BleedGopher
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The Gophers men’s basketball team gave fans reason to be optimistic looking forward with noticeable improvement during the 2023-24 season. But the U still has a long way to go if it hopes to compete with other successful Midwest programs such as Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State.
While Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State, all NCAA Tournament teams this season, always seem to be quite competitive nationally, Minnesota seems to be a step behind.
Or is it?
The Gophers have certainly been less competitive historically. Minnesota has made the Big Dance just six times since 2000, while the Golden Eagles have made 13 of the last 18 NCAA Tournaments, the Cyclones have been dancing in 10 of the last 12 tourneys and the Badgers have missed March Madness just twice since 2000.
But what does that mean for the present? Most of those runs came before the changes to name, image and likeness (NIL) rules within college athletics that have allowed student-athletes to pursue endorsement deals. That, along with the NCAA transfer portal, has fundamentally changed college athletics.
So instead, let's narrow it down to the last three years. Marquette and Iowa State are each 3 for 3 in NCAA Tournament appearances, while the Badgers are batting .667. The Gophers, meanwhile, have missed out on the Big Dance each time.
But is it fair to compare the Gophers to their regional counterparts? And if so, are there specific reasons why Minnesota hasn't been as productive? Is it the change in NIL? The portal? Could it be recruiting or coaching?
Quite frankly, it’s pretty murky and difficult to diagnose. The amount of NIL money programs have available isn’t publicly disclosed, and the deals that do get released publicly tend to only be those of the highest earners. There’s no doubt NIL plays a role in recruiting and retaining players, but how much of a factor it plays is slightly unclear.
Similarly, the portal is a bit of a mixed bag. It's been positive and negative for most programs, and it's been no different for the Gophers. When Ben Johnson took over as head coach at Minnesota in March 2021 after Richard Pitino was fired, he was forced to construct his first roster almost entirely from the transfer portal.
There have been hits and misses, but Johnson has consistently found key contributors in the portal, and this season's improvement couldn't provide better examples. Two of Johnson's starters this season — Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. — were transfers.
But on the flip side, Johnson recently lost the entirety of his 2022 recruiting class, his first true recruiting class at the U, to the transfer portal this offseason, with Pharrel Payne, Braeden Carrington and Josh Ola-Joseph all deciding to transfer out.
So where does that leave things? Is Minnesota in a worse spot than its regional counterparts, and is it even fair to compare them? The recent transfers are a disheartening development, but is that at all unique to the U, or are other successful programs seeing similar departures? Let's take a look:
That includes this year’s leading scorer Keshon Gilbert, who’s expected to return next season, and Curtis Jones, who came to Ames via Buffalo after originally starring at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minn., in high school.
Jones is also expected to stick around Ames.
Jaren Holmes (Buffalo) and Gabe Kalscheur (Minnesota) also transferred to Iowa State and were key contributors on the 2022-23 team, as was Izaiah Brockington, who joined the Cyclones after four seasons at Penn State before the 2022-23 season.
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who took over the Cyclones program the same year as Johnson, has also recruited well with classes ranked 43rd in 2022, seventh in 2023 and 42nd in 2024, according to 247Sports. And like Johnson, Otzelberger inherited a program that was in a certain state of disarray after the Cyclones’ two-win COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. He was able to turn things around quickly.
That's in large part because the Cyclones have been able to get their top players to stay. Tyrese Hunter (Texas) is the only top-three scorer on the team to leave Ames over the past three years. That being said, the Cyclones have also seen a number of players come and go over that same period similar to the Gophers.
Since Shaka Smart took over three years ago, the Golden Eagles have had just one top-three scorer leave via the transfer portal. Smart took over after Marquette posted back-to-back disappointing seasons and fired then-coach Steve Wojciechowski.
