Ben Johnson on Cam Christie: 'He's what the NBA looks for'

Christie has a chance to slide into the first round of next week's draft.

Feb 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Cam Christie (24) works around Northwestern Wildcats guard Ty Berry (3) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2024 NBA draft less than one week away, Cam Christie is looking to become the first Gophers player drafted since 2020, and the first to be selected in the first round since 2004.

Christie had one of the best freshman seasons in Minnesota's program history. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 40.3/39.1/79.1 shooting splits. He finished the year being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.

"As the year goes on I knew, 'this could come up,'" head coach Ben Johnson said. "You look at the guy, he's only 18, which the NBA loves. He's got the measurables, he got better as the year went on, you got his brother who is in the league... he's what the NBA looks for."

Heading into next week's draft, Christie has had known workouts with the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. There have been rumors that he continues to rise up draft boards. NBADraft.net slots him as the No. 20 overall pick in their latest mock draft.

Landing Christie was one of Johnson's highest-profile moves since becoming head coach of the Gophers. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 84 overall player in the class of 2023 and he chose Minnesota over top offers from Michigan State (where his brother, Max Christie, went before being drafted by the Lakers in 2022), Purdue and Illinois.

"Cam could've made a ton of money going somewhere else as a freshman, but I think he understood the balance," Johnson said. "For him, long term, the money that even to come back would be pennies to the dollar compared to a second-year contract in the NBA... if it was [about the money] he wouldn't have been here."

With most mock drafts projecting him to land in the top half of the second round, it seems like Christie has a chance to become the first Gophers basketball player to be drafted in the first round since Kris Humphries in 2004. Maybe even by the Timberwolves...