University of Minnesota men’s basketball preview
MINNEAPOLIS (BVM) — The expectation for the University of Minnesota’s men’s basketball team this season could not be any lower. According to preseason Big Ten media polls, the Gophers are expected to be one of the teams at the bottom of the conference standings and the Gophers know this.
“We all kind of have that chip on our shoulder,” Minnesota’s new head coach Ben Johnson said during the B1G Ten Media Day. “I know we all want to do things that I’m sure a lot of people don’t think we can do, and that’s okay.”
Johnson was hired last spring after head coach Rick Pitino was fired last year. A Minnesota native and a former Gopher himself, Johnson was excited about the opportunity to coach for his alma mater but entered a situation that would be hard for any coach.
Following the Pitino firing and a losing season in which the Gophers lost 11 of their last 14 games, most of the 2020-2021 roster for Minnesota left through the transfer portal. The only two notable returning Gophers are Eric Curry and Isaiah Ihnen, but Ihnen has already been lost to a season–ending knee injury.
The rest of the roster has been brought together through the transfer portal to replace the players lost. Eleven of the 15 players on the roster are transfers, however, Minnesota has already lost two players to injury. Along with Ihnen, forward Parker Fox, a transfer from Northern State University (SD), was also out for the season with a knee injury.
“I got a different team, but a team that I love,” Johnson said. “A lot of guys that are trying to prove themselves.”
It is a group of transfers that are coming from mid-major programs and have never played together prior to this year. Curry will be important in bringing in the new group of players together as well as guard Payton Willis. Willis played for the Gophers in 2020 after transferring from Vanderbilt. He then transferred to Charleston where he played last season.
During his time in Minnesota, Willis averaged 8.9 points as a starter for the Gophers and will likely take the starting role once the season gets underway.
Forward Jamison Battle, a transfer from George Washington, and guard Eylijah Stephens also look like they will play important roles for the Gophers moving forward. Battle was an Atlantic-10 All-Conference Third Team honoree last year. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds last season and with the injuries to Fox and Ihnen, will be a vital post presence for Minnesota.
The Gophers will have their work cut out for them this year but Johnson knows that it is work that will benefit Minnesota in the long run. This first year is important and Johnson hopes it will be the foundation for Gopher basketball for years to come.
“I understand the special place that Minnesota is,” Johnson said. “I have a really good feeling and understanding of what we need to do every single day to keep elevating the bar, to get us to a point where we’re able to talk about a Big Ten championship, we’re able to talk about consistently being in the framework of the NCAA tournament.”
The Gophers will start the season Nov. 9 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City on the road.
“I know for our guys, we’re itching to get out there and get competing,” Johnson said.
