Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early Big Ten Power Rankings entering 2025-26 season (16. Minnesota)

[BleedGopher]

Per Cole:

16. Minnesota Golden Gophers​

It’s a new era of Gopher hoops with Niko Medved leading the charge. The Gophers don’t return much but the development of Isaac Asuma is something to watch. Medved is an excellent developer. He developed Nique Clifford into a bona-fide first-round pick. He developed John Tonje -- who improved year by year under Medved -- who later flourished in Greg Gard’s wing factory last season. While Asuma won’t be anywhere near the John Tonje level, expecting a significant sophomore jump is in the cards.

The Gophers have some nice wings to work with, with forward BJ Omot, who averaged 16.7 PPG at North Dakota State before only playing four games at California. Forward Bobby Durkin averaged 13.5 PPG at Davidson and is another strong addition. Langston Reynolds shot 59.3% from the field and nearly 41% from three on Northern Colorado and expects to be a nice piece in Minnesota’s backcourt.

With lots of new faces at a school that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2019, it’s hard to foresee how the Gophers will shake out in 2025-26. With Medved leading the charge, the Gophers won’t be an easy out, even if they are slotted at 16th here.

Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early Big Ten Power Rankings entering 2025-2026 season

The transfer portal dust has yet to settle, the G League Elite Camp just wrapped up and the NBA Combine is officially underway, meaning there are still plenty o

bustingbrackets.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[60's Guy]

Real Annoying in both layout and analysis...
I'll save you 20 minutes...this is what he's got
Purdue
Michigan
UCLA
Illinois
Mich St
WI
Oregon
USC
Iowa
Ohio St
Maryland
Indiana
Nebraska
NW
Wash
Minnesota
Rutgers
Penn St

 

[GopherBlood777]

We're not picked last this season. One step at a time.

 

[Bad Gopher]

It's a rough-and-tumble league. I don't blame anyone for picking the Gophs down that low. That said, I have the over. Like last year, when I said the Gophers have too much to finish last: they DID have too much to finish last.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Real Annoying in both layout and analysis...
I'll save you 20 minutes...this is what he's got
Purdue
Michigan
UCLA
Illinois
Mich St
WI
Oregon
USC
Iowa
Ohio St
Maryland
Indiana
Nebraska
NW
Wash
Minnesota
Rutgers
Penn St

Darts at a board at this point. At least 4 teams - USC, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota are rolling out entirely new teams so any predictions on how those teams will do is complete speculation since nobody has ever seen that collection of players on the court together......ever.

A number of other teams will have massive turnover in their starters as well. But we are in that time of year where people feel they have to post something so we get all this "way-to-early" stuff which is basically code for "your guess is as good as mine".

 

[restovich]

"I don't know crap about what is going to happen next year, but my boss is demanding that I write an article, so here you go......:"

 

[60's Guy]

Darts at a board at this point. At least 4 teams - USC, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota are rolling out entirely new teams so any predictions on how those teams will do is complete speculation since nobody has ever seen that collection of players on the court together......ever.

A number of other teams will have massive turnover in their starters as well. But we are in that time of year where people feel they have to post something so we get all this "way-to-early" stuff which is basically code for "your guess is as good as mine".

I hear what you are saying and agree in the case of most all teams but Iowa actually has something like 5 guys who have played together at Drake. Coach is proven and they added some nice pieces...they are an NCAA Tournament team.
Lots, maybe most after Purdue are pretty speculative, no doubt.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Baige Puekers!

 

[golf]

I just read an article which said Painter was the 9th highest paid Big10 coach last season at 3.7 mill. (Izzo highest paid - 6.2 mill).
Painter not overpaid.

 

[WAGopher]

I just read an article which said Painter was the 9th highest paid Big10 coach last season at 3.7 mill. (Izzo highest paid - 6.2 mill).
Painter not overpaid.

Last summer Painter was given a new contract with a good base salary plus $1.2 million in incentives: His base goes up each year:

• 2024-25: $4.85 million
• 2025-26: $4.97 million
• 2026-27: $5.175 million
• 2027-28: $5.2 million
• 2028-29: $5.225 million

 

[golf]

Last summer Painter was given a new contract with a good base salary plus $1.2 million in incentives: His base goes up each year:

• 2024-25: $4.85 million
• 2025-26: $4.97 million
• 2026-27: $5.175 million
• 2027-28: $5.2 million
• 2028-29: $5.225 million

Well deserved.

 

[RockChalk]

Real Annoying in both layout and analysis...
I'll save you 20 minutes...this is what he's got
Purdue
Michigan
UCLA
Illinois
Mich St
WI
Oregon
USC
Iowa
Ohio St
Maryland
Indiana
Nebraska
NW
Wash
Minnesota
Rutgers
Penn St

Thanks for doing that!! I think I would move them up a few spots for sure.

 

[combes1]

Thanks for doing that!! I think I would move them up a few spots for sure.

I know Washington has fared well in the portal. Northwestern is always better than predicted and have the returning leading scorer in the league. Lots of unknowns right now. Indiana has a new coach but has added a lot of talent.

 

[Chico Gopher]

"I don't know crap about what is going to happen next year, but my boss is demanding that I write an article, so here you go......:"

I love making sports predictions because if I happen to guess anything close to what turns out happening, I can brag about how much I know about sports. If, 8 months from now it turns out I was way off-base, I can just hope everybody forgets that what I said because it was so long ago.
BTW, I personally make it a point to never try to predict or bet on anything I have no control over.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I know Washington has fared well in the portal. Northwestern is always better than predicted and have the returning leading scorer in the league. Lots of unknowns right now. Indiana has a new coach but has added a lot of talent.

There are always lots of unknowns in college athletics year to year but in this transfer portal era those unknowns have exploded.

New coaches, entirely remade rosters, key players jumping from school to school.....anyone claiming they know how things will play out next year is full of crap because there are way too many unknowns to have any clue how it is all going to play out.

There are some teams you can assume will be good and some you can assume will be bad but that is about it right now until the rosters are done being made and we actually get to see teams on the court.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I love making sports predictions because if I happen to guess anything close to what turns out happening, I can brag about how much I know about sports. If, 8 months from now it turns out I was way off-base, I can just hope everybody forgets that what I said because it was so long ago.
BTW, I personally make it a point to never try to predict or bet on anything I have no control over.

My favorite example of the stupidity of this time of year is on the football side where there are already people making bowl game predictions for next year. Bowl game predictions are wrong within weeks of the actual announcements.....7 months out....I really don't get the point. But gotta do something to get clicks I guess.