It’s been a rough two years for head coach Ben Johnson since taking over at his alma mater in the Twin Cities. Minnesota Basketball has gone just 22-39 overall and a lowly 6-33 inside the Big Ten since his arrival, but as he enters a pivotal third season there is hope that better days are on the horizon.
Despite the transfers of Ta’lon Cooper and Jamison Battle, two key pieces from the 2022-23 team, the Gophers came away as winners over the offseason. They landed a pair of guards, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Elijah Hawkins, who are expected to contribute right away and most importantly, kept nearly their entire young core intact. That includes a trio of sophomores, Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph, and Braeden Carrington, who all showed flashes during a brutal campaign last winter
Those returnees, along with the healthy returns of two players who have missed each of the last two seasons (Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen) suddenly mean that minutes will be hard to come by in 2023-24. It will be Johnson’s most experienced roster since he has arrived and there is enough potential to believe this upcoming season could be a turning point for the program. However, the Gophers clearly have a long way to go before being considered any type of threat in the deep Big Ten.
Instead, this season should be all about steady progress and continued growth for the young guys, which could set up the team to return to the postseason in 2024-25, for the first time since before COVID.
Point Guard
Starter – Mike Mitchell Jr.: 11.4 PPG / 4.1 RPG / 5.0 APG / 33.6 MPG
Mike Mitchell Jr. was a huge get for Johnson and his staff, particularly after a season in which the Gopher backcourt was the worst in the Big Ten. The junior comes over from Pepperdine after starting all 63 games for the Waves the last two seasons. He brings immediate playmaking to the position and is the type of player who can impact the game in a variety of ways.
Most importantly for the Gophers, Mitchell brings a proven shooter and distributor who doesn’t turn the ball over too often. That alone should make an upgrade after the Gophers were one of the most turnover-prone teams in the country last season, and finished dead last in Division I basketball at the free throw line.
Off the bench – Elijah Hawkins: 12.9 PPG / 6.0 APG / 29.7 MPG
Just as important as the Mitchell transfer was the addition of Elijah Hawkins, who comes over from Howard after starting 26 games for the Bison last season. Much like Mitchell, the playmaking of Hawkins will immediately jolt a lethargic Gopher offense, but his most impactful trait? His ability to shoot the three ball. He shot 47% from three-point territory in 2022-23, despite taking nearly four per contest.
It will be interesting to see whether Hawkins’ role is more as a backup point guard, or whether Johnson chooses to run him alongside Mitchell in the starting lineup. At 5’11”, he’s not going to play the two in the Big Ten, but Minnesota is going to want to get the talented guard on the court as much as possible, even as he acclimates to the high-major level.
Emergency – Jackson Purcell
Although there has been talk that true freshman Cam Christie could see some minutes at point guard, the more likely scenario is that former walk-on Jackson Purcell operates as No. 3 at the position. Purcell has played just one game, for a total of three minutes, during his Gopher career but played the position in high school and could be utilized as an emergency option.
Shooting guard
Starter – Braeden Carrington: 5.9 PPG / 3.6 RPG / 20 MPG
Depending on what Johnson chooses to do with Mitchell and Hawkins will determine how the minutes are distributed at shooting guard. My bet is that, while Mitchell and Hawkins see ample playing time, sophomore Braeden Carrington emerges as the starter here.
Carrington, a former Minnesota Mr. Basketball, had flashes during his first season on campus and ended up playing 20 minutes per game during the lost season. Although his shooting touch from high school didn’t carry over into his debut campaign, he showed the ability to get to the rim and provided great energy on both ends. If he continues to develop, he should be a difference-maker this winter for the Gophers, but staying healthy will be critical. Carrington missed nine games due to injury last year and if the injury bug bites again, it could stall his development.
Off the bench – Cam Christie
Cam Christie was the gem of Johnson’s 2023 high school class and should see immediate action in this backcourt. The younger brother of former Michigan State star Max, Christie has ideal size (6’5″) for the position and a smooth stroke. But, he’ll also need time to adjust to the rugged and physical nature of the Big Ten, so I expect him to be more of a rotation piece in 2023-24, at least to begin the season.
