The Gophers men's basketball team announced its 2020-21 schedule Wednesday, but there were two non-league games missing. Those games appear to be set for later this month.
North Dakota State, Loyola-Marymount being finalized for games vs. Gophers men's basketball
The Bison and Loyola Marymount are planned for a three-team series of games at Williams Arena from Nov. 28-30. NDSU is a late replacement for another school.
November 19, 2020 at 6:57PM
Minnesota's multi-team event is expected to be against Loyola Marymount and North Dakota State on Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 at Williams Arena. The Bison and LMU have announced games on those dates, but the Gophers are still working out some logistics before the MTE's official on their end.
Eastern Washington was initially scheduled to play the Gophers and LMU but backed out due to travel concerns during the pandemic, sources told the Star Tribune on Wednesday.
Richard Pitino's team opens the season next Wednesday against Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Barn. All seven of the U's nonconference games will be at home, including against North Dakota (Dec. 4), Boston College (Dec. 8), Missouri-Kansas City (Dec. 10) and Saint Louis (Dec. 20).
The Gophers' 20-game Big Ten schedule released Wednesday includes a grueling opening stretch, starting with games next month at Illinois (Dec. 15), against Iowa (Dec. 25) and Michigan State at home (Dec. 28) and at Wisconsin (Dec. 31).
After a 15-16 finish last season, Pitino is expected to have a Gophers team that can compete for an upper-half finish in the Big Ten behind junior point guard Marcus Carr, who was named Thursday to the Naismith Award preseason watch list for the top player in college basketball.
The Bison went 25-8 and won the Summit League regular season and conference tournament title last season. They were picked to finish third in the Summit League preseason poll this fall.
Seventh-year NDSU coach David Richman lost leading scorer and former Hopkins guard Vinnie Shahid (18.4 points per game) to graduation. But another Minnesota native leads the way with 6-foot-10 senior center Rocky Kreuser (10 ppg and 6.0 rpg) last season. Kreuser played high school basketball and football at Totino-Grace. Sophomore guard Jarius Cook (Park Center) and sophomore forward Odell Wilson (Minneapolis North) are also among five Minnesotans on the roster with the Bison.
Minnesotans Maddie Dahlien and Clare Gagne helped the 21-time NCAA champion Tar Heels end the Gophers’ season.
