Gophers men’s hoops game with SEC foe pushed to next year; hosting BC in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

The first official announcement of the Gophers men’s basketball team’s new 2020-21 schedule came Friday with Boston College playing at Williams Arena on Dec. 8, according to the league.

That’s currently Minnesota’s only non-league high major opponent this season. 

Mississippi State’s home-and-home series with the Gophers was originally scheduled to start Dec. 16 at the Barn. But that series will now begin in the 2021-22 season due to the pandemic, sources told the Star Tribune.

Richard Pitino said at the start of practice in mid-October that his program is waiting for the Big Ten schedule release to finalize a full nonconference slate.  

The Gophers will not be playing in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Connecticut in November, the Star Tribune reported earlier this month. Their season opener is currently Nov. 25 against Green Bay at home. Other nonconference opponents originally scheduled in December were North Dakota and St. Louis. The Gophers are also working on hosting a two-game multi-team event (MTE).

Pitino’s team finished 15-16 last season, including 8-12 in the Big Ten. Juniors Marcus Carr (15.4 points per game) and Gabe Kalscheur (11.6) return as starters in the backcourt for Minnesota, which welcomes six newcomers. Carr is the Big Ten’s returning assist leader at 6.7 per game last season.

Boston College was 13-19 overall last season, including 7-13 in the ACC. Among the Eagles’ returning players are last year’s leading scorer Jay Heath (13.1 ppg as a freshman guard) and leading rebounder Steffon Mitchell (8.7 rpg), a Skakopee, Minn. native.

The 6-foot-8 Mitchell, who was a member of the ACC all-defensive team in 2019-20, had 13 rebounds in Boston College’s 68-56 win at home over the Gophers in 2018, the only previous meeting between the two programs.

2020 Big Ten/ACC Matchups

Tuesday, Dec. 8North Carolina at IowaIllinois at DukeSyracuse at RutgersOhio State at Notre DamePurdue at MiamiBoston College at GophersPenn State at Virginia Tech

Wednesday, Dec. 9Louisville at WisconsinMichigan State at VirginiaIndiana at Florida StateNC State at MichiganMaryland at ClemsonGeorgia Tech at NebraskaPittsburgh at Northwestern