Vermont
‘U’ Ready to Host Vermont on Friday Night – University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) vs Vermont (1-0, 0-0 America East)
Stream: B1G+
Tip Time: 7:01 p.m. CT
Radio: KFAN+ 96.7 FM and the iHeartRadio app (Tanner Hoops and Lynnette Sjoquist)
Location: Williams Arena
Scouting the Catamounts
• Vermont comes to Dinkytown after defeating Missouri 62-46 last week in its home opener
• The win over Missouri is Vermont’s first win over an SEC school, they are now 1-11 vs the Southeastern Conference
• The Catamounts held Missouri to 12 points across the second and third quarters
• Anna Olson was selected to the America East All-Conference Team
• The Catamouns return two of their top scorers from last season in Olson (11.6 ppg) and Keira Hanson (8.1 ppg)
• 2022 America East Rookie of the Year Catherine Gilwee returns after missing all last season with an injury
• Olson hails from Monticello, Minn., and had 18 points against Missouri
I Bet You Think About Anni
• Graduate transfer Annika Stewart came off the bench and led the Gopher offense in Minnesota’s home opener
• Stewart had 18 points, four rebounds, and one steal
• The Plymouth, Minn., native tied her career high in three-pointers made with three
• Notably, her 18 points contributed to Minnesota’s 50 bench points scored
Look What You Made Me Do
• Transfer Taylor Woodson had a career night on Monday, tying three personal bests
• The forward tied her bests in rebounds (5), offensive rebounds (4), and most field goals made (5)
• Notably, her 10 points contributed to Minnesota’s 50 bench points scored
…Ready For It?
• Junior Mara Braun opened the season with a stellar game against Central Connecticut State
• Through 24 minutes, the guard had 17 points, five assists, two steal, and one rebound
State of Grace
• Sophomore Grace Grocholski had her 37th career start on Monday
• The North Prairie, Wis., native competed for 26 minutes, tying her career high in steals (3), and scoring three field goals.
Award Watch
Junior Guard Mara Braun was named to the 20-player watch list for the 2025 Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last Tuesday. Named after the first player, male or female, selected to an All-America Team in four straight college seasons, the annual award in its eighth year recognizes the top shooting guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates for North Tartan. On her AAU team, Mckinney averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals. For the Skippers, McKinney played at the varsity level at Minnetonka since her seventh-grade year.
New Kids on the Block
Minnesota’s roster features two true freshmen in McKenna Johnson and Tori McKinney. Johnson hails from Wilmot, Wis., and was an early enrollee last season and did not see any game action. In high school, Johnson was a No. 60 ranked in the top 100 ESPN rankings. During her final high school season, the 5-9 guard averaged 26.1 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per contest. She competed for the Wisconsin Flight Elite program, where she helped lead them to the EYBL Final Four in 2023.
A Minnetonka, Minn., native, McKinney joins the ‘U’ after a prep career playing for North Tartan. On her AAU team, Mckinney averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals. For the Skippers, McKinney played at the varsity level at Minnetonka since her seventh-grade year.
Tactful Transfers
• Graduate Alexsia Rose joins Minnesota after playing her senior season at UMass. With the Minutemen, Rose averaged 3.1 points per game, 1.5 rebounds per game and 1.5 assists per game.
• Minnesota native Taylor Woodson was added to the Gophers’ squad after competing at Michigan during her freshman season. For the Wolverines, Woodson played in 32 games and averaged 8.9 minutes, 1.9 points, and 1.7 rebounds.
• After four seasons at Nebraska, Annika Stewart will compete for the Gophers during her graduate season. With the Huskers, she played in 111 games and scored 572 points and snagged 268 rebounds. She also excelled in the classroom, as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a 2023 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
• Hailing from Apple Valley, Calif., Jordan Brooks comes to Minnesota after spending one season at CSU Bakersfield after playing at Victory Valley College.