Gophers men’s basketball doesn’t play a regular-season game in October, but it will be a key month for their 2026-27 outlook. Between ongoing eligibility questions, scrimmages and exhibitions, we’ll learn a lot about this year’s team before the calendar flips to November.

Cade Tyson’s eligibility

Recent trends across the country suggest Tyson might not be eligible to play for the Gophers this season, but predicting how a court will rule in any case against the NCAA over the last six months has been a fool’s errand. We will have some clarity on whether Tyson will be eligible for his fifth season of college basketball on Oct. 13, when his hearing is scheduled in federal appeals court.

If Tyson can play, it will be with the Gophers, and that could completely change their season. Adding a player who averaged 19.6 points per game in the Big Ten would be huge.

‘Closed scrimmage’ against Drake

Secret scrimmages used to be the true preseason games for college basketball programs, but they’ve become less rare since the popularity of televised exhibitions. Medved revealed on KFAN last weekend that the Gophers will host Drake in a closed scrimmage. The game will essentially act as a warm-up before their two exhibitions this month.

Note: The #Gophers men’s basketball team will host a closed scrimmage against Drake on Saturday, Oct. 10, coach Niko Medved said on @KFAN1003.
Context: This is in addition to two open exhibition games vs. Omaha on Oct. 15 and at Creighton on Oct. 23.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) October 3, 2026

Drake is led by former South Dakota State head coach Eric Henderson, who’s entering his second season with the Bulldogs. Popular analytics site Barttorvik.com ranks Drake as the 144th-best team in the country, so it will be a solid test for the Gophers against a dangerous mid-major opponent.

Omaha exhibition

Minnesota’s first exhibition will be at The Barn on Thursday, Oct. 15, against Omaha. With the football team on bye and the men’s hockey team heading to Duluth for a weekend series, there’s an opportunity for the men’s basketball team to generate a little preseason buzz on campus. The game will be broadcast on BTN+ at 7 p.m. CT.

The Mavericks last made the NCAA Tournament in 2025, and fourth-year head coach Chris Crutchfield has made them a consistent program in the Summit League. This is a game that the Gophers should win comfortably, and it will give them some experience against the Summit League before opening the regular season with North Dakota and St. Thomas at home.

Creighton exhibition

The Gophers will hit the road for a marquee exhibition against Creighton in Omaha on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. CT. There might not be many U of M supporters in attendance, with the men’s hockey team hosting a huge rivalry series against North Dakota on Thursday and Friday night, along with the football team’s homecoming clash with Iowa. It’s still a huge opportunity for Medved’s team.

The TV/streaming assignment has not yet been announced, so it will be interesting to see if this game is even available to fans. The Blue Jays are led by longtime assistant and former High Point head coach Alan Huss, and many are expecting him to have an NCAA Tournament-caliber team in Year 1. The Gophers’ success against a team like Creighton on the road will be a huge early-season barometer.

Rotation clarity

As things currently stand, it appears that Minnesota will start Isaac Asuma and Kyan Evans in the backcourt alongside a frontcourt of Bobby Durkin, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, and Malick Kordel. Whether Tyson is eligible could obviously change that outlook.

With November nonconference tests against Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Utah, and Cal, Medved and his coaching staff will need to figure out the preferred rotation quickly. The bench is where things get interesting. Villanova transfer Malachi Palmer and Michigan’s Winters Grady appear to be their top guard options, and returning big man Grayson Grove feels like a lock to have a role.

Beyond that is where things could surprise people. Does Nolan Groves hit the ground running? Do any of the three true freshmen play a lot? What will Kai Shinholster’s role be? A lot of those questions will likely be answered in October.

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Source: Yahoo Sports