Gophers at Badgers, Kohl Center
Tip Time: 6:02 p.m.
SERIES INFORMATION*
203rd Meeting (98-104 all time)
Road Record at Wisconsin: 34-63
Last Meeting: Jan. 23, 2024 (Wis. W, 61-59 in Minneapolis)
* – excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time in 2025 when it travels to Wisconsin on Friday at 6 p.m. Minnesota is 98-104 all-time against the Badgers, including a 34-63 record at Wisconsin dating back to 1900. The last time Minnesota played at Wisconsin was Jan. 3, 2023, when the Badgers won, 63-60. A total of 16 points decided the past five Gopher/Badger contests.
• Minnesota and Wisconsin will meet each other twice in the regular season, the first coming in Madison on Friday night. The Gophers and Badgers faced each other just once last season, where Wisconsin won 61-59 on Jan. 23, 2024. Ranked 10th at the time, Wisconsin led by as many as 15; however, the Gophers came back to eventually take a 57-55 lead. Wisconsin responded and went on a 6-2 run to secure the win and avoid the upset.
• Minnesota is looking for its first Big Ten win after dropping a double-overtime heartbreaker on Monday to the Buckeyes, 89-88. Minnesota had four double-digit points and connected for 12 threes, one shy of the season mark of 13 against Morgan St.
• Parker Fox and Lu’Cye Patterson established their best point production game as a Gopher Monday night. Fox’s 21-point outing topped his 18-point game versus Cleveland State earlier this year. Patterson scored in double-figures for the eighth time in the past 10 games and added 20 points vs. OSU.
• Isaac Asuma continues to shine as a freshman for the Gophers. Against Ohio State, the rookie added 18 points, which bettered his previous best of 11 he set against Wake Forest in November. He played 40 minutes and was 7-of-11 with three treys, all career bests.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• Wisconsin enters the Minnesota contest with a 12-3 overall record and has rattled off four straight wins. The Badgers also played on Monday night at Rutgers and won 75-63. UW dropped the two early December games, but it has defeated Iowa 116-85 and the Scarlet Knights to improve to 2-2 in league play.
• The Badgers have four averaging double-digit scoring and are led by Missouri transfer John Tonje, who averages 18.4 points. John Blackwell follows at 15.8 ppg, Nolan Winter at 11.2, and Max Klesmit at 10.5. Winter also leads the team in rebounds at 6.1
• As a team, the Badgers average 83.3 points and allow 71.3 per game. Shooting 46.9 percent from the field, Wisconsin is 35.1 percent from the arc. They hold the nation’s best free throw percentage at 85.5 percent and average 36.5 rebounds.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
