University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, January 3
Evanston, IL
4:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Start The New Year at Northwestern
12/31/2025 2:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (PBP - Jeff Levering, Analyst - Shon Morris)Â
Tip Time: 4:01 p.m.Â
Radio: KFAN (KFAN FM 100.3) - Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: 392
SERIES INFORMATION*
All-Time Series: 177th Meeting (MN Leads, 102-74)
Last Meeting: March 12, 2025 (NU Win, 72-64)
Medved vs. NU: First Meeting
MN vs. Big Ten Teams: 822-951
* excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team resumes Big Ten Conference play Saturday when they travel to Northwestern, Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. The Gophers are looking to snap a three-game skid vs. Northwestern and their first win in Evanston since Feb. 23, 2020.Â
• Minnesota is looking for four-straight wins after a 60-43 win over FDU Monday as the Gophers closed out nonconference play. Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 19 points, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds, followed by Cade Tyson with 12 points. Minnesota led 32-29 at the half, but Durkin and Crocker-Johnson played key roles in a 19-1 run to open the second half.
• Minnesota allowed its lowest point total in a decade Monday when FDU scored just 43 against the Gophers. The last time Minnesota allowed that few opponent points dates back to Jan. 31, 2015, in a 60-42 win over Nebraska. FDU scored just 14 points in the second half of Monday's game, which was a season low. Minnesota is ranked second in the B1G in scoring defense this season.Â
• Saturday's game features the Big Ten's two best scorers in Minnesota's Cade Tyson and Northwestern's Nick Martinelli. Tyson ranks slightly behind Marinelli at 21.9 ppg, while Martinelli leads the B1G with 22.8 ppg. Tyson leads the Big Ten in overall points (285) and free throws (87) and is second in ppg and fourth in field goals (85).  Tyson's 285 points also rank 11th nationally, while his free throws rank fourth in the nation.Â
• On assist percentage for the season, the Gophers currently lead the entire nation at 74.7 percent. Minnesota had 20 assists on 22 field goals vs. FDU, 26 assists on 30 makes vs. Campbell, 27 assists on 28 field goals vs. Texas Southern and 18 assists on 19 field goals vs. Chicago State.
DECEMBER RECAP Â Â Â
• After dropping three straight nonconference games to end November, Minnesota finished the month of December, 4-1, which included a win over then No. 22 Indiana. In that span, Minnesota had four of its five starters average double digits. Bobby Durkin moved into a starting role in December and, since that time, has averaged 11.8 points.Â
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ALL-TIME SERIESÂ
• Minnesota leads the all-time series at 102-74 over the Northwestern Wildcats, dating back to 1909. The Gophers are looking for their first win over the Wildcats since 2024 and their first road win in Evanston since 2020.Â
• Minnesota and Northwestern last met in the  2025 Big Ten Tournament as the 13-seeded Wildcats in Indianapolis. In his final game as a Gopher, Dawson Garcia led the team with 22 points.Â
ABOUT THE WILDCATSÂ Â Â
• Northwestern is 8-5 on the season and 0-2 in the Big Ten after a pair of early league losses at Wisconsin (85-73) and home vs. Ohio State, 86-82, back in December. The Wildcats have power conference wins this season over DePaul, South Carolina and Butler, and fell to Virginia, Oklahoma State earlier this season. Â
• Nick Martinelli, a returning All-Big Ten selection, averages 22.8 points and is shooting 55 percent from three this season. He also averages 6.6 rebounds, which ranks second on the team behind Arrinten Page at 6.8. Page also ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.7 ppg and first in blocks (14) and steals (12). Jayden Reid rounds out their double-digit scorers with 11 ppg and has 69 assists.Â
• As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 80.5 points and giving up 69.4. They are shooting 48.9 from the field and 32.0 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats hold the Big Ten's best assist/turnover ratio at 2.03 and rank third in the league in fastbreak points. On the defensive end, Northwestern has allowed opponents just a 28.8 three-point shooting clip, which ranks first in the B1G. They also average 34.8 rebounds per game. The Wildcats take care of the ball, committing just 119 this season, which is also first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally.Â
ON THE DOCKETÂ Â Â Â
• The Gophers are back home for three straight, starting on Jan. 6 when they host No. 25 Iowa. Tip-off is 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
Â
TV: BTN (PBP - Jeff Levering, Analyst - Shon Morris)Â
Tip Time: 4:01 p.m.Â
Radio: KFAN (KFAN FM 100.3) - Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: 392
SERIES INFORMATION*
All-Time Series: 177th Meeting (MN Leads, 102-74)
Last Meeting: March 12, 2025 (NU Win, 72-64)
Medved vs. NU: First Meeting
MN vs. Big Ten Teams: 822-951
* excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team resumes Big Ten Conference play Saturday when they travel to Northwestern, Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. The Gophers are looking to snap a three-game skid vs. Northwestern and their first win in Evanston since Feb. 23, 2020.Â
• Minnesota is looking for four-straight wins after a 60-43 win over FDU Monday as the Gophers closed out nonconference play. Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 19 points, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds, followed by Cade Tyson with 12 points. Minnesota led 32-29 at the half, but Durkin and Crocker-Johnson played key roles in a 19-1 run to open the second half.
