Ben Johnson has been fired from his post as Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coach. Now, athletic director Mark Coyle is supposed to be on the prowl for the next leader of a program that has not reached the NCAA Tournament in six seasons.

According to reports, however, the search is already over. Coyle has his guy, in Colorado State head coach Niko Medved, a University of Minnesota alum who was born and raised in the Minneapolis area. On Saturday, the Rams won the Mountain West Conference Tournament by knocking off Boise State, 69-56, locking in their NCAA Tournament reservation.

Despite remaining outside the top 25 all season, Medved’s Rams finished 2024-25 with a 25-9 record. Colorado State’s automatic bid to March Madness also means that any hiring announcement involving Medved and his alma mater will have to wait. This is Niko’s second-straight NCAA tournament appearance with the Rams, and third in the last four years.

Next reported Minnesota Gophers coach Niko Medved is tourney bound

On Selection Sunday, the (reported) future Minnesota Gophers head coach and his Colorado State Rams received the No. 12 seed in the West Region. Their first game is Friday, March 21 vs the 5-seed Memphis Tigers, who went 29-5 this season under former NBA legend Anfernee Hardaway, who’s in his 7th season running the program.

THE FULL MEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET 🔥

Make YOUR bracket today: https://t.co/L5KEvF9ly1 pic.twitter.com/pk2elXIKP4

— ESPN (@espn) March 16, 2025

The 12-5 matchup remains one of the most intriguing among NCAA tournament draws on a yearly basis. 55 times a 12-seed has upset the 5 seed since 1985. The 35.26 winning percentage makes that matchup one of the most intently studied by bettors and prognosticators.

Ben Johnson has been on the hot seat for months. Beyond a desire to ignore NIL initiatives, he compiled a terrible 56-71 record as the Minnesota Gophers head coach. It sounds like Colorado State’s Niko Medved could be the next hire, but first he has to deal with Memphis in the NCAA tournament.

What are Colorado State’s chances in round one?

Anfernee Hardaway has a 161-67 career record at Memphis. This will be his third NCAA tournament appearance with the Tigers, who peaked at No. 14 in the AP poll this season and won the American Athletic Conference regular season title.

You can’t call the Colorado State Rams an upset pick next week, when FanDuel Sportsbook has Niko Medved & Co. listed as 2.5 point favorites over the Memphis Tigers. Should they advance, they could very well play 4-seed Maryland, out of the Big Ten, in the round of 32. Matching up with the terrapins would give Medved an early look at life in his new conference.

Related: Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach

The Minnesota Gophers need a serious jolt of excitement for the program. Hiring someone like Medved, who could come in off a tourney run, would certainly accomplish that. The 26-7 overall New Mexico Lobos made the tournament as the regular season winners of the Mountain West Conference. They are led by former Golden Gophers head coach, Richard Pitino.

More must-reads:

• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach
• What We Learned About Gophers Basketball During 9th-Straight Loss vs Wisconsin

Outside of a Final Four run in 1997 that was removed from the NCAA record books just a few years later, the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team has never been a regular March Madness participant. For most of the program’s history, it has been a middling Big Ten team happy just to make the dance.

But while Ben Johnson was head coach, over the last four seasons, they weren’t even that. Never once did any of Ben’s four Golden Gophers squads even get close to sniffing the NCAA Tournament. The furthest they made it was on NIT Tournament victory in 2024.

For his time in Dinkytown, Johnson will be known for having the worst winning percentage (56-71 | .441) of any University of Minnesota men’s head basketball coach in school history, who got more than three seasons at the helm.

In the days since, there have been a handful of coaches mentioned as possible replacements for Ben Johnson. The names have included some familiar candidates, like Ryan Saunders, Sam Mitchell and Colorado State’s Niko Medved.

Minnesota Gophers expected to hire Niko Medved as next men’s basketball coach

There were some others possibly in the mix too, but it appears Coyle has already made his decision. According to longtime local insider (especially U of M athletics) David Shama of Shama Sports Headliners, the University of Minnesota is poised to hire Niko Medved as its next head basketball coach.

Sources believe Niko Medved will be the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.  Those sources include a former college basketball coach with Minnesota ties who called Sports Headliners Friday to say Medved, head coach at Colorado State since 2018, will succeed Ben Johnson who was dismissed earlier this week after four losing Big Ten seasons.

That source, speaking on condition of anonymity, believes a deal has been agreed to between Medved and the U.

David Shama – Shama Sports Headliners

For months, most reports had Ben getting a 5th season as head coach. But athletic director Mark Coyle put that to bed, when he fired Johnson hours after their final game of the season, a loss vs Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament.

