Roster outlook: Will there be any players left for the Gophers' new head coach?

Minnesota has already had three players enter the transfer portal.

Mar 12, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Isaac Asuma (1) dribbles the ball while Northwestern Wildcats guard Justin Mullins (20) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Minnesota's decision to move on from Ben Johnson last week gave its entire roster the opportunity to immediately enter the transfer portal. Tyler Cochran, Kadyn Betts and Frank Mitchell have already done so, but will there be more?

Isaac Asuma

Asuma is the player that every Gophers fan is wondering whether or not he decides to remain in maroon and gold. As a true freshman, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 43.7/35.7/63.6 shooting splits. It's obvious that he has a bright future in college basketball.

His chances of returning seem up in the air, but a few things could support him staying. His younger brother, Noah Asuma, is expected to enroll at the school and play baseball in 2026. Top coaching candidate Niko Medved has a track record of recruiting the state of Minnesota during his time at Colorado State, so there's a chance they have a preexisting relationship.

Grayson Grove

Hailing from Alexandria, Minn., Grove joined Asuma as one of two recruits in the class of 2024 for the Gophers, but he opted to redshirt as a true freshman. Listed at 6-foot-8, he has an impressive scoring skillset and after a year of growing into his body and practicing with a veteran Gophers team, he has some real potential.

He held an offer from Medved's Colorado State coming out of high school, though the same can be said for Betts. I wouldn't look too much into it, but Grove does have a relationship with Medved, so there's a chance he opts to stay on board if Medved winds up being the next head coach.

Brennan Rigsby

After Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finagled his way into an extra year of eligibility, anyone who played at the junior college level has been given the option to return for an extra season. Rigsby fits that distinction after he began his career at Northwest Florida State College.

First, he has to decide if he wants to play another season of college basketball. Then he has to decide if he wants to return to Minnesota. His chances of staying with the Gophers through a coaching change seem slim, but I wouldn't completely rule it out.

Incoming freshmen: Jefferson, Ross and Shinholster

Minnesota signed three recruits in the class of 2025 — big man Parker Jefferson, wing Jacob Ross and combo guard Kai Shinholster. Holding onto high school recruits through a coaching change has never been harder, and from a roster building perspective, a new head coach might prefer to bring in their own players.

Jefferson and Ross are top-200 recruits according to the 247Sports Composite, and they could quickly contribute to a Division I rotation. Shinholster is outside the top 200 and he likely would've been a favorite to take a redshirt year in 2025-26 under Johnson. None of the three players held offers from Colorado State, so it's hard to gauge their interest in staying if Medved is the guy.

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The NCAA changed rules and there will be 15 availible scholarships for programs to work with in 2025-26. That means Minnesota currently has nine open and there's a strong chance that number is much closer to 12 or 13, if not all 15.

The timeline for all these decisions will likely be impacted by Colorado State's success in the NCAA Tournament, which gets started Friday in a first-round matchup against Memphis.

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