BleedGopher
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per the Courier Journal:
A Pitino reunion
The Gophers are coached by Richard Pitino, a former Louisville assistant whose father, Rick Pitino, was the Cardinals' head coach until last season.
The younger Pitino was an assistant on his father's Louisville staff from 2007-09, helping the Cardinals to two consecutive Elite Eight appearances. He left to serve as an assistant at Florida for two seasons and returned to Louisville for the 2011-12 season, in which the Cards reached the Final Four.
Richard Pitino has been the head coach at Minnesota since 2013. Since then, the Gophers have faced the Cardinals just once, an 81-68 Louisville win in the 2014-15 season opener.
Gophers recovered from slump
Like Louisville, Minnesota (20-13, 9-11) also had a rough February in conference play. The Gophers went 2-8 in Big Ten games that month with the only wins coming against Indiana and Northwestern, two teams that failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
Minnesota was considered a bubble team but managed to find a late-season boost starting with that victory over Northwestern on Feb. 28 and continuing with two wins over Purdue (a No. 3 seed) and one against Penn State en route to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where the Gophers lost to Michigan 76-49 on Saturday.
Return of the Matz
Another face that will be familiar to Cards fans is Gophers center Matz Stockman, who began his career at Louisville before transferring to Minnesota.
Stockman, a redshirt senior, has appeared in 27 games this season and is averaging 10.8 minutes, 3.0 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Gophers.
Battle-tested Big Ten
The Big Ten sent eight teams to this year's NCAA Tournament, the highest number of bids from any conference (the Atlantic Coast Conference placed seven teams).
Joining the Gophers are No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Purdue, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Maryland, No. 10 Iowa and Minnesota and No. 11 Ohio State.
All-conference duo
Gophers senior forward Jordan Murphy, the Big Ten's leading rebounder, was named to the conference first team. He ranks second in the nation with 22 double-doubles in 34 games.
Junior guard Amir Coffey, the team's leading scorer at 16.3 points per game, was named to the third team.
Both have started all 34 games for Minnesota and are the Gophers' main offensive weapons.
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...out-minnesota-louisville-opponent/3144039002/
Go Gophers!!
A Pitino reunion
The Gophers are coached by Richard Pitino, a former Louisville assistant whose father, Rick Pitino, was the Cardinals' head coach until last season.
The younger Pitino was an assistant on his father's Louisville staff from 2007-09, helping the Cardinals to two consecutive Elite Eight appearances. He left to serve as an assistant at Florida for two seasons and returned to Louisville for the 2011-12 season, in which the Cards reached the Final Four.
Richard Pitino has been the head coach at Minnesota since 2013. Since then, the Gophers have faced the Cardinals just once, an 81-68 Louisville win in the 2014-15 season opener.
Gophers recovered from slump
Like Louisville, Minnesota (20-13, 9-11) also had a rough February in conference play. The Gophers went 2-8 in Big Ten games that month with the only wins coming against Indiana and Northwestern, two teams that failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
Minnesota was considered a bubble team but managed to find a late-season boost starting with that victory over Northwestern on Feb. 28 and continuing with two wins over Purdue (a No. 3 seed) and one against Penn State en route to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where the Gophers lost to Michigan 76-49 on Saturday.
Return of the Matz
Another face that will be familiar to Cards fans is Gophers center Matz Stockman, who began his career at Louisville before transferring to Minnesota.
Stockman, a redshirt senior, has appeared in 27 games this season and is averaging 10.8 minutes, 3.0 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Gophers.
Battle-tested Big Ten
The Big Ten sent eight teams to this year's NCAA Tournament, the highest number of bids from any conference (the Atlantic Coast Conference placed seven teams).
Joining the Gophers are No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Purdue, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Maryland, No. 10 Iowa and Minnesota and No. 11 Ohio State.
All-conference duo
Gophers senior forward Jordan Murphy, the Big Ten's leading rebounder, was named to the conference first team. He ranks second in the nation with 22 double-doubles in 34 games.
Junior guard Amir Coffey, the team's leading scorer at 16.3 points per game, was named to the third team.
Both have started all 34 games for Minnesota and are the Gophers' main offensive weapons.
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...out-minnesota-louisville-opponent/3144039002/
Go Gophers!!