Gophers get used to new guys once again, as Garcia leads the way with low external expectations

Published Oct. 22, 2024 5:56 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Minnesota (19-15 overall, 9-11 Big Ten)

Fourth-year coach Ben Johnson again has his hands full trying to integrate a wave of new players. The Gophers showed their first signs of progress under Johnson last season, finishing in ninth place in the conference with a 10-win jump in league play and logging their first winning record in five years, but they've only got five returners and three players back from their top-nine rotation.

The good news is that list includes Dawson Garcia, a preseason All-Big Ten team pick who is not only the leading returning scorer in the league but one of its toughest players at age 23 with a 6-foot-11, 234-pound frame. Backup forward Parker Fox, who made a remarkable comeback last year from consecutive ACL surgeries, has reupped for an eighth year of college basketball.

Players to watch

Garcia (senior, PF, 6-11, 17.6 ppg). The Minnesota native had four points-rebounds double-doubles and 12 games with 20-plus points last season.

Mike Mitchell Jr. (senior, SG, 6-2, 10.2 ppg). The other returning starter behind Garcia, Mitchell shot 40% from 3-point range in his debut with Minnesota last season after transferring from Pepperdine.

Isaac Asuma (freshman, PG, 6-3). The consensus top-100 recruit from tiny Cherry, Minnesota, has the potential to be a key part of the backcourt rotation after scoring 3,318 points in his high school career.

Departures and arrivals

Second-leading scorer Cam Christie left for the NBA. Two other starters transferred: point guard Elijah Hawkins (Texas Tech) and Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M). Key reserves Braeden Carrington (Tulsa) and Joshua Ola-Joseph (California) also opted for the portal.

Of the eight incoming transfers, seven are seniors. Lu'Cye Patterson (Charlotte) ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in scoring last season. Femi Odukale (New Mexico State) has logged 110 games and 80 starts. Brennan Rigsby (Oregon) brings power conference experience. Junior forward Frank Mitchell (Canisius) is a strong candidate to start.

Top games

The Gophers open the season on Nov. 6 against Oral Roberts and have a favorable schedule for gaining confidence and collecting wins. Their only two nonconference games away from home are a tournament in Kissimmee, Florida, on Nov. 28-29, and the only power conference foe they'll face is in that tournament against either Florida or Wake Forest. The first two Big Ten games, against Michigan State on Dec. 4 and at Indiana on Dec. 9, will give the Gophers a gauge of their progress.

Facts and figures

Transfer Tyler Cochran (Toledo) won the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year award last season. He had minor foot surgery earlier this month and will be out until early December. ... In addition to Asuma, the Gophers have another in-state freshman scholarship player: power forward Grayson Grove from Alexandria. ... Patterson is a Minneapolis native who started his career at Missouri State.

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