Minnesota Basketball: Breaking down early projected 2023-24 rotation

Backcourt

Depth was a major concern in the Gopher backcourt this past season, resulting in Cooper playing nearly 37 minutes per game. The former Morehead State transfer was a welcome addition, providing a steady leader and scoring ability, but the weaknesses in his game were mirrored by the entire roster. Cooper turned the ball over too much and was a surprisingly ineffective free throw shooter, hovering at 61%. In his absence, Minnesota will turn elsewhere to run the offense.

Point Guard: Mike Mitchell Jr.

The loss of Cooper will still certainly be felt, but there’s some thought Minnesota may have upgraded by bringing in Mitchell from Pepperdine. After being named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team, Mitchell built on it with a huge ’22-’23. He finished with averages of 11.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 4.1 RPG, all while shooting 43% from the field. He’s a top-notch playmaker who should immediately jolt this anemic Gopher offense. But most importantly to Gopher fans after this past year, he’s efficient and can shoot free throws, finishing with an average of 76% at the stripe.

Shooting Guard: Braeden Carrington

Mitchell is set to run point, but the opportunity is there for Braeden Carrington to take over as starting shooting guard as a sophomore. A former Minnesota Mr. Basketball, Carrington played in 22 games and flashed plenty of upside, despite missing time with injuries. Although he never was quite able to find his jump shot, Carrington showed he could impact the game and contribute. He’s a quality defender and energetic offensive piece who can find ways to score. If the jump shot comes around, it wouldn’t be a shock if Carrington is the breakout player on this roster next winter.

Bench

Behind those two, there’s a whole lot of nothing returning in terms of proven, true guards. Minnesota native Will Ramberg earned a scholarship for this past season, but it’s unclear whether that will be the case in 2023-2024. Dartmouth grad transfer Taurus Samuels graduates after playing in 28 games and making 13 starts during his lone season in the Twin Cities.

Big things are expected of newcomer Cameron Christie, the younger brother of former Michigan State Spartan and current Los Angeles Laker Max Christie. The 6’5″ shooting guard was highly sought after by several other power-conference programs but should see immediate playing time under Johnson.

Expect the Gophers to be in play for a transfer or two to shore up this backcourt. They simply can’t go another year with the type of depth they had this past season.