That was the same year Johnson took over as coach of the Gophers. But the circumstances were different as Smart was already an established and well-known name after seeing success as the head coach at Texas. That name recognition appears to have benefitted recruiting, with Marquette posting the 60th-ranked recruiting class in 2022, the 28th in 2023 and the 32nd in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles have been able to bolster their lineup with the likes of point guard Tyler Kolek, who enrolled in 2021 after transferring from George Mason. He’s been an ideal complement to Kameron Jones, who led Marquette in scoring this season at 17.2 points per game this season.
While it is a different situation, Marquette hasn't seen many departures since Smart took over after the 2020-21 season, unlike the Gophers or Iowa State.
When it comes down to it, of all the regional programs mentioned, it's probably the most difficult to compare the two border and Big Ten rivals. Wisconsin was never in disarray before the NIL era, with Greg Gard providing stability at the head coaching position over the last nine years.
Gard had already established his program by the time NIL changes took place.
That doesn't mean the Badgers have been insulated to change, and they have adapted, bringing key contributors like Max Klesmit and AJ Storr in via the transfer portal. However, their success has been built largely on the backs of multiyear players who have stayed with the program such as Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl.
And Storr's entry into the transfer portal this offseason goes to show it's not just the Gophers losing star players. The portal is affecting everyone.
While the Badgers have so far seen their success carry over to the NIL and portal era, there's no reason the Gophers couldn't say the same after a few more years of stability at the head coaching position. Johnson's just started to build up the Minnesota program. Wisconsin’s success could be chalked up to coaching stability.
After being forced to scrape together rosters from the portal, Johnson should have an established core returning in 2024-25. While he’ll lose a starter in Payne, he expects to return four of five, with Hawkins, Mitchell, Dawson Garcia and Cam Christie likely to remain in Dinkytown. That’s a roster that should be competitive in the Big Ten.
Obviously, the Gophers have lost some players to the portal this offseason. But it's not something you can chalk entirely up to NIL; there are always other factors at play.
Ola-Joseph, for example, fell out of the Gophers' rotation by the end of the season. It's entirely possible he's looking for an opportunity that will provide more minutes.
There's no doubt the loss of Payne will hurt, and he's the latest key contributor to leave the program — Jamison Battle and Ta'Lon Cooper are two others in recent memory. But Minnesota never had the stability within the program.
Johnson and the Gophers appear poised to change that this season, assuming the rest of the roster stays intact. Next season should be a competitive one. There won't truly be a way to evaluate the state of the program until we see what happens next season, and just as importantly, after it.
Perhaps it won’t be long until the Gophers can compete with the likes of Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State.
Go Gophers!!
The Gophers men’s basketball team gave fans reason to be optimistic looking forward with noticeable improvement during the 2023-24 season. But the U still has a long way to go if it hopes to compete with other successful Midwest programs such as Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State.
While Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State, all NCAA Tournament teams this season, always seem to be quite competitive nationally, Minnesota seems to be a step behind.
Or is it?
The Gophers have certainly been less competitive historically. Minnesota has made the Big Dance just six times since 2000, while the Golden Eagles have made 13 of the last 18 NCAA Tournaments, the Cyclones have been dancing in 10 of the last 12 tourneys and the Badgers have missed March Madness just twice since 2000.
But what does that mean for the present? Most of those runs came before the changes to name, image and likeness (NIL) rules within college athletics that have allowed student-athletes to pursue endorsement deals. That, along with the NCAA transfer portal, has fundamentally changed college athletics.
So instead, let's narrow it down to the last three years. Marquette and Iowa State are each 3 for 3 in NCAA Tournament appearances, while the Badgers are batting .667. The Gophers, meanwhile, have missed out on the Big Dance each time.
But is it fair to compare the Gophers to their regional counterparts? And if so, are there specific reasons why Minnesota hasn't been as productive? Is it the change in NIL? The portal? Could it be recruiting or coaching?
Quite frankly, it’s pretty murky and difficult to diagnose. The amount of NIL money programs have available isn’t publicly disclosed, and the deals that do get released publicly tend to only be those of the highest earners. There’s no doubt NIL plays a role in recruiting and retaining players, but how much of a factor it plays is slightly unclear.
