Gophers Non-Conference 2015-16 Schedule Announced

Gophers Non-Conference Schedule Announced

The full 2015-16 Minnesota men’s basketball schedule is set, as head coach Richard Pitino and the Gophers announced their upcoming non-conference slate on Monday. It features eight home games at Williams Arena along with strong neutral site competition leading up to the 18-game Big Ten regular season.

Game times and television information will be announced at a later date.

“We believe that this year’s non-conference schedule will be an excellent test for our young team,” said Pitino. “In putting together the schedule, we wanted to ensure quality competition in order to prepare the team for the rigors of Big Ten play, while also providing a chance for our team to grow and improve.”

The Gophers will play two exhibition games in early November, hosting Minnesota Crookston (Nov. 1) and Southwest Minnesota State (Nov. 6) at Williams Arena. On Friday, November 13, the season officially opens as Minnesota welcomes Missouri-Kansas City, then hosts Louisiana-Monroe two days later (Nov. 15).

Next up is a return to Puerto Rico for the second straight year, where the Gophers will take part in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Playing three games in four days beginning with the Temple Owls (Nov. 19), the Maroon and Gold will also compete on Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22 in San Juan.

After Thanksgiving, the Gophers open a four-game homestand beginning with Nebraska Omaha (Nov. 27). That game is followed by the 2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, in which Minnesota will host Clemson on Monday, November 30. Home games follow against South Dakota (December 5) and South Dakota State (December 8).

In their final contest away from home before starting conference play, the Gophers will make the short trip to Sioux Falls, S.D., to square off against Oklahoma State at the Sanford Pentagon on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Minnesota rounds out its non-conference schedule at home, hosting Chicago State (Dec. 16) and Milwaukee (Dec. 23) on back-to-back Wednesdays.

Minnesota will begin conference play on the road at Ohio State on Wednesday, December 30, before its home B1G opener on Saturday, January 2 against 2015 Final Four participant Michigan State, who the Gophers defeated in East Lansing last season in their lone matchup. The Gophers alternate home-and-away for their next six games, with midweek road trips to Penn State (Jan. 5), Nebraska (Jan. 12) and Michigan (Jan. 20) each followed by Saturday home games against Northwestern (Jan. 9), Indiana (Jan. 16) and Illinois (Jan. 23). The following Wednesday, the Gophers host Purdue (Jan. 27) in their first two-game B1G homestand, before closing out January at Indiana (Jan. 30).

The only two-game road trip of the conference season, the Maroon and Gold remain on the road traveling to Northwestern on Thursday, February 4 before their first bye comes on the first weekend of the month. A home game against Michigan (Feb. 10) is followed by a Valentine’s Day trip to rival Iowa (Feb. 14), and back-to-back home games against Maryland (Feb. 18) and Rutgers (Feb. 23). The two contests against the conference’s new members are split up by Minnesota’s second bye of the season, also coming on a weekend.

Two of the Gophers’ final three games come on the road, as Minnesota travels to Illinois (Feb. 28) for the first time in three years. The final home game of the year comes on Wednesday, March 2 against rival Wisconsin, before closing out the regular season at Rutgers three days later (Mar. 5).

Minnesota will compete for the Big Ten Tournament title from March 9-13 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

2015-16 Gopher Men’s Basketball Schedule (game times TBA)


11/1/15
Sun.
Minnesota Crookston (Exhibition)

11/6/15
Fri.
Southwest Minnesota State (Exhibition)

11/13/15
Fri.
Missouri-Kansas City

11/15/15
Sun.
Louisiana-Monroe



Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan)
11/19/15
Thu.
Temple

11/20/15
Fri.
Butler/Missouri State

11/22/15
Sun.
TBD


11/27/15
Fri.
Nebraska Omaha

11/30/15
Mon.
Clemson

12/5/15
Sat.
South Dakota

12/8/15
Tue.
South Dakota State

12/12/15
Sat.
vs. Oklahoma State (at Sioux Falls, S.D.)

12/16/15
Wed.
Chicago State

12/23/15
Wed.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee


Go Gophers!!

What a boring non conference schedule. Let's hope we don't lose to Temple because we need those games in Puerto Rico.

