Cincy on road, Ok State & Utah confirmed



Solid opponents, all winnable games.

Go Gophers!!
Yep.

vs. Cal
@ Cincinnati
vs. Oklahoma State
vs. SMU
vs. Utah

Win at least 3 of these & don’t slip up in any of the seven home games. That’s no worse than 10-2 in non-conference. Then get yourself to 9 conference wins & it’s hard to imagine 19 wins not getting into a 76-team field.
 

I know some will be bummed, but I love that the road game is this year. Cinci has an entirely new roster, and I think playing them on the road with our continuity (hopefully early) gives us a really good chance to steal one.

Side note: It surprised me how much massaging was needed to get this game in the books. Coaches that know each other from the MW, an AD at Cinci who worked for the U of M, helped facilitate with Coyle.

I thought coaches call each other up and schedule a game similar to corporate desk jockeys scheduling a Zoom call.

-"Hey, do you want to play a basketball game on November 10th at 6:00 pm?"
-"Nah, we got a game two days before against a Power 5."
-"What about the 22nd at 7:00 pm?"
-"That might work, let me get back to you on that. Could we do it at our house? That would be ideal for us"
-"Forget I even asked. Maybe next year..."
-"(Audible Sigh) Neutral court then?"
-"Deal."
 




@SelectionSunday do you have the full schedule available? Just wondering about the teams, not necessarily the dates.
MINNESOTA
Non-Conference

Nov. 2: NORTH DAKOTA (Quad 4)
Nov. 6: #ST. THOMAS (Quad 3)
Nov. 9: @ Cincinnati (Quad 1)
Nov. 13: SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Nov. 16: WESTERN ILLINOIS (Quad 4)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. #Oklahoma State (Charleston) (Quad 2)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. Utah (Charleston) (Quad 3)
Nov. 28: vs. #Cal (Sioux Falls) (Quad 2)
Dec. 12: vs. #SMU (Frisco) (Quad 1)
Dec. 16: TEXAS SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Dec. 20: ALCORN STATE (Quad 4)
Dec. 29: UTSA (Quad 4)

Big Ten
ILLINOIS*
INDIANA*
@ Iowa*
@ Maryland*
MICHIGAN*
@ Michigan*
@ Michigan State*
@ Nebraska*
NORTHWESTERN*
@Northwestern*
OHIO STATE*
OREGON*
PENN STATE*
PURDUE*
@ Rutgers*
@ UCLA*
@ USC*
WASHINGTON*
WISCONSIN*
@ Wisconsin
March 9-14: Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis)
 
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MINNESOTA
Non-Conference

Nov. 2: NORTH DAKOTA (Quad 4)
Nov. 6: #ST. THOMAS (Quad 3)
Nov. 9: @ Cincinnati (Quad 1)
Nov. 13: SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Nov. 16: WESTERN ILLINOIS (Quad 4)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. #Oklahoma State (Charleston) (Quad 2)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. Utah (Charleston) (Quad 3)
Nov. 28: vs. #Cal (Sioux Falls) (Quad 2)
Dec. 12: vs. #SMU (Frisco) (Quad 1)
Dec. 16: TEXAS SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Dec. 20: ALCORN STATE (Quad 4)
Dec. 29: UTSA (Quad 4)

Big Ten
ILLINOIS*
INDIANA*
@ Iowa*
@ Maryland*
MICHIGAN*
@ Michigan*
@ Michigan State*
@ Nebraska*
NORTHWESTERN*
@Northwestern*
OHIO STATE*
OREGON*
PENN STATE*
PURDUE*
@ Rutgers*
@ UCLA*
@ USC*
WASHINGTON*
WISCONSIN*
@ Wisconsin
March 9-14: Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis)

Thank you! I'm really liking this OOC schedule. I just looked it up and we only played 1 Q1 OOC game in the CBJ era (and that wasn't even scheduled by him). Had 2 last year, and looks like we'll have at least 2 again. Perhaps Oklahoma State can play their way to top 50 status. They weren't that far off last year. I get some of the fans probably wish we had a home game against a P4 team.
 




