After Langston Reynolds led the Gophers to a 67-66 win over Northwestern on Saturday night, the Gophers locked up the 11-seed in this week’s Big Ten Tournament.
Reynolds took over in the second half, scoring 17 of his 21 in the final 20 minutes and making the final two baskets to secure the Gophers’ win.
The 11-seed is an accomplishment that few would have predicted for this team in November. And it felt even less likely when Niko Medved started losing starters to season-ending injuries in November and
December. But this is a testament to the resilience of this roster and the ability of Medved to navigate is first season coaching at Minnesota.
So what comes next for the Gophers?
Game one is against Rutgers. A team that earned the 14-seed and a team that the Gophers beat 80-61 at home in February. Should they win this game, they would have a rematch with UCLA in the quarterfinals.
Obviously, if the Gophers want a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, they are going to have to make an epic run through this Big Ten Tourney and earn the Big Ten’s automatic bid with a championship. Which feels unlikely. But there is still a postseason opportunity for the Gophers.
The realistic postseason goal for the Gophers is the College Basketball Crown. A tournament that was brand new in 2025, hosted in Las Vegas and won by Nebraska. This year it will be eight teams consisting of the top two remaining teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and two at-large bids.
The path to playing in the CBC is being one of the top two remaining Big Ten teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, and after this final regular season weekend, we would currently be one of those two teams. Indiana currently looks to be out of the NCAAs (barely) and up next is Minnesota as the 11th-best Big Ten team.
- 10-Indiana – first four out of NCAAs
- 11-Minnesota
- 12-Washington
- 13-USC
A win over Rutgers and the Gophers are almost certain to receive a CBC invitation. A loss and it gets murkier, but still feels likely.
Indiana still has a chance to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Should that happen, Minnesota becomes the top option for the CBC and is still likely to get in, even if the fall to Rutgers.
The other factor is that some teams are going to politely decline any postseason play. USC is in free-fall and Indiana might just choose to be done if they miss out on the Big Dance. But I would fully expect the Gophers to continue their season, if given the opportunity.
Tell me more about the CBC
It is new, it is a tournament that has been endorsed by the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, and it is arguably a better destination than the NIT. I do not know if the NIT is even an option; last year, it was Nebraska and USC who participated. No other Big Ten team played in any postseason tournament.
Was their CBC run a catalyst for Nebraska’s historic season? And more importantly, can it work as a catalyst for Minnesota into next season? Possibly. At the very least, this is a trip to Vegas and an opportunity for this group to play together for a few more games. An accomplishment that would have been hard to imagine in November.
