TV: ESPN2 (Mike Monaco – pbp, Jordan Cornette, analyst)
Advisory time: 6:01 pm CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KFAN 100.3 FM
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play), Spencer Tollackson (Color)
Sirius: 371
SERIES INFORMATION
2nd meet in school history
(Home: 1-0)
First/only meeting: 2011
All-Time Gophers vs. ACC: 38-42
* – excludes free games
THE BEGINNING OF THE FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team competes in its first true road test on Monday when it takes on Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. This marks just the second time in school history that the two teams have faced each other and the first time they have visited Cassell Coliseum.
• Minnesota won 58-55 over the Hokies in the only other game between the two schools, dating back to Nov. 30, 2011. Julian Welch made his first career start and led Minnesota with 15 points, including four 20-game free throws. final seconds that turned a 54-53 deficit into the final margin of victory. Rodney Williams was 6-for-7 from the field, finishing with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
• The 2022 season marks the 24th ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The ESPN Network is set to televise all 14 games and also stream them on the ESPN app. The Gophers are on the road for this challenge, for the third time in the last five years and second in a row. Minnesota has won the last three ACC/Big Ten Challenge contests and is 12-11 overall. The Gophers earned a 54-53 victory last season over Pittsburgh when Luke Loewe returned the favor for the win. The Gophers also beat Boston College in 2020 (85-80 OT win) and Clemson in 2019 (W, 78-60).
• Minnesota went 1-1 at the SoCal Challenge, Nov. 21 and 23 in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The Gophers earned a 62-61 overtime victory against California Baptist when Dawson Garcia added a bucket with 6.8 seconds left to clinch the win. Pharrell Payne also had his first double-double of his Gopher career with 15 points, 13 rebounds. Minnesota advanced to the SoCal divisional championship game, but fell to UNLV, 71-62 on Wednesday.
• The SoCal Challenge also marked the return of preseason selection to the Big Ten Battle of Jamison in the Gopher lineup. It was the first pair of games of the season for the small forward after foot surgery. Last season, Battle averaged a team-best 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.
ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH
• Virginia Tech improved to 6-1 Friday night when the Hokies defeated Charleston Southern, 69-64 in front of a sold-out Cassell Coliseum (8,925). The Minnesota game marks the second Big Ten team the Hokies will face already this season after a 61-59 win over Penn State.
• Virginia Tech finished the 2021-22 season 23-13 and won the ACC tournament championship last season. Virginia Tech returns six from that team, while adding nine freshmen. The Hokies have five averaging double figures in Sean Pedulla (17.1), Grant Basile (14.9), Justyn Mutts (12.0), Darius Maddox (11.3) and Hunter Cattoor (10.3). Mutts is also averaging 9.2 rebounds.
• As a team, the Hokies are averaging 78.1 ppg, allowing 65.3 ppg, shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 35.7 from beyond the arc.
ON THE DOCKS
• Minnesota continues its road trip when it opens the Big Ten season at Purdue, Sunday, Dec. 4 at 4:00 pm CT. The Gophers and Boilermakers will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
