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Minnesota Basketball: Projected depth chart and rotation for 2023-24 season

By Tommy McGowan

Feb 25, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson watches action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson watches action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Minnesota Basketball
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

Small Forward

Starter – Joshua Ola-Joseph: 7.4 PPG / 2.7 RPG / 22.1 MPG

Although Joshua Ola-Joseph primarily saw minutes at the four spot last season, it’s likely the sophomore will fill the small forward role in 2023-24 now that Jamison Battle is with Ohio State. There were plenty of growing pains for Ola-Joseph in Year One, but he also displayed enough to believe that he could be a valuable piece moving forward.

Ola-Joseph’s offensive game is still limited at this point in his career, but he’s extremely active around the rim and has a knack for acrobatic finishes. If he can develop any type of consistent shooting stroke, even from mid-range, he becomes a much more dangerous piece.

Defensively, Ola-Joseph’s versatility is going to be huge for this Gopher team. He was often tasked with defending much larger bigs a season ago but with more depth up front, should be spending more time on the perimeter. He’s got exceptionally quick feet and is difficult to bully with his frame; I genuinely think he has potential to make the All-Defensive Team in the league.

Off the bench – Kadyn Betts

A late addition to the roster prior to last season, Kadyn Betts reclassified and ended up taking a redshirt year in 2022-23. That gave a valuable chance to learn the ins and outs of the program and continue to grow, and I’m super high on his long-term upside. At 6’8″, 215 pounds, he has plenty of positional versatility and has potential to be an impactful two-way piece. However, with the frontcourt suddenly a bit crowded, it’s likely Betts will be more of a role player this season.

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