Five things to know as Gophers men's basketball opens summer practice

Ben Johnson moved around from court to court at the Athletes Village practice facility Saturday, watching some of Minnesota's top high school prospects at the Gophers' team camp.

But Johnson's attention now turns to his own squad.

The Gophers opened summer practice Monday with 14 players, including five newcomers who arrived on campus last week to join the 2023-24 roster.

Johnson finished 9-22 in his second year as Gophers coach last season, but he returns more talent than previous years, including leading scorer and rebounder Dawson Garcia.

Here are five things to know about Johnson's Gophers as they start summer practice this week:

Point guard depth

The most important offseason addition from the portal came with Pepperdine's Mike Mitchell Jr. committing to the Gophers in late March to fill their biggest need at point guard.

One of the top 25 available transfers at the time, Mitchell said playing time, family atmosphere and right fit were reasons for picking Minnesota — not NIL money. That was critical because the Gophers missed out on several guards after landing Mitchell.

Two months later, Johnson and his staff were fortunate to sign Howard's Elijah Hawkins, who would help solidify the point guard spot for next season. The Gophers went from none to an abundance of experience at the position. Hawkins and Mitchell have combined for 125 starts in their careers so far.

No other Big Ten team will have two guards on their roster who averaged 5.0 assists or better and shot 44% from three-point range or better last season. A first-team all-league guard for Howard, Hawkins was 11th nationally in assists (6.0) and 21^st nationally in three-point shooting (46.6%). Mitchell led his team with 44% shooting from three and ranked second in his conference with 5.0 assists per game.

Sophomore jump

The Gophers were the only Big Ten team last season with four freshman averaging 20 minutes per game. Three of those freshmen return with the chance to make a big jump.

Pharrel Payne arguably had the most impressive finish to the season of any freshman big man in the league. The 6-9, 255-pound Cottage Grove product scored double figures in six of his last 10 games, including a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds in the Big Ten tournament loss to Maryland.

Joshua Ola-Joseph led all Gophers freshmen with 22.1 minutes per game and 24 starts. The former Osseo standout stood out with his explosive leaping ability and highlight-reel dunks. But his offensive game could expand as a sophomore. He had 11 double-figure scoring games and shot 38% from three-point range.

Braeden Carrington, a former Minnesota Mr. Basketball at Park Center, was starting to turn the corner once he got healthy after missing nine games because of injuries. He shot 8-for-15 from three-point range in his last four games, including 12 points in the Big Ten tournament loss.

Freshman ready

The Gophers welcomed only one incoming high school scholarship recruit from the 2023 class after five-star center Dennis Evans was released from his signed letter of intent.

But Cameron Christie's ready to prove he can be an impact freshman in the Big Ten.

The 6-6, 190-pound Illinois native averaged 25 points, five rebounds and four assists for a 27-7 Rolling Meadows team. Shooting is what Christie does best, hitting a school-record 101 threes while making 88% of his free throws last season. But Johnson expects Christie to get comfortable with all three positions on the perimeter, including point guard.

Former four-star recruit Kadyn Betts from Colorado will also look to establish himself this summer as a possible rotation player after redshirting as a true freshman last season. He's a versatile 6-8 forward with shooting range.

Dawson's dominant side

Garcia's best game in his first season with the Gophers was a 28-point performance in the team's only road win last season at Ohio State.

But it wasn't until the 6-11 former North Carolina transfer was fully healthy that he displayed his true potential. After missing five games because of a foot injury, Garcia returned to average 17 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists during an eight-game stretch.

Not only was the ex-Prior Lake star rebounding with more consistency, but he also shot 43% from beyond the arc (13-for-30) during that span, which included 18 points (2-for-5 threes), 13 rebounds and six assists in a Big Ten tourney win vs. Nebraska.

Garcia's leadership and competitiveness in summer practices will be a huge lift. But the Gophers also gave him more help in the paint with 6-11, 290-pound Washington State transfer Jack Wilson, a former football player.

Injury updates

Forwards Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen sat out because of season-ending knee injuries for the second consecutive year.

Ihnen, the last player left from the Richard Pitino era, appears to be ahead of his teammate. The 6-10 German native will be cautious but could be cleared for full contact this summer.

Following injuries to his ACL and meniscus, Fox's road to full contact could be a bit longer than expected, but the Gophers are still optimistic he could be ready for next season.