Five Gophers men's basketball newcomers arrive, with some headed for key roles

Newcomers have defined third-year coach Ben Johnson's tenure so far with Gophers men's basketball. They've carried a big load.

After losing 10 players to the transfer portal once he was hired to replace Richard Pitino in 2021, Johnson had the largest group of newcomers in the Big Ten. And entering last season, the Gophers were near the top again with a high number of new faces.

The quantity of incoming players has finally shrunk a bit for the U — but not the quality.

For the first time, Johnson has a core of players back who have played meaningful roles. Four returners are led by All-Big Ten preseason forward Dawson Garcia, last year's scoring and rebounding leader.

But these five newcomers add much-needed depth in the backcourt and in the middle for the Gophers entering the new season. They'll face Division III Macalester in an exhibition game Thursday ahead of Monday's season opener against Bethune-Cookman at the Barn.

• MIKE MITCHELL JR.

GUARD • #2 • JUNIOR

Mitchell's father was one of the all-time football rushing leaders at Stanford. After playing his first two years at Pepperdine, the younger Mitchell now has a chance to play at the Power Five level like his pops. He was a four-star recruit coming out of the Bay Area.

The 6-2 San Jose, Calif., native was one of the top point guards available in the transfer portal with opportunities to play in several major conferences after shooting 42% from three and averaging 5.0 assists, second in the West Coast Conference.

"Mike brings a strong leadership presence to our backcourt," Johnson said. "Mike was really a productive player in the [WCC] the past two years. I love his ability to play in ball screens and his perimeter shooting capability."

• ELIJAH HAWKINS

GUARD • #0 • JUNIOR

The only player on the Gophers' roster with experience playing in the NCAA tournament, he's just 5-11 and 165 pounds. But Hawkins was huge last season for Howard as it earned the program's first March Madness berth in 31 years.

Hawkins was a first-team all-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection after ranking 11th in the nation in assists per game (6.0) and 21st in three-point percentage (46.6).

There's a sense of urgency for Hawkins to get back to the postseason after his 12-point, eight-assist performance in an NCAA tournament first-round loss to Kansas.

"Elijah is a mature young man, who has always been a winner," Johnson said. "He's a tough, gritty competitor that plays with an edge. Elijah has an alpha mentality and really loves to work on his craft."

• CAM CHRISTIE

GUARD • #24 • FRESHMAN

Growing up, Christie played mostly in his older brother's shadow. Max Christie turned into a McDonald's All-America and NBA draft pick after his freshman year at Michigan State. Cam's been motivated his whole life to be better than his big brother — and his potential seems just as high.

The 6-6, 190-pound freshman arrived as the top recruit in Johnson's 2023 class after earning all-state honors at Rolling Meadows in Arlington Heights, Ill. Christie expects to make an immediate impact as a deadeye shooter and athletic scorer in the U backcourt.

"No fear. Extreme confidence," Ben Johnson said. "Great maturity for an 18-year-old. He has high expectations for himself, which is what I love. I want all of our guys to have that game-changer mentality."

• JACK WILSON

CENTER • #33 • GRADUATE

No player in the Big Ten outside of Purdue's man mountain Zach Edey can match the size of the Gophers' new center, who once was the largest football player ever in the Pac-12 as a 6-11, 335-pound offensive lineman.

Wilson, a former four-star basketball recruit from San Mateo, Calif., played at Oregon State to start his career before transferring to Idaho and eventually Washington State.

The Gophers were desperate to find a big man in the portal to back up talented sophomore Pharrel Payne and challenge him physically in practice. They found their guy.

"It's undeniable this is a great opportunity," Wilson said. "It's extremely high-level basketball and it fits my style of play. I can have an impact in the Big Ten against other teams who have big, more traditional centers."

• KRISTUPAS KEINYS

FORWARD • #8 • FRESHMAN

Keinys joined the Gophers at the end of the summer after spending most of the offseason working out back home in Klaipeda, Lithuania. But the 6-8, 215-pound wing fit right in with his energy and athleticism once practice opened this fall.

Keinys won't back down to Big Ten opponents after already playing tough competition internationally, including the U18 European Championships in 2022.

The Gophers' deepest position is the wing/power forward spot with Keinys, Joshua Ola-Joseph, Isaiah Ihnen and Kadyn Betts.

"He's going to be another exciting young player for us to develop," Johnson said. "He's a really good athlete. He's skilled and can shoot it. Playing in Lithuania in the pro league, he's not going to be fazed. He's hungry to push guys."