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Ben Johnson optimistic about Gophers at State Fair
Gophers' men's basketball coach Ben Johnson made the media rounds on Wednesday at the Minnesota State Fair.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Fresh off eight weeks of summer workouts, the Gophers’ men’s basketball team is back on campus and start fall workouts Sept. 25.
Wednesday, Gophers’ coach Ben Johnson made the media rounds at the Minnesota State Fair. Minnesota is looking to build off his best season as he enters Year 4.
‘We’ve gotten progressively better’
The Gophers went 19-15 last season, the most regular season wins under Johnson so far, and went 9-11 in Big Ten play. Minnesota also won a game at Butler in the NIT. That’s after a nine-win season two years ago.
Johnson also had his first player drafted, as Cam Christie went to the L.A. Clippers. In an era of no-penalty transferring and NIL, Johnson is sticking with his process.
"We’ve progressively gotten better as far as our program and where we want it to get to," Johnson said. "Those are all really good steps. Now I want our guys to view themselves as winners."
Dawson Garrcia will be healthy
Dawson Garcia is the Gophers’ top returning scorer and rebounder, an All-Big Ten pick and stayed despite bigger offers from other programs. He missed the back half of summer workouts after foot surgery, but Johnson said he’ll be ready for the season.
"He’s great. I actually saw him today, he’s able to do some limited shooting stuff. We’re obviously going to be supremely smart with the process," Johnson said. "I know what he can do, so I’m not as worried about that. He’s antsy to get back full-time."
The roster
This year looks similar to Johnson’s first season, when he filled nearly his entire roster from the transfer portal. The Gophers lost six players to the portal (Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins, Braeden Carrington, Joshua Ola-Joseph, Isaiah Ihnen and Kris Keinys), and Christie to the NBA.
They return Garcia, Parker Fox, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Kadyn Betts. Johnson added guards Caleb Williams, Femi Odukale, Tyler Cochran, Lu’Cye Patterson and Brennan Rigsby, and forwards Trey Edmonds and Frank Mitchell from the portal. They also have incoming freshmen Isaac Asuma, and Grayson Grove.
The schedule
The Gophers will face Wichita State and either Wake Forest or Florida in non-conference action, but there won’t be a Power 5 opponent coming to Williams Arena until Big Ten play. The biggest name coming to Minneapolis is Yale out of the Ivy League. Other early home games are Oral Roberts, Nebraska-Omaha, North Texas, Cleveland State and Central Michigan. Not exactly household names.
"It’s a give and take. Do you roll the dice and go with the team that "might not have the name" but you know over the course of the year has been really good in their league versus sometimes you play a Power 5 and if they’re not good in their league, the game does you nothing," Johnson said. "It’s great to have a name but if they finish bottom four, the numbers don’t matter. You try to have the balance, you try to make it as competitive as possible."
Johnson and the Gophers will not have a closed scrimmage like in years past. For the first time, they’ll have two exhibitions – Bemidji State and Hamline. He wants his players getting more live reps before the season starts.
"I didn’t want to do a closed scrimmage. I want these guys to play in Williams Arena, behind fans, with refs to get those game reps," Johnson said.
What’s next
The Gophers hold their first fall practice Sept. 25. The first of two exhibition games is Oct. 19.