Niko Medved was born in Minneapolis and raised in the Twin Cities. He graduated from Roseville high school in 1992, before quickly jumping into coaching, a career he started at Macalester college from 1997-1999. From there, he joined the coaching staff at Furman University, before being hired by Dan Monson, as a member of his Gophers coaching staff in 2006.

Related: Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

Monson was fired halfway through that season, which ended up being a blessing in disguise for Medved, who immediately landed on the Colorado State staff in 2007, where he remained an assistant until 2013, when he was promoted to head coach. In his 7 seasons leading the Rams, Medved is 140-84 with three NCAA Tournament appearances, soon to be four.

Mark Coyle had his plan when he fired Ben Johnson

For those of you who enjoy listening to Darren Wolfson‘s scoop sessions every week on SKOR North, this news isn’t a surprise to you. On Thursday, Doogie reported that Coyle already knew who he wanted to hire and that the process in finding Minnesota’s next men’s basketball coach will wrap up in expedited fashion.

“Mark Coyle always has a plan. It’s not like he fired Ben then said ‘ok, what should we do now?’. Mark Coyle already has his guy, I’m just telling you. It may take a few days, but Mark knows exactly what he’s doing. But whoever that next guy is, let’s say Niko Medved of Colorado State, whoever that next guy is… is a whole lot going to change?”

“Mark knows what he is doing. I don’t randomly say the name, Niko Medved. That would be the name more than any, that I would keep an eye on… Mark Coyle knows exactly what he is doing and I would have Niko Medved at the top of any list…Look at the name, Niko Medved.”

Darren Wolfson – SKOR North

As Wolfon notes above, Coyle is a very intentional person. He would not have fired Ben Johnson if he didn’t have a replacement plan already in mind, probably already in place.

Related: What We Learned About Gophers in Crushing Loss vs Northwestern

Another hint came when the Minnesota Gophers announced they were retaining assistant coach Dave Thorson, longtime head coach at DeLaSalle high school, and a great friend of Niko Medved. This is a great hire and hopefully the beginning of a much more exciting era of Golden Gophers basketball.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach
• What We Learned About Gophers Basketball During 9th-Straight Loss vs Wisconsin

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team lost their 17th game of the season on Wednesday, a 72-64 dud in their first round Big Ten Tournament game vs the Northwestern Wildcats. Ben Johnson’s 2024-25 Golden Gophers finished 15-17. Sadly, that’s the second-best record Ben has enjoyed during his 4-year tenure in Dinkytown.

This week’s B1G Tourney loss made Ben Johnson 56-71 (.441) as University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach, 22-57 in Big Ten play. His .441 overall winning percentage is the worst of any men’s head basketball coach in school history, who was on the job for three years or more (see table below).

Ben Johnson fired as University of Minnesota Gophers men’s head basketball coach

But in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Ben Johnson finally met his fate when athletic director Mark Coyle announced at 1 a.m. CDT that the De La Salle and U of M alum had been fired from his dream job as Minnesota Golden Gophers head basketball coach.

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle has announced that the University has parted ways with men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson.

“I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament and informed him that we were making a change in leadership. I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well.

U of M AD Mark Coyle statement

There were reports recently saying that Ben Johnson’s job felt safe. But that’s because this was a Mark Coyle decision, and he wasn’t letting anyone in on it. Unlike when Ben was hired, Coyle was not going to allow high-powered alumni and boosters influence his decision to fire the first time head coach.

Ben Johnson goes down as one of the worst men’s basketball coaches in U of M history

You have to go back 100 years — to Harold Taylor from 1925 to 1927 — in order to find a former Gophers MBB coach who lost a bigger percentage of his games than Johnson, who was allowed more time on the job. Any other head coach whose teams performed as poorly as Ben’s were all fired within one or two years of getting the job.

In other words, good riddance. Ben Johnson, according to every single person who has ever run into him, is a wonderful person. Great. But this is a cut-throat business. The only way anyone cares about your personality is if you win first, something Johnson failed to do for four full seasons.

Ben’s biggest failure, without a doubt, was in Name, Image and Likeness. He got his job at the same time NIL was taking over college sports. Instead of embracing change and fundraising NIL early, to get ahead of other schools, Johnson ignored it. In the end, that cost him his job.

Mark Coyle starts the search for next Gophers MBB coach

Now, Coyle is on the hunt for a new leader of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball program, and he believes it’s a job a lot of coaches around the country are going to want.

“These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation. The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years. 

This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court. We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men’s basketball coach.”

