Gophers MBB Stuns #19 Iowa at The Barn

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Ben Johnson got fired by the Minnesota Gophers, and left the program in disarray for first-year head coach Niko Medved. Naturally, we expected a grace period where the new leader would have time to build up the program a little bit.

Then, the Gophers knocked off #22 ranked Indiana in Medved’s very first Big Ten matchup. That was followed with a win over the weekend at Northwestern. Then on Tuesday the Iowa Hawkeyes came to town as the #19 team in the country.

Gophers MBB beats Iowa; Langston Reynolds goes off

The crowd looked sparse just moments before the game, but filled in quickly. They were treated to a 12-3 Minnesota run, right out of the gate, immediately putting the visiting Hawkeyes on their heels.

Gopher guard Langston Reynolds played lockdown defense on standout guard Bennett Stirtz for most of the night, which caused the Iowa backcourt serious problems throughout the night.

Langston Reynolds with the SLAM 💪 @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/khCC0LbuOy

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 7, 2026

On the offensive end, the transfer from Northern Colorado put up a Golden Gopher career-high with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. He also added five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, consistently making his presence felt on both ends of the floor

Medved’s roster has been decimated by injuries early this year, including two starters (G) Chansey Willis and big man Robert Vaihola for the season. Despite being down talent, however, depth players continue to step up and the Minnesota Gophers keep getting better with every game they play.

Medved is relying mostly on a rotation built of seven players. The aforementioned Reynolds played 39 minutes tonight for Minnesota. No starter was below Bobby Durkin’s 30. Alexandria product Grayson Grove gave the team 16 huge minutes (+11) off the bench, on Tuesday.

Jalen Crocker-Johnson comes through in the clutch

With the game on the line, and slowly slipping out of reach, Colorado State transfer Jalen Crocker-Johnson made his biggest impact. Previously 0-for-4 from deep on the night, he connected and sent The Barn into a frenzy.

CROCK FOR THREEEEEE

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/jMby6KajMG

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) January 7, 2026

Iowa took possession with just under 16 seconds remaining. Stirtz got a couple of looks at a game-tying three pointer, but none fell and the Gophers held on.

Although students are still largely off campus due to winter break, there were plenty in attendance to storm the court. Medved encouraged the same atmosphere on Friday night when the Minnesota Gophers host USC. If he’s going to keep making this sort of thing a habit, then there won’t be seats remaining for too much longer.

Stirtz misses at the buzzer and the Gophers beat Iowa. pic.twitter.com/qmsuGfXWMr

— Ted (@tlschwerz) January 7, 2026

Medved can build something special for MN Gophers

The past four years were a slog for the Gophers. Ben Johnson finished with just a 56-71 (.441) record and believed his time playing for Minnesota would translate to program interest. Medved brings a winning pedigree from Colorado State, and he knows how to get it done at a high level.

Reports recently suggested that the MN Gophers are invested in the team first. With funds being ticketed to NIL efforts rather than renovations to The Barn, Medved has the most resources at his disposal in what likely represents program history.

Despite being down multiple starters, and despite being less than halfway into his first year, Medved’s presence has already made an impact. The Barn is a special place when it’s rocking along with good competition. He just needs to keep the momentum rolling.