For the first time in his tenure as Gophers men's basketball coach, Ben Johnson isn't rebuilding an entire roster with newcomers.
Gophers men's basketball roster breakdown: Who's back and what's their outlook?
Four players left the team for the portal after the season ended in March but the Gophers return more than past years under Ben Johnson.
April 1, 2023 at 9:50PM
After having to replace 10 players in Year 1 and nearly as many in his second season, the cupboard is much less bare going into this offseason.
Since the Gophers ended their season in March, Johnson lost four players to the transfer portal but he added one Wednesday with Pepperdine guard Mike Mitchell Jr.
Johnson desperately needs backcourt help but there's more to work with than he's had yet at the U, including leading scorer and rebounder Dawson Garcia and three freshmen returning who played 20-plus minutes per game. No other Big Ten team relied more on freshmen.
Here's a current look at the roster breakdown for Johnson's Gophers, who will continue to add pieces before the 2023-24 season:
Returning players
Kadyn Betts • 6-8 freshman forward (Pueblo, Colo.)
Betts redshirted after graduating from high school early. The former four-star recruit showed off a 7-foot wingspan, athleticism and a deadly outside shot in practices.
Braeden Carrington • 6-4 freshman guard (Brooklyn Park)
The former Minnesota Mr. Basketball missed eight games due to injuries but shot 8-for-15 from three-point range in his last four games, including 12 points in the Big Ten tournament loss to Maryland.
Dawson Garcia • 6-11 sophomore forward (Savage)
Garcia missed five games because of a foot injury but returned to average 17.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 42% three-point shooting during a late seven-game stretch, which included 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a Big Ten tournament win vs. Nebraska.
Parker Fox • 6-8 junior forward (Mahtomedi)
Former Division II All-America suffered ACL and meniscus injuries to his left and right knees in back-to-back seasons after transferring from Northern State (S.D.). Known for his elite athleticism.
Isaiah Ihnen • 6-10 junior guard/forward (Boeblingen, Germany)
A versatile and lengthy wing, Ihnen is the only player left from the Richard Pitino era. He has become a leader in the two years he has been sidelined after consecutive knee surgeries.
Joshua Ola-Joseph • 6-7 freshman forward (Brooklyn Park)
The least heralded player in the 2022 recruiting class, Ola-Joseph started the most games (24) out of any U freshman this year. Ranked second on the team with 21 dunks.
Pharrel Payne • 6-9 freshman forward/center (Cottage Grove)
Few freshmen big men in the Big Ten showed more upside than the 6-9, 255-pound Payne, who scored in double figures in six of his final 10 games, including a team-high 17 points vs. Maryland in Chicago.
Will Ramberg • 6-5 junior guard (Grand Marais, Minn.)
Former walk-on received a scholarship. Ramberg started the first four games of the season when the team dealt with injuries. He averaged about 13 minutes in 16 games.
Newcomers
Cameron Christie • 6-6 guard (Rolling Meadows, Ill.)
As a senior, he averaged 25 points, five rebounds and four assists, shot 88% on free throws and set a school record with 101 threes for a 27-7 team in Illinois' Class 4A.
Mike Mitchell • 6-2 guard (San Jose, Calif.)
The sophomore point guard started all 66 games in his career for two years at Pepperdine. He averaged 11 points, five assists and shot 44% from three-point range.
Erick Reader • 6-8 forward (Woodbury)
As a high school senior, he averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds for New Life Academy, which finished runner-up in Class 1A this season. He's a preferred walk-on.
Departed players
Ta'Lon Cooper • 6-4 guard (Detroit)
A junior who finished second in the Big Ten with 6.3 assists, but he also finished third on the team with 9.8 points per game. Announced a transfer to South Carolina and has also declared for the NBA draft.
Taurus Samuels • 6-1 guard (Oceanside, Calif.)
Saw his scoring average drop from 9.4 points to 2.3 points per game after transferring from Dartmouth. But he started 13 games and averaged 16.8 minutes this season. Graduating.
Jamison Battle • 6-7 forward (Robbinsdale)
Led Gophers in scoring as a sophomore in 2021-22, but the former DeLaSalle star saw his scoring drop (17.5 to 12.4 points per game) this season while dealing with injuries. Entered the transfer portal and is also considering pro options.
Jaden Henley • 6-7 guard (Ontario, Calif.)
Finished his freshman the season strong with a few double-digit scoring games, including 14 points in the Big Ten tournament opener. Transferred to DePaul after his ex-AAU teammate and five-star recruit Dennis Evans asked out of his letter of intent.
Treyton Thompson • 7-0 center (Glenwood, Minn.)
A former Alexandria standout played in 20 games, including eight starts, as a sophomore this past season, but his playing time was inconsistent. Entered the portal and committed to Stetson.
Walk-on
Jackson Purcell • 6-5 guard (Apple Valley)
Former Eastview player redshirted because of injury as a freshman in 2021-22, but he played one game this season vs. St. Francis Brooklyn.
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