University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, October 23
Omaha, NE
7:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Creighton
Photo by: Kelly Lynn
10/21/2026 10:22:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GOPHERS CLOSE OUT EXHIBITION AT CREIGHTON
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team closes out exhibition play on Friday, Oct. 23, when it travels to Omaha, Neb., to take on Creighton. The Golden Gophers and the Bluejays battle at 7:30 p.m., at the CHI Health Center and will be streamed on YouTube. This is the final tuneup for both teams before the season-openers on Nov. 2.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Minnesota and Creighton have not faced each other in regular season action since 1996 (game later vacated). The Bluejays hold a 7-3 all-time series lead.
LAST TIME OUT
• Minnesota defeated Omaha in an exhibition game Oct. 15, 72-52, at the Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
• Malick Kordel led Minnesota with 13 points, while Bobby Durkin had 11 and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had 10 points. Kyan Evans produced eight points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. All 15 available players saw action in the exhibition opener.
ABOUT CREIGHTON
• Creighton also competed in an exhibition last week when it defeated Iowa State, 83-80, in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday. Katrelle Harmon (16), Wes Enis (15), Austin Swartz (15) and Hudson Greer (11) all scored in double figures.
• Jackson McAndrew and Oswin Erhunmwunse were selected Preseason Third Team All-BIG EAST selections. McAndrew has played in 40 games during his Bluejay career, missing last year due to injury. Erhunmwunse played at Providence before joining the Creighton team and had 445 points with the Friars. Creighton returns three starters and welcomes nine newcomers this season.
• Alan Huss (Creighton, 2002) enters his first season as Creighton head coach. Huss served as a Bluejay assistant from 2017-23, then returned in 2025-26 as associate head coach.
• Creighton was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST coaches poll. The Bluejays went 16-18 overall and finished fifth in the BIG EAST last season.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota officially opens the 2026-27 campaign Nov. 2 when it hosts North Dakota. Game time is set for 8 p.m., at the Barn. The game will be streamed on B1G+ and be available on the Gopher Radio Network.
YEAR PREVIEW
• 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. 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 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 in 2024-25. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points. Grove saw action in 32 games his red-shirt freshman season and started in 12.
• 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 red-shirted his freshman season a year ago.
ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster: 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.
• 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.
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team closes out exhibition play on Friday, Oct. 23, when it travels to Omaha, Neb., to take on Creighton. The Golden Gophers and the Bluejays battle at 7:30 p.m., at the CHI Health Center and will be streamed on YouTube. This is the final tuneup for both teams before the season-openers on Nov. 2.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Minnesota and Creighton have not faced each other in regular season action since 1996 (game later vacated). The Bluejays hold a 7-3 all-time series lead.
LAST TIME OUT
• Minnesota defeated Omaha in an exhibition game Oct. 15, 72-52, at the Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
• Malick Kordel led Minnesota with 13 points, while Bobby Durkin had 11 and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had 10 points. Kyan Evans produced eight points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. All 15 available players saw action in the exhibition opener.
ABOUT CREIGHTON
• Creighton also competed in an exhibition last week when it defeated Iowa State, 83-80, in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday. Katrelle Harmon (16), Wes Enis (15), Austin Swartz (15) and Hudson Greer (11) all scored in double figures.
• Jackson McAndrew and Oswin Erhunmwunse were selected Preseason Third Team All-BIG EAST selections. McAndrew has played in 40 games during his Bluejay career, missing last year due to injury. Erhunmwunse played at Providence before joining the Creighton team and had 445 points with the Friars. Creighton returns three starters and welcomes nine newcomers this season.
• Alan Huss (Creighton, 2002) enters his first season as Creighton head coach. Huss served as a Bluejay assistant from 2017-23, then returned in 2025-26 as associate head coach.
• Creighton was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST coaches poll. The Bluejays went 16-18 overall and finished fifth in the BIG EAST last season.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota officially opens the 2026-27 campaign Nov. 2 when it hosts North Dakota. Game time is set for 8 p.m., at the Barn. The game will be streamed on B1G+ and be available on the Gopher Radio Network.
YEAR PREVIEW
• 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. 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 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 in 2024-25. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points. Grove saw action in 32 games his red-shirt freshman season and started in 12.
• 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 red-shirted his freshman season a year ago.
ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster: 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.
• 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.
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