North Carolina News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/north-carolina/ Minnesota sports, but different Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:43:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg North Carolina News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/north-carolina/ 32 32 Niko Medved, Gophers Add 4-Star UNC Transfer Commit https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/transfer-portal-commitment-cade-tyson-unc/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:43:01 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63590 The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team, when they take the floor again in October, will look completely different than they did last season. Of course, that isn’t anything new. In the transfer portal/NIL era, under Ben Johnson, the U of M had more new faces on its basketball team each year than they did familiar ones.

But in 2025-26, they will take it to another level. Not only will they have a new head coach on the sideline — after Johnson was fired and replaced with Niko Medved shortly after the Golden Gophers were eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament, back in March — but there are only two freshman from last year remaining on this roster… along with nine new players out of the transfer portal.

Minnesota Gophers MBB get commitment from Cade Tyson (UNC)

And on Sunday, they got their latest transfer addition, and this one is tied for the highest-rated portal commit they have received yet this offseason. Cade Tyson is coming to Dinkytown from the University of North Carolina, where the 6’7″ sharpshooting wing averaged 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds, in just 7.9 minutes per game during his one season as a Tar Heel.

But Tyson isn’t new to college basketball. Prior to arriving at Chapel Hill, the 91-rated four-star small forward (according to 247Sports) played two seasons at Belmont, where he averaged 30.4 minutes per game between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Related: Ben Johnson was the NIL Problem for Gophers Men’s Basketball

As a senior for the Bruins in 2023-24, Tyson put up 16.2 points per game, second most on his team. He also led Belmont in rebounds, at 5.9 per game. He also averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a freshman.

But when Cade — who is from Monroe, North Carolina — got an opportunity to go home, he jumped on it. Unfortunately, he was not able to make as big of an impact as he had hoped, while playing for his hometown UNC. Even after a down year, Tyson was contacted by Kentucky, Iowa, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Purdue, BYU and Virginia Tech, according to Ryan James (247Sports).

In his career, Cade Tyson is a 43% three point shooter (48.3% FG). Last season, as a member of the Tar Heels, he shot just 40% from the field and 29% from deep. Coming to Minnesota as a senior, Tyson hopes to get back to the sharpshooter he was at Belmont.

]]> Sun, 01 Jun 2025 20:43:04 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Max Brosmer is Not to Blame for Gophers Loss vs Tar Heels; Neither is PJ Fleck https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/minnesota-gophers-game-north-carolina-max-brosmer-pj-fleck/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:57:09 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=54396 The Minnesota Gophers kicked off their football season on Thursday night vs the North Carolina Tar Heels, with a new veteran quarterback, New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer. Expectations were internally high, entering the night, even if sportsbooks and most national talking heads felt differently.

Unfortunately, last night ended with a 19-17 loss, after left-footed senior kicker Dragan Kesich hooked a 47-yard walk-off chance. The preseason All-Big Ten kicker went 1-for-3 on the night. His other miss was a 27-yard chip shot in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, UNC’s senior kicker Noah Burnette went 4-for-4, hitting from 52, 42 and 45 yards, the latter of which gave the Tar Heels a two-point lead with 1:44 remaining in the 4th quarter. He accounted for 13 of North Carolina’s 19 points. Poor tackling by a Minnesota defense that was stout most of the night, allowed their six other points.

PJ Fleck, Max Brosmer get off to slow start vs North Carolina

In the first half, new Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer looked nervous, to be frank. He overthrew a couple of guys and looked uncomfortable in the pocket, especially when the offensive line struggled against the stunts and ghost looks from the UNC front seven.

No doubt PJ Fleck noticed, and immediately reverted back into his run, run, run comfort zone during the first two quarters. Nonetheless, Minnesota went into halftime with a 14-7 lead. Same old PJ…

Related: Gophers Projected to Play in Familiar Bowl Game to be Named Later

Here is where I go left, though, when the media/fan narrative from last night goes right. From what I saw, Fleck and the Gophers offense came out of halftime with a different mentality than what we have come accustomed to the last seven years.

Other fans and media members do not seem to see it the way I do, however. Instead, the prevailing internet sentiment is that Fleck’s conservative offensive nature cost Minnesota another game. It’s an easy assumption to fall back on, after years of watching PJ run his tailbacks into brick wall fronts, as if passing is illegal.

Different Minnesota Gophers offense in the 2nd half

But watching the second half back this morning, and taking a closer look at the official stat sheet, that’s not how it went down. Instead, I’d argue Fleck put more trust in Max Brosmer’s right arm, during the 2nd half last night, than he has with any QB since 2019 Tanner Morgan.

In return, Max went 7-of-10 for 113 passing yards. He also ran for two huge 1st downs… one of which ended in a lost fumble. But even after that fumble to start the quarter, Fleck let Brosmer cook and the Gophers went up and down the field in each of their last two drives.

Max Brosmer was 6-of-12 passing for 53 yards, entering halftime. He went 0-for-2 in the 3rd quarter, but the Gophers only ran four plays. Suddenly, in the 4th, no more 3rd-and-long runs. No more fighting for field position.

Just an offense looking for points. Hell, we even saw multiple 1st down passing attempts. And it’s not like they had to pass. Minnesota held the lead for most of the 2nd half, even after an ugly 3rd quarter.

Mistakes on both sides of the ball and a tough 3rd quarter cost Gophers

And that’s how we get to what actually killed the Gophers vs UNC. Their inability to stop the Tar Heels run game, or get off the field, in the 3rd quarter. UNC racked up an absolutely absurd 13 minutes and 34 seconds in time-of-possession in that 15-minute 3rd period.

