Gophers men’s basketball team now waits to see which players make it back

INDIANAPOLIS - The Gophers men’s basketball team might look almost completely different next season — and it also could look the same in key spots.

It’s hard to trust decisions made in March, especially after what happened with the mass exodus from the Gophers roster last year.

But Gophers coach Ben Johnson talked about the futures of Isaac Asuma, Frank Mitchell and Brennan Rigsby after Wednesday’s 72-64 loss against Northwestern in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament.

“[Asuma] and Frank are two pieces we know are coming back,” Johnson said. “Couple guys have to make decisions on what they want to do. You take those pieces and hope those guys can learn from this year.”

Mitchell and Rigsby were two of the most impactful players off the bench at the end of the regular season for the Gophers.

A 6-8, 260-pound junior, Mitchell ended up being the inside presence and double-double threat needed alongside senior Dawson Garcia this year. The Toronto native might have two years of eligibility remaining, but he struggled to weigh what would happen next season.

“It’s hard for me to think about next year right now,” Mitchell said. “We just lost. I feel for the guys who aren’t coming back, especially Dawson. Someone who I’ve been close to this year.”

With a combined 38 points against Nebraska and Wisconsin this month, Rigsby thrived when his role increased in the backcourt.

A bouncy 6-3 senior, Rigsby played one season in junior college before transferring to Oregon and then the Gophers, so he’s considering returning under the NCAA’s new rule allowing juco players to have an extra season.

“I’m pretty sure it’s set in stone I got my year back,” Rigsby said. “I definitely want to come back. I’ll talk to the coaches and see what their visions are and go from there.”

Asuma, a 6-3 freshman from Cherry, Minn., showed glimpses of his potential as one of the best young backcourt players in the Big Ten. His first-year success followed last year’s All-Big Ten freshman Cam Christie, a second-round NBA draft pick.

The Gophers have plans to develop Asuma as their point guard of the future. He saw major growth in his game in coach Ben Johnson’s system this season.

“I think I definitely got more confident and comfortable as the year went on,” said Asuma, who had eight points and three rebounds in 20 minutes Wednesday. “I learned a lot from the older guys we have.”

What happens next will be individual player meetings in the next two weeks, but the Gophers know nothing is finalized until players show up for summer practice in June.

Senior starting guard Mike Mitchell Jr. said he doesn’t know anything yet about whether he will get a fifth year of eligibility, which has been proposed by the NCAA beyond a COVID year.

A year ago, starters Elijah Hawkins and Pharrel Payne said after a Big Ten tournament loss against Michigan State they were excited to return for the Gophers. They eventually transferred to Texas Tech and Texas A&M, respectively. Christie was uncertain of his future, but it was known that he would likely declare for the draft.

The biggest surprise last offseason was Garcia returning for a fifth season, especially since he was an NBA prospect and had $1 million NIL options.

The Gophers should have more money to spend on recruiting and retaining players with the combination of upcoming revenue-sharing and NIL.

“We know what it takes to win at this level,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of the fun challenge. Appreciate the resources to be able to go out and do that.”