U of M AD Mark Coyle statement

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• What We Learned About Gophers Basketball During 9th-Straight Loss vs Wisconsin

A week ago the Minnesota Gophers basketball season was on the brink. Despite being home favorites against a mediocre Northwestern Wildcats squad, Ben Johnson couldn’t get his team away from being “mentally stuck.”

But a victory on the road against Nebraska got the underdog Gophers moving in the correct direction again, before returning to The Barn one final time this season vs the No.12 ranked rival Wisconsin Badgers.

This had all of the makings for Ben Johnson’s Golden Gophers to climb back into the Big Ten Tournament race and hopefully convince decision makers at the University of Minnesota to retain him as head coach for a fifth season in 2026. Of course, that’s not how it went.

No mental blocks for Minnesota Gophers early

Last time the Gophers played at The Barn, Ben Johnson’s team came out flat and didn’t look like they were ready for the contest. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday night. Dawson Garcia nailed his first three-point attempt to record his 2,000th career point.

The senior gets us started!

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/g5qZS98FmE

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) March 6, 2025

After a quick five-second turnover, The Barnyard rang out a loud “F*** Wisconsin chant.” Then the runs started, but Johnson has his team ready to counter punch. The Badgers went on a 12-0 stretch before the Gophers responded with a 9-0 run of their own.

Related: What We Learned About Gophers in Crushing Loss vs Northwestern

The Badgers may have been the better team on Wednesday night, but Minnesota wasn’t going to let them run away, something that is tough to do against a team that’s best known for its lockdown defense. And we saw that at Williams Arena tonight, when the Gophers forced the Badgers into nine first half turnovers.

Wisconsin led 33-27 at halftime, a lead that felt like it should have been substantially wider, after Minnesota shot just 38% from the field. If there was a halftime speech to be shared, it should have been about just how close Johnson’s team was despite failing to make shots.

Roster construction shows Minnesota Gophers weakness

As was the case last week against Northwestern, Ben Johnson’s desired rotations often have matchups out of sorts. Garcia locked down Nick Martinelli in the first half, but a need for offense gave the Wildcats scorer free reign in the second half.

Wisconsin brought a pair of big men (both from Minnesota) in Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter. That duo stands at a combined 14 feet of height with both being exactly 7’0.” Winter started the game guarding Garcia, but it was just how talented the Badgers were in the post that created a gap.

Three Inbounds plays 🟰 7 points for UW

Nolan Winter collects five points off two baseline out-of-bounds plays, while Carter Gilmore gets two of his own

WIS 40, MIN 33 | 15:33 1H pic.twitter.com/XvccT32Pyo

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 6, 2025

Related: Ben Johnson’s Gophers Basketball Program Still Way Behind in NIL

Five minutes into the second half the Gophers were being outrebounded 23-18. Frank Mitchell, who put together a nice game as the first Minnesota player with double-digits, helped to secure his part alongside Garcia. Mitchell grabbed ten boards to Garcia’s seven, but Wisconsin finished with a plus-nine differential.

At 6’11,” Garcia is the only Gophers player with height to his advantage. He often plays on the perimeter, and Mitchell’s 6’8″ frame is aided largely by girth. Minnesota didn’t have the big men to keep up, and screen switches often has players like Brennan Rigbsy (6’3″) and Femi Odukale (6’6″) banging for their lives in the post.

Six rotation seniors are on their way out for the Gophers, and finding some height and post play is a must. Although he is just 6’5″ White Bear Lake native Jack Janicki put up some big minutes for the Badgers down the stretch as well. Minnesota keeping kids like that home would be huge.

Seniors show out for the MN Gophers late

Midway through the second half the Gophers found themselves still trailing, but a pair of seniors clearly weren’t wanting their final home game to be a loss. Dawson Garcia poured in a bucket to reach double-digits on the evening.

AND 1

Brennan Rigsby is FIRED UP @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/cxmZywQC2N

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 6, 2025

Brennan Rigbsy, the Oregon transfer who scored a career-high 20 points against Nebraska last time out, had a second act. He nailed a pair of big three point field goals, and his hard work all night started to show up in the box score. Rigsby finished with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Related: Alumni & Boosters Again Trying to Influence Minnesota Gophers MBB Coaching Hire

PATTERSON. BOTTOM. THE BARN IS ROCKING.

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/7OTrGuiBCY

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) March 6, 2025

With around eight minutes left in the game Lu’Cye Patterson, Minneapolis’ own, sank his second three-pointer of the night. It gave the Gophers a 53-51 lead. That was just the second lead they held all night, and first since Garcia made it 3-0.

