Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Minnesota Golden Gophers

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up is Minnesota, which enters its fourth season under coach Ben Johnson.

Jack Ankony | Jul 16, 2024

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Going 19-15 last season, Minnesota won its most games since the 2018-19 season – a step in the right direction after two below-.500 seasons to begin coach Ben Johnson’s tenure.

But the program suffered several setbacks as five key contributors and eight total players entered the transfer portal following the season. That forced Johnson to rebuild the roster with transfers of his own.

Here’s a full breakdown of Minnesota’s offseason roster changes, plus its outlook for the 2024-25 season.

Who they lost

Transfers: Pharrel Payne (10.0 ppg, Texas A&M), Elijah Hawkins (9.5 ppg, Texas Tech), Joshua Ola-Joseph (7.5 ppg, Cal), Braeden Carrington (4.6 ppg, Tulsa), Isaiah Ihnen (3.4 ppg, Liberty), Kris Keinys (1.4 ppg, Pacific)
NBA/graduation: Cam Christie (11.3 ppg), Jack Wilson (1.6 ppg)

Who they gained

Transfers: Caleb Williams (19.6 ppg, Macalester College), Tyler Cochran (14.4 ppg, Toledo), Frank Mitchell (12.1 ppg, Canisius), Femi Odukale (10.7 ppg, New Mexico State), Trey Edmonds (7.0 ppg, UTSA), Brennan Rigsby (6.1 ppg, Oregon), Lu’Cye Patterson (14.6 ppg, Charlotte)
Freshmen: Isaac Asuma (No. 181 in 247Sports Composite), Grayson Grove (No. 292)

Returning

Dawson Garcia (17.6 ppg), Mike Mitchell Jr. (10.2 ppg), Parker Fox (5.1 ppg), Kadyn Betts (1.3 ppg)

Reasons for optimism

Dawson Garcia returns for his fifth-year senior season, giving Minnesota a centerpiece to build around. At 6-foot-11, Garcia made the All-Big Ten second team last season and averaged career-highs with 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and one block per game. He shot a career-high 34.3% on 3-point shots and can stretch the defense, and he shot an efficient 53.7% from 2-point range.

Minnesota also returns sharpshooter Mike Mitchell Jr., who ranked eighth in the Big Ten with 71 3-pointers made last season. He’s a career 41.3% 3-point shooter across 484 attempts. Mitchell’s return is especially important, because Cam Christie decided to stay in the NBA Draft following his freshman season.

Perhaps Minnesota’s most intriguing newcomer is Tyler Cochran, a 6-foot-2 guard with five years of college experience at Northern Illinois, Ball State and most recently Toledo. In 2023-24, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year with a conference-high 62 steals.

Biggest concerns

Most of Minnesota’s players are unproven at the Big Ten level. Johnson brought in nine newcomers this offseason, eight of which came from mid-major schools. Brennan Rigsby is the only high-major transfer, joining Minnesota from Oregon. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 6.1 points per game on 40.9% shooting last year.

The other two returners are Parker Fox and Kadyn Betts. Fox averaged 5.1 points per game as a backup forward last season, and Betts didn’t crack the rotation on a regular basis. That leaves Garcia and Mitchell as the only players on Minnesota’s roster who significantly contributed to a Big Ten team. Minnesota’s transfer class ranks 79th nationally and 14th in the Big Ten, ranking only above teams that hardly used the portal.

Johnson will need players like Caleb Williams to rapidly adjust to the Division I level. Williams was a prolific scorer at Division III Macalester College, averaging 19.6 points in 80 games, but the competition level will be much more difficult in the Big Ten.

The bottom line

NBA draft decisions and the transfer portal really slowed the momentum Johnson built during his third season. Had Minnesota returned its roster from the 2023-24 season, it could have developed into an NCAA Tournament-worthy squad. Instead, he has an All-Big Ten player in Dawson Garcia and a couple of talented transfers. It’s looking like another finish toward the bottom of the Big Ten and outside of the NCAA Tournament for the Golden Gophers.