Gavitt Tipoff: Math says Butler or Seton Hall is Gophers' most likely opponent

The Gavitt Tipoff Games (B1G vs. Big East) should be released within the next two weeks. Here's what I (think I) know.

(1) Maryland @ Georgetown will be one of the 8 games.

(2) Reports from West Lafayette indicate Purdue will be a host team. That leaves the B1G with 3 available home games.

(3) The Gophers will participate, but we don't know for sure whether it'll be a home or road game. The assumption is the Gophers will be on the road for the ACC Challenge, so it seems more likely the Gophers will get a home game.

(4) Based on what we know about teams' schedules so far, these teams are least likely to participate in the Gavitt Games:

Big East: Creighton, Xavier
B1G: Michigan, Michigan State

(5) Teams Yet to Participate
Big East: Butler, Seton Hall
B1G: Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin

(6) That would leave the Big East with these 8 participating: Butler, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Saint John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova.

(7) Marquette, Providence, Saint John's, and Villanova all played home games in 2015, so (if participating) they're more likely to play on the road in 2016.

By my math, the Gophers' most likely opponent should be one of the following:

If at Williams Arena: Butler, Marquette, Providence, Saint John's, Seton Hall, or Villanova.

If on the road: Butler, DePaul, or Seton Hall.

That leaves us with Butler or Seton Hall as the most likely Gophers opponent.

Bring on the bulldogs. Show them what the real historic barn of the midwest can do.

Marquette won't participate in Gavitt Tipoff this year

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Henry Ellenson's recently announced departure played a part in Marquette's absence in 2016.

This changes the Gophers' possibilities slightly. The Gavitt Tipoff Games should be released within the next two weeks. Here's what we (think we) know:

(1) Maryland @ Georgetown will be one of the 8 games.

(2) Reports from West Lafayette indicate Purdue will be a host team. That leaves the B1G with 3 available home games.

(3) The Gophers will participate, but we don't know for sure whether it'll be a home or road game. The assumption is the Gophers will be on the road for the ACC Challenge, but I'm not so sure that'll be the case. Don't be surprised if the Gophers get another ACC Challenge home game, and then go packing for the Gavitt Tipoff. In part the locale of the two challenge games will depend on whether the Gophers' expected home game in the first year of a Power 6 H & H (per Pitino) comes to fruition.

(4) Based on what we know about teams' schedules, these teams won't or are least likely to be in the Gavitt Tipoff:
Big East: Creighton, Marquette
B1G: Michigan, Michigan State

(5) Teams Yet to Participate
Big East: Butler, Seton Hall
B1G: Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin

(6) That would leave the Big East with these 8 participating: Butler (H or A), DePaul (likely H), Georgetown (H), Providence (likely A), Saint John's (likely A), Seton Hall (H or A), Villanova (likely A), and Xavier (likely H).

(7) Providence, Saint John's, and Villanova all played home games in 2015, so (if participating) they're more likely to play on the road in 2016. By my math, the Gophers' most likely opponent should be one of the following:

If at Williams Arena -- Butler, Providence, Saint John's, Seton Hall, or Villanova.

If on the road -- Butler, DePaul, Seton Hall, or Xavier.

Butler or Seton Hall remain the Gophers' most likely opponent.