'It's just a guessing game': Ben Johnson reacts to media's last place prediction

Johnson and the Gophers don't seem too worried about the preseason media poll.

Oct 3, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson takes a question at the podium during the 2024 Big Ten Menís Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images / Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

According to the Preseason Big Ten Media Poll released last week, Gophers men's basketball is expected finish last place in the new 18-team conference. Ben Johnson is heading into Year 4 as head coach of the program, and he doesn't seem too concerned about the poll.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea how you can project even who's going to be one," Johnson said Tuesday. "I don't know if it's they don't know the guys that we took? It was the same thing last year and I think, 2-2.5 weeks left we were in the thick of the Big Ten and almost finished .500."

Ben Johnson’s reaction to the #Gophers being voted to finish last in the Preseason Big Ten Media Poll. pic.twitter.com/FIgOkhJbfF

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) October 8, 2024

Johnson is right. The Gophers were voted to finish last according to last season's preseason media poll. They outperformed expectations and ended up going 9-11 in conference play, finishing in 10th place and they avoided playing on the first day of the Big Ten tournament for the first time since 2019.

Despite building momentum, Minnesota was forced to replace four of its top-six scorers from last season after Cam Christie left for the NBA while Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins and Joshua Ola-Joseph all entered the transfer portal. Johnson and his staff brought in nine new scholarship players this season, something that has become commonplace across the country.

"With the portal, with the whole landscape, it's impossible. People have asked me what I think about teams and I have no idea," Johnson said. "You see numbers of what guys bring to the table. Even my team, I have no idea. I see numbers, I see what they've done at other places, but I have no idea if it's going to work or if it translates or what level it translates."

The Gophers return leading scorer and preseason All-Big Ten forward Dawson Garcia alongside veterans Mike Mitchell Jr. and Parker Fox. With all of the new additions, they will have one of the most experienced teams in the country this season.

"It's just a guessing game. I think you gotta just let it play out," Johnson said. "We know as a team that's the last thing we're concerned with. I think most guys would rather be on that list at the end of the year than the beginning."

Johnson needs to lean heavily on his experienced team and use the preseason rankings as motivation to fuel a run to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.