Minnesota Basketball: Top-30 C Dennis Evans a massive pickup for program
Minnesota Basketball Head coach Ben Johnson has been in need of landing talent to build up the program. Five-star talent Dennis Evans helps that process.
When Ben Johnson took over as head coach of Minnesota Basketball, the task to rebuild the talent of the roster to compete at the Big Ten level was high. Last season’s roster was filled with transfers but all in all, they were competitive, led by leading scorer and rebounder Jamison Battle.
This offseason, the Gophers took another step in roster building by landing UNC transfer, Dawson Garcia. He struggles last year in his role with the Tar Heels but was fantastic as a freshman at Marquette. Garcia now returns home to Minnesota and will be the clear starter for them this upcoming season.
They’re in a good place but need more talent both inside and out. And that means starting to land top-50 prospects consistently. The good news for the program is that they were able to do that this week in Dennis Evans.
2023 five-star big man Dennis Evans has committed to Minnesota pic.twitter.com/KnOybbPPsF
— Travis Graf (@TravisGrafHoops) October 17, 2022
A consensus top-40 prospect that some recruiting services have listed as a five-star in the 2023 class. He’s the highest-ranked commit for Minnesota Basketball since Daniel Oturu in 2018. Evans is an incredibly raw and young prospect but has NBA-level potential. He’s 7’1 and moves effortlessly on the court. Evans is already an elite shot-blocker and overall interior defender and if he gets some more bulk, will become an absolute force in the Big Ten.
If either Battle or Garcia leaves after next season, the remaining forward can pair with Evans to make for a talented frontcourt for the Gophers. But if both return, that’s a trio that can make the team an NCAA Tournament contender in the 2023-24 campaign. They’d just have to land a veteran ball-handler to round out the roster.
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Minnesota beat out TCU for Evans and gives them a star recruit in the 2023 class, joining four-star shooting guard, Cameron Christie. Part of the reason why Coach Johnson was picked to run the program was to get better on the recruiting trail. Now with what’s building up with this current class, the move is paying off.