MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN
Tip Time: 7:36 p.m.
SERIES INFORMATION*
204th Meeting (98-105 all time)
Last Meeting: Jan. 10, 2025 (Wisconsin W, 80-59)
* – excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men’s basketball program is home for its final regular season game Wednesday when it hosts No. 12 Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Gophers trail the all-time series at 98-105, dating back to 1900. Minnesota is looking for its first win over Wisconsin since 2020 when the Gophers won, 70-52, at Williams Arena on Feb. 5, 2020.
• Wednesday marks senior night as the Gophers will honor their 10-member senior class before the start of the game: Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds, Parker Fox, Dawson Garcia, Lincoln Meister, Mike Mitchell Jr., Femi Odukale, Lu’Cye Patterson, Brennan Rigsby and Caleb Williams.
• The two teams are meeting for the second time this year as the Badgers earned an 80-59 win on Jan. 10 in Madison, Wis. After a one-point lead at the half, Wisconsin broke the game open in the second. Dawson Garcia led Minnesota with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Femi Odukale followed with eight points, seven rebounds, and a team-high four assists, while Lu’Cye Patterson added six points, four boards, and three assists.
• The Gophers are looking to win two straight after a 67-65 win at Nebraska on Saturday. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak in Lincoln, marking the first-ever Gopher win at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Gophers shot 50.9 percent from the field, which bettered Nebraska’s 43.9 percent. Minnesota connected on 27-of-53 attempts and hit 10-of-21 from three. Minnesota held a 35-26 lead at the half and a 19-point lead at 15:43 in the second half. Nebraska stormed back, but Brennan Rigsby added the game-winning three-point shot with 4.1 remaining. Minnesota has won five Big Ten road games for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
• Brennan Rigsby scored a career-high 20 points in the Nebraska win, including a career-high five three-pointers. He went 7-for-8 and 5-for-6 from three-point range.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• Wisconsin is coming off a 71-62 loss at Michigan State Sunday and are 22-7 overall and 12-6 in league action. The Badgers had conference losses vs. Oregon (in overtime), at Maryland, at UCLA, at Illinois and vs. Michigan to start Big Ten play.
• The Badgers have two averaging double-digit points, while three are just shy with over nine points per game. Transfer John Tonje is on of the best shooters in the Big Ten averaging 19.2 points, 160 field goals including a team-best 64 from the arc. John Blackwell averages 15.3 points and 158 field goals, followed by Nolan Winter with 9.8 ppg and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Max Klesmit averages 9.7 points, while Steven Crowl averages 9.6 and 5.5 rebounds. Kamari McGee is off the bench and averages 6.9 points and a team-best 27 steals.
• As a team, WIsconsin averages 81.2 points, which ranks fourth in the league and second against conference opponents. They allow 70.6 points and 41.8 shooting percentage. The Badgers are shooting 46.5 from the field and 35.4 from the arc. The nation’s best free throw shooting team is 83.3 percent from the line. They average 36.2 rebounds and have committed 286 turnovers.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