Rigsby threw down another slam late and did his best to keep the Gophers crowd in it. It seems a bit shocking he drew just 10 starts this season, and the senior probably could have helped to run Minnesota’s point a bit better. Asked postgame about a lack of starting, he noted a desire to just continue showing up for his teammates.

Brennan Rigsby on sporadic playing time through the season: I think a little bit of it was the team was playing pretty good, they were going on a little stretch. I trust the coaches, and they’re trying to win just like I’m trying to win. https://t.co/GMrTzIDPtT#Gophers pic.twitter.com/ovFklaSlAc

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) March 6, 2025

“I mean, we have just talked about going out there and being confident. Doing what I do. Just trying to bring energy to the team, crowd. I think a little of it was, the team was playing pretty good, you know? They were going on a little stretch. I trust the coaches. They’re trying to win just like I’m trying to win. That’s the biggest thing.”

Brennan Rigsby on playing time (Gopher Hole)

Prior to the Nebraska win, Rigsby had played just a total of 11 minutes combined in the three previous contests. After starting the first ten games, Johnson had Rigsby on the court for 15 minutes or less in 13 of the final 17 games. His early 31.6% shooting and nine turnovers in those starts didn’t earn him enough leash it seems.

Minnesota Gophers just didn’t have enough

It was fun to see The Barn rocking. Despite being a lackluster facility overall, and largely filled with Badgers fans for this sellout, the atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately the Gophers threw all of their haymakers and Johnson had no final answers to pull from his bag.

Wisconsin fans dominated the cheering in the final minute as home fans poured out of the exits. Parker Fox finished with four fouls and wasn’t going to get his fifth before walking off the court for the last time. Garcia and Rigbsy did everything they could, but it wasn’t going to match up with a legit National Championship contender.

Now Mark Coyle and the Gophers athletic department have to decide if Ben Johnson is enough. The team won plenty more games than anyone expected them to within the Big Ten. They also routinely got in their own way and couldn’t make in-game adjustments.

It hasn’t been a great experiment, and we’ve reached a decision making point. Minnesota is back in action on Sunday against Rutgers. They remain positioned to make the Big Ten tournament as one of the final teams in.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

Ben Johnson and the Minnesota Gophers just wrapped up a West Coast road trip vs new Big Ten rivals USC and UCLA. Just like the football team, they welcomed the conference newcomers with a sweep of both SoCal schools. Even more impressive, they had to overcome double-digit second half deficits in each of the two contests.

The Gophers found themselves trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half Tuesday night vs UCLA. That was before Dawson Garcia took over in the second half, pouring in 27 points of his 32 total points to lead the comeback. With the win, Minnesota moves to 6-9 in the Big Ten and 14-12 overall, inching closer to securing a spot in the conference tournament.

Check Out: How to Watch March Madness in 2025

Minnesota Gophers trying to keep March Madness hopes alive

After stumbling to an 0-6 start in conference play, many had already written off head coach Ben Johnson as a fired coach walking, including this website’s founder, Eric Strack. But that all changed back on January 16, when the Minnesota Gophers shocked the No. 20 ranked Michigan Wolverines at the Barn to earn their first conference victory.

Including that win over Michigan, Ben’s club has gone 6-3 in their last nine games. Those six victories include two ranked wins, four road wins and four quad one wins. It’s inarguably the best stretch of basketball played by the Golden Gophers since Ben Johnson took the job four years ago.

After last night’s win, the Minnesota Gophers climbed up in the NET rankings, the key rank used by the NCAA Tournament committee for March Madness seedings. Before the win over UCLA, the Golden Gophers were sitting at 95th in the NET. After the victory, they jumped to 89th, improving to 4-8 in Quad 1 games this season.

Unfortunately, some of Minnesota’s losses this season have completely cratered their NET ranking, which is why — even though they sit above teams like Iowa, Rutgers, Nebraska and Northwestern in the Big Ten standings –they still rank as the second-worst team in the conference, according to the NET Rankings, just ahead of Washington.

However, the Gophers have now nearly secured a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, which now includes the top 15 of the 18 teams, the Gophers can shift their focus to something bigger: a potential trip to the Big Dance. And believe it or not, their path might be easier than you’d expect.

In their final five games, the Gophers have a pretty manageable schedule. They’ll face three of the weaker teams in the conference, Penn State, Northwestern, and Rutgers, while also taking on a solid Nebraska squad. On top of that, they’ll have another shot at a Quad 1 win when they go up against Wisconsin.

