The 2011–12 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 in the college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 season of 2011–2012. The team's head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

, Tubby Smith

Tubby Smith

Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...

 is in his fifth year at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers play their home games at Williams Arena

Williams Arena

Williams Arena, located on the Twin Cities main campus of the University of Minnesota is the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's and women's basketball teams, and the men's and women's hockey teams until 1992, when the hockey teams received their own buildings...

 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

 and are members of the newly expanded Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

.

Season

With the departure of seniors Blake Hoffarber

Blake Hoffarber

Blake Hoffarber is a Senior shooting guard on the University of Minnesota men's basketball team. The 6'4", 200 lbs Hoffarber is a Minnetonka, Minnesota native who gained fame by way of numerous highlight reel shots during the course of his basketball career...

 and Al Nolen, the Gophers entered the season under the leadership of returning members, including veterans Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III

Ralph Sampson III

Ralph Lee Sampson III is a college basketball player who currently plays for the University of Minnesota. His father, Ralph Sampson, was the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft and a 4-time NBA All-Star....

.

The Gophers also lost junior Colton Iverson, who transferred to play for the Colorado State Rams at the end of the previous season.

On November 27th, during the championship game of the Old Spice Classic, Trevor Mbakwe tore his ACL

Anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

 and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Roster

#	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Position	Class	Hometown	Previous Team(s)
00	Julian Welch	6'3"	195	G	Jr.	Elk Grove, CA Elk Grove, California Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, located just south of the state capital of Sacramento. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 153,015... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Franklin HS Franklin High School (Elk Grove, California) Franklin High School is a public high school located in Elk Grove, California, United States. It is officially accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges .-History of the town of Franklin:...
1	Andre Hollins	6'1"	200	G	Fr.	Memphis, TN Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	White Station HS White Station High School White Station High School is a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee, United States .White Station High is a member of the Memphis City Schools system. White Station is recognized as one of the best high schools in Memphis, as well as in all of Tennessee...
10	Oto Osenieks	6'8"	205	F	RFr.	Riga, Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...	Brehm Prep
11	Joe Coleman	6'4"	208	G	Fr.	Minneapolis, MN, U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Hopkins HS Hopkins High School Hopkins High School is a public high school located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a southwestern suburb of Minneapolis. It offers classes for grades 10, 11, and 12. Hopkins High School is part of the Hopkins School District 270 and draws students from the city of Hopkins, central and eastern parts of...
13	Maverick Ahanmisi	6'2"	192	G	So.	Santa Clarita, CA Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Stoneridge Prep
15	Maurice Walker	6'10"	289	F	So.	Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	Brewster Academy Brewster Academy Brewster Academy is a co-educational independent boarding school located on in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire USA, two hours north of Boston. It occupies 1/2 mile of shoreline along Lake Winnipesaukee...
20	Austin Hollins	6'4"	185	G	So.	Germantown, TN Germantown, Tennessee Germantown is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee. The population was 38,844 at the 2010 census.Germantown is a suburb of Memphis, bordering it to the east. Germantown's economy is dominated by the retail and commercial service sectors; there is no heavy industry in Germantown... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Germantown HS
22	Chris Halvorsen	6'8"	214	F	RSo.	St. Paul, MN, U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Henry Sibley HS Henry Sibley High School Henry Sibley High School was founded in 1954. The current school was built in 1971 to serve students in grades 10-12. Today, it serves students in grades 9-12 and houses the district’s administrative offices. It is currently remodeling the main offices, expanding the cafeteria, and remodeling...
23	Chip Armelin	6'3"	198	G	So.	Sulphur, LA Sulphur, Louisiana Sulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Sulphur HS Sulphur High School (Louisiana) Sulphur High School is a 5A public high school located in Sulphur, Louisiana. The current principal is Mr. Keith Bonin. SHS has a Ninth Grade Campus which opened its doors in the 2005-2006 school year, and its principal is Mr. Chuck Hansen...
30	Andre Ingram	6'7"	213	F	Jr.	Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Minnesota Transitions
32	Trevor Mbakwe	6'8"	245	F	RSr.	Saint Paul, MN Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	St. Bernard's HS Saint Bernard's High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota) Saint Bernard's High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The High School, along with an elementary school that served pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, also closed, were both part of the Church of Saint Bernard, which is adjacent to the former school building... Miami Dade College Miami Dade College Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
33	Rodney Williams	6'7"	200	F	Jr.	Minneapolis, MN, U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Robbinsdale Cooper HS Robbinsdale Cooper High School Robbinsdale Cooper High School is a public secondary school located in New Hope, Minnesota, a northwest suburb of Minneapolis...
34	Kendal Shell	6'0"	190	G	Fr.	St. Louis, MO St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Webster Groves HS Webster Groves High School Webster Groves High School is a public secondary school in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It is located at 100 Selma Ave, Webster Groves, MO. The school is part of the Webster Groves School District and its current principal is Dr. Jon Clark....
50	Ralph Sampson III Ralph Sampson III Ralph Lee Sampson III is a college basketball player who currently plays for the University of Minnesota. His father, Ralph Sampson, was the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft and a 4-time NBA All-Star....	6'11"	241	F/C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Sr.	Duluth, GA Duluth, Georgia Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Northview HS Northview High School (Johns Creek, Georgia) Northview High School is located in Johns Creek, Georgia, U.S.A. The school is a part of the Fulton County School System.One of its many notable achievements is earning the Governor's Cup in 2004, 2005, and 2006, which was presented by Sonny Perdue for the largest numerical improvement in SAT...
55	Elliott Eliason	6'11"	260	C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	RFr.	Chadron, NE Chadron, Nebraska Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College.... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Chadron HS Chadron Senior High School Chadron Senior High School is a public secondary school located in Chadron, Nebraska, USA. It is part of the Chadron Public Schools school district....

2011-12 Schedule and results

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! colspan="8" style="text-align: center; background:#800000" | Exhibition
|-
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center; background:#800000"|Regular Season

2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2011 with the and will end with the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 2, 2011 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans...

|-
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center; background:#800000"|Big Ten Regular Season

2011–12 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season

The 2011–12 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season marks the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive basketball among Big Ten Conference members that began in 1904. The season marks the first season of participation of the Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball team in Big Ten...

|-
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center; background:#800000"|2012 Big Ten Tournament

2012 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament

-References:...

Rankings

Poll	Pre	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8	Wk 9	Wk 10	Wk 11	Wk 12	Wk 13	Wk 14	Wk 15	Wk 16	Wk 17	Wk 18	Wk 19	Final
AP	RV	RV	RV	NR
Coaches	NR

		Increase in ranking			Decrease in ranking			No Change		RV		Received Votes		NR		Not Ranked