Gophers' Cam Christie still focused on impressing NBA scouts

Christie has a chance to be the first Gophers player drafted since 2020.

Feb 25, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Cam Christie (24) shoots a / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Gophers guard Cam Christie has a chance to be one of the fastest-rising prospects in the NBA pre-draft process and he is focused on honing his craft.

"I just want to show the scouts the things that I have been working on, making them confident that I would be a help to their franchise," he told ESPN. "Also just learning stuff about myself, just becoming mentally stronger and mentally tough, just trying to better myself in every way I can."

Currently still keeping a return to college open, Christie decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal Wednesday, right before the deadline to do so. He is still focused on the draft process, but he will have until May 29 to decide if he wants to return to college or remain in the NBA Draft pool.

Christie came to Minnesota as top-100, four-star recruit in high school. He is now trying to become the first Gophers' one-and-done since Kris Humphries in 2004, but he has always known this was a possibility.

"I have always been really confident in myself, I think I have put in a lot of work, it was really just a matter of going out and showing it," he told ESPN. "Whether it was one year or two years, three years... whenever I thought the time was right to declare I thought I would do that."

Most scouting services see Christie as a second-round pick, but only 18 years old as one of the youngest players in the entire draft, he has a chance to quickly rise up the board between now and June 26.

His brother, Max Christie, was the No. 35 pick two years ago by the Lakers after one season at Michigan State.

Minnesota has only had four players drafted to the NBA since the turn of the century, so while fans may be sour on Christie's decision to enter his name into the portal, he still has a chance to do something that has been incredibly rare in the program's history.