Charlotte transfer Lu’Cye Patterson returns home, commits to Gophers

Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson landed a former local prep standout with Charlotte transfer and Minneapolis native Lu’Cye Patterson on Friday.

The 6-2, 205-pound guard from Minnesota Prep Academy announced his decision to finish his career in his home state after an official visit at the U. Patterson has one year of eligibility remaining.

Patterson spent two seasons at Missouri State before transferring to Charlotte in 2022. He has 82 starts in his career, including 56 games at Charlotte the past two seasons. He averaged a team-high 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and shot 35% from three-point range for the 49ers as a junior.

Last season, Patterson was an All-American Athletic Conference second team selection after having eight games with 20 or more points, including a season-high 27 points against East Carolina. He also scored 16 points in an upset against No. 17 Florida Atlantic and 14 points in a loss to Duke.

“Lu’Cye Patterson is a great addition to our program,” Johnson said in a statement. “He’s a player who has gotten better every year he’s played college basketball. Lu’Cye has a high basketball IQ and a good feel for the game. He plays with the right pace, has great physicality and toughness, can shoot and makes players better with his passing. We’re excited to add him to the team.”

The Gophers returned only one guard from last season with Mike Mitchell Jr., who led them in three-point shooting. In the backcourt, Johnson signed Oregon’s Brennan Rigsby, Macalester’s Caleb Williams and New Mexico State’s Femi Odukale from the portal. Cherry senior and four-star guard Isaac Asuma’s also in the 2024 recruiting class.