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The non-conference portion of the schedule had previously been announced with a placeholder for two opponents yet to be determined. We knew that Minnesota was heading to Charleston to participate in the Charleston Classic; we did not know who they would be playing. Now we know that the Gophers will be playing Oklahoma State and Utah on November 20th and 22nd, respectively.
11/20 – Oklahoma State
KenPom: 79
2025-26 Record: 20-15
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This past season, the Cowboys finished just a few spots ahead of Minnesota in KenPom rankings but had a much better record. They won 18 regular-season games and earned their way into the NIT where they lost to Wichita State in the second round.
They do not return much, but the Cowboys have two top-50-caliber recruits coming in to go with two other four-starts. Jordan Burks is a former Kentucky recruit who has since bounced around and will finish his career in Stillwater. Joe Lunardi currently has them projected to be a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament and they should be better than they were a year ago.
Steve Lutz is in his second season leading the Cowboys and is known for teams that play very fast. They are typically one of the highest-ranked teams in terms of tempo in the country. This promises to be one of the better tests for the Gophers’ non-conference opponents.
11/22 – Utah
KenPom: 128
Record: 10-22
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Another team on the schedule that is entering year two with a new coach. Alex Jensen played for the Utes under Rick Majerus and began his coaching career under Majerus at Saint Louis. He also spent 10 seasons on staff with the Jazz and is now trying to get the Utes back on track.
Jensen is losing a lot of scoring from last year’s team that finished 10-22. Jackson Holcombe is transferring in from Utah Valley and he is going to have to have a very strong season if the Utes want to return to the top half of the Big 12.
The Gophers are now, officially, facing five Power Five conference opponents. This is a significant step up in…
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Publish date : 2026-09-12 01:00:00
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