Opening Tip-Off Minnesota Projected Starters
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10 NCAA TOURNAMENTS • 1 FINAL FOUR • 11 ALL-AMERICANS • 5 BIG TEN PLAYERS OF THE YEAR • 7 WNBA DRAFT PICKS GAME 15 BRESLIN CENTER (14,797) Date: Wed., Jan. 9, 2019 // 6 p.m. CT Site: Breslin Center // East Lansing, Mich. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Video: BTN Plus Rank: AP - 18 | Coaches - 20 Rank: AP - 23 | Coaches - 24 Radio: 96.7 FM, KFAN Plus / iHeartRadio app Head Coach: Lindsay Whalen Head Coach: Suzy Merchant Talent: Corbu Stathes & Lynnette Sjoquist 12-2 Career (1st season): 12-2 Career (24th season): 456-244 11-3 Live Stats: GopherSports.com 1-2 Big Ten At Minnesota (1st): Same At Michigan State (12th): 255-124 1-2 Big Ten SERIES INFORMATION OPENING TIP-OFF vs. Michigan State • Holding a 2-1 record this season in true road games, No. 18/20 (AP/ Overall: Minnesota Trails 22-42 in Minneapolis: Minnesota Trails 14-16 Coaches) Minnesota (12-2, 1-2 B1G) travels to No. 23/24 Michigan in East Lansing: Minnesota Trails 7-23 State (11-3, 1-2) Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be avail- at Neutral Sites: Minnesota Trails 1-3 able to stream on BTN Plus and can also be heard on the Gophers’ radio Last Meeting: W, 83-77, in Minneapolis (1/7/18) home, 96.7 FM KFAN Plus. Overall Streak: Minnesota Won 1 in East Lansing: Minnesota Lost 6 • Wednesday night’s game will be the fi rst AP Top-25 matchup on the road for Minnesota since Jan. 25, 2015 when the 21st-ranked Gophers 2018-19 SCHEDULE/RESULTS lost at 25th-ranked Rutgers. Minnesota is 16-27 all-time in Top-25 Date Rank Opponent W/L Result games and 4-10 when the higher ranked team. Wednesday will also be 11.9 RV/RV New Hampshire (BTN+) W 70-47 the seventh time that Minnesota and Michigan State have met when 11.14 25/RV at Xavier W 78-53 both are ranked, with the Spartans holding a 5-1 edge in those games. 11.17 25/RV San Diego (BTN+) W 53-48 The Golden Gophers are looking for their fi rst road win over an AP Top 25 11.20 23/RV Ark.-Pine Bluff (BTN+) W 84-42 team since beating No. 23 Notre Dame in the opening round of the 2009 11.23 23/RV Cornell (BTN+) W 65-45 NCAA Tournament. ACC/Big Ten Challenge 11.29 20/RV #12/12 Syracuse (BTN) W 72-68 • Minnesota enters Wednesday’s game ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll. The 12.2 20/RV Air Force (BTN+) W 67-50 Gophers are 15-2 all-time as the No. 18 team and have won three of 12.5 14/18 Incarnate Word (BTN+) W 75-39 their past four games when holding that ranking. Minnesota is also No. Kenisha Bell posted her second 12.9 14/18 at Boston College W 77-69 20 in the most recent Coaches Poll, its fi fth straight week appearing in double-double of the year with 14 12.12 13/16 Coppin State (BTN+) W 84-52 the poll. points and a season-high 11 rebounds 12.22 13/16 Rhode Island (BTN+) W 91-71 against Illinois on Sunday. 12.28 12/15 Wisconsin* (BTN) W 74-56 • The Golden Gophers have already played one Top-25 game this 12.31 12/13 at Michigan* (BTN+) L 60-76 season. On Nov. 29, the then-20th-ranked Gophers topped then-No. 12 Syracuse, 72-68, in the ACC/Big Ten 1.6 12/13 Illinois* (BTN+) L 62-66 Challenge. It snapped a streak of fi ve straight losses in Top-25 matchups for Minnesota. 1.9 18/20 at #23/24 Michigan St.* (BTN+) 6 p.m. 1.14 Iowa* (ESPN2) 6 p.m. • Minnesota saw its season-opening win streak end at 12 games with a 76-60 loss at Michigan on Dec. 31. The 1.17 at Wisconsin* (BTN+) 7 p.m. only better undefeated start in team history came in 2003-04 (15-0), while the Gophers also began the 2002-03 1.20 at Nebraska* (ESPN2) 5 p.m. season 12-0. Those were head coach Lindsay Whalen’s senior and junior seasons, respectively. The 12-game 1.24 Purdue* (BTN+) 7 p.m. win streak tied for the third longest in program history and was the longest since the team’s program-record 1.28 Ohio State* (BTN) 6:30 p.m. 15-game streak that opened the 2003-04 season. 1.31 at Northwestern* (BTN+) 7 p.m. 2.3 Rutgers* (BTN+) 3 p.m. • With the 12-0 start, Whalen tied her former coach, Pam Borton, whose fi rst year was 2002-03, for the best 2.6 at Indiana* (BTN+) 6 p.m. undefeated start by a coach in their fi rst year at a Big Ten school since the incorporation of women’s athletics 2.10 Northwestern* (BTN) 1 p.m. in the conference in 1982-83. The only coach at a Big Ten school with more wins in his or her fi rst year at that 2.14 at Purdue* (BTN) 5 p.m. school is Ohio State’s Debbie Wilson, who started 14-0 in 1972-73. 