Overall Outlook for Minnesota in 2024-25
Not since the spring of 2019 have the Gophers played in an NCAA Tournament, which also happened to be the last time the program had won 20 or more games in a season. An NCAA Tournament still feels like a lofty goal for the Gophers as they prepare for 2024-25, but there remains a cautious sense of optimism in the Twin Cities.
The tangible progress the Gophers displayed last season shows that Johnson may be building something here, even if it has felt like a long and painful rebuild for fans. The roster turnover over the offseason was unfortunate, but the staff did a fine job pulling together a roster that appears to be in fairly good shape entering the season.
There will be growing pains for any team like this as they work in new pieces, but the Gophers have an established core with Garcia and Mitchell, and the new additions bring ample experience, which should limit the headaches for this coaching staff early on. Depth could be a concern at some spots, particularly with injuries already taking hold before things have even tipped off, which could force some of the younger pieces into larger roles than expected. But at least there are options, which wasn't the case during the first couple years of the Johnson era, when the team was essentially running seven-man rotations.
An NCAA Tournament run may still feel too ambitious in Minneapolis, but the Gophers still have enough to contend for a postseason berth. Hitting the 20-win threshold also feels like a reasonable goal given the soft non-conference and with the Big Ten wide open, this team could surprise quite a few folks.