SALT LAKE CITY-Following a record-setting 143-point performance against Mississippi Valley State November 8, Larry Krystkowiak’s Utah Utes (2-0) return to action at the Huntsman Center Friday against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-2) of the Big Ten Conference.
Krystkowiak is currently 199-131 (.603) as a head coach at both Montana (2004-06) and Utah (157-111), so a win against Minnesota would be his 200th in an 11-year collegiate coaching career.
He is presently 42-20 (.677) at Utah.
Against Mississippi Valley State, sophomore guard Both Gach (12 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and freshman guard Rylan Jones (10 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) became the first two players to have triple-doubles in the same game since 1996-1997 in Division I men’s basketball.
These were the first triple-doubles in program history since Alex Jensen did so in an 87-74 win over Fresno State January 25, 1999.
The high-scoring Utes are currently amassing 111 points per game which ranks them third nationally.
Sophomore forward Timmy Allen posts 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Utes to lead the squad. Gach currently averages 17 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest and sophomore forward Riley Battin nets 12 points and 7 rebounds per contest.
Freshman center Brandon Carlson leads the squad with 8 rebounds per contest but also nets 11 points per game. Currently, seven Utes are double-digit scorers on average through the first two games of the season.
Utah also ranks ninth nationally in scoring defense, only giving up 49.5 points per game against Nevada and Mississippi Valley State.
Redshirt freshman center, Senegalese national Lahat Thioune has 4 blocks on the season to pace Utah.
The Golden Gophers come into Friday’s game following a 64-56 loss to Butler of the Big East Conference at Indianapolis Tuesday.
Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino is in his seventh season at the helm of the program and currently has a record of 113-94 (.546).
The Golden Gophers’ scoring offense ranks 255th nationally, posting 67.7 points per game.
Sophomore center Daniel Oturu leads Minnesota with 18.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Oturu’s 11 blocks tie him for sixth nationally with James Banks III of Georgia Tech, Terrell Brown of Pittsburgh, Mouhamadou Gueye of Stony Brook, Oregon State’s Kylor Kelley, Trhae Mitchell of South Alabama, Utah Valley’s Emmanuel Olojakpoke and Florida International’s Osasumwen Osaghae.
Redshirt junior guard Payton Willis (15 points, 3.3 rebounds per game and Canadian national redshirt guard Marcus Carr (14.3 points, 7 rebounds per contest) also score in double figures for the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota’s scoring defense (61.7 points per game) ranks 96th nationally and by virtue of Oturu’s 11 blocks, the Golden Gophers are tied for 15th nationally with 18 blocks. This ties them with Providence, Oklahoma State, Bethune-Cookman and Marshall.
The Utes and Golden Gophers are tied 2-2 all-time and Utah leads the all-time series at Salt Lake City, 1-0. Krystkowiak is seeking his first all-time win against Minnesota.