2.17 Penn State* (BTN) 1 p.m. 2.21 at Maryland* (BTN+) 6 p.m. 2.28 at Rutgers* (BTN) 5:30 p.m. MINNESOTA PROJECTED STARTERS 3.3 Michigan State* (BTN+) TBA No. Name Pos. Yr. Pts. Reb. Ast. Min. Notes B1G Women’s Basketball Tournament (Indianapolis) 3 Destiny Pitts G/F So. 12.7 3.9 2.4 32.0 Ranks 6th in B1G in 3pt% (.329) and 3ptrs/game (2.0) 3.6-10 vs. TBD TBD 5 Taiye Bello F Jr. 10.9 12.9 1.2 29.2 Fourth in NCAA in RPG (12.9); 6 double-doubles this year Home games in bold | All times CT 21 Jasmine Brunson G Jr. 8.4 2.4 3.3 31.2 Scored a career-high 17 points vs. Illinois (1/6) * - Big Ten Conference game 23 Kenisha Bell G R-Sr. 18.4 6.4 4.5 32.4 Leads B1G in FT attempts, steals and steals/game AP/Coaches Poll Rankings as of day of game 41 Annalese Lamke C Sr. 11.4 6.1 0.9 24.0 Had 18 pts. (all in 1st half) & 8 rebs. vs. Illinois (1/6) 2018-19 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS 2 3 5 11 12 20 Barbora Tomancova Destiny Pitts Taiye Bello Delaynie Byrne Mercedes Staples Kehinde Bello 6-2 • F/C • Fr. 5-10 • G/F • So. 6-2 • F • Jr. 6-2 • F • Fr. 5-10 • G • Fr. 6-2 • F • Jr. Brno, Czech Republic Detroit, Mich. Southfi eld, Mich. Arvada, Colo. Centerville, Utah Southfi eld, Mich. 21 23 25 31 34 41 Jasmine Brunson Kenisha Bell Palma Kaposi Irene Garrido Perez Gadiva Hubbard Annalese Lamke 5-8 • G • Jr. 5-9 • G • R-Sr. 6-1 • F • Sr. 6-1 • F • Sr. 5-9 • G • Jr. 6-3 • C • Sr. Queens, N.Y. Minneapolis, Minn. Pecs, Hungary Granada, Spain Virginia Beach, Va. Galesville, Wis. Lindsay Whalen Danielle O’Banion Carly Thibault-DuDonis Kelly Roysland Melissa Maines Head Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Director of Operations First Season First Season First Season First Season First Season Minnesota, ‘04 Boston College, '01 Monmouth, '13 Minnesota, ‘07 Texas Tech, ‘98 2018-19 GOLDEN GOPHER ROSTER ROSTER BREAKDOWN ALPHABETICAL Starters Returning: (3) By Class: No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown/Previous School Kenisha Bell, G, R-Sr. Seniors (4) 23 Kenisha Bell G 5-9 R-Sr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Marquette) Gadiva Hubbard, G, Jr. Juniors (4) 20 Kehinde Bello F 6-2 Jr. Southfi eld, Mich. (Southfi eld-Lathrup HS) Destiny Pitts, G, So. Sophomores (1) 5 Taiye Bello F 6-2 Jr. Southfi eld, Mich. (Southfi eld-Lathrup HS) Freshman (3) 21 Jasmine Brunson G 5-8 Jr. Queens, N.Y. (Mary Louis Academy) Letterwinners 11 Delaynie Byrne F 6-2 Fr. Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley HS) Returning: (9) By Home: 31 Irene Garrido Perez F 6-1 Sr. Granada, Spain (Western Wyoming CC) Kenisha Bell, G, R-Sr. Michigan (3) 34 Gadiva Hubbard G 5-9 Jr. Virginia Beach, Va. (Princess Anne HS) Kehinde Bello, F, Jr. Colorado (1) 25 Palma Kaposi F 6-1 Sr. Pecs, Hungary (University of Pecs) Taiye Bello, F, Jr. Minnesota (1) 41 Annalese Lamke C 6-3 Sr. Galesville, Wis. (Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau HS) Jasmine Brunson, G, Jr. New York (1) 3 Destiny Pitts G/F 5-10 So. Detroit, Mich. (Detroit Country Day HS) Irene Garrido Perez, F, Sr. Utah (1) 12 Mercedes Staples G 5-10 Fr. Centerville, Utah (Viewmont HS) Gadiva Hubbard, G, Jr. Virginia (1) 2 Barbora Tomancova F/C 6-2 Fr. Brno, Czech Republic (SGLD Brno) Palma Kaposi, F, Sr. Wisconsin (1) Annalese Lamke, C, Sr. Czech Republic (1) Pronunciation Guide Destiny Pitts, G/F, Fr. Hungary (1) Assistant Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis - TEE-bow doo-DON-iss Spain (1) Strength Coach Kristin Zdanczewicz - zuh-DANZ-vich Newcomers: (3) Delaynie Byrne, F, Fr. Kenisha Bell - keh-NEE-shuh Mercedes Staples, G, Fr. Kehinde Bello - KIN-day Barbora Tomancova, F/C, Fr. Taiye Bello - TIE-ay Irene Garrido Perez - EE-ruh-nay gah-REE-doh PAIR-ez Gadiva Hubbard - guh-DEEV-uh Palma Kaposi - KAH-poh-shee Annalese Lamke - ANN-uh-leece LAM-kee Barbora Tomancova - toh-MAHN-so-va TEAM COMPARISON SERIES HISTORY WITH MICHIGAN STATE RECAPPING THE GAME AGAINST ILLINOIS • Minnesota and Michigan State meet for the 65th time • Minnesota saw its 10-game home win streak come to MINN MSU on Wednesday.