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NIT 2012, Gophers Vs. LaSalle: Minnesota Native Plays Hometown Team, High School Teammate

As Minnesota Golden Gophers freshman guard Joe Coleman takes the court Wednesday night, he will see a familiar face on the opponent's bench. Coleman's high school teammate D.J. Peterson is a 6-foot-5 freshman guard for the LaSalle Explorers.

Coleman was a junior and Peterson was a senior on Hopkins High School's 2011 state championship team. Peterson averages three points and two rebounds in 17 minutes per game, but he leads the team in three-point percentage.

"It’s just going to be fun playing against my former teammate and good friend," Peterson said. "We were close since junior high school. I’ve known him since the seventh grade. We would hang out on and off the court a lot. Obviously, Joe kind of blew up that (junior year). He had an outstanding season. It was just a fun time playing with him."

Coleman has started 15 games for the Gophers, averaging 5.3 points per game in just under 17 minutes per game.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.