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This is Amelia Rayno's first season on the Gophers' basketball beat. She learned college basketball in North Carolina (Go Tar Heels!), where fanhood is not an option. In 2010, she joined the Star Tribune after graduating from Boston's Emerson College, which sadly had no exciting D-I college hoops to latch onto. Amelia has also worked on the sports desk at the Boston Globe and interned at the Detroit News.
Follow Rayno on Twitter @AmeliaRayno
U releases photo rendering of new Williams Arena upgrades
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: May 24, 2012 - 11:33 AM
The University of Minnesota released a rendering of its plans for a new state-of-the-art scoreboard and ribbon board systems that will be implemented in Williams Arena in time for next season.
Mariucci Arena will also get similar scoreboard upgrades, and both facilities will get new sound systems. The projects are being funded in part by the season-ticket donations and reseating process.
“It was time to make the upgrades at Mariucci and Williams Arenas,” said Associate Athletic Director for Facilities Scott Ellison in a news release. “Golden Gopher fans are not only passionate about the athletic programs but also the facilities. We understand the importance of game presentation as it pertains to each fan's experience.”
The new scoreboards will be similar, but larger (the one at Williams will be 11 feet, 7 inches tall and 13 feet, 8 inches wide, and will have an LED ring above and below the main video board. The current scoreboard has already been removed.
The total cost for the additions for both arenas is around $8 million, and about $1 million of that will come from the reseating project.
Armelin goes to Southern Miss
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: May 16, 2012 - 11:47 AM
Chip Armelin officially signed at Southern Mississippi yesterday, the rising junior announced yesterday on Twitter.
“Its Official!! I Just Signed My Basketball Scholarship To Southern Miss #GoodisGood” Armelin tweeted.
Armelin, who decided to transfer after last season -- when his court time dwindled -- averaged 5.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.7 minutes a game, up slightly from the year before. The Louisiana native had some hot and clutch moments during the Big Ten schedule, notching four double-digit scoring games, including a 20-point performance against Nebraska in the last game of the season. But his minutes were erratic and his scoring and defense were too, at times. In the NIT, Armelin’s minutes dropped off to 6.6 a game.
His exit makes room for Trevor Mbakwe, who is returning to the Gophers after the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility.
Armelin will sit out one year at Southern Miss due to NCAA transfer rules before becoming eligible again in 2013-14.
A look back at past Big Ten/ACC challenge matchups
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: May 15, 2012 - 11:51 AM
In light of the recently released Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchups, I thought I’d take a look back at who the Gophers have faced in the past, and how they’ve done.
- Overall, the Gophers are 5-8 in the 13-year-old challenge. Minnesota won three of the first four challenge matchups, but then lost five in a row and have won just two of the past nine (one of those, of course, was last season, against Virginia Tech).
- The Gophers have played UVA the most times, splitting their four meetings.
- This season, Minnesota will play Florida State for the fourth time as well. The Gophers won the first matchup, at FSU, but have dropped the last two.
- The Gophers have played Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Clemson and Miami each once. They have never played North Carolina, Duke, NC State or Boston College.
Here’s the full, 13-year recap:
1999 – vs. Virginia; WIN, 74-62
2000 -- @ FSU; WIN, 79-71
2001 -- @ Wake Forest; LOSS, 85-79
2002 – vs. Georgia Tech; WIN, 64-63
2003 -- @ Virginia; LOSS, 86-78
2004 –vs. FSU; LOSS, 70-69
2005 -- @ Maryland; LOSS, 83-66
2006 – vs. Clemson; LOSS, 90-68
2007 -- @ FSU; LOSS, 75-61
2008 – vs. Virginia; WIN, 66-56
2009 -- @ Miami; LOSS, 63-58
2010 – vs. Virginia; LOSS, 87-79
2011 – vs. Virginia Tech; WIN, 58-55
Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchups announced, Gophers to play FSU
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: May 14, 2012 - 2:26 PM
The Gophers will play at Florida State on Tuesday, Nov. 27 in this fall’s 14th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge according to a press release made available today.
It will be the fourth meeting between Minnesota (ranked No. 25 in ESPN’s preseason poll) the Seminoles, who finished 25-10 last season, including 12-4 in the ACC, and were ranked No. 15 postseason but are not ranked in ESPN’s preseason poll.
Other highlights of the challenge are No. 13 North Carolina at No. 1 Indiana, No. 6 NC State at No. 5 Michigan and No. 8 Ohio State at No. 15 Duke. The ACC and Big Ten sent a combined 11 teams to the NCAA tournament last year: Duke, Florida State, UNC, NC State, Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Gophers will play Richmond at home next season in non-conference schedule
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: May 10, 2012 - 12:23 PM
A Gophers’ team source said today that the program signed a “home and home” series with Richmond, with the first game to come at Minnesota in the upcoming season.
The news of the pair of games should come as a welcoming sign to many Gophers fans that have voiced concern about the lack of competitive games in the non-conference schedule. The Spiders went 16-16 overall last season, including 7-9 in the Atlantic-10. In the two seasons prior, Richmond enjoyed back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and top-25 finishing teams.
Last season, the Spiders had four players average double digits and they will return all four: Darien Brothers (14.6 points), Kendall Anthony (13.0), Derrick Williams (11.2) and Cedrick Lindsay (11.2).
There is no news yet about when in the non-conference schedule the teams would meet.
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recent posts
- U releases photo rendering of Williams Arena upgrades
- Armelin goes to Southern Miss
- Rayno: A look back at Gophers in Big Ten/ACC matchups
- Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchups announced, Gophers to play FSU
- Gophers will play Richmond at home next season in non-conference schedule
- Where the Gophers' stand, a month later
- Abromaitis and Mbakwe: not so different, but only one gets to return
- Rayno: The skinny on Norwood Teague
- It's official: Trevor Mbakwe is coming back for another season
- Chip Armelin to transfer from Gophers
- Tubby Smith on Trevor Mbakwe: "I think he wants to be here."
- Tubby's top assistant, Jirsa, removes name for top job at Wisconsin college
- Time for Gophers to look forward to next season
- Postgame: Loss hurts, but there are bright spots ahead for Gophers
- Frontcourt could be thinner tonight vs. Stanford in NIT final
- NIT title would mean a lot for Gophers
- Postgame: Ever-so-close OT win brings a championship game for the Gophers
- Pregame: Gophers facing 1-seed Washington in the NIT semi-finals at MSG
- Live chat! Replay of the conversation on the NIT, next year, beyond.
- Is Justin Morneau back, at least as a HR hitter?
- Gophers picked No. 1 in one very early preseason hockey poll
- Stu's Hunt Down: Ex-Twins pitcher Ramon Ortiz
- TFD: Yahoo contributor says A.J. Pierzynski was a better Twins catcher than Joe Mauer
- Granlund contract details; Is Coyle or Granlund Wild's top prospect?
- Postgame: L.A. coach says 3-0 Lynx measuring stick for WNBA
- First NFL odds from Vegas: Vikings' over-under is six wins
- Love named to all-NBA Second Team
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