Ben Johnson felt like his Gophers men’s basketball program had the perfect piece to build around when Dawson Garcia transferred home two years ago.
Dawson Garcia believes the Gophers aren’t done winning. But will he be back?
The Gophers open the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament Thursday vs. Michigan State, with Dawson Garcia delaying his decision on whether to return.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 13, 2024 at 5:37PM
It had been two decades since the U had a McDonald’s All-American, going back to Johnson’s old teammate, Kris Humphries.
Garcia gave the Gophers something more to sell in recruiting, locally and nationally. Players weren’t just coming to play for Johnson; they also wanted to help Garcia win. He was the ideal face of the program.
“If you look at what he means for our team,” Johnson said, “you can’t put a price tag on that.”
Garcia didn’t disappoint in his impact on the court. The 6-11 former Prior Lake star is the first Gopher to lead the team in scoring and rebounding in back-to-back seasons since legend Randy Breuer in 1982.
Time might be running out on the Garcia-led Gophers, though, if this ends up being his final year in college.
Garcia said his decision on declaring for the NBA draft or returning will come right after the season. Until then, he’s determined to see how far he can take the Gophers (18-13), who open the Big Ten tournament Thursday against Michigan State at Target Center.
“He understands there’s a time and place for that stuff,” Johnson said. “He’s so locked in right now, he wouldn’t even entertain thoughts of that.”
After Saturday’s 90-66 loss at Northwestern, Garcia talked to the team about still wanting to “put ourselves in position to have a special end to the season,” he said.
“I still believe in this group,” Garcia added. “We’re not in the mindset of what some people might do and just pack up the bags. We really want to push this thing forward and get the most out of what’s possible.”
Garcia was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media, and third by coaches, which the Gophers considered a snub. He missed first-team honors despite leading the Gophers in scoring (17.7), rebounding (6.7) and free-throw shooting (81.5%). He had 11 games with at least 20 points this season. His three 30-point games this season were the most since Marcus Carr’s four games in 2020-21.
Some players are at their best at home. Others thrive in hostile environments. Garcia averaged 21.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, shot 37% from three and 51% from the field in 10 Big Ten road games, including a career-high 36 points at Ohio State.
“He did a really good job of being consistent this year,” Johnson said. “That was one of the things we talked about at the beginning of the year. Really good players are consistent every single day.”
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NBA teams have been watching Garcia closely since he declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year at Marquette. He competed in the NBA G League Elite Camp that summer before transferring to North Carolina three years ago.
Garcia has the NBA as a goal, but Johnson said bringing fans back to Williams Arena and winning were what they talked about when he arrived on campus before the 2022-23 season.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for how bad he wants to win,” Johnson said. “That’s the narrative I try to get out to everybody. It’s how competitive he is. And how much it means to him to be here and get this program back winning. That’s the cool part that gets overshadowed by his talent as a player.”
Garcia needed a better supporting cast for the Gophers to move up in the Big Ten hierarchy this year. He praised point guard Elijah Hawkins, who changed the team’s identity with his floor leadership and passing this season.
Garcia took his frustration to social media after Hawkins was All-Big Ten honorable mention Tuesday.
“Led the nation in assists and came in and impacted winning drastically,” Garcia posted on X. “Honorable mention??”
Hawkins led the U’s new starting backcourt with fellow transfer Mike Mitchell Jr. and freshman Cam Christie. Garcia led a frontcourt with sophomore Pharrel Payne, who learned alongside him as a Big Ten starter.
“I feel like Dawson has always been able to play on the perimeter and play inside,” Payne said. “But this year I feel like he’s been able to polish it. He’s also able to hold down the paint [defensively].”
After his 30-point game in Saturday’s regular-season ending loss at Northwestern, Garcia said there was still a lot left to play for. He was also proud of the Gophers’ turnaround from last season’s nine wins.
Garcia preferred to credit Johnson for that. He called his coach -- not himself -- the face of the program.
“He’s going to have the Minnesota Gophers in a great spot for years,” Garcia said. “Even after I’m done playing.”
Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.
