Gophers MBB Loses Assistant Coach But Keeps Key Players

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Grayson Grove - Minnesota Gophers - Williams Arena
Credit: Kayden Kircher - Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball season is not over yet. In fact, they will tip-off again on Thursday in the first round of the second annual (eight-team) men’s College Basketball Crown Tournament against Baylor.

But on Monday, we got some offseason news involving two important figures in Niko Medved‘s debut season as head coach at his alma mater. The first news of the day involved assistant coach Chad Warner, who is leaving for Clemson, after one season with Medved in Minnesota.

While they did not coach together at Furman, while Warner was an assistant there from 2022-2025, prior to joining the Gophers, Medved too cut a lot of his coaching teeth as a Paladins coach. He first coached there as an assistant from 1999 to 2006, then again as head coach from 2013-2017.

Before Warner was at Furman, Chad Warner was the head coach for five seasons at Flagler College, in Florida, where he lead the Saints to a 228-154 overall record. Before that, he was head coach at Shorter University, in his hometown of Rome, Georgia.

Minnesota Gophers retain key pieces of 2025-26 roster

Shortly after news started to spread this morning of Warner’s departure, we got more intriguing and measurable news, this time regarding the future of multiple key Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball players.

First, starting stretch-forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson announced that he was returning to Minnesota for his senior season in 2026-27, and his second as a Golden Gopher. Crocker-Johnson followed Niko Medved to Dinkytown, after playing one season for him at Colorado State.

After averaging 9 points, 4.4 rebounds and less than one three-point attempt in 21.5 minutes per game last season with the Rams, the San Antonio native put up 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 three pointers per game in a much-expanded 31.5 MPG role this season as a Gopher (prior to injury).

Redshirt freshman Grayson Grove sticking with hometown school again

Not long after we got Crocker-Johnson’s recommitment for next season, homegrown (Alexandria) freshman Grayson Grove did the same thing, locking in his sophomore season in Minnesota for 2026-27, as well.

As one of only two holdovers from the Ben Johnson era, Grayson Grove was supposed to take in most of his redshirt freshman season in Minnesota as he did as a true freshman in 2025-25.

Instead, the 6’9″ stretch big man played 31 games and was entrusted (out of necessity) to play 20.3 minutes per game — where he averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds. 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

But due to injuries and solid play down the stretch, Grove averaged because he played so well down the stretch, averaging 37.3 minutes in the Gophers last seven contests (6.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.0 SPG).

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