.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp){kind=icon}
University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, October 15
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp){kind=icon}
Omaha
Gophers Open 2026-27 Season With Omaha Exhibition
10/13/2026 9:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Stream: B1G + (Will Peterson, Parker Fox)
Tip Time: 7:01 p.m.
• Head coach Niko Medved enters his second year at the helm of Golden Gopher men's basketball. In his first year with the Gophers, Medved constructed a roster of just two returners and 13 newcomers and guided them to a 15-18 overall record. Minnesota finished 8-12 in the Big Ten, placing the Gophers 11th in the league standings. Of those eight wins, three came against ranked opponents. Riddled with injuries last season, Minnesota played with seven players at the end of the season and still maintained an eight-win Big Ten season. Cade Tyson also earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play as the Gophers competed in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.
• Medved welcomes back assistant coaches Brian Cooley, Armon Gates, Aaron Katsuma and Dave Thorson. New to the staff this year is assistant coach Lexus Williams. He replaced Chad Warner, who took the same position at Clemson. Williams, who was at Boise State the past five years as assistant to the head coach and assistant coach, played for the Broncos in the 2017-18 season and also played three years at Valparaiso.
• The Golden Gophers return a core group of Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin and Grayson Grove, who all started in over 20 games for Minnesota. At the same time, Kai Shinholster came off the bench to average 13 minutes a game. Minnesota returns nearly 53 percent of last year's scoring production.
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson started in 24 games he saw action in before suffering a foot injury at the end of the 2025-26 season. He ranked second on the team in scoring and first in rebounds, averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. Crocker-Johnson, Minnesota's returning leading scorer, had three double-doubles, five 20-point games, 19 double-figure games and four double-digit rebound games.
• Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove return for their third-straight year with the Maroon and Gold. Asuma was the only Gopher to start in all 33 games and only one of two to see action in all 33 games last year. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points. His 123 assists ranked second on the team. Grove saw action in 32 games his red-shirt freshman season and started in 12. He averaged 20.6 minutes and four points.
• Bobby Durkin returns to the Gophers after averaging 10.2 points as a junior last season. His 337 points ranked fifth on the team. Durkin scored a team-best 80 three-pointers, which ranks third in school history for threes in a single season. One of three players to see action in all 33 games, Durkin started in 25 straight games for the Gophers and averaged 32.8 minutes.
• Kai Shinholster returns for his sophomore campaign after seeing action in 31 games as a rookie last season. He scored 57 points and averaged 13.1 minutes. Max Lorenson, who red-shirted his freshman season a year ago, also returns for the Gophers.
ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster. The Gophers added transfers Kyan Evans, Malachi Palmer, Nolan Groves, Malick Kordel, Winters Grady and four freshmen: Nolen Anderson, Blake Nixon Jr., Chadrack Mpoyi and Cedric Tomes.
• Niko Medved and Kyan Evans reconnect after a successful tenure at Colorado State in the 2024-25 season. Evans, who is transferring to Minnesota from North Carolina, started for Medved at Colorado State and helped the Rams to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament that season. Last year with the Heels, Evans played in 33 games, including 17 starts. Evans and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson were also teammates on that 2024-25 team and roommates at Colorado State.
• Minnesota added two from conference foe and national champion Michigan in Winters Grady and Malick Kordel, both true freshmen a season ago. Although they saw limited time with the deep bench of the Wolverines, both add depth and potential playing time for the Gophers.
• Minnesota also added transfers playing in high-level competition in Nolan Groves at Texas Tech and Malachi Palmer at Villanova. Last year, Groves saw action in 23 games for the Red Raiders, as Texas Tech advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Groves averaged 5.8 minutes and scored 21 points, as well as starting in the first two games of the season. Palmer returns to the Big Ten after playing at Maryland in 2024-25 and 33 games with Villanova a season ago. Palmer averaged 18.3 minutes and shot 46.6 percent from the field, including 35.9 percent from three in 78 attempts.
• Minnesota adds three scholarship freshmen in Nolen Anderson, Cedric Tomes and Chadrack Mpoyi. Both Anderson and Tomes were top players in Minnesota, and Anderson was a top-5 Mr. Basketball finalist. All three are three/four star recruits for Minnesota. The Gophers also added freshman Blake Nixon Jr. from Academy of Holy Angels.