The Gophers, meanwhile, got one drive the entire 3rd. It lasted four plays and went for one yard (and a 10-yard penalty). But finally, in the 4th quarter, we saw Max Brosmer settle in and look a lot more like the guy this Minnesota coaching staff has been raving about for months.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Legend Keeps His NFL Career Alive

And Fleck deserves credit for allowing him to cut it loose. Remember, Thursday was Max Brosmer’s biggest football game ever and he is playing in a new offense. He came from FCS New Hampshire. We should have expected some jitters.

Even though he is a super senior, Max is still a 23-year-old kid. If he continues to get more comfortable, which he will, and Fleck gives him more and more leash, which isn’t guaranteed, the Gophers will be ok in 2024, and much better than people expect. Even after an 0-1 start.

]]> Fri, 30 Aug 2024 10:57:35 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football UNC Transfer Dawson Garcia Commits to Minnesota https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/unc-transfer-dawson-garcia-commits-to-minnesota-gophers/ Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:59:55 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=38776 On Monday afternoon, North Carolina Tar Heels transfer, Dawson Garcia, committed to the Minnesota Gophers. In doing so, he immediately becomes the biggest recruiting win of Ben Johnson’s young coaching career, high school or transfer. The hometown 6’11” inside-out big man will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Dawson Garcia is from Prior Lake, MN and comes with 1.5 years of experience on the power-5 stage. He committed to Marquette (class of 2020) as a nationally top-50 ranked (5-star) prospect out of high school, becoming yet another missed in-state recruiting opportunity for Richard Pitino.

After a quality individual season as a Freshman (13 PTS, 6.6 REB), his coach was fired at Marquette so Garcia entered the transfer portal. From there, he committed to North Carolina, but his sophomore 2021-22 campaign lasted just a half season (9 PTS, 5.5 REB). He left Chapel Hill after 16 games, citing multiple family tragedies that were taking place back home in Prior Lake.

Hometown Option Likely From Start

When Garcia started thinking about basketball again, the University of Minnesota was the most logical choice. He wants to be closer to home and his family. And if he wants to play college basketball anywhere outside of UNC in 2022-23, Dawson Garcia will need a hardship transfer waiver approved by the NCAA, since this isn’t his first ride in the portal.

All of that led experts around college basketball to pinpoint Dinkytown as his likely destination, even before he hit the portal last week. But, nothing is a guarantee in the State of Minnesota Misery until it’s signed, sealed and delivered. So today, we celebrate. This is a huge step forward for Ben Johnson’s program.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2022 16:11:38 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Gophers Are Massive Favorites to Land UNC Transfer Dawson Garcia https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/minnesota-gophers-are-massive-favorites-to-land-unc-transfer-dawson-garcia/ Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:33:41 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=38735 Last week, Ben Johnson was confident that his Minnesota Gophers would only pull talent from the transfer portal this offseason. That, unlike this time last year, when he lost an entire roster to it. And it appears as if Johnson’s about to pay that promise off in a big way.

University of North Carolina sophomore, Dawson Garcia, who’s from Prior Lake (MN), entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday morning. Garcia, who has three years of eligibility remaining, left the UNC program in the middle of the 2021-22 season because of multiple family tragedies he has been reportedly dealing with. The 6’11” sharp-shooting big man made his announcement via Twitter, thanking Tar Heel Nation and revealing his goal to play closer to home.

Before he became a power-5 college basketball player, Garcia was at Prior Lake high school, where he became a 5-star recruit (247Sports) who ranked in the top-40 nationally. He was the type of high-end prospect that we’ve become all too used to losing.

Third School’s a Charm

Dawson Garcia played in 16 games for the Tar Heels last season, starting 12. He averaged 9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Garcia’s decision to leave the North Carolina program and enter the transfer portal means he will have to stay close to home if he wants to play college basketball in 2022-23.

Before his time in Chapel Hill, Dawson Garcia was a highly touted Freshman at Marquette, where he put up pretty impressive numbers (13 points, 6.6 rebounds per game) in his first year. He only entered the transfer portal and left for UNC after Marquette fired the head coach he committed to, Steve Wojciechowski.

So this would make for Garcia’s second transfer, meaning he has to either (a) sit out a season or (b) get granted waiver eligibility by the NCAA to play immediately. The “Hardship Waiver” was created for the exact life-situation Dawson Garcia is dealing with right now and that’s what he’ll reportedly apply for.

It took no time for Ben Johnson to contact Garcia once he entered the portal. In all reality, they were already in-touch.

Garcia a lock to Minnesota?

But according to Ryan James (GopherIllustrated.com), Dawson Garcia isn’t only considering the Gophers. He’s pretty much a lock to wear maroon and gold. And there couldn’t be a better source on something like this.

James knows anyone who’s ever been involved in MN high school basketball at a high level and he forgets more insider knowledge on a random Tuesday than what I’ll overhear throughout my entire career. So when James is on the Gopher Illustrated message boards, telling paid subscribers that this deal is basically sealed, it’s as good as guaranteed in my eyes.

GI Subscriber: So is it a horribly kept secret that he’s coming here, or are we all just being hopeful

James: Minnesota is a massive, massive favorite to land Dawson. I expect a commitment some time soon

GopherIllustrated.com (247Sports)

GI Subscriber: Man, this would be so huge. Wish he didn’t have to deal with so much hardship, but hopefully he can two birds one stone this thing. Get himself to the NBA while being a hometown hero!

James: You can take “would” out of there

GopherIllustrated.com (247Sports)

Hang the banner. Plan the parade. Ben Johnson’s Gophers are coming for the Big Ten.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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