The Miami Hurricanes will travel to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers in the ACC-Big Ten Championship. Both teams enter the game undefeated. The Hurricanes are currently ranked tenth and Minnesota 12th.
The battle of the undefeated UMs is an early test for both teams. It is the Miami Hurricanes biggest test of the young season. This is Miami’s first game of the season against a team from a Power Five conference, the Big East or even a prominent mid-major.
Minnesota has played Providence and Alabama. They played in the Barclay’s Center Classic last week in Brooklyn. They won the Classic with an 89-84 victory over the Crimson Tide.
Alabama played the last 13 minutes of the game with three players. The Crimson Tide’s entire bench was ejected and another player got hurt leaving Alabama with three players.
Minnesota is led by Junior Forward Jordan Murphy. Murphy is averaging 22.3 points per game and 12.3 rebounds. He has nearly doubled his scoring average from a season ago and increased his rebounding by 3.5.
Murphy is one of the most-underpublicized and improved players in the country. He was third-team All Big-Ten in 2017.
He will match up with another of the most improved players in College Basketball. Dewan Huell has been the Miami Hurricanes best player in the 2017-18 season. Huell average 5.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. He is up to 13.4 PPG and 7.2 RPG.
Date/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 / 9:15 p.m. ET
Location: Minneapolis, Minn./Williams Arena (14,625)
10/13 MIAMI HURRICANES (5-0)
Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, 1971 [B.A.])
Record at UM: 144-69 (7th season), Career Record: 614-403 (34th season)
GAME 6 • NOV. 29, 2017 • 9:15 P.M. ET • MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
12/12 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (7-0)
Head Coach: Richard Pitino (Providence, 2005)
Record at UM: 82-61 (5th season), Career Record: 100-75 (6th season)
On the Air:
Television: ESPN2; Online: WatchESPN
Clay Matvick (PxP) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
Radio: WQAM 560-AM (Joe Zagacki – PxP)
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 81 (Internet 81)
Series vs. Minnesota: Tied, 1-1
Busting Brackets
Minnesota plays one of the highest tempo games in the country. They are 14th in scoring averaging 90.7 points per game. The Golden Gophers are 70th in possessions per game at 76.5. Minnesota will want to get the game up and down.
Miami averages 79.8 points per game, 104th nationally. Defensively the Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the country through the first two and half weeks of the season. Miami is allowing 54 points per game, third nationally. Miami is 163rd in tempo averaging 73.5 possessions per game.
Minnesota guard Nate Mason whose sister plays for the Miami women’s team is another Minnesota player to watch. Mason averages 13.7 points per game and makes 41.7 percent from three.
Miami hopes to get their backcourt tandem of Bruce Brown and Lonnie Walker going. The star duo who are expected to leave for the NBA Draft are both averaging below ten points per game.
The Hurricanes have thrived this season on balance. Ja’Quan Newton is the only other Miami player averaging in double figures other than Huell. Nine players are averaging 6.8 points per game. Minnesota has four players averaging in double figures and six that average at least eight points per game.
Next: Miami Hurricanes PG Ja'Quan Newton: This is the best team I've been on
The ACC enters day three of the Challenge with a six to one advantage in this year’s series. Miami and Minnesota is the last game in a loaded schedule on Wednesday night between the two power conferences. Michigan State and Notre Dame conclude this year’s challenge on Thursday night.