All Things 2017-18 B1G Schedules


Will not participate in the Gavitt Games.

Who is still in the running for a Gavitt game? I really am thinking that MSU is out again this year the way the early schedule sets up/the amount of road and neutral site games that are already known. I guess we could be a host but am doubtful that we get a road game.
 

Couple known games now have dates: Valpo at Purdue Dec. 7th and Valpo at Northwestern Dec. 14th.
 

Rothstein's tweeted out the Gophers are expected to be a part of the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn. Which should include the Gophers, BYU, Alabama and UMass. It'd be fun to go against Collin Sexton and Bama next year. That should be a really fun team. Good to see us continuing to establish our presence in the Northeast as well.
 

Gavitt Games update

Reports indicate Indiana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are 3 of the B1G teams participating in the Gavitt Games. Michigan and Ohio State will not. That means 5 of these 9 will be the other participants:

Illinois
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers

Iowa, Maryland, and Rutgers have already participated twice, so I'd guess they're out. Leaves us with pretty good odds Gophers will participate, most likely a road game.
 


Rothstein's tweeted out the Gophers are expected to be a part of the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn. Which should include the Gophers, BYU, Alabama and UMass. It'd be fun to go against Collin Sexton and Bama next year. That should be a really fun team. Good to see us continuing to establish our presence in the Northeast as well.

I'm really hoping we get either Bama or BYU in the 1st game. I'd like to avoid Umass at all costs. That will be a stain on the resume all year. They are projected to be a bottom tier A-10 team.
 

SS, what all do the Gophers have that's locked in?

@Arkansas
Barclays Classic - 2 games
ACC/B1G Challenge(home game)
Gavitt Game looking likely.
 

Looking like a 9-2-2 home/road/neutral breakdown

SS, what all do the Gophers have that's locked in?

@Arkansas
Barclays Classic - 2 games
ACC/B1G Challenge(home game)
Gavitt Game looking likely.

That looks good. Am assuming the return for the Arkansas game will be this season, but sometimes the home & homes aren't always in back-to-back seasons.

The Barclays will be 4 games. Also get 2 home games likely to be cupcakes, though it's possible the Gophers get 1 decent opponent (top 150ish?) out of it.

Agree with you, I suspect this all but confirms Gophers are playing in Gavitt Games, as playing UMass (as you mentioned) would do nothing for them, UMass is gonna' suck. Need at least 2 more quality opponents if we draw UMass, so I assume one will come from the Gavitt.

Best guess is non-conference schedule will be:

9 home games (ACC, 2 Barclays + 6 others)

2 road games (Arkansas, Gavitt)

2 neutral-site games (2 of Alabama/BYU/UMass)

If that's the breakdown, I like it. ALWAYS should play 2 true road games, in my opinion.
 

That looks good. Am assuming the return for the Arkansas game will be this season, but sometimes the home & homes aren't always in back-to-back seasons.

The Barclays will be 4 games. Also get 2 home games likely to be cupcakes, though it's possible the Gophers get 1 decent opponent (top 150ish?) out of it.

Agree with you, I suspect this all but confirms Gophers are playing in Gavitt Games, as playing UMass (as you mentioned) would do nothing for them, UMass is gonna' suck. Need at least 2 more quality opponents if we draw UMass, so I assume one will come from the Gavitt.

Best guess is non-conference schedule will be:

9 home games (ACC, 2 Barclays + 6 others)

2 road games (Arkansas, Gavitt)

2 neutral-site games (2 of Alabama/BYU/UMass)

If that's the breakdown, I like it. ALWAYS should play 2 true road games, in my opinion.

Yeah, if we get BYU and Bama in the Barclays that would be great, especially picking up a couple wins. BYU always seems to be at worst a top 75ish type of team, and Bama has a chance to be a top 50 win, maybe even better, but that's probably their floor. Would really boost the RPI getting two top 75 road wins. I also like that Pitino is giving a homecoming to Dupree, Washington and Harris. I think that's pretty cool.

