It is the beginning of a new era in Minnesota. After Ben Johnson failed to take the Gophers to the postseason last year, exiting the Big Ten Tournament in the first round at the hands of Northwestern, a new head coach will look to revitalize the program and hopefully bring some more successful times to the Williams Arena.
Niko Medved is the man in charge now, returning to Minnesota after acting as an assistant coach almost 20 years ago. He will know that he has a job on his hands, but he was able to turn around the fortunes of Colorado State, and Gophers fans will be hoping that he can repeat his magic in Minnesota and give the team a better chance of making the NCAA Tournament this year.
Even though there has been little postseason success for Minnesota in recent years, Gophers fans will take pride in the increase in players progressing to the NBA. After a fallow period, a number of Golden Gophers have been drafted and alumni representation is growing in the best league in the world. To inspire this year’s team, here are the Golden Gophers who have been taken in the NBA Draft since 2000.
Joel Pryzbilla, 2000
A Minnesota native, Joel Pryzbilla played just two years as a Golden Gopher before being taken by the Houston Rockets with the ninth overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. He never played in Houston, however, as he was immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played for the first three years of a 13-year NBA career.
It was in Portland where Pryzbilla enjoyed his most successful period, though. He had briefly signed with the Atlanta Hawks but increased his game time as a Trail Blazer and appeared in 82 games in 2009, where he also enjoyed his final postseason games. An injury that season severely affected his future career, although he did play on three different teams over the next four years.
Rick Rickert, 2003
Another Minnesota native, Rick Rickert was born in Duluth and played two years as a Gopher, becoming the first-ever player from the program to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. After averaging 16 blocks and six rebounds in his sophomore year, Rickert made himself eligible for the 2003 NBA Draft and was taken by the Timberwolves in the second round.
Unfortunately, Rickert failed to make the team but began a global odyssey, playing for teams across the world. He began his professional career in Slovenia, where he was named an All-Star in just his second year. He went on to play in Greece, Spain, Germany, and New Zealand before making a big impact in Japan, where he played for seven years before retiring in 2018.
Kris Humphries, 2004
The most recent Gopher to be drafted in the first round, Kris Humphries was taken by the Utah Jazz with the 14th overall pick. His father had played football at Minnesota and Kris Humphries was an excellent swimmer in his youth before concentrating on basketball. He actually initially accepted a scholarship with Duke before reconsidering and becoming a Gopher.
Humphries would only play one year at Minnesota, breaking and setting a whole host of records along the way, before making himself eligible for the 2004 NBA Draft. He played for a number of teams in a 16-year career, but his most memorable performances came while with the then-New Jersey Nets. In his ninth year as a pro, he started every single game and averaged 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Daniel Oturu, 2020
Born in Brooklyn, Daniel Oturu played high school hoops in Saint Paul before committing to play for Minnesota over a number of offers, including one from Kansas. He went on to play for two years as a Gopher, helping the team reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019. Although it was thought he might go in the first round, he was ultimately taken by the T-Wolves in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Minnesota traded his rights to the Clippers on draft night and he played intermittently and played at the G League level over the next few years. Deciding to try his luck elsewhere, Oturu moved to Turkey and played for two top-level teams, including in the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes. He most recently signed on to play for Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli league.
Cam Christie, 2024
Minnesota’s most recent draft pick, Cam Christie had a number of offers playing high school in Illinois, but he decided to become a Golden Gopher, playing just one year before making himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He played in the last Gopher team to make the postseason and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team before being taken by the Clippers with the 46th overall pick.
Following his older brother into the pro game, Christie played a number of games for the Clippers during his rookie season, as well as for its G League affiliate in San Diego. He looks to have a bright future ahead of him and he has already tasted playoff action in his short NBA career. The 2025-26 Gophers should take inspiration from him – and all the others profiled here – as they prepare for the season ahead and their own future careers.