Lu'Cye Patterson elevates game amid Gophers' turnaround

Patterson is a major reason why Minnesota has won 5 of its last 8 games.

Feb 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Big Ten Network analyst Don MacLean (left) interviews Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Lu'Cye Patterson (25) after the game against the Southern California Trojans at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Minnesota added seven scholarship players from the transfer portal last offseason, with Charlotte’s Lu'Cye Patterson regarded as the top prospect by every major recruiting service. After a slow start to the season, Patterson has begun meeting the high expectations many had for him.

A Minneapolis, Minn. native, Patterson was brought in as the Gophers aimed to replace Elijah Hawkins at the lead guard position. He was coming off a 2023-24 season at Charlotte where he averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with shooting splits of 43.6/35.0/75.7.

Through eight November games, Patterson averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 32.6/21.4/66.6 shooting splits. Minnesota went 5-3 during that stretch, and it was clear Patterson was still adjusting to his new role back home in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

December didn’t bring much improvement, as he averaged 9.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with 29.7/21.7/92.3 shooting splits. Although Minnesota went 3-2 in those five games, Patterson looked like a different player once the calendar turned to 2025.

In January, he averaged 12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 43% overall and 38.7% from three. After scoring more than 15 points just once in Minnesota’s first 13 games, he surpassed that mark three times in January.

His progress didn’t stop there. Patterson set a Minnesota career high in back-to-back games, making February his best month yet. Over four games this month, he’s averaged 17.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 46% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line. He was at his best Saturday with 25 points in Minnesota's road win over USC.

Last season, Minnesota’s nine Big Ten victories were largely driven by consistent backcourt production from Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. However, Mitchell Jr. missed significant time early this season, and Patterson’s struggles affected the Gophers’ early results.

Now, the Gophers have won five of their last eight games and climbed out of the Big Ten basement. It’s a cliché that strong guard play wins college basketball games late in the season, but it’s repeated for a reason. While Mitchell Jr. has struggled to replicate last year’s output, Patterson has stepped up to fill the gap.

The next chance to say hot is Tuesday when the Gophers face UCLA in Los Angeles.

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