Barn By BCBS: Gophers host Tommies in first meeting since 1934
Despite the proximity of the two programs in the Twin Cities, the matchup offers little statistical benefit to Minnesota's tournament resume.
By Scott Marshall ·
Minnesota and St. Thomas meet for the first time in men's basketball in 92 years on Friday night.
The two schools sit three miles apart along the Mississippi River, yet they have rarely crossed paths in recent decades. This specific matchup was not a regular feature of the schedule before their long hiatus. The novelty of the event is expected to drive a larger crowd to the arena than typical nonconference games attract.
Minnesota coach Niko Medved projected that approximately 10,000 fans would attend the game. That number exceeds the attendance figures for all but two games last season, which were played against Wisconsin and Nebraska. The venue, now named The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, has a capacity of 14,000 seats. Medved noted that the local connection is the primary driver for the engagement. He stated, “If you take the name off the jersey or that they were local, there’s no upside to us playing them.”
St. Thomas is in its sixth year as a Division I program after moving directly from Division III. The Tommies have won 48 games over the past two seasons. Coach Johnny Tauer acknowledged the disparity in risk between the two schools. He explained, “Even though they may be the Goliath versus the David, the way it’s set up, there are incentives to play teams that you’re likely to beat by a significant amount.”
The game will not improve Minnesota's strength of schedule for NCAA Tournament selection purposes. St. Thomas plays in the Summit League, a conference generally not considered a power league. The NCAA uses a quadrant system to categorize wins and losses for at-large bids. Last season, St. Thomas ranked 113th in the committee's rankings, while Minnesota ranked 82nd. This likely places the game in a lower tier for Minnesota's record, unlike matchups against intrastate rivals such as Cincinnati and Xavier, which usually count as high-tier games.
Medved admitted that the logic is not purely statistical. He said, “Taking emotion out of it, it doesn’t always make a lot of sense. I’m doing it right now because I think it’s great for basketball in the Twin Cities.” Tauer added that mid-major programs often struggle to secure high-profile opponents. He said, “A lot of mid-majors would love it if there was a path to an at-large bid for really, really great seasons.”
The teams will tip off Friday night at The Barn. The result will be recorded in both programs' nonconference records, with the attendance figure expected to be the highest for a St. Thomas home game this season.
