University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, January 17
Urbana-Champaign, IL
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
at
Illinois
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Hit the Road for Saturday Morning Contest
1/15/2026 2:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (PBP - Jack Kizer, Analyst - Jess Settles)
Tip Time: 11:01 a.m.
Radio: KTLK (103.5FM & AM 1130) - Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: 384
SERIES INFORMATION*
All-Time Series: 190th Meeting (ILL Leads, 123-66)
Last Meeting: Feb. 8, 2025 (ILL Win, 95-74)
Medved vs. Illinois: First Meeting
MN vs. Big Ten Teams: 824-953
* excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team is on the road for the first time since Jan. 3 when it travels to No. 13 Illinois for a Saturday morning contest. Game time is set for 11 a.m. at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. Minnesota is looking for its first win over the Illini since 2019 and first in Champaign since 2017. It also marks head coach Niko Medved's first appearance against the Illini in his 13-year coaching career.
• Minnesota is looking to get back in the win column after back-to-back heartbreaking losses to USC and Wisconsin. The Gophers lost both games by a four-point margin in a 70-69 overtime loss to the Trojans and a buzzer-beater three-pointer to Wisconsin Tuesday night. The Gophers erased a late 66-57 deficit and tied the game with five seconds left off a Cade Tyson three-pointer. However, Wisconsin's John Blackwell hit a shot at the buzzer for the game-winner.
• In the Wisconsin loss, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, while Isaac Asuma had 17 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Cade Tyson had 14 points and Langston Reynolds added 12 points and 10 assists, his third game this year with double-digit assists. He also accomplished 10 vs. Texas Southern and a career-high 13 vs. Northwestern. Minnesota also committed a season-low five turnovers in the Wisconsin games and scored 40 points in the paint
• Cade Tyson has reached double-figures in all 17 games this season and, against USC, added his ninth game with 20-plus points (two with 30-plus). He ranks second in the B1G in scoring with 21.1 points, 18th nationally. His 359 points also rank second in the B1G and 19th nationally.
• Minnesota holds the league's fourth-best scoring defense, allowing 66.8 points. The Gophers also rank third in steals per game (7.2) and assists per game (18.5).
ABOUT THE ILLINI
• Illinois (14-3 overall, 5-1 B1G) is riding a six-game win streak into Saturday's contest with the Gophers, most recently coming off a 79-68 win at Northwestern Wednesday night. The Illini split their action in December with a win at Ohio State (88-80), but fell to Nebraska, 83-80, for their only B1G loss of the year and has opened January with four-straight B1G wins.
• The Illini have five averaging double-digit scoring, led by freshman Keaton Wagler at 16.1 points per game, while senior Kylan Boswell averages 14.6, and junior Andrej Stoikakovic is at 13.9. Freshman David Mirkovic ranks third in the league in blocks (40) and fifth in double-doubles as he averages 12 points. Junior Tomislav Ivisic averages 10.5.
• As a team, the Illini average 85.6 points, which ranks third in the league. They allow 67.5 points and are shooting 47.7 percent from the field, including a 34.9 clip from the arc. Defensively, Illinois averages 41.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocks per game, which both rank third in the B1G.
ON THE DOCKET
• The Gophers are on the road for their second-straight game when they travel to Ohio State, Jan. 20, for a 5:30 p.m. CT tip on Big Ten Network. Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on KTLK 1130 AM and 103.5 FM.
TV: BTN (PBP - Jack Kizer, Analyst - Jess Settles)
Tip Time: 11:01 a.m.
Radio: KTLK (103.5FM & AM 1130) - Mike Grimm, Al Nolen)
Sirius: 384
SERIES INFORMATION*
All-Time Series: 190th Meeting (ILL Leads, 123-66)
Last Meeting: Feb. 8, 2025 (ILL Win, 95-74)
Medved vs. Illinois: First Meeting
MN vs. Big Ten Teams: 824-953
* excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The Golden Gopher men's basketball team is on the road for the first time since Jan. 3 when it travels to No. 13 Illinois for a Saturday morning contest. Game time is set for 11 a.m. at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. Minnesota is looking for its first win over the Illini since 2019 and first in Champaign since 2017. It also marks head coach Niko Medved's first appearance against the Illini in his 13-year coaching career.
• Minnesota is looking to get back in the win column after back-to-back heartbreaking losses to USC and Wisconsin. The Gophers lost both games by a four-point margin in a 70-69 overtime loss to the Trojans and a buzzer-beater three-pointer to Wisconsin Tuesday night. The Gophers erased a late 66-57 deficit and tied the game with five seconds left off a Cade Tyson three-pointer. However, Wisconsin's John Blackwell hit a shot at the buzzer for the game-winner.
• In the Wisconsin loss, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, while Isaac Asuma had 17 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Cade Tyson had 14 points and Langston Reynolds added 12 points and 10 assists, his third game this year with double-digit assists. He also accomplished 10 vs. Texas Southern and a career-high 13 vs. Northwestern. Minnesota also committed a season-low five turnovers in the Wisconsin games and scored 40 points in the paint
• Cade Tyson has reached double-figures in all 17 games this season and, against USC, added his ninth game with 20-plus points (two with 30-plus). He ranks second in the B1G in scoring with 21.1 points, 18th nationally. His 359 points also rank second in the B1G and 19th nationally.
• Minnesota holds the league's fourth-best scoring defense, allowing 66.8 points. The Gophers also rank third in steals per game (7.2) and assists per game (18.5).
ABOUT THE ILLINI
• Illinois (14-3 overall, 5-1 B1G) is riding a six-game win streak into Saturday's contest with the Gophers, most recently coming off a 79-68 win at Northwestern Wednesday night. The Illini split their action in December with a win at Ohio State (88-80), but fell to Nebraska, 83-80, for their only B1G loss of the year and has opened January with four-straight B1G wins.
• The Illini have five averaging double-digit scoring, led by freshman Keaton Wagler at 16.1 points per game, while senior Kylan Boswell averages 14.6, and junior Andrej Stoikakovic is at 13.9. Freshman David Mirkovic ranks third in the league in blocks (40) and fifth in double-doubles as he averages 12 points. Junior Tomislav Ivisic averages 10.5.
• As a team, the Illini average 85.6 points, which ranks third in the league. They allow 67.5 points and are shooting 47.7 percent from the field, including a 34.9 clip from the arc. Defensively, Illinois averages 41.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocks per game, which both rank third in the B1G.
ON THE DOCKET
• The Gophers are on the road for their second-straight game when they travel to Ohio State, Jan. 20, for a 5:30 p.m. CT tip on Big Ten Network. Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio broadcast on KTLK 1130 AM and 103.5 FM.
Highlights: Gophers 75, Wisconsin 78
Tuesday, January 13
Highlights: Gophers 69, USC 70 (OT)
Friday, January 09
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Hawkeyes
Friday, January 09
Postgame Reaction: Gophers-Iowa
Wednesday, January 07