Gophers' 2009-10 NC Schedule (updated May 4, add Saint Joseph's)

[SelectionSunday]

By playing in an exempt tournament (Anaheim Classic), am fairly certain the Gophers, like last season, will play 12 nonconference games. Guess is the Gophers will play 8 home games, 1 true road game & 3 at a neutral site (Anaheim Classic).

This update tentatively adds Saint Joseph's, a would-be nice addition to the home schedule. Without definitively confirming it, a Saint Joe's official told me the Hawks would travel to Minnesota this season as the first game of a home-and-home series. Not sure if the return game would be played in 2010-11 or a later season. That would leave the Gophers with (approximately) 5 nonconference home games yet to be scheduled.

Final RPI for 2008-09 listed in parentheses.

Home (8?)
1. Stephen F. Austin (74, NCAA)
2. Saint Joseph's (105)
3. South Dakota State (283)

Road (1?)
1. Miami of Florida (65)

Neutral/Anaheim Classic (3?)
3 of these 7:
West Virginia (21, NCAA)
Butler (24, NCAA)
Clemson (28, NCAA)
UCLA (33, NCAA)
Texas A&M (36, NCAA)
Portland (120)
Long Beach State (156)

Average RPI of Known (4) Nonconference Opponents: 131.75

Speculation from Arrogant Old Fart
Kansas (11, NCAA)

 

[SuperGoph]

wow....UCLA is 33rd?!

pretty amazing that UCLA is the 4th highest RPI of the 8 teams in the early tournament. I'm not saying the mighty have fallen, but they were a perennial final four team there for a few years.

 

[94Gopher]

Is the consensus here that the whole Kansas talk was just Sid being Sid and is not going to happen?

 

[SelectionSunday]

If they seed Anaheim Classic

Based on tradition/name recognition, how they did last season, which players are returning, etc., if they seed the Anaheim Classic I'd guess it would go something like this:

1. West Virginia (should be the pre-tournament favorite)
2. UCLA
3. Texas A&M
4. Butler
5. Minnesota
6. Clemson
7. Long Beach State
8. Portland

Butler in the 1st round, then perhaps West Virginia in the semis? I could live with that.

 

[coolhandgopher]

Some others might not be too excited about St. Joe's coming onto the schedule, but I think it's a really nice addition for the Gophers. Phil Martelli usually fields pretty solid team and they have a nice history also. I doubt we'll see a Jameer Nelson/Delonte West type of squad, but a solid addition to the non-conference schedule and home schedule nonetheless.

 

[grunkiejr]

Is the consensus here that the whole Kansas talk was just Sid being Sid and is not going to happen?

I believe it is going to happen. When KU was in Minneapolis for the regional Bill Self acknowledged that they had discussed the idea with Minnesota. You add in the logic of granting Cole Aldrich a trip home (they did this with Boshee in North Dakota) and the news that we cancelled a game with NDSU for a "national tv non-conference game" and it makes a lot of sense that KU could be coming to Minnesota. Sid has the best contacts of any reporter in Minnesota and his mistakes are usually him misremembering things and this isn't that type of mistake. I believe somebody in the athletic dept tipped him off on the game but nobody on either side is ready to confirm it until everything is signed.

 

[grunkiejr]

Based on tradition/name recognition, how they did last season, which players are returning, etc., if they seed the Anaheim Classic I'd guess it would go something like this:

1. West Virginia (should be the pre-tournament favorite)
2. UCLA
3. Texas A&M
4. Butler
5. Minnesota
6. Clemson
7. Long Beach State
8. Portland

Butler in the 1st round, then perhaps West Virginia in the semis? I could live with that.

I would be happy with that seeding. If we played 3 games against the top 6 seeds in your bracket I would be happy.

The only bracket I would like more is to move Butler to 6 and match up Minnesota and Clemson in the first round. I wasn't impressed with WVU at the Dome last year so I think that is a winnable game if we get them in round 2.