The Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA tournament hopes came to an end over the weekend with a second round Big Ten tournament loss to the Michigan St. Spartans. The Gophers were able to hang in there with hot shooting taking a close game into half time. However, the hot shooting came to an end, and the better team eventually prevailed and won the game.
The regular season can be marked by better success than expected. Coach Ben Johnson was able to rally the squad to a 9-11 conference record, a huge upgrade from last season. They were also able to hang in there with some tough teams that we did not even stand a chance against last season, especially on the road. However, the limited strength of the non-conference schedule set Minnesota up for failure later in the year.
Some key wins throughout the year include home wins over Michigan St. and Ohio St. Both of these games were big confidence boosters for the Gophers towards the end of the season. However, they did not end up being enough to push Minnesota into the NCAA tournament. It has become almost impossible to reach the tournament without quad one wins and that is exactly what the Gophers lacked throughout the season. Losses to Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois were all places to get it done, but that is what separates tournament and non tournament teams.
The season’s top scorer was Dawson Garcia who has been the only constant for Gopher basketball in recent years. He had 17.7 points per game and another team high 6.6 rebounds per game. Another great addition to Gopher basketball this season was Elijah Hawkins. Hawkins led the country in assists for most of the year and ended up with 7.5 per game. Finally, the arrival of Cam Christie awakened the gophers. The freshman scored 11.3 points per game and shot lights on from three throughout the season.
The Gophers will have one more shoot this week in the NIT tournament which tips off Tuesday the 19th. Minnesota will be tasked with a strong Butler team, however it is still another chance to see them play. It would be fun to get a few wins but the future of the NIT seems to be in danger. This has come to light as bubble teams feel they have been snubbed and do not compete in the lesser of tournaments. However, such has not stopped the Gophs!
However, the biggest problem that faces the future of the Gophers will come alive in the off season. The Gophers have struggled to keep players in town, losing key player Jamison Battle to Ohio St. just last season. With the addition of NIL deals guys like Cam Christie will be in the spotlight for better, stronger programs with his freshman status.
The Gophers are currently active in the transfer portal reaching out to smaller schools trying to draw in a top scorer. This worked out last year with Hawkins, but getting players to come here out of high school is the real problem. The worst part of it all being that schools like Iowa St. and Wisconsin are getting most of Minnesota’s best high school players.
Overall, it was a season of rebuild and new beginnings for Minnesota. Things are on the rise and coach Ben Johnson seems to be finding his place in Minnesota. Key moves will need to be made for this trend to continue with the NCAA tournament a true goal for the team. The Gophers may never again compete for an NCAA title, but being competitive in the conference will be the goal in coming years.
