With basketball season rapidly approaching, we’re going team-by-team in the Big Ten to assess where everyone stands and how things could shake out this year.
Minnesota entered last season expected to finish at the bottom of the conference, but Ben Johnson’s squad was one of last season’s bigger surprises. The Golden Gophers finished with a winning record for the first time since 2018-19, and the first time under Johnson. They finished tied for ninth in the conference and advanced to the second round of the NIT. But Minnesota lost several key players from that group in the offseason.
WHO’S GONE:
- Cam Christie (11.3 PPG) (went to NBA)
- Pharrel Payne (10.0 PPG) (transfer — Texas A&M)
- Elijah Hawkins (9.5 PPG) (transfer — Texas Tech)
- Joshua Ola-Joseph (7.5 PPG) (transfer — Cal)
- Braeden Carrington (4.6 PPG) (transfer — Liberty)
- Isaiah Ihnen (3.4 PPG) (transfer — Liberty)
- Jack Wilson (1.6 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Kris Keinys (1.4 PPG) (transfer — Pacific)
WHO’S BACK:
- Dawson Garcia, F (17.6 PPG)
- Mike Mitchell Jr., G (10.2 PPG)
- Parker Fox, F (5.1 PPG)
- Kadyn Betts, F (1.3 PPG)
WHO’S NEW:
Transfer portal
- Caleb Williams, G (19.6 PPG at Division III Macalester)
- Lu’Cye Patterson, G (14.6 PPG at Charlotte)
- Tyler Cochran, G (14.4 PPG at Toledo)
- Frank Mitchell, F (12.1 PPG at Canisius)
- Femi Odukale, G (10.7 PPG at New Mexico State)
- Trey Edmonds, F (7.0 PPG at UTSA)
- Brennan Rigsby, G (6.1 PPG at Oregon)
- Lincoln Meister, F (5.1 PPG at Minneosta-Duluth) (older brother of IU women’s basketball’s Lilly Meister)
Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports Composite)
- Isaac Asuma, G (three-star, No. 188)
- Grayson Grove, F (three-star, unranked)
RETURNING MINUTES: 37.3 percent (per barttorvik.com)
Why it will work
Dawson Garcia would start for every team in the Big Ten. Mike Mitchell Jr. would probably start for at least half of the teams in the conference. The Golden Gophers need Garcia to keep playing at a high level, and they may need Mitchell to take a bit of a step forward. As long as that happens, Minnesota can at least stay competitive again. Aside from that duo, Minnesota is going to rely on its group of portal additions. If Johnson can get some of the mid-major transfers to play well this season, Minnesota could once again exceed expectations.
Why it won’t
There are major question marks with Minnesota’s roster outside of Garcia and Mitchell. Eljiah Hawkins (6.5 assists per game) is a big loss in the distribution department, and it’s unclear how the Gophers will make up for that. Bart Torvik projects Mitchell to lead Minnesota at 2.3 assists per game, and that low a number leading the way would be a big problem. Among the transfers, Torvik projects Lu’Cye Patterson to score 11.2 points per game, but If the transfers don’t jell and nobody emerges in place of the departed players, it could be another long season in Minneapolis.
Our take
Minnesota is far from a lock to finish in the bottom tier of the conference. Johnson did an admirable job coaching last year’s group, and it’s certainly possible he could repeat that this season. If he can make that happen — really, if some of the mid-major transfers pan out — Minnesota could be a competitive team in the middle of the pack. But the ceiling for this year’s Gophers remains limited, and there are more scenarios where their season turns ugly than scenarios that end positive.
BIG TEN OUTLOOK: Bottom tier
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