My condolences to selection. Can't believe there isn't a road game. This young team is going to be in for a shock when they go to columbus

Tough to justify trekking to The Barn for all of these if they are on TV. Good news for Tix for Tots!

bemidjigopher said:

My condolences to selection. Can't believe there isn't a road game. This young team is going to be in for a shock when they go to columbus

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My thoughts exactly. If the do beat Temple they will have played plenty of solid teams- that is one consolation.

bemidjigopher said:

Can't believe there isn't a road game. This young team is going to be in for a shock when they go to columbus

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That's actually the first thing that stood out when I looked at it. Think it's a mistake to not have a a true road game until the B1G schedule. As you said, with a young team it's especially important to have one.

Beat Temple. Need to win that one for this schedule to turn out decent.

Boring! WE play nobody again prior to the Big Ten season. It gets hard to justify pla

SelectionSunday said:

That's actually the first thing that stood out when I looked at it. Think it's a mistake to not have a a true road game until the B1G schedule. As you said, with a young team it's especially important.

Beat Temple. Need to win that one for this schedule to turn out decent.

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Boring - Boring! We play nobody again prior to the Big Ten season. It gets hard to justify paying for the tickets when the games are not worth gong to! I get sick of seeing the Jack Rabbits each year. Will we never have any good pre big ten season games?

bobmartinfan said:

Boring - Boring! We play nobody again prior to the Big Ten season. It gets hard to justify paying for the tickets when the games are not worth gong to! I get sick of seeing the Jack Rabbits each year. Will we never have any good pre big ten season games?

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You're going to see Maryland, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. 5 of those teams never came to Williams Arena last year.

Maximus said:

You're going to see Maryland, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. 5 of those teams never came to Williams Arena last year.

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Yeah because Pitino went out of his way to get those teams on the schedule. It is very frustrating no true road game really gets you ready for the big ten. Lehigh Mont @richmond (Scheduled by the previous regime) Coastal Carolina, wofford, new orleans, sdsu, Nebr-omaha, corpus christi Lville (nuetral court) W Carolina, North dakota, Southern, Seattle, Furman, Unc Wilmington and above those are the teams in 3 years unless forced via the acc/big 10 or playing a tournament. It is a slap in the face, as a season ticket holder this will be my last year.

I wonder what the logic is to play one game in 14 days prior to Ohio State? Not only are we not road tested but conditioning and routine is going to be a concern for some people. In the Big Ten we play 2 games per week. So we set things up to play once a week for two weeks prior to beginning? What does that simulate? Preparation is important and I don't see the logic in ours.

If you tell me we are resting up, I'll scream with disagreement about that philosophy to begin the conference schedule.

60's Guy said:

I wonder what the logic is to play one game in 14 days prior to Ohio State? Not only are we not road tested but conditioning and routine is going to be a concern for some people. In the Big Ten we play 2 games per week. So we set things up to play once a week for two weeks prior to beginning? What does that simulate? Preparation is important and I don't see the logic in ours.

If you tell me we are resting up, I'll scream with disagreement about that philosophy to begin the conference schedule.

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I assume the 12/16-12/23 break is for finals. But they should have scheduled something in between 12/23 and OSU if possible.

He must not have the guts to play a true non conference road game. Pick somebody who you can beat. Go on the road and play a mid major. Play at Marshall, Appalachian State, Pepperdine, somebody. Test your team and give them a feel for what it is like to go into another school's gym before it gets really tough in the Big Ten.

The usual home non conference garbage. There isn't another sports entity in town that abuses its paying customers like gopher basketball. Gopher hoops makes the Wilfs look like angels.

3399 said:

He must not have the guts to play a true non conference road game. Pick somebody who you can beat. Go on the road and play a mid major. Play at Marshall, Appalachian State, Pepperdine, somebody. Test your team and give them a feel for what it is like to go into another school's gym before it gets really tough in the Big Ten.

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Guys. Read the other thread. As much as you want to bytch, the U plays the 7 toughest NC schedule in the B1G. About average.....


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truly a weak schedule. the info on UW is not accurate as it leaves off the Duke game or what could be VCU. The Gophers must get the Iowa ST . game and or Missouri.