The Gophers and their fans had thoughts about making the tournament this winter, but an 8-10 regular season conference record and a soft non-conference schedule ranked among the worst in the country kept Minnesota off the final list of invitees. “One thing they’ve got to do is, they’ve got to upgrade their schedule,” Dutcher said.
Better nonconference opponents could increase respect for the Gophers come tourney selection time and sharpen their play before the Big Ten season begins. “You can fool yourself if you don’t get tested,” Dutcher said.
The Williams Arena patrons who have paid $30 per game for years to watch the low rent non-conference teams parade by each season would appreciate a schedule that included a few brand names like Marquette, Oregon, Arizona and, gasp, Kentucky. In a big league town, fans expect a product and Dutcher made an observation this season about Gopher basketball and coach Tubby Smith.
“The thing that amazed me was there was not a lot of buzz about Gopher basketball,” he said. “There was buzz about Tubby but not Gopher basketball.”
With fewer games on TV because of the Big Ten Network fiasco, people were less familiar with the team. Years of losing and disappointment under former coach Dan Monson was another factor. But with Smith here and a top 25 recruiting class coming, it’s time to fix the home nonconference schedule, too.
In the meantime, try to pick the team that will emerge as national champion on April 7 in San Antonio.