If the Gophers can finish the season strong, either winning out to go 11-9 in the Big Ten (19-12) or even going 4-1 to end up 10-10 (18-13), they’d have a real shot at making the NCAA Tournament, as they enter the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, where they’ll have more opportunities for Quad 1 and 2 wins to pad their resume.

Related: Ben Johnson’s Gophers Basketball Program Still Way Behind in NIL

It’s a bummer that the Gophers took so long to find their rhythm this season, especially given some of the brutal teams they have lost to. Their uglies L’s came vs Quad 3 Wichita State (No. 137 NET), Quad 3 Washington (94), Quad 2 North Texas (56), and Quad 2 Wake Forest (58). Turn their Quad 3 losses into wins and Minnesota’s outlook would be completely different.

If they fall short of the Big Dance, the NIT Tournament is still very much on the table. Last year, the Gophers found themselves in a similar position, finishing with a 19-15 record and 9-11 in conference play, which was good enough to qualify for the NIT, as a Wild Card seed.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

The Minnesota Gophers had an impressive run, securing three consecutive victories which included back-to-back wins against ranked opponents. However, they’ve hit a rough patch recently, losing their last two games. This skid included a particularly disappointing defeat to Washington, who are at the bottom of the conference.

After briefly easing some of the pressure with that win streak, Ben Johnson’s seat is scorching hot again. But he does have one classic excuse, that he doesn’t have enough NIL money to work with. Is that an excuse or is it his fault? You can argue that. There’s no debating the actual problem, however.

Check Out: How to Watch March Madness in 2025

Minnesota basketball needs to find more NIL money ASAP

According to longtime Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters, the Gophers are still way behind when it comes to NIL money. He reports that the average top 25 college basketball team spends around $4 million per season on its roster.

The Gophers, meanwhile, aren’t even shelling out a third of that. One big problem with the Minnesota Gophers current NIl situation is that they do not have an agent to help facilitate and secure top recruits.

Meanwhile, the NIL price tag for a top-25 team now is in the $4 million a year range, and the Gophers aren’t close to even a third of that. What Minnesota doesn’t have is an agent who can deliver impact players to the program.

Charley Walters – PionnerPress

Last season, the Gophers had a solid squad, featuring freshman Cam Christie. He’s now with the LA Clippers. But, they lost a lot of key players to the transfer portal. Pharrel Payne, a Cottage Grove native, took a $40,000-per-month NIL deal to play at Texas A&M.

Standout point guard Elijah Hawkins is making $30,000 a month at Texas Tech. Isaiah Ihnen is putting up 10.4 points per game as a starter for Liberty. Homegrown Braeden Carrington is one of the best players at Tulsa and Brooklyn Park’s own Joshua Ola-Joseph is averaging 7.6 points in 18.1 minutes per game for California.

The Gophers program need’s an NIL agent

The Gophers caught a huge break this season by managing to keep their best player, Dawson Garcia. He wasn’t in it for the money, he just wanted one more season with his hometown team. But in today’s world of college sports, that kind of loyalty won’t last forever.

The Gophers need to start adapting, and that could mean making a change at head coach first. Minnesota has nine games left, and every single one matters as they fight for a spot in the Big Ten tournament, which only takes the top 15 of 18 teams.

Related: Gopher Basketball’s Dawson Garcia Crowned by Big Ten After Huge Week

If they fall short, I’d be shocked if Johnson keeps his job, but at the end of the day, time will tell. That said, changing head coaches won’t mean much if the program doesn’t give him the right resources and funding to succeed.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

The Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team is on a serious hot streak. They just took down No. 15 Oregon at home, marking their third straight win. Even more impressive, they’ve now snagged back-to-back victories against ranked opponents after beating No. 20 Michigan last week at home and Iowa on the road.

After starting conference play with a rough 0-6 record, they’ve turned things around and now sit at 3-6. With plenty of basketball still ahead, the rest of the season is anyone’s guess. But during this three-game win streak, here are three key takeaways we’ve learned.

Dawson Garcia is one of the best players in the country

Now in his third season with the Gophers and fifth overall after stints at Marquette and North Carolina, Dawson Garcia is living up to the hype that came with being a four-star recruit out of Prior Lake high school. He’s proving to everyone why he’s one of the top players in college basketball right now.

Over the last three games, Garcia has been on fire, dropping 31, 20, and 27 points, leading the Gophers in scoring each time. But this isn’t just a recent hot streak, he’s been playing at a high level all season. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and shooting an impressive 48.4 percent from the field.

He’s making an impact on the defensive end, too, racking up three blocks in today’s win over Oregon. He’s really showcasing his all-around game and has been the key piece for this Gophers team. If they want to keep winning, he’ll need to keep up this level of play.

