Jaden Henley enters transfer portal

That’s why this morning’s announcement by freshman standout, Jaden Henley, hurts so much. The 6’7″, 200 lb California-native, who started 18 games for the maroon and gold, announced on Monday that he is entering the transfer portal. This is the type of gut shot that Johnson cannot afford much of this offseason.

pic.twitter.com/dcavjnF4dt

— Jaden Henley (@Jaden2coldd) March 13, 2023

We know Jamison Battle and Ta’Lon Cooper want to go pro. We think reserves like Treyton Thompson will look for a smaller school and more playing time. But we were hoping that Ben could hang onto Henley, who started to show massive improvement by the end of the 2022-23 season. He finished the year averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists, playing 28 minutes per game and would have been a key piece of the program’s future.

Louisville Connections?

Instead, Jaden is off to what he hopes are greener pastures. Watch for Louisville, where Henley’s best friend, top-20 recruit Dennis Evans — who recently pulled out of his National Letter of Intent at the University of Minnesota — just committed over the weekend.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Dennis Evans III, the five-star, 7-foot senior from California, informed the Gophers earlier this week he wanted to be released from his signed letter of intent, sources told the Star Tribune.

The official request was submitted Friday, and the Gophers are likely to grant it, according to sources. Gophers coach Ben Johnson declined to comment on Evans’ request Friday.

Marcus Fuller – Star Tribune

Dennis Evans (Hillcrest High School – CA) is the 18th ranked high school prospect in the entire nation, according to 247Sports.com. For context, Daniel Oturu was ranked 48th nationally, in the 2018 class. Only past commits, Kris Humphries (2003 class) and Royce White (2009 class), had a higher recruiting rating when they committed to the University of Minnesota.

Bad basketball has consequences

The Gophers are 1-15 in conference play this season, and it’s HIGHLY unlikely they match the three Big Ten wins they accumulated in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach. Johnson can try all he wants to convince recruits that the future is bright, but words can only go so far.

Evans claims, per Fuller, that the Gophers’ current 11-game loss streak has nothing to do with his decision to back out of his NLI, but people close to him admit that watching the team play this year has made Dennis feel like the Gophers ‘might not be the right fit’.

Minnesota’s current 11-game losing streak didn’t appear to be the determining factor for Evans, who picked the Gophers last fall over Texas Christian. People close to Evans told the Star Tribune that he and his family had been thinking for a while that the Gophers might not be the right fit after watching this season.

Marcus Fuller – Star Tribune

This is a devastating blow for Minnesota Gophers basketball. If Johnson were to have a tough offseason in the transfer portal, it could doom the program he’s trying to build.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

It’s the second-straight difficult season Johnson has gone through, to start his career as Gophers head coach. His in-conference record now a sad 5-23 and likely to get worse before it gets better (more on that in a moment).

Gophers’ Bad Injury Luck

Johnson’s slow start, however, has as much to do with injuries and timing than it does coaching deficiencies. Two of his best and most experienced players, Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen, both blew out knees before the start of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Same players, same injuries — nearly one year apart from each other.

In 20-21, Parker Fox averaged. 22.1 pts, 9.6 rbs, 2.5 ast and 3.2 blks a game and was named a D2 All-American

He chose the #Gophers over Florida St, Ohio St, Creighton and soo many others. Just horrible injury luck for such a talented player. Massive blow for UMN and their fans. pic.twitter.com/AjVY3Qvb0V

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) June 22, 2022

And the hometown head coach couldn’t have picked a more difficult time to take over a job at the University of Minnesota, a school that doesn’t have near the NIL resources other power five schools possess. Not only that, but new transfer rules allowed every single player from the Richard Pitino era to transfer before Ben Johnson coached his first game.

Pitino’s Transfer Portal Exodus

Those transfers include some of the best guards in the country, a position the Gophers are incredibly thin at. Marcus Carr is averaging 17.4 points and 4.2 assists for #10 Texas. Gabe Kalscheur is now at #12 Iowa State and he’s one of the best “3 and D” players in the nation, averaging 12.8 points per game and locking up the best offensive player for every opponent.