Similarly, the portal is a bit of a mixed bag. It's been positive and negative for most programs, and it's been no different for the Gophers. When Ben Johnson took over as head coach at Minnesota in March 2021 after Richard Pitino was fired, he was forced to construct his first roster almost entirely from the transfer portal.
There have been hits and misses, but Johnson has consistently found key contributors in the portal, and this season's improvement couldn't provide better examples. Two of Johnson's starters this season — Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. — were transfers.
But on the flip side, Johnson recently lost the entirety of his 2022 recruiting class, his first true recruiting class at the U, to the transfer portal this offseason, with Pharrel Payne, Braeden Carrington and Josh Ola-Joseph all deciding to transfer out.
So where does that leave things? Is Minnesota in a worse spot than its regional counterparts, and is it even fair to compare them? The recent transfers are a disheartening development, but is that at all unique to the U, or are other successful programs seeing similar departures? Let's take a look:
How is Iowa State staying competitive?
The Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past three years this season and have found lots of success by hitting on players in the portal. Of the eight players that have ranked in the top three of scoring on the team in the past three seasons, six of them have come via the transfer portal.That includes this year’s leading scorer Keshon Gilbert, who’s expected to return next season, and Curtis Jones, who came to Ames via Buffalo after originally starring at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minn., in high school.
Jones is also expected to stick around Ames.
Jaren Holmes (Buffalo) and Gabe Kalscheur (Minnesota) also transferred to Iowa State and were key contributors on the 2022-23 team, as was Izaiah Brockington, who joined the Cyclones after four seasons at Penn State before the 2022-23 season.
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who took over the Cyclones program the same year as Johnson, has also recruited well with classes ranked 43rd in 2022, seventh in 2023 and 42nd in 2024, according to 247Sports. And like Johnson, Otzelberger inherited a program that was in a certain state of disarray after the Cyclones’ two-win COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. He was able to turn things around quickly.
That's in large part because the Cyclones have been able to get their top players to stay. Tyrese Hunter (Texas) is the only top-three scorer on the team to leave Ames over the past three years. That being said, the Cyclones have also seen a number of players come and go over that same period similar to the Gophers.
Iowa State 2023 transfer portal:
- Enrolled: Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones, Jackson Paveletzke
- Transferred: Jeremiah Williams, Caleb Grill, Eli King
Iowa State 2022 transfer portal:
- Enrolled: Osun Osunniyi, Jaren Holmes, Hason Ward, Jeremiah Williams, Caleb Grill, Robert Jones
- Transferred: Tyrese Hunter, Blake Hinson, Xavier Foster, Jaden Walker, Tristan Enaruna, Tre Jackson, Darlinstone Dubar
Iowa State 2021 transfer portal:
- Enrolled: Tre King, Aljaz Kunc, Gabe Kalscheur, Izaiah Brockington
- Transferred: Dudley Blackwell, Javan Johnson, Rasir Bolton, Tyler Harris, Jalen Coleman-Lands
How is Marquette winning at a high level?
Just like the Gophers, the Golden Eagles are in a big market that competes with professional sports teams. But unlike the Gophers, they've continued to have winning basketball teams over the last three seasons.Since Shaka Smart took over three years ago, the Golden Eagles have had just one top-three scorer leave via the transfer portal. Smart took over after Marquette posted back-to-back disappointing seasons and fired then-coach Steve Wojciechowski.
That was the same year Johnson took over as coach of the Gophers. But the circumstances were different as Smart was already an established and well-known name after seeing success as the head coach at Texas. That name recognition appears to have benefitted recruiting, with Marquette posting the 60th-ranked recruiting class in 2022, the 28th in 2023 and the 32nd in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles have been able to bolster their lineup with the likes of point guard Tyler Kolek, who enrolled in 2021 after transferring from George Mason. He’s been an ideal complement to Kameron Jones, who led Marquette in scoring this season at 17.2 points per game this season.
