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per FSN:
Before the Gophers men’s basketball team tips off the 2020-21 season Wednesday against UW-Green Bay, get to know a few of the maroon-and-gold newcomers.
G Both Gach
A transfer from Utah, Gach’s name might sound familiar to Gophers fans. That’s because he was a standout guard at Austin High School in Minnesota from 2014-17. He led Austin to the Class 3A state championship in 2017, but the Packers lost 72-44 to DeLaSalle, which featured Kalscheur, now Gach’s teammate at Minnesota, and Tyrell Terry, the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Anyway, Gach is a candidate to lead the Gophers in scoring this season if he improves his perimeter shooting. As a sophomore last year, Gach logged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 52.6% from the field and 25.0% from 3-point range for the Utes. If fans are eventually allowed at Williams Arena this season, Gach could make the Barn explode with his rim-rattling dunks.
F Brandon Johnson
A three-year starter at Western Michigan, Johnson — a grad transfer — is a candidate to start in Minnesota’s frontcourt. Johnson made a big jump in production as a junior, leading the Broncos in rebounding (8.1 per game) and was their second-leading scorer (15.4 PPG). The biggest difference? His outside shooting. Over his first two seasons, Johnson logged 0.7 shots from downtown per contest. That number increased to 2.1 attempted 3-pointers as a junior. The 6-foot-8 forward should be able to dominate inside and stretch the floor as a big man in Pitino’s offense, which allowed Oturu to shoot nearly two 3s per game last season.
F Martice Mitchell
One of three incoming freshmen on the Gophers’ 2020-21 roster, Mitchell is a consensus three-star recruit out of Bloom High School in Illinois. Like Johnson, he gives Minnesota length at 6-10 and can shoot the 3. Weighing in at 190 pounds, Mitchell will likely have to fill out his frame before he can emerge as a Big Ten star, but there’s potential on both ends of the floor. Mitchell averaged 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior.
G David Mutaf
At 6-5 and 190 pounds, Mutaf will give the Gophers a bit of size in their backcourt. The freshman comes to Minnesota after growing up in Turkey. He was named a first team All-Season selection for his Turkish U19 team, Fenerbahce, last season, as he logged 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. A pure shooter, Mutaf drained 18 of 41 3-point attempts (43.9%) in four games during the Adidas Next Generation Tournament with Fenerbahce back in February. That has to excite Pitino, who watched the 2019-20 team finish sixth in the Big Ten by shooting 3s at a 33.7% clip.
C Liam Robbins
The obvious fill-in at center for the departed Oturu, Robbins stands 7 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds. Good luck getting around him in the paint. A transfer from Drake, Robbins set a new Bulldogs program record last season with 99 blocks, the third-most in Missouri Valley Conference single-season history. He posted 4+ blocks in 11 of 34 contests last season, including a career-best seven in a win over Loyola (IL) on Jan. 7. Robbins also led the Bulldogs in points (14.1 per game) and rebounds (7.1 per game). Like Oturu, Robbins can really fill up a box score.
www.foxsports.com
Go Gophers!!
Before the Gophers men’s basketball team tips off the 2020-21 season Wednesday against UW-Green Bay, get to know a few of the maroon-and-gold newcomers.
G Both Gach
A transfer from Utah, Gach’s name might sound familiar to Gophers fans. That’s because he was a standout guard at Austin High School in Minnesota from 2014-17. He led Austin to the Class 3A state championship in 2017, but the Packers lost 72-44 to DeLaSalle, which featured Kalscheur, now Gach’s teammate at Minnesota, and Tyrell Terry, the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Anyway, Gach is a candidate to lead the Gophers in scoring this season if he improves his perimeter shooting. As a sophomore last year, Gach logged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 52.6% from the field and 25.0% from 3-point range for the Utes. If fans are eventually allowed at Williams Arena this season, Gach could make the Barn explode with his rim-rattling dunks.
F Brandon Johnson
A three-year starter at Western Michigan, Johnson — a grad transfer — is a candidate to start in Minnesota’s frontcourt. Johnson made a big jump in production as a junior, leading the Broncos in rebounding (8.1 per game) and was their second-leading scorer (15.4 PPG). The biggest difference? His outside shooting. Over his first two seasons, Johnson logged 0.7 shots from downtown per contest. That number increased to 2.1 attempted 3-pointers as a junior. The 6-foot-8 forward should be able to dominate inside and stretch the floor as a big man in Pitino’s offense, which allowed Oturu to shoot nearly two 3s per game last season.
F Martice Mitchell
One of three incoming freshmen on the Gophers’ 2020-21 roster, Mitchell is a consensus three-star recruit out of Bloom High School in Illinois. Like Johnson, he gives Minnesota length at 6-10 and can shoot the 3. Weighing in at 190 pounds, Mitchell will likely have to fill out his frame before he can emerge as a Big Ten star, but there’s potential on both ends of the floor. Mitchell averaged 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior.
G David Mutaf
At 6-5 and 190 pounds, Mutaf will give the Gophers a bit of size in their backcourt. The freshman comes to Minnesota after growing up in Turkey. He was named a first team All-Season selection for his Turkish U19 team, Fenerbahce, last season, as he logged 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. A pure shooter, Mutaf drained 18 of 41 3-point attempts (43.9%) in four games during the Adidas Next Generation Tournament with Fenerbahce back in February. That has to excite Pitino, who watched the 2019-20 team finish sixth in the Big Ten by shooting 3s at a 33.7% clip.
C Liam Robbins
The obvious fill-in at center for the departed Oturu, Robbins stands 7 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds. Good luck getting around him in the paint. A transfer from Drake, Robbins set a new Bulldogs program record last season with 99 blocks, the third-most in Missouri Valley Conference single-season history. He posted 4+ blocks in 11 of 34 contests last season, including a career-best seven in a win over Loyola (IL) on Jan. 7. Robbins also led the Bulldogs in points (14.1 per game) and rebounds (7.1 per game). Like Oturu, Robbins can really fill up a box score.
5 Gophers men's basketball newcomers to watch in 2020-21
With three transfer players and a few intriguing freshmen, Richard Pitino's Minnesota Gophers will be exciting to watch in 2020-21.
Go Gophers!!