The Gophers managed to finish 11th in the 18-team conference in coach Niko Medved's debut despite a slew of injuries that left them with a six-player rotation down the stretch, sparking optimism about the program's trajectory with three wins over ranked Big Ten opponents. At least three of their top five scorers return with forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and guards Isaac Asuma and Bobby Durkin. Sharpshooter Cade Tyson, who was sixth in the conference in points
per game last season, is trying to join them. He's been practicing with the team, with his status in limbo as part of the group asking the courts for one more year of eligibility. Even if Tyson can't play, the Gophers would have five of their top nine players back.
New point guard Kyan Evans, who played last season for North Carolina, has reunited with Medved and Crocker-Johnson after they all helped Colorado State reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025. Malick Kordel, a 7-foot-2 transfer from Michigan, will bring a sizeable boost to the center position.
The Gophers added five transfers, with Nolan Groves (Texas Tech) and Malachi Palmer (Villanova) bringing depth to the wing positions. Minnesota native Nolen Anderson, a 6-foot-8 forward, highlights a class of three scholarship players joining as true freshmen. The only significant loss for the Gophers was guard Langston Reynolds, who transferred back to his original school, Northern Colorado. Guard Chansey Willis Jr. and center Robert Vaihola did not return, either, but they suffered season-ending injuries less than a month into the 2025-26 schedule.
The opening week will be tricky with regional foes from the Summit League bringing plenty of fans and motivation: North Dakota on Nov. 2 and St. Thomas on Nov. 6. The first two Big Ten games present quite a test: at No. 6 Michigan State on Dec. 2 and against No. 3 Illinois on Dec. 8. Minnesota faces defending national champion Michigan twice (Jan. 12 and Feb. 16). The February trip to Los Angeles the Gophers swept two years ago will be tougher this time with both USC (21st) and UCLA (22nd) in the preseason Associated Press poll. The Gophers have the most power conference opponents on their schedule they've had in seven years, with three Big 12 and two ACC teams on the slate, including at Cincinnati on Nov. 9.
Asuma was the only player to start all 33 games for the Gophers last season. He's one of seven Minnesota natives on the roster. ... Crocker-Johnson averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds over 24 games before his season-ending foot injury. ... Grayson Grove, who averaged 20.6 minutes per game last season, will fill out the majority of the frontcourt minutes with Crocker-Johnson and Kordel.
___
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full men’s basketball coverage here