Maybe Ben Johnson can save his job?

Just when it seemed like Ben Johnson’s seat couldn’t get any hotter, he pulled off his first win over a ranked team as a head coach, and then followed it up with another one just nine days later. Now he’s turning heads and has his team playing some impressive basketball over the past three games. It makes you wonder: could he actually save his job?

Now in his fourth season as the Gophers’ head coach, with a 52-63 overall record and an ugly 18-50 mark in Big Ten play, Johnson seemed to be coaching himself out of a job. But if the Gophers can keep stringing together wins, especially in conference play, he might just hang on to his role heading into next season. The pressure’s on, though, and there’s no room to take his foot off the gas now.

With the Big Ten now expanded, only 15 of the 18 teams qualify for the conference tournament in March. If the Gophers don’t make the cut, I’d bet Johnson’s time is up. But after today’s win, the Gophers are sitting in a much more manageable spot in the standings.

Big Ten Standings

Maybe this roster is NCAA tournament caliber?

The Gophers’ roster is mostly made up of transfers, though there are some homegrown players like Isaac Asuma, who Coach Johnson recruited and has been a key part of the team this year. But the real standouts, like Dawson Garcia, Mike Mitchell, Parker Fox, Femi Odukale, and Lu’Cye Patterson, all came through the transfer portal. Over the last three games, they’ve really started to find their rhythm, showing they can compete with the best.

Mitchell played a huge role in the Gophers’ wins over Oregon and Michigan, dishing out 10 assists against the Ducks and scoring 20 points against Michigan. Parker Fox also had a standout performance, recording a double-double against the Ducks, which was key to the Gophers’ victory. Femi Odukale has been finding his rhythm, scoring double digits in back-to-back games with 18 against Michigan and 10 against Oregon.

Related: Alumni & Boosters Again Trying to Influence Minnesota Gophers MBB Coaching Hire

Lu’Cye Patterson is also coming into his own, posting 22 points against Michigan and 11 against Oregon. And, of course, let’s not forget about Dawson Garcia, the Gophers’ best player, who we mentioned earlier. All of this points to the Gophers finally looking like a complete team that could maybe compete in March.

The Gophers have 11 games left this season, and it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold if they keep winning. Their next game is a big one against Michigan State, who is currently undefeated in the Big Ten at 8-0. If the Gophers can pull off the upset, March Madness could definitely be within reach.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball program, as we creep deeper into Ben Johnson’s 4th season as head coach. But for now, the 2024-25 Golden Gophers are 4-1, and winners of two straight.

On Wednesday, they picked up a win on the recruiting trail, too. Around 9:45 p.m. CST, talented 2025 do-it-all Texas high school big man, Parker Jefferson, announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota.

3-star Parker Jefferson (CA) commits to Minnesota Gophers MBB

The 6-10 top 150 3-star (88 overall – On3) chose the Minnesota Gophers over his other finalist, the USC Trojans. Jefferson’s offer list also included Texas A&M, SMU, Iowa and Oklahoma State (247Sports). He is the third commitment of Ben Johnson’s 2025 class.

According to what Jefferson told On3’s lead recruiting analyst, Joe Tipton, the Gophers plan to give him run as a true freshman. Ben sold Parker on being a Nikola Jokic type quarterback in Minnesota’s offense.

“Coach Johnson and his staff from day one have had such a real and genuine feel to them and they’ve expressed that they believe in my talents. They want me to come in as a freshman and play. They also run a lot of sets through their bigs and they see me as a quarterback in their offense.”

Parker Jefferson – via On3

NEWS: 2025 Top-150 recruit Parker Jefferson has committed to Minnesota, he tells @On3Recruits.

The 6-10 center chose the Gophers over USC.

Story: https://t.co/mWmC52QdYi pic.twitter.com/lksmWat8gy

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 21, 2024

Parker Jefferson’s game: What Minnesota Gophers fans should know

In his junior highlights from last season (below), Parker Jefferson is exactly what you would expect him to be, given who’s after him. He can shoot, pass and dribble. You can tell his favorite thing to do is get to the rim, from free throw line-in, where he can work face-up or back to the basket.

From there, he can get in his full bag of passing, shooting and playmaking talent. And when he does get to the hole, Parker can finish with some thunder. Throw in Jefferson’s ability to shoot from 3-point land and he will make for an incredible offensive threat for the Minnesota Gophers.

It’s easy to see why this consensus 3-star was heavily sought after by a bevy of high-major programs. It wouldn’t surprise me if his recruiting ratings climb over the next few months, should he impress scouts during his senior campaign at Inglewood High School.