Rotation – Will Ramberg: 2.1 PPG / 3.1 RPG / 12.6 MPG
Another former walk-on, Will Ramberg was forced into a larger role than expected last season due to how thin the Gophers were in the backcourt. Ramberg is never going to be a significant contributor but proved to be a decent defender and at least passable in short spurts. He’ll likely see his role reduced with the addition of three newcomers, but provides a depth piece with some experience.
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.
Power Forward
Starter – Dawson Garcia: 15.3 PPG / 6.7 RPG / 31.8 MPG
The unquestioned face of the program now that Battle has moved on is Dawson Garcia. After stints at Marquette and North Carolina, Garcia returned home to the Twin Cities and following some initial growing pains, was the most consistent player on the Gopher roster a year ago. He averaged 15.3 PPG on 46% shooting and was also a reliable rebounder on both the offensive and defensive glass.
The next step for Garcia will be continuing to grow as a leader and, hopefully, further development defensively. There were times last season when Garcia seemed fine taking a backseat in the offense but if he grows to be more assertive, he has All-Big Ten potential. On the other end, Garcia has never been known as a top-tier defender, but was good enough in 2022-23. If he can become even better, a soft Gopher defense will be much more ferocious.
Off the bench – Parker Fox
There is no greater wild card on the Gopher roster this year than Parker Fox. A former Division II All-American, Fox also returned home to play for Ben Johnson and the Gophers, but has had miserable injury luck. He’s missed both of the last two seasons with knee injuries and been relegated to an energetic sideline presence.
I’m still hopeful Fox can regain his old form and be a contributor on this year’s Minnesota team, but it’s fair to have questions. He was known as a bouncy and agile athlete, but will that remain the case after two significant injuries? Fox is already a fan favorite and even seeing him on the court this winter will be a treat.
Off the bench – Isaiah Ihnen
Isaiah Ihnen is the lone player still on the roster from the Richard Pitino era and much like Fox, he has had terrible injury luck. Ihnen played 50 games over his first two seasons on campus but has also missed the last two years due to injury and will be entering unfamiliar territory in 2023-24.
The redshirt junior is a fascinating player, a player originally from Germany who is 6’10” with a 7’4″ wingspan. And, you saw some of the potential during the Ihnen era, although he fell far too in love with his three-point shot for my taste during the 2020-21 campaign. There’s certainly potential for him to become an important piece for this team this year, but he’s such a mystery at this point in his career.
Limited minutes – Erick Reader & Kris Keinys
I don’t suspect we will be seeing much of the other two pieces from the 2023 Class in Erick Reader and Lithuanian Kris Keinys, but considering the injury history with Fox and Ihnen, who knows? Reader is a walk-on from inside the state, while Keinys comes over after playing three seasons in the National Basketball League (NKL) of Lithuania.
Center
Starter – Pharrel Payne 8.2 PPG / 5.2 RPG / 22 MPG
Pharrel Payne was one of the few reasons to tune into Minnesota basketball last season. His thunderous slams were one of the few reasons Williams Arena was ever rocking in 2022-23 and he showed potential to be a key piece for the program moving forward.
Now a sophomore, it’s highly likely that Payne will step into a full-time starting role. He played about as well as could have been expected of a true freshman big playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the country, but Year Two could set the stage for a major jump forward. Payne is still looking to round out his game and will look to cut down on his fouls on the other end, but the physical tools are certainly there and the entire program is super high on him. He could be one of the league’s breakout stars this season.
Limited minutes – Jack Wilson: 0.3 PPG / 0.4 RPG / 2.9 MPG
Minnesota added much-need size with the arrival of Washington State transfer Jack Wilson. Wilson appeared in 25 games for the Cougar football team before joining the basketball program in December and playing 40 minutes total. Wilson is at least a big body, but the Gophers are hoping they won’t have to lean on his services too often this winter.
Minnesota brought in several key transfers at need positions over the offseason and are hopeful that the young pieces on the roster can grow up quickly this year. It will almost certainly still be a rebuilding year but after winning just two league games last season, just about anything should be viewed as progress.