Minnesota Gophers Announce Softest Non-Conference Schedule in College Basketball

Ben Johnson, head coach of the Minnesota Gophers basketball team, is heading into his fourth season with increased pressure. The Gophers’ newly released non-conference schedule looks to be one of the easiest in college basketball, heightening expectations.

Minnesota Gophers Basketball takes the “easy” non-conference route?

The Gophers are set to play 11 non-conference games, before diving into Big Ten action. Every game will be at home except for their trip to Orlando, Florida, for the ESPN Events Invitational. That means they won’t have any true road games during their entire 2024 non-conference schedule.

The 2024 Non-Conference Schedule is here! 🏀

Web Schedule: https://t.co/MBhafhoB8i
Release: https://t.co/BVLNSqnAY5 pic.twitter.com/RYlhRT1IDt

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) August 23, 2024

The Gophers haven’t made it to March Madness since 2019, and Ben Johnson has faced challenges in getting the team back on track. In his first three years, he hasn’t been able to lead them to the Big Dance.

Last season was the closest the Gophers have come to success, under Johnson’s leadership. You could argue the Gophers were just a Big Ten win, or two, away from securing a tournament spot.

Ben Johnson did not learn his NET Rating lesson

One of the things that held the 2023 team back, was their non-competitive non-conference schedule. NET Rankings dictate a team’s NCAA Tournament chances, these days, and it’s difficult to boost your NET rating when you play bad teams.

As you can see, Ben didn’t really learn his lesson, in that regard. Some would argue this type of schedule will actually make it more difficult for Minnesota to make the NCAA Tournament. In order to stay in the running for March Madness, they’ll need to win almost every non-conference game, particularly since they’re all at home.

Related: Hometown Former Gophers Basketball Player is Going Pro… in Boxing

Not only will they have to win them, though. They need to dominate them. Handling bad teams at home, with ease, is crucial to maintaining a high NET rating, and securing a spot in the tournament.

The Gophers only Quad 1 or 2 opponent in their non-conference slate, will probably be whoever wins between Wake Forest and Florida, in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational. The rest of their schedule consists of Quad 3 and Quad 4 schools that most basketball fans have never heard of.

On top of that, to earn the committee’s respect this season, they’ll likely need to win at least half of their Big Ten games, probably more. Especially considering their non-conference schedule.

Difficult start to Ben’s head coaching career…

Johnson has done well in non-conference games, holding a 26-10 record as the Gophers’ head coach. However, his Big Ten record is a different story, standing at 15-44. So, someone might want to let him know that nobody really cares about his non Big Ten record.

Related: Expect Gophers Football to Hire a GM Soon

Overall, Ben Johnson is 41-55 as the Minnesota Gophers’ head basketball coach. He is under serious pressure to deliver a strong season, and probably has to make the dance to keep his job. I’m not quite sure he chose the right path, but time will tell.