Former Mankato East star BJ Omot heard from new Gophers coach Niko Medved immediately after entering the transfer portal last month following his season with Cal.
Omot drew interest from other power conference programs, but he appreciated the Gophers making him a top priority. He felt excited about possibly returning to his home state, he said Wednesday.
“Coach Medved reached out to me in the portal really fast,” Omot said. “I took my visit on Monday. I really like the coaching staff. I’ve known them since high school. Coming home felt like the right thing to do.”
Medved picked up a potential starting wing after Omot signed his letter of intent Wednesday. The 6-8 junior can’t wait to showcase how much he has improved since high school and his first two college basketball seasons at North Dakota.
“I feel like I can really excel in Coach Medved’s offense because there’s a lot of ball movement and freedom,” Omot said. “And a lot of people also don’t know that I’m an elite perimeter defender.”
A season-ending wrist injury limited Omot to four games with the Golden Bears in 2024-25. He averaged 10.8 points, including 15 points, six rebounds and two steals vs. Vanderbilt.
“We’re thrilled to add BJ to our Gopher program,” Medved said in a statement. “BJ is athletic with size, length and skill. Along with his offensive talent as a wing, he is a great perimeter defender. I look forward to having him represent his home state and the Maroon and Gold.”
Three years ago, Omot led Mankato East to the Class 3A semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Totino-Grace. After playing for D1 Minnesota’s AAU program, he nearly committed to play in the Big East at Providence, but he decided to go to North Dakota to play right away as a freshman.