Turns out, Minnesota isn’t a frozen wasteland…

As happens regularly for kids who are from the south, or West coast (Parker is from Texas but plays high school basketball in California), Jefferson couldn’t believe reality when he got to the University of Minnesota campus for an official visit the weekend of October 26.

Related: Dawson Garcia Gave Hometown Gophers a Massive 50% Off NIL Discount

What the Texas-native thought would be a baron, frozen wasteland… was actually a sprawling metropolis, with amazing views from Dinkytown. Parker is the 2nd 2025 HS commit out of Cali.

“The campus also was something that shocked me because I have never been to Minnesota. I thought I would be in the middle of nowhere but it was one of the most beautiful scenes I have witnessed from a college campus.”

Parker Jefferson – via 247Sports

I swear, if kids around the country didn’t see the University of Minnesota in the same light they do Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas, we might actually stand a chance with some of the nation’s top recruits. They have no idea Dinkytown sits in on the west side of Minneapolis, an easy Uber ride to anything you want.

If Parker flipped this quickly, after one visit, imagine the kids who would be interested in Minnesota, but never even get to a visit, because they think “frozen tundra” early, and write us off? We’ll never know.

Ben Johnson has lots of work to do before Jefferson arrives on campus…

The 2024-25 Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team is 4-1 and probably feeling better about itself than anytime previously this season. They’ve won two-straight games, after falling in disappointing fashion last week to North Texas.

That streak includes at least one impressive victory vs a Yale team that is projected to finish near the top of the Ivy League. A Yale team that nearly upset top 15 Purdue, just days before coming to The Barn and getting beat by the Golden Gophers. How long will the good vibes last in Dinkytown?

Is this what good vibes feel like? Look, Ben Johnson apologists don’t want me to answer that question, especially in a good news article about an impressive commitment the Gopher MBB program reeled in late Wednesday night.

Related: Local Insider Floats the “Logical Choice” for Next Gophers MBB Head Coach

It’s also worth noting who Johnson won this recruiting battle over, beating out ‘one of us’ Eric Musselman, who was recently hired at USC. Musselman recruited Jefferson, going back to his time at Arkansas, where he coached 5 seasons, from 2019-2023.

Should the University of Minnesota men’s basketball head coaching position come open any time soon, Musselman will be at the top of the list, no matter where he is coaching or how long he has been there. The U of M is said to be his dream job.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

The Minnesota Gophers brought in Minneapolis-native Ben Johnson as men’s basketball head coach, after Richard Pitino was fired in 2021. At the time, athletic director Mark Coyle hoped someone with local ties could establish recruiting roots in-state that would keep the best talent home.

That hasn’t come to fruition, mostly due to the change in recruiting landscape and a newfound importance on NIL funding, not relationships. In 97 games as the Gophers’ head coach, Johnson’s 43-54 record (15-44 in the Big Ten) leaves plenty to be desired.

Another “one of us” candidate to replace Ben Johnson?

Remember, Coyle came from Syracuse. He wants to go back to the NCAA Tournament, which is why Ben Johnson is very much on the hot season, in his fourth season as Minnesota head coach. If Johnson doesn’t prove to his athletic director that he is the fastest route back to the March Madness dance floor, then he’ll be out at the end of this season.

In fact, rumors are already starting to float around, regarding who the next Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coach might be. There are a lot of obvious candidates, all of them overqualified (if we are being honest). Whoever Coyle picks, they’ll have a much better resume than Johnson, including multiple NCAA appearances.

But the most logical candidate, according to a guy VERY deeply rooted in University of Minnesota athletics — Charley Walters (Pioneer Press) — is Colorado State head coach, and Roseville MN native, Niko Medved.

“Colorado State’s Niko Medved from Roseville remains the logical choice if the Gophers men’s basketball program makes a coaching change after the season.”

Charley Walters on the Minnesota basketball head coaching position (Pioneer Press)

Related: Minnesota Gophers HC Ben Johnson Makes Dreaded MBB Hot Seat List

Unlike Johnson, Medved has a sizable track record. This is his 12th year as a collegiate head coach, and he has spent the last seven at Colorado State. After stops at Furman and Drake, Medved took over the Colorado State program and quickly turned it into a winner.

What would Niko Medved bring to the Minnesota Gophers?

Medved has twice taken the Rams to the NCAA Tournament, and had them ranked as high as 13th in the nation last year, before coaching them to their first NCAA Tournament win since 2012, in March.

Colorado State will never be a perennial powerhouse, no matter who coaches there. But only twice since Niko’s arrival, have the Rams failed to win at least 20 games, and they’ve been a near the top of an increasingly stacked Mountain West Conference for a half decade, under his guidance.

