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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gopher Men's Basketball Ready to Report for Summer Workouts
6/5/2026 2:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Minnesota is set to embark on its 132nd year of Golden Gopher basketball. Over the course of eight weeks this summer, the Gophers hold summer workouts beginning Monday, June. 8. Learn more about the team as the Gophers head into summer workouts.
• 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 posted an 8-12 record 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. In addition, Cade Tyson was named All-Big Ten honorable mention and NABC all-district honors. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play, competing 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 Lexus Williams as assistant coach. He replaced Chad Warner from last year's staff. Williams, who was at Boise State for 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, while Kai Shinholster came off the bench to average 13 minutes a game.
• 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 when he averaged 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.
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster. The Gophers added one senior transfer (Kyan Evans), one junior (Malachi Palmer), two sophomores (Nolan Groves, Malick Kordel), one red-shirt freshman (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.
• Minnesota added two from conference foe and national champion Michigan in Winters Grady and Malick Kordel, both true freshmen a season ago. Although seeing limited time with the Wolverines' deep bench, 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. As a freshman, Groves saw action in 23 games for the Red Raiders last season, 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 as a freshman 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 from the state of Minnesota, as Anderson was a top-5 Mr. Basketball finalist. All three are three/four star recruits for Minnesota. The Gophers also added Blake Nixon Jr. from the Academy of Holy Angels as a freshman.
• The Big Ten Conference announced the breakdown of league opponents. For the third straight year, the Golden Gophers will face three Big Ten opponents twice, with another 14 games in either a home or road contest. Minnesota will play the following three schools twice next season, both at home and on the road: Michigan, Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Golden Gophers will also welcome the following teams to Williams Arena next year: Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Washington. In addition to traveling to Michigan, Northwestern and Wisconsin, the Gophers will also travel to the following locations during the 2026-7 campaign: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA and USC. Nonconference action times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
• The 2027 Men's Basketball Big Ten Championship will be played March 10-14 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
• 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 posted an 8-12 record 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. In addition, Cade Tyson was named All-Big Ten honorable mention and NABC all-district honors. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play, competing 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 Lexus Williams as assistant coach. He replaced Chad Warner from last year's staff. Williams, who was at Boise State for 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, while Kai Shinholster came off the bench to average 13 minutes a game.
• 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 when he averaged 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.
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster. The Gophers added one senior transfer (Kyan Evans), one junior (Malachi Palmer), two sophomores (Nolan Groves, Malick Kordel), one red-shirt freshman (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.
• Minnesota added two from conference foe and national champion Michigan in Winters Grady and Malick Kordel, both true freshmen a season ago. Although seeing limited time with the Wolverines' deep bench, 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. As a freshman, Groves saw action in 23 games for the Red Raiders last season, 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 as a freshman 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 from the state of Minnesota, as Anderson was a top-5 Mr. Basketball finalist. All three are three/four star recruits for Minnesota. The Gophers also added Blake Nixon Jr. from the Academy of Holy Angels as a freshman.
• The Big Ten Conference announced the breakdown of league opponents. For the third straight year, the Golden Gophers will face three Big Ten opponents twice, with another 14 games in either a home or road contest. Minnesota will play the following three schools twice next season, both at home and on the road: Michigan, Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Golden Gophers will also welcome the following teams to Williams Arena next year: Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Washington. In addition to traveling to Michigan, Northwestern and Wisconsin, the Gophers will also travel to the following locations during the 2026-7 campaign: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA and USC. Nonconference action times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
• The 2027 Men's Basketball Big Ten Championship will be played March 10-14 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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