was Dec. 22, 2020, when his Colorado State Rams defeated Santa Clara, 70-57, in Santa Cruz. It was the Broncos' first loss of the season that year.
• The Acrisure series marks the second time in five years the Gophers have played in a California-based tournament. The last was the 2022-23 season, when Minnesota participated in the SoCal Challenge in November 2022. Minnesota went 1-1 in the tournament, opening with a 62-61 overtime win against Cal Baptist and falling to UNLV 71-62.
• Minnesota looks to get in the win column Friday after a 72-68 loss to Stanford last night. Despite losing starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr. for the rest of the game, the Gophers were up three at halftime. The Cardinal, however, opened the second half with a 13-4 run. A 10-2 Minnesota run gave it a 58-57 lead with 7:02 left, but Stanford regained a six-point lead. Minnesota pulled within one point with 10.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Isaac Asuma, but the Cardinal held on for the win.
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored a career-high 23 points in last night's loss. He made 7-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-5 three-pointers, and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line. His previous best was 21 points against UC Riverside while playing for Colorado State last season. Crocker-Johnson also tied his career-high with four blocked shots and added four rebounds.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Minnesota and Santa Clara are meeting for the fifth time in school history and the second on a neutral court site. It's also the two teams' first meeting since 2018.
• In 2018, the Gophers and Broncos played on Nov. 20, 2018, when Minnesota handed Santa Clara an 80-66 loss as a part of the Vancouver Showcase. Gabe Kalscheur scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half, and Jordan Murphy added 15 points and 17 rebounds.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
1990 12/13 H W 73-63
1992 12/23 A W 87-63
2007 12/22 H W 68-50
2018 11/20 N W 80-66
ABOUT THE BRONCOS
• Santa Clara enters the Minnesota contest with a 6-1 record. Before last night's 71-70 loss to Saint Louis, the Broncos earned wins over the likes of Xavier and Nevada for a six-game win streak. Santa Clara is the second West Coast Conference team the Gophers will face, with the first being San Francisco at the Pentagon on Nov. 22. The Broncos were predicted to finish fourth in the WCC behind Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and San Francisco.
• Christian Hammond leads the Broncos in scoring (16.1 ppg), field goals (39), three-pointers and free throws (24-29). Elijah Mahi follows with 13.3 ppg, while Bukky Oboye averages 10.2 and leads the team in blocks (15). Jake Ensminger leads the team with 29 assists and 7.6 rebounds; however, he left the Saint Louis game early due to an injury.
• As a team, the Broncos average 80.1 points and allow 62.9. Santa Clara is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Defensively, the Broncos average 41.7 rebounds, has 46 blocks and 63 steals.
ON THE DOCKET
• Following the AcriSure series, Minnesota hosts Indiana on Dec. 3 to open Big Ten play. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network. Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the call on KFAN 100.3 FM through the Gopher Radio Network.
TV: truTV (PBP - Brendan Glasheen, Analyst - Randolph Childress, Sideline - Jahmai Webster)
Tip Time: 8:30 p.m. (or 20 minutes after the first game)
Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 - (Tanner Hoops, Al Nolen)
SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MN Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 20, 2018 (MN W, 80-66)
Minnesota Record vs. Current WCC Schools: 17-6
Medved vs. Santa Clara: 1-0
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team is back in action Friday when it faces Santa Clara at 8:30 p.m. CT. The game will be shown on truTV with the radio call on KFAN 100.3 FM. Santa Clara and Minnesota are both coming off losses and will play in the third-place game of the AcriSure Invitational.
• Friday's match-up vs. Santa Clara is the second time head coach Niko Medved will coach against the Broncos. The first and only other time was Dec. 22, 2020, when his Colorado State Rams defeated Santa Clara, 70-57, in Santa Cruz. It was the Broncos' first loss of the season that year.
• The Acrisure series marks the second time in five years the Gophers have played in a California-based tournament. The last was the 2022-23 season, when Minnesota participated in the SoCal Challenge in November 2022. Minnesota went 1-1 in the tournament, opening with a 62-61 overtime win against Cal Baptist and falling to UNLV 71-62.
• Minnesota looks to get in the win column Friday after a 72-68 loss to Stanford last night. Despite losing starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr. for the rest of the game, the Gophers were up three at halftime. The Cardinal, however, opened the second half with a 13-4 run. A 10-2 Minnesota run gave it a 58-57 lead with 7:02 left, but Stanford regained a six-point lead. Minnesota pulled within one point with 10.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Isaac Asuma, but the Cardinal held on for the win.
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored a career-high 23 points in last night's loss. He made 7-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-5 three-pointers, and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line. His previous best was 21 points against UC Riverside while playing for Colorado State last season. Crocker-Johnson also tied his career-high with four blocked shots and added four rebounds.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Minnesota and Santa Clara are meeting for the fifth time in school history and the second on a neutral court site. It's also the two teams' first meeting since 2018.
• In 2018, the Gophers and Broncos played on Nov. 20, 2018, when Minnesota handed Santa Clara an 80-66 loss as a part of the Vancouver Showcase. Gabe Kalscheur scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half, and Jordan Murphy added 15 points and 17 rebounds.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
1990 12/13 H W 73-63
1992 12/23 A W 87-63
2007 12/22 H W 68-50
2018 11/20 N W 80-66
ABOUT THE BRONCOS
• Santa Clara enters the Minnesota contest with a 6-1 record. Before last night's 71-70 loss to Saint Louis, the Broncos earned wins over the likes of Xavier and Nevada for a six-game win streak. Santa Clara is the second West Coast Conference team the Gophers will face, with the first being San Francisco at the Pentagon on Nov. 22. The Broncos were predicted to finish fourth in the WCC behind Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and San Francisco.
• Christian Hammond leads the Broncos in scoring (16.1 ppg), field goals (39), three-pointers and free throws (24-29). Elijah Mahi follows with 13.3 ppg, while Bukky Oboye averages 10.2 and leads the team in blocks (15). Jake Ensminger leads the team with 29 assists and 7.6 rebounds; however, he left the Saint Louis game early due to an injury.
• As a team, the Broncos average 80.1 points and allow 62.9. Santa Clara is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Defensively, the Broncos average 41.7 rebounds, has 46 blocks and 63 steals.
ON THE DOCKET
• Following the AcriSure series, Minnesota hosts Indiana on Dec. 3 to open Big Ten play. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network. Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the call on KFAN 100.3 FM through the Gopher Radio Network.
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