Early look at potential Gophers basketball rotation in 2024-25

The offseason dust has nearly settled. What could the 2024-25 rotation look like?

Feb 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) shoots as Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) defends during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

It has been a busy offseason for the Gophers and Ben Johnson. Six players have left through the transfer portal and six players have come to Minnesota through the transfer portal. What could their rotation look like next season?

Point guard

1. Lu'Cye Patterson
2. Isaac Asuma

Losing Elijah Hawkins to Texas Tech hurt the Gophers' 2024-25 outlook, but they have managed. Minneapolis, Minn. native Lu'Cye Patterson came home, transferring from Charlotte for his final season of college basketball. Averaging 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season for the 49ers, he will be more of a score-first guard than Hawkins. The only other true point guard on the roster is Asuma, but as a true freshman, the size of his role might evolve as the season progresses.

Shooting guard

1. Mike Mitchell Jr.
2. Brennan Rigsby
3. Caleb Williams

The backcourt rotation might be the most intriguing aspect of this team heading into 2024-25. Mike Mitchell Jr. returns and could easily be second on this team in scoring. Behind him, Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby and D3 Macalester transfer Caleb Williams provide a unique combination of scoring and athleticism. Both players are true combo guards, so it will be fascinating to see how Johnson and his staff opt to deploy them.

Small forward

1. Femi Odukale
2. Kadyn Betts
3. Grayson Grove

New Mexico State transfer Femi Odukale is another tantalizing transfer on this roster. Last season he averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, so he provides the similar guard skills that Cam Christie had from the three position last season. Redshirt sophomore Kadyn Betts could be a potential breakout candidate, while incoming freshman Grayson Grove could have a similar developmental curve, potentially redshirting his first season.

Power forward

1. Dawson Garcia
2. Parker Fox

Dawson Garcia could be a preseason First-Team All-Big Ten player, and given the structure of this roster, he could have the best season of his career in 2024-25. The way Minnesota opts to rotate the rest of its frontcourt this season will be the bigger question. Parker Fox will likely be the first man off the bench, but with Garcia likely playing 32+ minutes per game, it will probably be a mixture of playing the four and five, as they often looked like their best last season with both on the floor.

Center

1. Frank Mitchell
2. Trey Edmonds

Pharrel Payne is now at Texas A&M, so Minnesota added Canisius transfer Frank Mitchell as a potential replacement. Last season he averaged 11.6 rebounds per game, which ranked fourth in the country. At 6-foot-8, he plays a similar high-motor rim-to-rim game as Payne. UTSA transfer Trey Edmonds provides a much different skill set. At 6-foot-10, he relies on his length instead of athleticism and gives the Gophers more versatility in the frontcourt.