And don’t forget about Jamal Mashburn Jr, who went with Pitino to #25 New Mexico, where he is averaging 19.3 points per game as he quickly ascends to one of the best guards in the MAC conference.

Notable #Gophers from 20-21 roster

– Jamal Mashburn Jr. (N. Mexico) 19.3p, 3.4r, 1.7a
– Marcus Carr (Texas) 17.6p, 2.9r, 4.3a
– Gabe Kalcheur (I. State) 13.1p, 2.2r, 1.6a
– Liam Robbins (Vandy) 13.2p, 5.9r, 2.9b

This team went 14-15 in Richard Pitino's final season at Minnesota pic.twitter.com/iaAKRsHL6c

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) January 25, 2023

I’m not giving Ben Johnson a free pass on his poor start but, for these reasons and more, he deserves patience from Gopher basketball fans. Johnson was brought in because of his hometown ties and proven track record in high school recruiting, both areas in which we’re seeing early payoff, allowing hope for the future.

Ben Johnson’s future is still bright

The Gophers currently have nine Minnesota kids on roster. They’ve come via the transfer portal and local high school circuit. Dawson Garcia, who went to Prior Lake high school and transferred from North Carolina during the offseason, is leading the team in both points (14.9) and rebounds (6.3) per game. He still has three seasons of eligibility, should he choose to play college basketball that long. Garcia is a VITAL piece to Minnesota’s short-term success.

The other offensive force already on roster, Jamison Battle, graduated high school from De La Salle and transferred in after two collegiate seasons at George Washington University. He is averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, after leading the Gophers in scoring last year. Battle has one year of eligibility remaining.

Only 2 Power Conference players averaged 17+ PPG, under 1.5 TO:

Keegan Murray and Jamison Battle.

Battle is one of the most efficient high-volume scorers in the country and scores in just about every way imaginable. Great player for Ben Johnson and the Gophers to build around. pic.twitter.com/zc0nXf5SXT

— Danny Johnson (@dannyjohnson_23) October 18, 2022

Both Battle and Garcia will be huge factors in Ben Johnson’s eventual turnaround at the University of Minnesota. But they aren’t the only current Gophers who have already shown promise for the future. The others are just younger or injured.

As mentioned earlier, Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen should both contribute immediately, when they eventually become healthy. They’ll be two years removed from their last game action, however, so questions surround both of their futures.

Minnesota Youth Movement

But it’s the coming youth movement that should have Gopher basketball fans excited. Currently, Minnesota men’s basketball has FOUR freshman who are playing over 16 minutes per game.

At 6’9″, 255 pounds, Ben Johnson says Pharrel Payne (Cottage Grove, MN) is the most physically developed freshman he has ever coached. He’s already averaging 22.1 minutes per game (7.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG), the most of any of the four freshmen. Payne looks like he’ll be a force down low in the Big Ten for years to come.

Welcome to the House of Payne. ????@pharrelpayne x @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/VVuAt4zg7V

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) December 22, 2022

Braeden Carrington (22.0 MPG) and Joshua Ola-Joseph (19.6 MPG) are the other two minute-eating freshman from the state of Minnesota, Jaden Henley (16.4 MPG) is the only 1st-year out of state player getting healthy minutes. He hails from California, an out of state pipeline that proved very important in the most recent recruiting class.

More Talent Incoming

While the youngsters already on roster are worth being excited about, it’s next year’s freshman class that sheds the most hope on the future of Minnesota Gophers basketball. That’s the recruiting class 7’1″ high school phenom, Dennis Evans is a part of.

Evans (Hillcrest, CA) just missed out on the McDonald’s All-America roster but he’s still the 3rd highest-rated high school men’s basketball recruit in school history (247Sports). The other two — Kris Humphries (2003) and Royce White (2009) — both played in the NBA.

In his senior season at Hillcrest, Dennis is averaging 14.5 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks per game. He can hit from deep, play down low and he’s a blocking machine. But Evans isn’t the only 4-star recruit committed to the Gophers’ 2023 class. Cameron Christie (IL) will have a chance to make an immediate impact next season too.