MINNESOTA
Non-Conference

Nov. 2: NORTH DAKOTA (Quad 4)
Nov. 6: #ST. THOMAS (Quad 3)
Nov. 9: @ Cincinnati (Quad 1)
Nov. 13: SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Nov. 16: WESTERN ILLINOIS (Quad 4)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. #Oklahoma State (Charleston) (Quad 2)
Nov. 20 or 22: vs. Utah (Charleston) (Quad 3)
Nov. 28: vs. #Cal (Sioux Falls) (Quad 2)
Dec. 12: vs. #SMU (Frisco) (Quad 1)
Dec. 16: TEXAS SOUTHERN (Quad 4)
Dec. 20: ALCORN STATE (Quad 4)
Dec. 29: UTSA (Quad 4)

Big Ten
ILLINOIS*
INDIANA*
@ Iowa*
@ Maryland*
MICHIGAN*
@ Michigan*
@ Michigan State*
@ Nebraska*
NORTHWESTERN*
@Northwestern*
OHIO STATE*
OREGON*
PENN STATE*
PURDUE*
@ Rutgers*
@ UCLA*
@ USC*
WASHINGTON*
WISCONSIN*
@ Wisconsin
March 9-14: Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis)
Still not as tough as i want it to be....BUT, it's a few steps up from last year. Lets goo
 

Does this complete our non-conference schedule? Any word on preseason exhibition game(s)?
 





For the first time in a while, if we're actually on the bubble come Selection Sunday, our non-con schedule wouldn't be an automatic disqualifier for us.

Baby steps lol.

I would agree. If we're on the bubble this OOC schedule is more than fine. These were the OOC schedule ranks for the 9 seeds or worse that received at-larges last year:

Iowa - 256
SLU - 317
TCU - 153
A&M - 259
Santa Clara - 110
Missouri - 213
UCF - 240
NC State - 82
Texas - 68
Miami Oh - 363
SMU - 190

I would say this OOC schedule projects very similar to what A&M played last year. They had 2 Q1 games, 2 Q2 games, 1 Q3 game and the rest Q4. They did have 8 Q4 games because they didn't play 20 conference games, so I'd expect our OOC schedule strength to be even slightly better than theirs. They won 11 conference games. But they were only 9-11 in Q1/Q2 heading into the tournament. Even if we have one additional loss compared to their resume, with the expanded field I'd feel pretty comfortable about getting in. 20-12 entering the B1G tournament should be a lock. Anything less we'd be sweating and would need a result in the B1G tournament IMO.
 

I would agree. If we're on the bubble this OOC schedule is more than fine. These were the OOC schedule ranks for the 9 seeds or worse that received at-larges last year:

Iowa - 256
SLU - 317
TCU - 153
A&M - 259
Santa Clara - 110
Missouri - 213
UCF - 240
NC State - 82
Texas - 68
Miami Oh - 363
SMU - 190

I would say this OOC schedule projects very similar to what A&M played last year. They had 2 Q1 games, 2 Q2 games, 1 Q3 game and the rest Q4. They did have 8 Q4 games because they didn't play 20 conference games, so I'd expect our OOC schedule strength to be even slightly better than theirs. They won 11 conference games. But they were only 9-11 in Q1/Q2 heading into the tournament. Even if we have one additional loss compared to their resume, with the expanded field I'd feel pretty comfortable about getting in. 20-12 entering the B1G tournament should be a lock. Anything less we'd be sweating and would need a result in the B1G tournament IMO.
Great analysis, and it really highlights how much those Q4s drag down the SOS, even if you have a few marquee matchups.
 

Got kinda tired of packin' and unpackin'
Town to town, up and down the dial
Maybe you and me were never meant to be,

Just maybe think of me once in a while.

I'm at WKRP in Cincinnati
 

Just looking at the schedule Niko is expecting a stronger team. You've got:

Cincinnati
Oklahoma St
Utah
Cal
SMU

in the nonconference. In addition they are playing Creighton in a preseason exhibition. I know they have a crap home schedule but they haven't played this tough a nonconference schedule in a long time.
 

Just looking at the schedule Niko is expecting a stronger team. You've got:

Cincinnati
Oklahoma St
Utah
Cal
SMU

in the nonconference. In addition they are playing Creighton in a preseason exhibition. I know they have a crap home schedule but they haven't played this tough a nonconference schedule in a long time.

Most P4 teams we've played since 2019-2020. Which was the last normal OOC for Pitino since the following year there was a reduced amount of OOC games. We played a total of 7 P5 teams in OOC games under CBJ, three of which were Gavitt Games and the last two years of the ACC/B1G challenge, and the home and home against Miss St which Pitino scheduled. Cbj basically agreed to playing 3 P5 games in his tenure. The Missouri home and home and the Orlando Invitational with Wake Forest. But we didn't end up returning the home and home with Missouri until Niko was hired.
 




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