Parker Fox announces his return to Gophers men’s basketball for one more year

The Gophers men’s basketball team hasn’t seen the last of Parker Fox, who announced Friday on social media he would be back for a seventh season.

Fox, a 6-8 Mahtomedi native, played the role of sixth man and emotional leader for the 19-15 Gophers this past season.

Fox, 25, dreamed of playing for his home state Big Ten program and finally got to step onto the court after transferring from Division II and sitting out two seasons with knee injuries.

“I didn’t know what my future would look like when it comes to basketball,” Fox said on social media. “But playing here at the University of Minnesota allowed me to fulfill one of my childhood dreams.”

Showing glimpses of his days as an All-America at Northern State (S.D.), Fox averaged 5.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.1 minutes in 2023-24. His 68.3% on field goals ranked second all-time for a single season in team history.

In his last six games, Fox scored in double figures four times and tied a season-high with four blocks in a win against Penn State at home.

The Gophers could see an increased frontcourt role for Fox next season with Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Isaiah Ihnen in the transfer portal. Leading scorer and rebounder Dawson Garcia announced that he will return for his senior year.