BleedGopher
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In this series, we'll look ahead at Missouri's opponents in the upcoming 2025-26 season. We continue by previewing the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Date & Location: Nov. 12 at Mizzou Arena
2023-24 Record: 15-17, 7-13 Big Ten
2025 NCAA Tournament Finish: N/A
Torvik Preseason Rank: 83
KEY RETURNERS
Isaac Asuma (5.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg), Grayson Grove (redshirt)
KEY LOSSES
Kadyn Betts (transferred), Tyler Cochran (transferred), Trey Edmonds (graduated), Parker Fox (graduated), Dawson Garcia (graduated), Frank Mitchell (transferred), Mike Mitchell Jr. (graduated), Femi Odukale (graduated), Lu'Cye Patterson (graduated), Brandon Rigsby (graduated), Caleb Williams (graduated)
KEY INCOMING TRANSFERS
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (Colorado State, 9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 apg), Bobby Durkin (Davidson, 13.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 apg), Maximus Gizzi (Huntington University, 10.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg), BJ Omot (California, 10.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Langston Reynolds (Northern Colorado, 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.4 apg), Chance Stephens (Maryland, 1.3 ppg), Nehemiah Turner (Central Arkansas, 8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg), Cade Tyson (North Carolina, 2.6 pp, 1.1 rpg, 0.1 apg), Robert Vaihola (San Jose State, 7.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), Chansey Willis Jr. (Western Michigan, 16.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.8 apg)
KEY INCOMING FRESHMEN (rankings from 247Sports)
Kai Shinholster (N/A)
OUTLOOK
Despite going 7-7 down the stretch of the regular season, Ben Johnson couldn't overcome an 0-6 start to Big Ten play and a first-round exit in the conference tournament last year, with Minnesota moving on from the head coach this offseason. The school brought in Niko Medved as his replacement, who'd been at the helm at Colorado State for seven seasons, leading the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and earning the program's first win in the Big Dance in 12 years in March, upsetting No. 5 seed Memphis in the first round.
Medved is starting over with a mostly blank slate, hanging onto just two returners from Johnson's roster and bringing over just one player with him from CSU. With this being the head coach's first foray into high-major basketball, Medved chose to lean heavily on mid-major transfers to fill out his new team.
Chansey Willis Jr. out of Western Michigan and Langston Reynolds from Northern Colorado were the team's two biggest gets in the backcourt. Willis was one of the best playmakers in the country last season, accounting for 38.5% of the Broncos' assists while on the floor, the 11th-highest rate in the NCAA according to KenPom. Reynolds was the best player for a Bears team that won 25 games and a share of the Big Sky regular season championship and has proven to be an effective finisher inside, making 60.7% of his 2-pointers. Returning sophomore combo guard Isaac Asuma could push for a starting spot after a solid freshman campaign. Three-star rookie Kai Shinholster, seldom-used Maryland transfer Chance Stephens and veteran D2 transfer Maximus Gizzi will provide depth on the back end.
BJ Omot and Bobby Durkin should make up most of the minutes on the wing. Omot was very productive over a two-year span at North Dakota, averaging 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore, and started in a pair of games at Cal before an injury sidelined him for the rest year. Durkin should be one of the Gophers' best floor-spacing options, hitting 35.5% of his 3-pointers on 7.8 attempts per outing at Davidson last year.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was a starter for Medved with the Rams and is expected to remain in the role at Minnesota as a stretch four. San Jose State transfer Robert Vaihola should hold down the fort at the five, ranking in the top 250 in the nation in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and in the top 200 in block rate. Central Arkansas transfer big man Nehemiah Turner provides some extra size in the frontcourt while North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson and returning redshirt freshman Grayson Grove will both look to carve out roles in the rotation.
The Tigers and Gophers meet just over a week into the start of the 2025-26 season. It'll be the lone high-major team Mizzou hosts at home this year. Both Medved and Dennis Gates will need to have their teams prepared for the early-season matchup.
Go Gophers!!
