Newcomers give Ben Johnson's Gophers backcourt experience and potential

In Ben Johnson's first two seasons as Gophers men's basketball coach, every single player in his backcourt rotations was a newcomer.

The trend nearly continued this summer with Johnson needing to add depth on the perimeter. Enter Mike Mitchell Jr., Elijah Hawkins and freshman Cameron Christie who have bolstered a roster that returned just one guard from last season.

With two weeks left in summer practice, the newcomer trio of Mitchell, Hawkins and Christie have impressed Johnson with their "maturity and older presence," he said.

Christie turned 18 on Monday, but he has adjusted quickly to a college system and the intensity of Gophers practices. He's one of the top incoming Big Ten freshman.

"Cam's not your typical freshman," Johnson said Monday. "He comes in with a talent level that's very high. And now you combine that with a kid with a really good work ethic and he wants to learn — it's kind of a home run recipe."

The 6-6, 190-pound former four-star guard out of Rolling Meadows High in Illinois has stood out so far this summer by pushing older teammates to match his level of focus and preparation.

Johnson talked about Christie being locked in as soon as he walks into the gym. Christie has a routine that he sticks to every day, which includes getting extra shots up before and after practices this summer.

Mitchell (6-2) and Hawkins (5-11) don't have Christie's size, but they make up for that with playmaking ability and experience at point guard. They combined for 122 games, including 118 starts at Pepperdine and Howard, respectively.

The Gophers' new floor leaders are also two of only five D-I guards who shot better than 40% from three-point range (Hawkins 46.6 and Mitchell 44.0) and averaged at least 5.0 assists (Hawkins 6.0 and Mitchell 5.0) last season.

"One thing we tried to do this offseason is find more playmakers," Johnson said. "First year we had it a little bit. I don't think last year we had it as much. So, we wanted to get back to that and take it up a notch. To find guys who can make plays for themselves and others was huge. We have more guys who can handle the ball, create offense, create flow and put pressure on the defense."

Before joining the Gophers this summer, Hawkins, who led Howard to the NCAA tournament last season, said he and Mitchell would "blend well" together as playmakers who can challenge the defense with their outside shooting.

"I feel like we're both unselfish," Hawkins said earlier. "I feel like that will definitely work. We can feed off each other because we both can shoot [and pass]. We both shot over 40 percent from three last year. So, I feel like us playing together will be great."

Add Christie's potential to the veteran presence Hawkins and Mitchell bring, and Johnson's backcourt is showing this summer that it's an upgrade for the Gophers from a year ago.