Gophers basketball's first week will reveal a lot about 2026-27 team
· Yahoo Sports
Gophers men’s basketball will tip off its 2026-27 regular-season campaign next Monday, Nov. 2, against North Dakota. The first week of the season will tell us a lot about this year’s team.
Monday, Nov. 2: vs. North Dakota
The Gophers will be heavy favorites to roll in their season opener against the Fighting Hawks. UND head coach Paul Sather is one of the most underrated coaches at the mid-major level, mainly because he’s at one of the toughest jobs in the Midwest, but North Dakota was voted to finish sixth out of eight teams in the preseason Summit League media poll.
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Sather has developed players like B.J. Omot, Treysen Eaglestaff and Greyson Uelmen over the last few seasons. Modern college basketball rules have made it nearly impossible for a program like UND to retain any of those players. Former Hopkins High School star Jayden Moore could be an interesting player to monitor in his first college season. Their leading returning scorer from last season is veteran guard Zach Kraft, who averaged 8.1 points per game.
North Dakota is currently the 331st-rated team (out of 365) on KenPom.com. This is a game that Minnesota should comfortably win.
Friday, Nov. 6: vs. St. Thomas
Minnesota opens the season with back-to-back Summit League opponents, but the second one means a little more. The Gophers host the only other Division I program in the state for the first time since St. Thomas made an unprecedented jump from Division III before the 2021-22 season.
After finishing last season ranked 115th in KenPom, the Tommies were hit hard by the transfer portal, with four of their top five scorers out the door. Longtime head coach Johnny Tauer has still built a roster that will compete for the Summit League title. Led by returners Carter Bjerke and Austin Herro, along with the potential addition of fifth-year Kendall Blue, St. Thomas will be a dangerous mid-major squad.
The Gophers will have a massive talent advantage and will be heavily favored to win. Playing at The Barn will certainly work in their favor as well. It’s hard to predict whether there will be an emotional aspect to the matchup, as it’s the first meeting in what could become a rivalry. It’s a compelling nonconference game.
Monday, Nov. 9: at Cincinnati
Arguably the most important nonconference game for the Gophers this season will be their third. Cincinnati is led by first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun, who led Utah State to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in his two seasons there. The Bearcats have a roster that could compete for an NCAA Tournament bid as soon as this season.
Minnesota is still awaiting an official word on Cade Tyson’s eligibility status, but Cincinnati could have Utah State transfer MJ Collins available. Collins is in a similar situation, but he happened to file his case against the NCAA in Ohio. The Bearcats are currently No. 31 on KenPom and will be betting favorites to beat the Gophers.
If Minnesota is able to go into Fifth Third Arena and leave with a win on Nov. 9, it would mark a signature nonconference win for Niko Medved, and things could get interesting quickly.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Oct 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.