THE BARN BY BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA
• Honoring tradition while embracing a vibrant future, the basketball arena at the university's Twin Cities campus will officially be recognized by its beloved nickname, "The Barn." With support from Blue Cross, The Barn will continue to serve as the home for Gopher basketball. Together, Blue Cross and the University are building on their shared Minnesota roots to ensure The Barn continues to thrive as a hub for campus and community connection for generations to come.
• The home of Gopher basketball originally opened in 1928 as the Minnesota Field House. It was known as Williams Arena from 1950 – 2026 and will now be known as The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
ABOUT OMAHA
• Omaha is coming off a 16-17 record from a year ago. The Mavericks were predicted to finish fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches poll.
• Head coach Chris Crutchfield is in his fifth year at the helm of the Omaha program. He led the Mavericks to their first NCAA men's basketball tournament in school history in 2025.
• Senior guard Grant Stubblefield was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team. Stubblefield made 22 starts and played in 26 games last season, leading Omaha with 3.3 assists per game while averaging 9.3 points per game. Stubblefield also received academic awards last year.
• The Mavericks welcome 10 newcomers to the mix this season, including transfers Deke Thompson (Texas State), Heri Bukinga (Drake), Cahmai Crosby (North Texas), Dace Pleasant (Howard), Chris Dockery (Kansas City), Justin Bolis (Nebraska), Cory Curtis Jr. (View Park Prep) and three freshmen: Ethan Sheats, Jonny Jordan Jr. and Gavin Baker.
• Minnesota and Omaha last played against each other on Nov. 9, 2024, when the Gophers won, 68-64 at the Barn.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is on the road for its second and final exhibition when it travels to Creighton on Friday, Oct. 23. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Creighton's YouTube channel.
Stream: B1G + (Will Peterson, Parker Fox)
Tip Time: 7:01 p.m.
OPEN GATE AND BAG POLICY
Entrances in The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will now utilize Open Gate screening technology to expedite entry into the venue. This innovative system is designed to screen individuals for prohibited items without requiring people to remove everyday items like phones or keys. Fans are still encouraged to familiarize themselves with the updated The Barn bag policy. The updated bag policy is designed to provide a safer environment and significantly expedite fan entry into the building.
• Head coach Niko Medved enters his second year at the helm of Golden Gopher men's basketball. In his first year with the Gophers, Medved constructed a roster of just two returners and 13 newcomers and guided them to a 15-18 overall record. Minnesota finished 8-12 in the Big Ten, placing the Gophers 11th in the league standings. Of those eight wins, three came against ranked opponents. Riddled with injuries last season, Minnesota played with seven players at the end of the season and still maintained an eight-win Big Ten season. Cade Tyson also earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play as the Gophers competed in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.
• Medved welcomes back assistant coaches Brian Cooley, Armon Gates, Aaron Katsuma and Dave Thorson. New to the staff this year is assistant coach Lexus Williams. He replaced Chad Warner, who took the same position at Clemson. Williams, who was at Boise State the past five years as assistant to the head coach and assistant coach, played for the Broncos in the 2017-18 season and also played three years at Valparaiso.
• The Golden Gophers return a core group of Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin and Grayson Grove, who all started in over 20 games for Minnesota. At the same time, Kai Shinholster came off the bench to average 13 minutes a game. Minnesota returns nearly 53 percent of last year's scoring production.
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson started in 24 games he saw action in before suffering a foot injury at the end of the 2025-26 season. He ranked second on the team in scoring and first in rebounds, averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. Crocker-Johnson, Minnesota's returning leading scorer, had three double-doubles, five 20-point games, 19 double-figure games and four double-digit rebound games.
• Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove return for their third-straight year with the Maroon and Gold. Asuma was the only Gopher to start in all 33 games and only one of two to see action in all 33 games last year. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points. His 123 assists ranked second on the team. Grove saw action in 32 games his red-shirt freshman season and started in 12. He averaged 20.6 minutes and four points.