In this series, we'll look ahead at Missouri's opponents in the upcoming 2025-26 season. We continue by previewing the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Date & Location: Nov. 12 at Mizzou Arena
2023-24 Record: 15-17, 7-13 Big Ten
2025 NCAA Tournament Finish: N/A
Torvik Preseason Rank: 83
KEY RETURNERS
Isaac Asuma (5.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg), Grayson Grove (redshirt)
KEY LOSSES
Kadyn Betts (transferred), Tyler Cochran (transferred), Trey Edmonds (graduated), Parker Fox (graduated), Dawson Garcia (graduated), Frank Mitchell (transferred), Mike Mitchell Jr. (graduated), Femi Odukale (graduated), Lu'Cye Patterson (graduated), Brandon Rigsby (graduated), Caleb Williams (graduated)
KEY INCOMING TRANSFERS
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (Colorado State, 9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 apg), Bobby Durkin (Davidson, 13.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 apg), Maximus Gizzi (Huntington University, 10.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg), BJ Omot (California, 10.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Langston Reynolds (Northern Colorado, 16.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.4 apg), Chance Stephens (Maryland, 1.3 ppg), Nehemiah Turner (Central Arkansas, 8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg), Cade Tyson (North Carolina, 2.6 pp, 1.1 rpg, 0.1 apg), Robert Vaihola (San Jose State, 7.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), Chansey Willis Jr. (Western Michigan, 16.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.8 apg)
KEY INCOMING FRESHMEN (rankings from 247Sports)
Kai Shinholster (N/A)
OUTLOOK
Despite going 7-7 down the stretch of the regular season, Ben Johnson couldn't overcome an 0-6 start to Big Ten play and a first-round exit in the conference tournament last year, with Minnesota moving on from the head coach this offseason. The school brought in Niko Medved as his replacement, who'd been at the helm at Colorado State for seven seasons, leading the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and earning the program's first win in the Big Dance in 12 years in March, upsetting No. 5 seed Memphis in the first round.
Medved is starting over with a mostly blank slate, hanging onto just two returners from Johnson's roster and bringing over just one player with him from CSU. With this being the head coach's first foray into high-major basketball, Medved chose to lean heavily on mid-major transfers to fill out his new team.
Chansey Willis Jr. out of Western Michigan and Langston Reynolds from Northern Colorado were the team's two biggest gets in the backcourt. Willis was one of the best playmakers in the country last season, accounting for 38.5% of the Broncos' assists while on the floor, the 11th-highest rate in the NCAA according to KenPom. Reynolds was the best player for a Bears team that won 25 games and a share of the Big Sky regular season championship and has proven to be an effective finisher inside, making 60.7% of his 2-pointers. Returning sophomore combo guard Isaac Asuma could push for a starting spot after a solid freshman campaign. Three-star rookie Kai Shinholster, seldom-used Maryland transfer Chance Stephens and veteran D2 transfer Maximus Gizzi will provide depth on the back end.
BJ Omot and Bobby Durkin should make up most of the minutes on the wing. Omot was very productive over a two-year span at North Dakota, averaging 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore, and started in a pair of games at Cal before an injury sidelined him for the rest year. Durkin should be one of the Gophers' best floor-spacing options, hitting 35.5% of his 3-pointers on 7.8 attempts per outing at Davidson last year.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was a starter for Medved with the Rams and is expected to remain in the role at Minnesota as a stretch four. San Jose State transfer Robert Vaihola should hold down the fort at the five, ranking in the top 250 in the nation in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and in the top 200 in block rate. Central Arkansas transfer big man Nehemiah Turner provides some extra size in the frontcourt while North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson and returning redshirt freshman Grayson Grove will both look to carve out roles in the rotation.
The Tigers and Gophers meet just over a week into the start of the 2025-26 season. It'll be the lone high-major team Mizzou hosts at home this year. Both Medved and Dennis Gates will need to have their teams prepared for the early-season matchup.
Go Gophers!!
