Former MN Gopher Enters College MBB Transfer Portal

Despite the Minnesota Gophers basketball season having been done for for nearly two weeks now, the program has been plenty busy since the night of March, when they lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Athletic director Mark Coyle canned then head coach Ben Johnson promptly, at 1 AM, when the team arrived back in Dinkytown. The next day, it was revealed that Colorado State’s Niko Medved — who is from Minneapolis and went to the U of M — was the likely to be the next head coach. Now hired, he has a ton of work to do.

Minnesota’s roster will see plenty of turnover in the coming months. A vast majority of the contributors on this year’s Gophers squad were departing seniors. Frank Mitchell is the most notable name to have already entered the transfer portal.

It’s possible that Medved will bring some of his Colorado State talent with him. The team had fans drooling over Kyan Evans during March Madness, and Kyle Jorgenson is a Minnesota native. There will also be players with ties to the program that hit the transfer portal.

Joshua Ola-Joseph in transfer portal with Minnesota Gophers ties

College basketball is a much different landscape than it was even a couple of years ago. With name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for players it has turned into a level of free agency. Brooklyn Park native Joshua Ola-Joseph will be seeking his second transfer in three seasons.

NEWS: Cal forward Joshua Ola-Joseph is entering the transfer portal, he tells @LeagueRDY.

Ola-Joseph is a former three-star recruit who played his first two seasons at Minnesota before spending one season at Cal. Native of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

He averaged 7.2PPG and 3.8RPG… pic.twitter.com/eEep3cOWEg

— Sam Kayser – 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) March 24, 2025

Ola-Joseph has made a habit of changing schools. He played for Osseo locally prior to finishing his high school career with Compass Prep in Arizona. The forward played two seasons with the Minnesota after being recruited by Ben Johnson.

In the Big Ten Ola-Joseph played 60 games, drawing 43 starts. He averaged 19 minutes per game and 7.4 points per game on 57.3% shooting. Ola-Joseph transferred to the ACC with California last season and started 10 of 24 games. He averaged 7.2 points per game on 45.2% shooting.

It’s probably unlikely that Ola-Joseph finds his way back to the Gophers. It is possible that he sees the opportunity in better hands with Medved at the helm, but the feeling would still need to be mutual.

Niko Medved to rework Minnesota Gophers roster

The 2024-25 Minnesota Gophers finished with a 15-17 record in Ben Johnson’s final season. Niko Medved will be looking to replicate the success he had with Colorado State. This season that resulted in a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and a potential travel short of the Rams first Sweet 16 trip.

All five of Minnesota’s top scorers from last season leave as seniors. Freshman Isaac Asuma is really the only notable talent on his way back. Last season he played in 32 games and averages 5.6 points on 43.7% shooting.

Related: New Gophers MBB Coach Supposedly Bringing Talent with Him to Minnesota

When a coach takes over a new program there is typically a slight lull as they look to make their mark. For Medved, the Gophers were already in despair and a slight uptick next season wouldn’t be crazy. Minnesota has fans looking to support the school, and they need a coach with players generating excitement to get behind.