Minnesota vs. #25 Michigan State
Williams Arena, 7:30 PM
SERIES INFORMATION*
128th Meeting: Minnesota trails all-time series, 58-69
First Meeting: Jan. 13, 1943 (MN W, 46-32)
Last Meeting: March 14, 2024 (Big Ten Tourney, L-77-67)
Last Meeting in Minnesota: Feb. 6, 2024 (MN W, 59-56)
* excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• Minnesota opens Big Ten play on Wednesday when the Michigan State Spartans come to town. It marks the 128th meeting between the two teams, dating back to 1943 as the Spartans hold a 58-69 all time advantage.
• Minnesota and Michigan State split action against each other during the 2023-24 regular campaign, while the Spartans knocked Minnesota out of the Big Ten Tournament last March, 77-67, at Target Center. The Gophers fell at Michigan State on Jan. 18, 2024 in a 76-66 loss. Minnesota, however, responded with a win over MSU at Williams Arena, 59-56, Feb. 6, 2024.
• The last time the Gophers and Spartans opened the Big Ten season against each was Coach Johnson’s first year in 2021-22 season where the Spartans won at Minnesota, 75-67. The Gophers also faced the Spartans in the Big Ten opener in 2016 (MSU won, 75-74 in overtime) and in 2012 (Minnesota won, 76-63).
• Minnesota is coming off a 79-62 win over Bethune-Cookman Sunday. Dawson Garcia scored 23 points and Brennan Rigsby added 14, helping Minnesota (6-3) build a 28-point second-half lead. Garcia made 8-of-15 field goals, including a pair of three-pointers, and was 5-of-5 at the free throw line to reach 20 or more points for the sixth time this season. Rigsby was 4-of-8 from behind the three-point arc, while Trey Edmonds had nine points and six rebounds. As a team, Minnesota was credited with a season-high 25 assists on 29 made field goals. The Gophers were 29-of-61 (.475) from the field, including 11-of-23 (.478) from three-point range, and 10-of-12 (.833) at the line.
• Minnesota cleared the bench in the Bethune-Cookman win as all available players saw action. Caleb Williams, Max Sheridan and Lincoln Meister all made their Gopher debuts, while Erick Reader made his season debut. It was the first available game for Caleb Williams, as he rejoined the team after missing the first eight games of the season due to mono.
LAST TIME OUT VS. MSU
• Minnesota fell to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, 77-67. MSU’s A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting, Tyson Walker added 15 points and No. 8 seed Michigan State beat No. 9 seed Minnesota in the second round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Michigan State went on a 15-2 run over a five-minute stretch to pull away from Minnesota in the second half.
• The Gophers earned a 59-56 win over the Spartans the last time the two teams faced each other at Williams Arena. Gopher alum Cam Christie scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. Christie made 5-of-8 field goals, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, and added six rebounds. Dawson Garcia added 10 points
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
• Michigan State holds a 6-2 nonconference record and are coming off a 2-1 record at the Maui Invitational last week. Receiving 108 AP votes, the Spartans earned a 94-91 overtime win over North Carolina for their last win. MSU fell to Memphis, 71-63, and defeated Colorado in the opening Maui game, 72-56.
• The Spartans have three individuals averaging double-digit points in returner Jaden Akins leading the charge with 12.9 points. Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler ranks second on the team with 11.4 points, while freshman Jase Richardson averages 10.4 points. Returner Jaxon Kohler leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game, while redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr., leads the team with 46 assists.
• As a team, Michigan State averages 80.5 points and allows just 69.9 to its opponents. While the Spartans rank last in Division I in three-point percentage (22.4), they rank 10th nationally in two pointers made at 59.9 percent. Their 40.4 rebound average ranks the Spartans second in the Big Ten and 48th nationally and are shooting 78.5 from the charity stripe.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
