Gophers men's basketball adds Missouri to nonconference schedule

Gophers coach Ben Johnson will be facing a Missouri team that reached the NCAA tournament last season.

August 10, 2023 at 9:54PM
The Gophers went 9-22 last season in Ben Johnson’s second year as head men’s basketball coach. (Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Ben Johnson's Gophers men's basketball team announced a home-and-home series against Missouri on Thursday.

The Tigers will play Nov. 16 at Williams Arena, but the date for the Gophers' game in Columbia, Mo., for the 2024-25 season will be finalized at another time (either Nov. 14 or Nov. 15, 2024).

Last season, Missouri finished 25-10 and 11-7 in the SEC. After taking over a 12-win program, Dennis Gates coached the Tigers to the NCAA tournament second round in his first season.

The Gophers, who went 9-22 last season in Johnson's second year, have both wins in the all-time series against Missouri. The games were played in 1959 at the Barn and 1960 on the road.

The U's 2023-24 nonconference schedule is nearly complete with 10 opponents, but the Tigers are currently the only major conference foe on the non-league slate. The Gophers' season opener is Nov. 6 against Bethune-Cookman.

Gophers men's basketball nonconference schedule

Nov. 2 vs. Macalester (exhibition)

Nov. 6 vs. Bethune-Cookman

Nov. 10 vs. Texas-San Antonio

Nov. 16 vs. Missouri

Nov. 18-21 vs. Pine Bluff, Ball State and USC Upstate in multi-team event

Nov. 26 vs. San Francisco at Golden State Warriors' Chase Center

Nov. 30 vs. New Orleans

Dec. 12 vs. IUPUI

Dec. 29 vs. Maine

about the writer

about the writer

Marcus Fuller

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Marcus Fuller covers Gophers men's basketball, national college basketball, college sports and high school recruiting for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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