Brace yourself, Gopher men’s basketball fans, the Big Ten schedule could be even more difficult than previously predicted.

With early Big Ten play starting next week, the Minnesota men’s basketball team fell to 4-4 in nonconference play after a 86-75 blowout loss to Santa Clara on Friday in the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif.

Santa Clara, which is picked to finish fourth in West Coast Conference, never trailed and led by 31 midway through the second half. Minnesota’s 20-5 run over the final four minutes masked how bad the score had become.

Minnesota, picked to finish 16th in the 18-team Big Ten, opens up conference play with No. 25 Indiana at Williams Arena on Wednesday, followed by a trip to play No. 1 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., on Dec. 10.

The Gophers might be even

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