Schedule Outlook for the Gophers
As I mentioned in my breakdown of Minnesota's non-conference schedule, the Gophers struggled to play their way on to the bubble last winter thanks in large part to one of the weakest non-conference slates in power conference basketball. So, it was a notable disappointment for the Gophers to unveil their 2024-25 slate with the same problem - a complete lack of resume-boosting opportunities.
Minnesota's first six games will all come in the friendly confines of Williams Arena, before they travel to Orlando to take part in the ESPN Events Invitational. The invitational will be a nice barometer test against the likes of Wichita State, Florida, and Wake Forest. Wichita is their guaranteed game on the schedule, with either the Gators or Demon Deacons awaiting depending on the outcome of the Wichita game.
However, it's right back to cupcakes after the ESPN Events Invitational. Bethune-Cookman, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Morgan State will round out the non-conference for the Gophers. With such little big games on the docket, there's very little margin for error for this team if they want to make a postseason run. They'll have to not just be just about perfect, they will have to beat up on on the lowly opponents on the schedule.
Big Ten play begins with Michigan State and Indiana, which splits up Minnesota's December. It will be quite the change-of-pace for the team, going from this non-conference to games against two of the Big Ten's projected frontrunners. The conference slate really gets rolling in the New Year, with another tough game for the Gophers - a home date with Purdue on January 2nd.
It will be interesting to see how Ben Johnson and the Gophers approach this schedule. Do they use the early-season tune-up opportunities to try out creative things with this rotation? Or, do they put the best team on the floor on any given night to prepare for the Big Ten? Perhaps it is a good thing Cochran, Patterson, and Mitchell are all working their way back from injuries now, as the entire tenor of the season shifts after Thanksgiving.