Pharrel Payne is one of four incoming freshmen on the University of Minnesota men's basketball team for the 2022-23 season. ((credit: University of Minnesota Athletics))
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team announced Friday morning it will travel to Virginia Tech on Nov. 28 for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
It’s the second time the Gophers will have faced the Hokies, after Minnesota beat Virginia Tech 58-55 in 2011 at Williams Arena. Virginia Tech is coming off a 23-win season that included a seventh place finish in the ACC in the regular season. The Hokies then made a run to the ACC Tournament championship. Their season ended in a first round NCAA Tournament loss to Texas, and it was their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
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Ben Johnson, Gophers excited to add Dawson Garcia for 2022-23 season
Ben Johnson has been the University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach for a little more than a year, and has already experienced the highs and lows of the NCAA transfer portal. Last year after his hiring, 10 players transferred out of the program. His first commitment was Jamison Battle, who has the looks of a future Big Ten star.
The Gophers are 12-11 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and have won their last three games in the event. Last year, they got a 54-53 win at Pittsburgh on a Luke Loewe tip-in at the buzzer. It was their first road win since February of 2020. Minnesota also beat Boston College 085-80 at Williams Arena in 2020, and Clemson 78-60 in 2019.
Minnesota is entering its second season under Ben Johnson, after going 13-17 last season. The Gophers bring back leading scorer Jamison Battle and have added transfers Ta’Lon Cooper, Taurus Samuels and former Prior Lake star Dawson Garcia. They’re also bringing in a talented freshmen class that includes Jaden Henley, and Minnesota natives Braeden Carrington, Pharrel Payne and Joshua Ola-Joseph.
Isaiah Ihnen is back from a season-ending knee injury last year, but for the second straight season, Parker Fox will miss the entire year with a right knee injury suffered in practice earlier this week. Fox missed all of last season with a left knee injury.