The Gophers basketball job will never be the most coveted in the country, but it’s a step up for Medved to work in the Big Ten. He’d have an opportunity to avoid the recruiting and transfer gaffes that have plagued Johnson. An opportunity to turn around his alma mater would also be more than enticing.

Related: First Signs Minnesota MBB Coach Ben Johnson May be on the Hot Seat

In his playing days, Johnson ran point guard for his hometown Gophers, in 59 total games, after transferring back from Northwestern. If he doesn’t start winning more games as a coach, he’ll be transferring back out, and it’s unlikely he will have a lot of head coaching opportunities available.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

Dawson Garcia is a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, and he looked every part of that label in the Minnesota Gophers 2024-25 season opening win vs the Oral Roberts Eagles on Wednesday.

The 5th-year senior was hot right from the tip and never cooled off — going 7-of-8 from the field in the 1st half (3-of-3 from 3PT) and finishing 11-of-14 (4-of-5 from 3PT). Oral Roberts doesn’t have any way to slow down a guy like Garcia when he’s on.

Minnesota point forward Dawson Garcia had 30 points 8 rebs vs Oral Roberts

11/14 FG and 4/5 from long range pic.twitter.com/Si6ZadxPGh

— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) November 7, 2024

When the dust settled, the Golden Gophers won 80-57 on the back of Dawson’s 30 points on 79% shooting (80% from 3PT) and 8 rebounds. If there were any questions surrounding how dominant the 6-11, 230 lb kid from Prior Lake can be in his final collegiate season, they were answered earlier this week.

Dawson Garcia turned down huge NIL offers to play for Minnesota Gophers

But don’t get it twisted, other programs in the Big Ten and around the country knew the season Dawson Garcia was sitting on, this summer. And much like they did with his 2023-24 teammates, big money NIL programs tried their best to lure the hometown hero away from the University of Minnesota.

Unlike Elijah Hawkins and Pharrel Payne, though, Garcia has already been around the national block a time or two. He started his college career at Marquette, before transferring to the University of North Carolina. And Dawson saw early success at both stops, but decided to come home before his first season as a Tar Heel really got going.

According to Pioneer Press Andy Greder’s sources, Garcia is getting $500,000 this season in NIL deals, from his hometown Minnesota Gophers and Dinkytown Athletes. That may seem like a lot, until you find out he was offered double ($1 million) from other schools.

Sources told the Pioneer Press that Garcia turned down a couple of NIL paydays from other schools worth roughly $1 million — including from some traditional powerhouse programs — to remain at Minnesota for approximately $500,000.

Andy Greder – Pioneer Press

Related: Minnesota Gophers HC Ben Johnson Makes Dreaded MBB Hot Seat List

First, I’d like to note that it doesn’t really matter all the reasoning behind Dawson’s decision to remain a Gopher. Ben Johnson, myself and the rest of Gopher nation are all eternally grateful that he did. Without him, Minnesota would not stand a chance in the Big Ten this year.

NIL should not be this big of a problem for Ben Johnson

What frustrates me, and what should bother Dawson Garcia deep down, is that he should not have to take a 50% discount to stay at the University of Minnesota. The basketball program, combined with the efforts of Dinkytown Athletes, should have been able to provide him, and others who decided to take the money and leave, near equal NIL deals to stay.

Entering his fifth collegiate season, Garcia, an all-Big Ten performer, had other suitors for this year but remained loyal to Minnesota. He wasn’t swayed by big dollar signs.

Andy Greder – Pioneer Press

Unfortunately, while other programs were building up their NIL bank accounts the past couple of years, Ben Johnson mostly ignored NIL for far too long, which set the Gopher men’s basketball team way back. Now, Minnesota is a feeder program for those that have money.

Don’t blame the kids. We are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Money most of us would up and leave Minnesota for, in an instant. Hometown heroes like Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne shouldn’t have to choose money over the Gophers.

Related: Minnesota Gophers MBB Lands 3-Star Prospect Out of California

We’ve seen PJ Fleck build up the football program’s NIL funds to the point that they can keep pretty much any player they want. In reality, there’s no reason why basketball should be any different.

If I’m Dawson Garcia, I consider my bank account half as full as it should be, because my head coach wasn’t quick enough to change with the times. If that makes him mad… hopefully he shows it on the basketball court.

More must-reads:

• Supposed Gophers MBB Coach Seeded for NCAA Tournament
• Sounds Like Mark Coyle Has Found the Next Gophers Men’s Basketball Coach
• Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach