5 biggest questions about Gophers 2024 non-conference schedule

The Gophers men's basketball season is right around the corner.

Jan 31, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Hunter Sallis (23) shoots against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Pittsburgh won 77-72. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Gophers men's basketball officially released its 2024 non-conference schedule last month. With zero true road games, and no marquee matchup at Williams Arena, there are a lot of questions. Conference play is the time for teams to find their true identity, but the non-conference can often make or break a team's resume for a postseason tournament.

BREAKING: The #Gophers have officially released their entire 11-game non-conference schedule for the 2024 season.

Let's hear some early predictions... 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/CsADmyjLiD

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 23, 2024

1. Is Wichita State is a must-win game?

The Gophers will open the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational on Nov. 28 against Wichita State. The game will be played in Orlando, Florida and Ben Johnson will need to have his team ready. The Shockers are a dark horse pick for the American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship this season and according to most preseason metrics, they likely find themselves outside of the top 100 teams in the country.

The Gophers winning this game would provide some much-needed confidence and momentum ahead of what will likely be their only opportunity to face a Quad 1 opponent against the winner of Florida and Wake Forest in the event's championship game. Losing this game could provide a major blemish on their season-long resume, making their second game of the tournament that much more important.

2. How good will North Texas be?

If there is one home game that stands out above the rest on the Gophers' non-conference schedule it is North Texas. The Mean Green have quietly been one of the most successful mid-major programs in the country over the past five seasons. After winning a first-round game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, they've won at least one game in the NIT every season since, notably winning the tournament in 2023.

North Texas will be Minnesota's third non-conference game on the schedule and barttorvik.com's preseason projections have them as the No. 87 team in the country. Yale would be the next highest-ranked non-conference opponent at No. 131. The Mean Green will be firmly in the mix for the AAC regular season title this season, which could prove to be a real test early for the Gophers.

3. Any chance of knocking off Florida or Wake Forest?

Wake Forest and Florida are the only two teams on Minnesota's schedule with a legit NCAA Tournament-or-bust expectation. The Gophers' problem is that they will only be able to face one.

Third-year Gators head coach Todd Golden has his program trending in the right direction off the heels of a 24-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Fourth-year Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes has yet to qualify for the Big Dance with the Demon Deacons, but he might just have his best roster since arriving in Winston-Salem.

Whichever team Minnesota faces, they will be led by dynamic guards. Florida will have Walter Clayton Jr., who averaged 17.6 points last season, and Alijah Martin, who averaged 11.9 points in his four-year career at FAU before transferring to Florida. Wake Forest will be led by Hunter Sallis, who averaged 18 points last season and could be a dark horse All-American candidate. Beating either team could wind up being the biggest non-conference win in Johnson's tenure as Gophers head coach.

4. Is Yale a real test?

James Jones has been the head coach of Yale men's basketball since 1999. He has led the program to four NCAA tournaments, all of which have come in the last decade. With 10 straight winning seasons, the Bulldogs have become a respected mid-major program.

Last season they upset Auburn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed. In the last five seasons, they have notable non-conference wins over Cal and Miami (FL). Barttorvik.com's preseason projections rank the Bulldogs as the No. 131 team in the country, but Minnesota cannot overlook them.

5. Losing to any other team would be a disaster

Minnesota's seven other non-conference opponents are ranked outside of the top 200 in any reliable preseason metric. All seven of those games will be played at Williams Arena. If the Gophers trip up against any of those teams, creating a tournament-worthy resume would become drastically more challenging.