Kai Shinholster back

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Good news…. I think he may be a better player than we realize…. It says something for the program if you get a guy like him who is going to face a lot of competition for minutes to return!
 







FinnGopher said:
Kai made nice strides last season, getting valuable minutes. He just needs to keep working on his shot and learning the game. He is going to be an asset to this team in the upcoming season.
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More insurance against injuries and another guy that knows and trusts the system!! 6 guys who understand the coach's system are back and that helps with the new guys a lot.
 

I’m surprised he’s back but that’s a good sign. He was serviceable enough as a true freshman. Hopefully makes strides and can continue to contribute.
 





Maybe it's just me, but I assumed he was coming back because he hadn't said he was going into the portal. It's getting to the point where if, on Monday, I commit to having lunch with you on Friday, you call me every single day, including Friday morning, to make sure we're still on for lunch. What happened to "the plan is the plan", unless I notify you that I have to change the plan.

I run into that in real life sometimes and it's exhausting to have to constantly assure people that, yes I'm going to do what I said I was going to do.
 

I likes what i saw from him, defensively, especially with that length at the top of the zone. Lost track how many deflections he was responsible for. Offense he has a ways to go(showed a few signs here and there), but he's already a solid defender, in my eyes
 


JZABR said:
I likes what i saw from him, defensively, especially with that length at the top of the zone. Lost track how many deflections he was responsible for. Offense he has a ways to go(showed a few signs here and there), but he's already a solid defender, in my eyes
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Yeah some of these kids need time to develop offensively. I think he can and will. He’s got a lot of other good skills as you (and previous posters) have mentioned. I like it!
 



As others have said this is great news. He got some valuable experience in his true freshman season and should be better for it in year 2.

He should be in a position to provide quality back court depth next season.
 

His form on his shot looks good, just needs some strength. I can’t remember what game it was but the baseline drive and dunk he had was impressive. Seems to have good hands on defense too. I like that he’s returning, Medved has shown the ability to develop players.
 

bmb5270 said:
His form on his shot looks good, just needs some strength. I can’t remember what game it was but the baseline drive and dunk he had was impressive. Seems to have good hands on defense too. I like that he’s returning, Medved has shown the ability to develop players.
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It was the Oregon game and it came at a pivotal point in the 2nd half (check out that closeout from Biddle and help D from #10). I yelled at the TV when it happened. I was really hoping he could build on that confidence but it seemed he faded a bit after that.

Kyan Evans was a guy who averaged 1.7 points on 32% 3PT shooting in 8 mpg as a freshman, and turned into one of the key cogs his sophomore year.

I'm not optimistic about his offense becoming much more than respectable...but if he can be a lock down defender who is not a liability on offense, he is an asset to our team as a 5th guard. He did look fairly strong and I thought he didn't look tentative with the ball. Sometimes a freshman in that situation treats the ball like a hot potato when they get it on offense and he seemed more collected than that.
 

Roland Brooks said:
Awesome! Like I said before shot is flat but he can work on that all summer.. played good D moved the ball on O.. low turnovers.. he competed hard.. and he wants to be here…
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This is exactly right. He is an improved jump shot away from being a pretty good basketball player for us. He played some legit Big 10 minutes (not a lot of them but played in close games) and he was kind of a pest on defense and looked comfortable enough with the ball in his hands.
 


Bob_Loblaw said:
This is exactly right. He is an improved jump shot away from being a pretty good basketball player for us. He played some legit Big 10 minutes (not a lot of them but played in close games) and he was kind of a pest on defense and looked comfortable enough with the ball in his hands.
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One thing I hope he incorporates into his game is probing the lane a little bit more. Tyson was a magician at this. He knew when to jab, put his head down to get into the lane, and when to shoot or kick it out, all in the flow of the offense.

It felt a little bit like a hot potato for Kai down the stretch.
 

Emil said:
I take this as a sign that the availble NIL has all been commited.
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Likely. With 12 guys that all think they can be in the rotation, there is no reason to add anyone unless they are a real impact player. I doubt they have the cash for that. If they have a few hundred grand extra- move it to next year's pot.
 

bga1 said:
Likely. With 12 guys that all think they can be in the rotation, there is no reason to add anyone unless they are a real impact player. I doubt they have the cash for that. If they have a few hundred grand extra- move it to next year's pot.
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You mean: Bet it on Polymarket for the 2026/2027 Gophers to make the tournament, then apply to next year's pot.
 
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I'm always impressed when a young freshman understands their role. He's likely playing limited minutes for the first time in his basketball career ever since a young kid. Lots of guys feel the need to prove themselves worthy of the playing time when they get a chance. He didn't force up a bunch of shots (just 6.7 FGA per 40), and was a pest on defense.

Just another sign of a good program when you can get young players to understand that you don't have to score a bunch of points to contribute.
 

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