It is a new look for the Minnesota Golden Gophers when the ball tips off for the 2025-26 season.
Success at Colorado State
Niko Medved wrapped up a seven-year tour at Colorado State, finishing with an impressive 143-85 record while going 78-50 in Mountain West play. Medved was able to lead the Rams to the big dance in three of the last four years, along with an NIT bid in the 2020-21 season. Prior to Niko's gig at Colorado State, they had not punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2013, meaning it is fair to say that Medved put the Rams on the map. This turnaround and success, powered by Medved was enough for Minnesota to ink him to a six-year deal through the 2030-31 season.
What Niko Medved Has a Chance To Accomplish
Minnesota has not made its way to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. Niko, who is a Minnesota alumnus, will be the 19th head coach in the University of Minnesota's basketball program history. Of the previous 18 head coaches, only one has ever brought the Golden Gophers to the NCAA Tournament in his first year. Head Coach Bill Musselman (father of now USC Head Coach Eric Musselman) achieved this milestone back in the 1971-72 season, where the Gophers went 18-7 in the regular season, finishing as the Big Ten regular season champions. Since then, coaches have come and gone and the university is yet to see another head coach accomplish this feat, but if anyone is capable of overcoming this drought it is Niko Medved.
Why This Can Be The Year
Aside from the signing of the new head coach, Minnesota's roster has what it takes to make their way back to March Madness. Often times, and in this case Minnesota, when there are coaching changes in college basketball we see rosters get shaken up as players decommit from their schools or enter the transfer portal. Fortunately for Minnesota, they were able to solidify a convincing transfer class. Amongst their talent, the Golden Gophers will return now sophomore guard Isaac Asuma. In just his freshman year, the 6-foot-3 ball handler averaged 5.6 points per game in 32 games off the bench.
Asuma is expected to take a big leap forward this year. When in comes to the incoming transfers, Coach Medved brought with him junior forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson from Colorado State. Crocker-Johnson averaged nine points per game on 49.1% from the field in 36 games a year ago.
Another huge addition for this team, and arguably the most gamechanging, is Chansey Willis Jr., a Detroit native who is a senior transfer from Western Michigan. Willis Jr. led the Mid-American Conference in scoring as he averaged 16.8 points per game paired with 5.8 assists per game. The list of transfers can go on but the main point is that through thick and thin this team will be deep and versatile.
The Takeaway
There are several encouraging signs for Minnesota to clock into the NCAA Tournament this upcoming season. Despite this, their road there will not be easy. Minnesota will be competing in arguably the best conference in college basketball; a conference that had eight teams selected into the past tournament. The bottomline is that they will first have to take care of business against their non-conference opponents.
When Big Ten play comes around a potential x-factor will be how they play in their first few games. Getting off to a hypothetical 1-4 start in conference play can destroy confidence and have a locker room lost. It will be an uplifting feeling for Gopher fans if their squad can hold their own before the crunch time of the season. With all this being said, Gopher fans have something to be excited about for the first time in a while.