BleedGopher
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Per Marcus:
Dawson Garcia left big shoes to fill on his way out in the Gophers frontcourt. Parker Jefferson was supposed to be up next, but the team’s top incoming men’s basketball recruit decided new coach Niko Medved’s system wasn’t the best fit for him.
After Medved replaced Ben Johnson, and after the initial roster shakeout, the Gophers didn’t have have any frontcourt players returning with experience. The lone post from last season is freshman Grayson Grove, a promising redshirt from Alexandria.
Medved knows size and depth in the frontcourt is a must for the Gophers to compete in the Big Ten. He used the transfer portal to fill that void this spring.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, the only player to follow Medved from Colorado State to the U, might be a breakout candidate with the combination of versatility, athleticism and physical toughness to make the transition to major conference competition.
The 6-8, 230-pound Crocker-Johnson averaged 9.0 points last season as a third option. He had 12 points and five rebounds in Colorado State’s win against Memphis in the NCAA tournament first round in March.
A former Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year at Arkansas Little Rock in 2023-24, Crocker-Johnson is the type of talent that had shown major growth after one season under Medved.
In previous years at Colorado State, Medved developed David Roddy and Nique Clifford from productive starters in their first year into all-league and NBA-caliber players by the time they left college.
Crocker-Johnson was the first player to sign with the Gophers out of the portal. The latest piece to be added to the Gopher transfer class was Central Arkansas’ Nehemiah Turner.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Dawson Garcia left big shoes to fill on his way out in the Gophers frontcourt. Parker Jefferson was supposed to be up next, but the team’s top incoming men’s basketball recruit decided new coach Niko Medved’s system wasn’t the best fit for him.
After Medved replaced Ben Johnson, and after the initial roster shakeout, the Gophers didn’t have have any frontcourt players returning with experience. The lone post from last season is freshman Grayson Grove, a promising redshirt from Alexandria.
Medved knows size and depth in the frontcourt is a must for the Gophers to compete in the Big Ten. He used the transfer portal to fill that void this spring.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, the only player to follow Medved from Colorado State to the U, might be a breakout candidate with the combination of versatility, athleticism and physical toughness to make the transition to major conference competition.
The 6-8, 230-pound Crocker-Johnson averaged 9.0 points last season as a third option. He had 12 points and five rebounds in Colorado State’s win against Memphis in the NCAA tournament first round in March.
A former Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year at Arkansas Little Rock in 2023-24, Crocker-Johnson is the type of talent that had shown major growth after one season under Medved.
In previous years at Colorado State, Medved developed David Roddy and Nique Clifford from productive starters in their first year into all-league and NBA-caliber players by the time they left college.
Crocker-Johnson was the first player to sign with the Gophers out of the portal. The latest piece to be added to the Gopher transfer class was Central Arkansas’ Nehemiah Turner.
Analysis: Gophers coach Niko Medved’s frontcourt comes together piece-by-piece
Analysis: Gophers coach Niko Medved reshaped the team's frontcourt with some key transfers
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!