• Bobby Durkin returns to the Gophers after averaging 10.2 points as a junior last season. His 337 points ranked fifth on the team. Durkin scored a team-best 80 three-pointers, which ranks third in school history for threes in a single season. One of three players to see action in all 33 games, Durkin started in 25 straight games for the Gophers and averaged 32.8 minutes.
• Kai Shinholster returns for his sophomore campaign after seeing action in 31 games as a rookie last season. He scored 57 points and averaged 13.1 minutes. Max Lorenson, who red-shirted his freshman season a year ago, also returns for the Gophers.
ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster. The Gophers added transfers Kyan Evans, Malachi Palmer, Nolan Groves, Malick Kordel, Winters Grady and four freshmen: Nolen Anderson, Blake Nixon Jr., Chadrack Mpoyi and Cedric Tomes.
• Niko Medved and Kyan Evans reconnect after a successful tenure at Colorado State in the 2024-25 season. Evans, who is transferring to Minnesota from North Carolina, started for Medved at Colorado State and helped the Rams to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament that season. Last year with the Heels, Evans played in 33 games, including 17 starts. Evans and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson were also teammates on that 2024-25 team and roommates at Colorado State.
• Minnesota added two from conference foe and national champion Michigan in Winters Grady and Malick Kordel, both true freshmen a season ago. Although they saw limited time with the deep bench of the Wolverines, both add depth and potential playing time for the Gophers.
• Minnesota also added transfers playing in high-level competition in Nolan Groves at Texas Tech and Malachi Palmer at Villanova. Last year, Groves saw action in 23 games for the Red Raiders, as Texas Tech advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Groves averaged 5.8 minutes and scored 21 points, as well as starting in the first two games of the season. Palmer returns to the Big Ten after playing at Maryland in 2024-25 and 33 games with Villanova a season ago. Palmer averaged 18.3 minutes and shot 46.6 percent from the field, including 35.9 percent from three in 78 attempts.
• Minnesota adds three scholarship freshmen in Nolen Anderson, Cedric Tomes and Chadrack Mpoyi. Both Anderson and Tomes were top players in Minnesota, and Anderson was a top-5 Mr. Basketball finalist. All three are three/four star recruits for Minnesota. The Gophers also added freshman Blake Nixon Jr. from Academy of Holy Angels.
THE BARN BY BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA
• Honoring tradition while embracing a vibrant future, the basketball arena at the university's Twin Cities campus will officially be recognized by its beloved nickname, "The Barn." With support from Blue Cross, The Barn will continue to serve as the home for Gopher basketball. Together, Blue Cross and the University are building on their shared Minnesota roots to ensure The Barn continues to thrive as a hub for campus and community connection for generations to come.
• The home of Gopher basketball originally opened in 1928 as the Minnesota Field House. It was known as Williams Arena from 1950 – 2026 and will now be known as The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
ABOUT OMAHA
• Omaha is coming off a 16-17 record from a year ago. The Mavericks were predicted to finish fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches poll.
• Head coach Chris Crutchfield is in his fifth year at the helm of the Omaha program. He led the Mavericks to their first NCAA men's basketball tournament in school history in 2025.
• Senior guard Grant Stubblefield was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team. Stubblefield made 22 starts and played in 26 games last season, leading Omaha with 3.3 assists per game while averaging 9.3 points per game. Stubblefield also received academic awards last year.
• The Mavericks welcome 10 newcomers to the mix this season, including transfers Deke Thompson (Texas State), Heri Bukinga (Drake), Cahmai Crosby (North Texas), Dace Pleasant (Howard), Chris Dockery (Kansas City), Justin Bolis (Nebraska), Cory Curtis Jr. (View Park Prep) and three freshmen: Ethan Sheats, Jonny Jordan Jr. and Gavin Baker.
• Minnesota and Omaha last played against each other on Nov. 9, 2024, when the Gophers won, 68-64 at the Barn.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is on the road for its second and final exhibition when it travels to Creighton on Friday, Oct. 23. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Creighton's YouTube channel.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp){kind=icon}
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Men's BasketballWednesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 14
Tuesday, October 13
Thursday, October 08