Mixed results for former Gophers Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins at new schools

Maybe the grass isn't always greener.

Dec 28, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies forward Pharrel Payne (21) controls the ball during the first half against the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Nonconference play is coming to a close in college basketball, which means we have a good idea of what teams are. The Gophers lost a handful of players to the transfer portal in the spring, so let's take a look at how they're all doing at their new schools.

Notable #Gophers MBB transfers (2024-25 stats):

Pharrel Payne, Texas A&M (17.3 MPG)
7.3 PPG
4.7 RPG
1.3 BPG

Elijah Hawkins, Texas Tech (24.9 MPG)
6.9 PPG
5.4 APG
2.3 RPG

Josh Ola-Joseph, Cal (19.6 MPG)
8.2 PPG
4.3 RPG
0.5 APG

Braeden Carrington, Tulsa (27.1 MPG)
8.9 PPG
5.1… pic.twitter.com/canLdFUvbS

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) December 31, 2024

Pharrel Payne, Texas A&M

Minnesota native Pharrel Payne was well on his way to becoming a star with the Gophers — until he decided to head to the SEC and play for Texas A&M. He has started six of 13 games this season, averaging 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. That is a decrease from his numbers last season (10 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game). He has performed well, but it's worth thinking about how different this season would've looked if he stayed in Minneapolis.

Elijah Hawkins, Texas Tech

Hawkins broke out last season after transferring to Minnesota from Howard. He averaged 7.5 assists per game, which ranked second in the entire country. His scoring, rebounds and assists have decreased to 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game through nine games in Lubbock.

Joshua Ola-Joseph, California

After a weird 2023-24 season, it made sense for Ola-Joseph to hit the transfer portal and look for a new home. He has started 10 of 12 games for Cal and has increased his scoring from 7.5 to 8.2 points per game and rebounding from 2.2 to 4.3 per game.

Braeden Carrington, Tulsa

After being sent to a full-time reserve role in the second half of last season, it also made sense for Carrington to look for a new home. He has started all 13 games for the Golden Hurricane and he has put up 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, which are all significant increases from last season.

Other notes

Isaiah Ihnen is finding some success at Liberty, averaging 10.4 points per game off the bench. Cam Christie has played in only one NBA game with the Clippers, but he's averaging 13.5 points per game in the G-League.

---

Stay up to date on all things Gophers by bookmarking Minnesota Gophers On SI, subscribing to our YouTube Channel, and signing up to receive our free Gophers newsletter, which will enter you into a drawing for the EA College Gameday 25 video game (you choose between PS5 or Xbox).