While it is a different situation, Marquette hasn't seen many departures since Smart took over after the 2020-21 season, unlike the Gophers or Iowa State.
Marquette 2023 transfer portal
- Enrolled: None
- Transferred: Zach Wrightsil, Keeyan Itejere
Marquette 2022 transfer portal
- Enrolled: None
- Transferred: Greg Elliott, Jamal Cain
Marquette 2021 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Darryl Morsell, Kur Kuath,
- Transferred: Dawson Garcia, Theo John, Jose Perez, Symir Torrence, Dexter Akanno, Olivier-Maxence Prosper
What is Wisconsin doing differently?
While Gophers fans love to hate the Badgers, when it comes to consistent success within the men’s basketball program, the question on the front of many fans’ minds is probably: “Why can’t we be like Wisconsin?”When it comes down to it, of all the regional programs mentioned, it's probably the most difficult to compare the two border and Big Ten rivals. Wisconsin was never in disarray before the NIL era, with Greg Gard providing stability at the head coaching position over the last nine years.
Gard had already established his program by the time NIL changes took place.
That doesn't mean the Badgers have been insulated to change, and they have adapted, bringing key contributors like Max Klesmit and AJ Storr in via the transfer portal. However, their success has been built largely on the backs of multiyear players who have stayed with the program such as Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl.
And Storr's entry into the transfer portal this offseason goes to show it's not just the Gophers losing star players. The portal is affecting everyone.
While the Badgers have so far seen their success carry over to the NIL and portal era, there's no reason the Gophers couldn't say the same after a few more years of stability at the head coaching position. Johnson's just started to build up the Minnesota program. Wisconsin’s success could be chalked up to coaching stability.
Wisconsin 2023 transfer portal
- Enrolled: AJ Storr
- Transferred: Jordan Davis
Wisconsin 2022 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Max Klesmit, Kamari McGee
- Transferred: Ben Carlson, Lorne Bowman
Wisconsin 2021 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Isaac Lindsey, Jahcobi Neath, Chris Vogt
- Transferred: None
Where does that leave Minnesota?
So where does that leave the Gophers? We might just find out this season.After being forced to scrape together rosters from the portal, Johnson should have an established core returning in 2024-25. While he’ll lose a starter in Payne, he expects to return four of five, with Hawkins, Mitchell, Dawson Garcia and Cam Christie likely to remain in Dinkytown. That’s a roster that should be competitive in the Big Ten.
Obviously, the Gophers have lost some players to the portal this offseason. But it's not something you can chalk entirely up to NIL; there are always other factors at play.
Ola-Joseph, for example, fell out of the Gophers' rotation by the end of the season. It's entirely possible he's looking for an opportunity that will provide more minutes.
There's no doubt the loss of Payne will hurt, and he's the latest key contributor to leave the program — Jamison Battle and Ta'Lon Cooper are two others in recent memory. But Minnesota never had the stability within the program.
Johnson and the Gophers appear poised to change that this season, assuming the rest of the roster stays intact. Next season should be a competitive one. There won't truly be a way to evaluate the state of the program until we see what happens next season, and just as importantly, after it.
Perhaps it won’t be long until the Gophers can compete with the likes of Wisconsin, Marquette and Iowa State.
Minnesota 2023 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Elijah Hawkins, Mike Mitchell Jr.
- Transferred: Jamison Battle, Jaden Henley, Ta'Lon Cooper, Treyton Thompson
Minnesota 2022 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Dawson Garcia, Ta'Lon Cooper, Taurus Samuels, Payton Willis, Luke Loewe
- Transferred: Abdoulaye Thiam
Minnesota 2021 transfer portal
- Enrolled: Parker Fox, Jamison Battle, Charlie Daniels, Sean Sutherlin, Eylijah Stephens
- Transferred: Marcus Carr, Gabe Kalscheur, Both Gach, Tre Williams, Liam Robbins, Brandon Johnson, Sam Freeman, Martice Mitchelle, Jarvis Omersa, Jamal Mashburn
Go Gophers!!