I really think this schedule is setting up to have better high end games than what it did last year. I'm hopeful we can avoid those 250+ type of games, which is something we avoided last year to help the overall OOC SoS. When the schedule comes out, I always look to see if we avoided any of the SWAC or MEAC teams(unless it's a team like Texas Southern) those games just drag down your OOC SoS. If we play a team in a bottom 7/8 conference, I hope it's a team like Mt. St. Mary's who's projected to finish 1st/2nd.

I noticed we played a lot of Sun Belt teams, which turned out to be okay with UT-Arlington being a top 50 win and the other 3 being top 150 wins so they weren't killers to the RPI. Was that just a fluke in the scheduling or something that was set up? I only ask because I wonder if something like that will be in play again this year with them or another mid-major conference.
 



I noticed we played a lot of Sun Belt teams, which turned out to be okay with UT-Arlington being a top 50 win and the other 3 being top 150 wins so they weren't killers to the RPI. Was that just a fluke in the scheduling or something that was set up? I only ask because I wonder if something like that will be in play again this year with them or another mid-major conference.

I wasn't a fan of playing 4 teams from the same conference. Like to spread the conferences out, so there are many possibilities of getting wins over automatic qualifiers. Crazy thing about the Sun Belt last season was Gophers played the 1, 3, 5, and 7 seeds, and not a single one of 'em made it to the championship game, and only UTA made it to the semifinals.
 

I wasn't a fan of playing 4 teams from the same conference. Like to spread the conferences out, so there are many possibilities of getting wins over automatic qualifiers. Crazy thing about the Sun Belt last season was Gophers played the 1, 3, 5, and 7 seeds, and not a single one 'em made it to the championship games, and only UTA made it to the semifinals.

I didn't mind it all that much since none of them became an RPI killer, but the likelihood of playing 4 teams from a mid major conference and them all being top 150 teams is pretty slim, so I wouldn't advise them to do it again. lol.
 

I just did a quick look at UMass and I think they may be better next year. They return their whole team basically. Last year they went 4-14 in conference play but 7 of their losses were by 5 points or less. Their 3 non conference losses were by 2, 3, and 6 points (@Ole Miss who went to NIT QFinals, UCF NIT Semis, @Providence NCAA #6 seed). If we get matched up with them I wouldn't be shocked if its a good game and I also wouldn't be shocked if they give the top 100 a run for its money.
 





Ah didn't realize they were losing transfers. Makes sense, thanks for the info.

Best scenario for Gophers (as Gophers7633 pointed out) is to avoid playing UMass. Strength-of-schedule wise Alabama and BYU are the 2 teams we want out of this tournament.
 


Partial Iowa non-conference schedule

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Northwestern will host Sacred Heart

As part of Hall of Fame Tip-Off.

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SS, Louisville in ACC challenge is just a guess right?
 


Northwestern draws La Salle in Hall of Fame Tip-Off

Could be a tricky game for Wildcats. Explorers should be significantly improved in 2017-18.

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Sparty @ Florida pushed back a year

So my assumption would be Sparty @ Villanova for Gavitt Games.
 

Penn State non-bracketed Legends Classic opponents

Nittany Lions will host Montana (Nov. 15) and Oral Roberts (Nov. 24).

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Sparty will host Long Beach State

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Rothstein just tweeted all the Gavitt Games matchups.


Minnesota at Providence
Purdue at Marquette
Creighton at Northwestern
Nebraska at St. John's
Indiana at Seton Hall
Butler at Maryland
DePaul at Illinois
Xavier at Wisconsin
 

The other matchups are
Purdue @ Marquette
Creighton @ Northwestern
Nebraska @ St. Johns
Indiana @ Seton Hall
Butler @ Maryland
DePaul @ Illinois
Xavier @ Wisconsin
 

I got Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Minnesota(tough game though, could go either way) for the B1G.
 

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Go Gophers!!
 


Rutgers exempt MTE

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