Gophers Begin Big Ten Play with Wednesday Matchup Against No. 22 Indiana
Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota Golden Gophers open their Big Ten season Wednesday hosting the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers at Williams Arena.This marks the 172nd meeting between the two programs, with Indiana leading the all-time series 104-67, having won the last nine contests. Minnesota last defeated Indiana in 2019, also at Williams Arena.
The Gophers will be without two starters due to injury: forward Robert Vaihola and guard Chansey Willis Jr. Langston Reynolds contributed 12 points in the team’s most recent game.
Cade Tyson leads the Gophers in scoring,averaging 22.4 points per game, ranking first in the big ten and ninth nationally. He has scored 179 points this season, also leading the conference and ranking seventh in the nation.
Indiana enters the game with a 7-0 record under first-year head coach Darian DeVries. The Hoosiers boast a balanced offense with five players averaging double-digit points. Tucker DeVries, the coach’s son, leads the team with 17.9 points per game,shooting 44.1 percent from three-point range (29 of 59 attempts). lamar Wilkerson averages 16.7 points, while Tayton Conerway contributes 11.9 points, 37 assists, and 12 steals. Reed Bailey averages 11.3 points and shoots 59.5 percent from the field,and Sam Alexis averages 10.6 points with a team-high 6.4 rebounds.
Indiana is averaging 89.6 points per game while allowing 62.4, the third-best scoring defense in the Big Ten. They shoot 50.4 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 39.3 rebounds per game. The Hoosiers’ assist/turnover ratio of 2.15 is second in the Big Ten,and their 20.9 assists per game rank second in the conference and sixth nationally.
In their last meeting, Indiana defeated Minnesota 82-67 in Bloomington, Indiana. Gophers’ players in double figures included Garcia with 22 points, Mitchell Jr. and Patterson with 10 points each.
Following the Indiana game, the Gophers travel to No.1 Purdue on December 10th for a 6 p.m. CT matchup televised on the Big Ten Network. The game can also be heard on KFAN 100.3 FM with mike Grimm and Al Nolen calling the action.
