Gophers expect freshman Braeden Carrington to make season debut vs. DePaul

The last time Braeden Carrington played on the Williams Arena court in front of fans was when his Park Center basketball team won the Class 4A state title in March.

The Gophers freshman guard didn't think he would be starting his college career on the bench recovering from a lingering ankle injury. Carrington was finally cleared to play in Monday night's game against DePaul.

How much of a factor Carrington can be after missing the exhibition and the first two games of the season remains to be seen, but he'll join a trio of freshmen already making a major impact.

Jaden Henley, Pharrel Payne, and Joshua Ola-Joseph combined for 40 points in last Friday's 72-54 win against St. Francis Brooklyn.

Carrington, who would likely be in the backcourt rotation with Henley, Ta'Lon Cooper and Taurus Samuels, was the first Minnesota Mr. Basketball last year to sign with the Gophers since Amir Coffey in 2016.

The 6-foot-4 Brooklyn Park native averaged 17.8 points for the 31-1 Pirates, who won their first state championship on March 26 in front of a packed crowd against Wayzata at the Barn.

"The atmosphere was great," Carrington said earlier. "You couldn't hear anything on the court. It was a wild thing to be a part of. Knowing that's going to be my atmosphere for the next [four years] really made me happy. I know what to expect. It's really nice."

Last season's top scorer and rebounder Jamison Battle is out for the third straight game recovering from foot surgery.

Second-year Gophers coach Ben Johnson's youth takeover this season is the opposite of the visiting Blue Demons. The Gophers could play as many as four freshmen and two sophomores Monday night. DePaul ranks 29^th nationally by KenPom.com in Division I experience with its top seven players upperclassmen, including four senior starters.

GAME INFO

Time: 6 p.m. CT, Monday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Gophers 1.5-point underdog. Series: DePaul leads the series 10-8, including winning the last meeting 73-68 at Minnesota on Nov. 29, 2019. TV: Big Ten Network. Online/Live video: BTN-plus. Radio: KTLK 1130-AM

PROJECTED STARTERS

MINNESOTA GOPHERS (2-0)

Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG

G – Ta'Lon Cooper 6-4 195 Jr. 12.5

G – Jaden Henley 6-7 200 Fr. 10.0

G – Will Ramberg 6-5 205 Jr. 3.5

F – Dawson Garcia 6-11 230 So. 17.0

C – Treyton Thompson 7-0 210 So. 2.5

Key reserves– Taurus Samuels, G, 6-1, Sr., 4.5 ppg; Joshua Ola-Joseph, F, 6-7, Fr., 9.0 ppg; Pharrel Payne, F/C, 6-9, Fr., 7.5 ppg

Coach: Ben Johnson 15-17 career (2nd season)

Notable: The Gophers announced 6-8 freshman forward Kadyn Betts will redshirt the 2022-23 season after reclassifying and joining the team early this year. Betts will play with a highly touted 2023 class that was signed Nov. 9 with five-star center Dennis Evans and four-star guard Cameron Christie. In Friday's win against St. Francis, the U extended its nonconference home win streak to 16 straight games. The last non-league home loss was against DePaul during the 2019-20 season.

DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS (2-0)

Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG

G – Jalen Terry 6-0 158 Jr. 4.5

G – Umoja Gibson 6-1 Sr. 18.0

G – Eral Penn 6-6 200 Sr. 9.0

F – Javan Johnson 6-6 198 Sr. 19.0

C – Yor Anei 6-10 228 Sr. 7.0

Reserves – Da'Sean Nelson, F, 6-8, Jr., 12.5 ppg; Philmon Gebrewhit, G, 6-7, Sr., 4.0 ppg; Ahamad Bynum, G, 6-3, Fr., 3.5 ppg; Zion Cruz, G, 6-5, Fr., 2.5 ppg.

Coach: Tony Stubblefield 17-16 (second season)

Notable: The Blue Devils returned three starters from a 15-16 team that finished tied for ninth in the Big East in Tony Stubblefield's first season as head coach. But last season's starting center Nick Ongenda (8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds) missed the first two games of the season with a hand injury. They also lost top three scorers to transfer and graduation, including former Gophers forward Brandon Johnson.

Fuller's score prediction (2-0 prediction record): Gophers 68, DePaul 66.