University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 9
Piscataway, NJ
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Rutgers
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Kelly Lynn
Gophers Close out Regular Season at Rutgers
3/7/2025 1:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Tip Time: 12:01 p.m.
Radio: KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM)
SERIES INFORMATION*
19th Meeting (11-7 all time)
Last Meeting: Feb. 18, 2024 (Minnesota W, 81-70)
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball program is on the road for the regular season finale when it travels to Piscataway, N.J., to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It marks the 20th Big Ten game for both teams, yet the first meeting between the two institutions this year. Minnesota is 11-7 all-time against Rutgers, dating back to 1973. However, Minnesota is just 1-5 on the Scarlet Knights' home court and looking for its first road win there since 2017. The Gophers have five Big Ten road wins this year, the most since tying that mark in 2017. They are also among nine Big Ten teams with five or more Big Ten road wins this season.
• Big Ten Tournament seedings are on the line in this final game. Both likely stamping their spots in the Big Ten tournament, Minnesota and Rutgers enter the game with a 7-12 league record. Rutgers has recently lost two on the road, and Minnesota has split action the past two games.
• Minnesota won the last meeting between the two teams, 81-70, at Williams Arena on Feb. 18, 2024. Former Gopher Payne had 21 points, Hawkins finished with 16 points, Dawson Garcia had 14 points, and Mike Mitchell Jr. had 12. The last time the Gophers played at Rutgers dates back to 2023 when Minnesota was limited to eight players and lost 90-55.
• The Gophers are looking to return to the win column after a 74-67 loss to No. 12 Wisconsin on Minnesota's senior night. Brennan Rigsby came off the bench for a team-high 18 points, Lu'Cye Patterson had 15, Dawson Garcia had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Frank Mitchell finished with 11 points and 11 boards, helping Minnesota rally from an 11-point second-half deficit to briefly lead, but the Badgers pulled away late in front of 14,625 sellout at Williams Arena.
• Brennan Rigsby has back-to-back games of scoring 18 and 20 points off the bench. On Wednesday, he scored 13 points in the second half. Frank Mitchell collected his second double-double of the season in the loss. He now has 17 double-doubles in two years.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers played on the road at No. 18 Purdue Tuesday and fell 100-71 and are 14-16 overall and 7-12 in Big Ten play. Of their seven conference wins, the Scarlet Knights have won four at Jersey Mike's Arena.
• The Scarlet Knights are led by their dynamic freshmen duo in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper averages 19.1 points and has played in 27 games, missing three due to injury. He also leads the team with 107 assists and 38 steals. Bailey follows with 18 points per game and team-best in rebounds (7.1) and blocks (34). Lathan Sommerville and Jeremiah Williams also add 7.9 and 7.0 points per game respectively.
• As a team, Rutgers averages 76.7 points, but allows 77.3. The Scarlet Knights are shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 33.7 from the arc. The Scarlet Knights average 35.1 rebounds per game and shoot 71.8 from the stripe. Rutgers also has 208 steals on the year and 327 turnovers.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is likely heading to the Big Ten Tournament, March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It marks the 14th time the tournament has been held in Indianapolis. The tournament will be the first to feature a 15-team field and begin with three games on Wednesday, March 12. Should the Gophers qualify, they would play opening day. Peacock will televise the opening three games of the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.
TV: BTN (Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Tip Time: 12:01 p.m.
Radio: KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM)
SERIES INFORMATION*
19th Meeting (11-7 all time)
Last Meeting: Feb. 18, 2024 (Minnesota W, 81-70)
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball program is on the road for the regular season finale when it travels to Piscataway, N.J., to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It marks the 20th Big Ten game for both teams, yet the first meeting between the two institutions this year. Minnesota is 11-7 all-time against Rutgers, dating back to 1973. However, Minnesota is just 1-5 on the Scarlet Knights' home court and looking for its first road win there since 2017. The Gophers have five Big Ten road wins this year, the most since tying that mark in 2017. They are also among nine Big Ten teams with five or more Big Ten road wins this season.
• Big Ten Tournament seedings are on the line in this final game. Both likely stamping their spots in the Big Ten tournament, Minnesota and Rutgers enter the game with a 7-12 league record. Rutgers has recently lost two on the road, and Minnesota has split action the past two games.
• Minnesota won the last meeting between the two teams, 81-70, at Williams Arena on Feb. 18, 2024. Former Gopher Payne had 21 points, Hawkins finished with 16 points, Dawson Garcia had 14 points, and Mike Mitchell Jr. had 12. The last time the Gophers played at Rutgers dates back to 2023 when Minnesota was limited to eight players and lost 90-55.
• The Gophers are looking to return to the win column after a 74-67 loss to No. 12 Wisconsin on Minnesota's senior night. Brennan Rigsby came off the bench for a team-high 18 points, Lu'Cye Patterson had 15, Dawson Garcia had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Frank Mitchell finished with 11 points and 11 boards, helping Minnesota rally from an 11-point second-half deficit to briefly lead, but the Badgers pulled away late in front of 14,625 sellout at Williams Arena.
• Brennan Rigsby has back-to-back games of scoring 18 and 20 points off the bench. On Wednesday, he scored 13 points in the second half. Frank Mitchell collected his second double-double of the season in the loss. He now has 17 double-doubles in two years.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers played on the road at No. 18 Purdue Tuesday and fell 100-71 and are 14-16 overall and 7-12 in Big Ten play. Of their seven conference wins, the Scarlet Knights have won four at Jersey Mike's Arena.
• The Scarlet Knights are led by their dynamic freshmen duo in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper averages 19.1 points and has played in 27 games, missing three due to injury. He also leads the team with 107 assists and 38 steals. Bailey follows with 18 points per game and team-best in rebounds (7.1) and blocks (34). Lathan Sommerville and Jeremiah Williams also add 7.9 and 7.0 points per game respectively.
• As a team, Rutgers averages 76.7 points, but allows 77.3. The Scarlet Knights are shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 33.7 from the arc. The Scarlet Knights average 35.1 rebounds per game and shoot 71.8 from the stripe. Rutgers also has 208 steals on the year and 327 turnovers.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is likely heading to the Big Ten Tournament, March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It marks the 14th time the tournament has been held in Indianapolis. The tournament will be the first to feature a 15-team field and begin with three games on Wednesday, March 12. Should the Gophers qualify, they would play opening day. Peacock will televise the opening three games of the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.
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Monday, August 04
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