Dennis Evans is a problem! pic.twitter.com/Vcqdh2bwLP

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) September 9, 2022

2023 Cam Christie highlights from the NY2LA Swish N' Dish! @24CameronC @WolvesILL @ny2lasports pic.twitter.com/7gnNFLU1nV

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) April 6, 2022

I expect a lot more losing than winning, as the Minnesota Gophers continue to navigate the 2022-23 season. But injury-willing, they should be a different team next season. By 2024-25, they could be a team ready to compete among the top teams in the Big Ten.

Especially if Ben Johnson can find more talent from the transfer and prep portals. Closing the walls around Minnesota high school recruiting will prove vital to success during Johnson’s tenure. That’s why he was hired.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But it’s been since 2009 that Gopher MBB has received a commitment from a higher-ranked recruit than 7-1 (4-star), Dennis Evans (Riverside, CA), who just committed to Ben Johnson’s Gophers on Monday night. 247Sports’ own ratings system has him as the 27th best college recruit in the 2023 class. Their composite ratings (which includes ratings from ESPN and Rivals) ranks him 31st in the country.

Evans is the 3rd-best high school basketball recruit of the internet era to commit to Minnesota MBB. Only Kris Humphries (2003) and Royce White (2009) had a higher composite rating than Evans does. He can play down low, he’ll block a ton of shots and he can shoot it from deep. In other words, Dennis does it all.

“This is me. This is where I will be” . 7’1 Dennis Evans has committed to the University of Minnesota @GopherMBB
Sincerely, Dennis Evans III pic.twitter.com/GOKqzpEpna

— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) October 17, 2022

Gophers beat out TCU, others

Dennis Evans chose the Minnesota Golden Gophers over TCU and Kansas, among others. Even after Kansas reportedly fell out of the race last week, the Gophers were seen as trailing the Horned Frogs. But that tune started changing as last week turned into the weekend.

By Monday, optimism was running dangerously high. But, all is good. Because this time, if only once, that national top-50 recruit didn’t just have the maroon and gold ‘M’ hat on the table. He had it on his head.

What a signature moment for Ben Johnson’s program.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

A Riverside kid, Evans stands at a lanky 7’1+” and his wingspan stretches a reported 7’7″. His composite 4-star (.9881) rating (247Sports) is ranked 31st in the nation for the 2023 class. How good is he?

If Dennis were to sign a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Minnesota, his aforementioned .9881 composite grade would slot in as the school’s 3rd highest rated signing of any men’s basketball commitment in the internet era. Only Kris Humphries (2003) and Royce White (2009) have graded out higher.

Who are Gophers competing with?

What are the chances Ben Johnson can flag Dennis in from the West Coast? Well, Minnesota is one of three favorites to land Evans. The others are Kansas (2021 National Champs) and TCU. While the match may seem odd on its face, there are forces working in the Gophers’ favor.

One of those friendly forces is Jaden Henley, a 2022 signee from Ontario, CA. Evans and Henley are best friends and their relationship is playing heavily into the big man’s college decision. Gopher fans could get to know Henley pretty well, as soon as this season. Henley is one of a few Minnesota freshman currently battling for playing time at wing.

Do Gophers Have Realistic Shot?

Dennis Evans has told 247Sports that he likes the way Minnesota plays, and that he doesn’t want distractions outside of football or school. NIL prospects aren’t at the top of his priority list, either. Judging by what Evans’ AAU coach told Marcus Fuller (Star Tribune), the Gophers are definitely a favorite.

“He’s definitely going to visit Minnesota. He might end up going to Minnesota to be completely honest. Ben and [assistant Marcus Jenkins] have done a tremendous job recruiting Dennis.” – AAU Coach Elvert Perry (via Star Tribune)

“Dennis would change the game for them because he’s a tremendous shot blocker,” Perry added. “Dennis is a lot better offensive player than people imagine. He can shoot the three. If he comes there, they’ll be in the tournament. I can tell you that.” – AAU Coach Elvert Perry (via Star Tribune)

Dennis Evans’ film confirms what his AAU coach said above. For a youngster, who clearly hasn’t grown into his body yet, the Hillcrest High School star moves really well. He has great coordination and a damn smooth shooting stroke, for a kid his size. Evans appears comfortable with the ball in his hands, both on the block and outside the 3-point arc.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan