MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.— New Orleans (3-3) men's basketball will close out November at Big Ten Minnesota Thursday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and the home of Privateers Sports NASH 106.1 FM with the Voice of the Privateers Jude Young calling the action.
GET YOUR TICKETS
The Privateers will host Belhaven for their next home contest on Tuesday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. on the Lakefront. Fans can purchase tickets now by visiting unoprivateer.com/tickets.
PREVIEW
New Orleans is 3-3 on the season after its first nonconference road 79-74 victory over UCA at the former Southland foe's multi team event Sunday, November 26. New Orleans held Central Arkansas to two points over the final four minutes of the game to break its three-game losing streak. The win marked the Privateers first true road non-conference win since December 2016 when New Orleans topped Washington State 70-54.
Veteran guards Jordan Johnson and Khaleb Wilson-Rouse stepped up in a major way as the only double-figure scorers. Johnson led with 29 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Wilson-Rouse, named New Orleans Player of the Game, reached a career-high 22 points, a team-high eight steals, and a team-high eight rebounds. Johnson scored all but nine of his points in the opening half making all seven of his first seven shots and helping New Orleans leave the floor at fifty percent shooting in the first half.
New Orleans finished at 45.8% scoring from the field and a season-high 47.6% from the arc on 10-of-21 shooting. Johnson made six of those while Wilson-Rouse made three. New Orleans forced 24 turnovers and picked up 16 steals. This was their second game in a row forcing 20+ turnovers, and they are second in the NCAA with 19.67 forced turnovers per game.
Johnson, named the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, averaged 23.5 points this past weekend, putting up 18 points, three assists, three rebounds, and one steal against North Dakota just 24 hours before Sunday's win. Johnson has scored 20+ points in all but two games so far. He sits at 4th nationally in points per game at 23.3 and 11th in three-pointers made per game at 3.50.
In Wilson-Rouse's career game at UCA he matched his career high eight steals which tied him with Ben Adams for second in all-time steals in a single game in program history last season. Wilson-Rouse and Tyson Jackson average 10.3 and 8.0 points respectively. Jamond Vincent averages a team-best 6.0 rebounds this season.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota (4-2) returns from the west coast after a 76-58 loss to the University of San Francisco at the Chase Center. Dawson Garcia reached 1,000 career points, leading the Gophers with 19 points and six rebounds, and Pharrel Payne had 15 points and six boards. Garcia, who received Preseason All-Big Ten honors, currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten in points per game (18.8) and sixth in the conference in rebounds per game (8.8). As a team, Minnesota's 27.67 bench points per game mark first among Big Ten schools and its 6.0 blocks mark second. The Golden Gophers are also averaging 17.5 assists per game, second-most in their conference and 31st-most in the nation.
SERIES WITH THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
The game marks the second all-time meeting between these two teams and the first time since 2013. Minnesota hosted New Orleans on Dec. 7, 2013, where the Gophers won, 80-65.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersHoops on Twitter, @PrivateersMBB on Instagram, like /PrivateersMBB on Facebook and subscribe to the PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe!
