Where do Gophers stand in quest for Minnesota's top two boys' basketball seniors?

Taison Chatman and Nolan Winter, the top two boys' basketball players in the state of Minnesota's 2023 class, are expected to make their decisions soon on where they're headed for college.

Winter, a 6-11 senior at Lakeville North, enjoyed his official visit with second-year coach Ben Johnson and the Gophers last week, he told the Star Tribune.

The son of former Gophers center Trevor Winter has no more visits scheduled and planned to decide "shortly after" his visit to the U, which included attending the opening football win vs. New Mexico State. His father's alma mater appears to be the favorite, but Winter has named no finalists.

"When it feels right, I'll make an announcement," Winter said over Labor Day weekend. "Still have to sit down and talk with people about what place suits me best."

A four-star guard from Totino-Grace, Chatman could announce his decision soon as well, after taking an official visit over the weekend with Ohio State, the Columbus Dispatch reported. The Gophers were among his top five schools, but he visited Ohio State, Kansas, Xavier and UConn.

A year ago, Johnson focused mainly on selling the vision of his basketball program to in-state talent — and his first three high school recruits were from Minnesota.

But the Gophers are recruiting even more nationally in the 2023 class. Johnson's first commitment was from Colorado four-star forward Kadyn Betts, who eventually reclassified and joined the team this fall as a freshman.

More than half of the U's 2023 targets weren't from Minnesota this summer. And the Gophers already landed four-star Rolling Meadows guard Cameron Christie, the No. 1 senior in Illinois.

Christie's presence likely changed the Gophers' recruiting interest with Chatman despite being ranked as the top senior in Minnesota. Christie said Ben Johnson talked about giving him an opportunity to play point guard in college (happens to be Chatman's position).

Chatman, Winter, and Holy Family big man Boden Kapke are the top three seniors in Minnesota. They all had offers from the Gophers. But Winter appeared to be the last one standing when it came to getting the full attention of Johnson's staff in recruiting.

"They were making me a priority for them," Winter said earlier. "They're showing they really want me. It feels good to be wanted by them."

Kapke, who recently visited Boston College, didn't appear to be the main 2023 center target for the U this summer, especially with five-star California 7-footer Dennis Evans showing major interest in the Gophers. Evans, who has an offer from Kansas, is expected to visit Minnesota later this month.

If Winter committed to the Gophers, that shouldn't hurt their chances at Evans. They could complement each other in the frontcourt. Winter is a stretch forward. Evans is a versatile rim protector.

This week, the Gophers started fall semester classes and workouts on campus. The biggest news during the team's break from practice was North Carolina transfer and ex-Prior Lake star Dawson Garcia being ruled immediately eligible by the NCAA last month.

Fans' first chance to see Garcia and company will be the exhibition opener Nov. 2 against St. Olaf at Williams Arena. The Gophers' regular season begins Nov. 7 against Western Michigan at home.