• Minnesota allowed its lowest point total in a decade Monday when FDU scored just 43 against the Gophers. The last time Minnesota allowed that few opponent points dates back to Jan. 31, 2015, in a 60-42 win over Nebraska. FDU scored just 14 points in the second half of Monday's game, which was a season low. Minnesota is ranked second in the B1G in scoring defense this season.Â
• Saturday's game features the Big Ten's two best scorers in Minnesota's Cade Tyson and Northwestern's Nick Martinelli. Tyson ranks slightly behind Marinelli at 21.9 ppg, while Martinelli leads the B1G with 22.8 ppg. Tyson leads the Big Ten in overall points (285) and free throws (87) and is second in ppg and fourth in field goals (85).  Tyson's 285 points also rank 11th nationally, while his free throws rank fourth in the nation.Â
• On assist percentage for the season, the Gophers currently lead the entire nation at 74.7 percent. Minnesota had 20 assists on 22 field goals vs. FDU, 26 assists on 30 makes vs. Campbell, 27 assists on 28 field goals vs. Texas Southern and 18 assists on 19 field goals vs. Chicago State.
DECEMBER RECAP Â Â Â
• After dropping three straight nonconference games to end November, Minnesota finished the month of December, 4-1, which included a win over then No. 22 Indiana. In that span, Minnesota had four of its five starters average double digits. Bobby Durkin moved into a starting role in December and, since that time, has averaged 11.8 points.Â
Â
ALL-TIME SERIESÂ
• Minnesota leads the all-time series at 102-74 over the Northwestern Wildcats, dating back to 1909. The Gophers are looking for their first win over the Wildcats since 2024 and their first road win in Evanston since 2020.Â
• Minnesota and Northwestern last met in the  2025 Big Ten Tournament as the 13-seeded Wildcats in Indianapolis. In his final game as a Gopher, Dawson Garcia led the team with 22 points.Â
ABOUT THE WILDCATSÂ Â Â
• Northwestern is 8-5 on the season and 0-2 in the Big Ten after a pair of early league losses at Wisconsin (85-73) and home vs. Ohio State, 86-82, back in December. The Wildcats have power conference wins this season over DePaul, South Carolina and Butler, and fell to Virginia, Oklahoma State earlier this season. Â
• Nick Martinelli, a returning All-Big Ten selection, averages 22.8 points and is shooting 55 percent from three this season. He also averages 6.6 rebounds, which ranks second on the team behind Arrinten Page at 6.8. Page also ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.7 ppg and first in blocks (14) and steals (12). Jayden Reid rounds out their double-digit scorers with 11 ppg and has 69 assists.Â
• As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 80.5 points and giving up 69.4. They are shooting 48.9 from the field and 32.0 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats hold the Big Ten's best assist/turnover ratio at 2.03 and rank third in the league in fastbreak points. On the defensive end, Northwestern has allowed opponents just a 28.8 three-point shooting clip, which ranks first in the B1G. They also average 34.8 rebounds per game. The Wildcats take care of the ball, committing just 119 this season, which is also first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally.Â
ON THE DOCKETÂ Â Â Â
• The Gophers are back home for three straight, starting on Jan. 6 when they host No. 25 Iowa. Tip-off is 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
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Highlights: Gophers 60, FDU 43
Monday, December 29
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