While 2023/24 wasn’t a great season for the Gophers, it undoubtedly had its high points – and more than enough of them to satisfy coach Ben Johnson in his third season in charge. With an overall win/loss record of 19 – 15 things have certainly been heading in the right direction, although the 9 – 11record in the Big Ten Conference was something of a disappointment.
That said, there were several highlights throughout the season alongside some outstanding performances from players like Dawson Garcia, Cam Christie and Mike Mitchell Jr.
Outstanding matches over the season
Of the games played, three in particular stand out from the rest.
The first of these came fairly early on in the season when the Gophers met UTSA in a home encounter at the Williams Arena. It was Game 2 on November 10 and promised great things for the season ahead thanks to the very definitive scoreline of 102-76. No less than five team members ended up with double-digit scores to their names led, naturally, by Dawson Garcia with a total of 22.
Around a month later it was time for the team to notch up yet another 100+ score. This time the unfortunate opponents were IUPUI, visiting from Indiana. The team got off to a flying start, finishing the first half with a definitive 57 – 27 scoreline. The second half saw the scoring continue with a final result of 101 – 65. In this match four players achieved double digit scores. But this was eclipsed by Elijah Hawkins whose position in the heart of the action led to no fewer than 17 assists. This set a new school record overtaking the 16 assists recorded back in 1994 by Arriel McDonald in game against Wisconsin.
But undoubtedly the most exciting game of all came in the post-season clash in Butler in the National Invitation Tournament. In a tense encounter that could have gone either way the final score was a 73 – 72 victory for the Gophers. Once again Hawkins was in record-breaking form thanks to his ten assists, overcoming Melvin Newbern’s nine in 1990 against Northern Iowa. He capped off his performance with six rebounds to help cement the win.
However, anyone betting on the chances of the Gophers advancing in the tournament would have been disappointed. In the next round, against the formidable Indiana State, they fell short in a match whose final scoreline was 76 – 64 to the Sycamores.
Long-running rivalries
Each season, there’s also a great deal made of the several rivalries that the Gophers have with other universities, and particularly with Iowa – so these seem to be the games that attract the most interest.
It would be good to report that the Gophers had prevailed in all of these but, unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Not once, but twice, the Iowa Hawkeyes came out on top with 86 – 77 and 90-85 scorelines.
It was much closer with the Wisconsin Badgers at just 61 – 59, but it was still a loss. However some pride was restored with an 88 – 79 victory over Ohio State.
A look at some stats
While not a vintage season for the Gophers, some of the figures were distinctly encouraging.
For example the number nine seeding in the Big Ten Tournament represented a five-place improvement from the 2022/23 season. The Gophers’ inclusion in the National Invitation Tournament was the first piece of post-season action for the team since 2019.
Their 9 -11 season record was also a major improvement on the 2 -17 that they achieved the previous year when, at times, it looked like they might never win another game.
In terms of scores per game their average figure of 75.0 points was their best yet under Coach Johnson and the best since the 2016/17 season. The total of 2,550 points scored was also the highest since then and the fifth highest of all time.
When it comes to individual players two, who have already been mentioned, really stood out.
Dawson Garcia became the first player since Jordan Murphy to top the table for both point averages (17.6 per game) and rebounds (6.7 per game). This was the second year that he had achieved this feat. His points average also placed him in sixth position in the Big Ten.
Then there is Elijah Hawkins. With 247 assists in the season he broke the school record per game with an average of 7.5 putting him in second place nationally.
So it comes as no surprise that both players received All-Big Ten recognition with Garcia named Second Team All-Big Ten by the media and Third Team by the coaches. Hawkins received a Big Ten Honorable Mention in both categories.
That was last season. Now it’s time to look forward to the 2024/25 season, and hope that the trajectory is ever upwards for the Gophers.