The Gophers men's basketball team will play Loyola Marymount twice to replace a matchup with North Dakota State as part of its multi-team event Saturday and Monday at Williams Arena, a source told the Star Tribune.
Gophers basketball to play Loyola Marymount twice, not NDSU dissolving MTE plan
The Gophers men's basketball team has to play Loyola Marymount twice to replace NDSU as part of their MTE on Saturday and Monday at the Barn. COVID-19 state restrictions prevented second game with different opponent within a three-day span.
November 24, 2020 at 11:02PM
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Minnesota, the Gophers are now only allowed to play one opponent during a three-day span at home.
LMU was originally scheduled to play the Gophers in the MTE in Minneapolis. But NDSU recently had expected to replace Eastern Washington in the event.
Loyola Marymount is led by first-year coach Stan Johnson, who replaced Mike Dunlap after the team finished 11-21 in his sixth season. The Lions return 6-foot-6, 245-pound senior Eli Scott, who averaged 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds. Scott played at Chino Hills High School in California with the Ball brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo.
Johnson, a former Marquette assistant, is familiar with Minnesota since he helped the Golden Eagles sign former Prior Lake five-star big man Dawson Garcia, now a freshman.
Johnson's first big recruiting get at LMU was convincing 7-3 Swedish center Mattias Markusson to return to the program. Minnesota, Louisville and San Diego State were also finalists for Markusson when he entered the transfer portal in the spring.
Brennan Rigsby, a transfer from Oregon, has a 40-inch vertical and can shoot from long range. The Gophers are counting on him now with Mike Mitchell Jr., injured.
