The Gophers men’s basketball team filled the final scholarship for the 2024-25 season after receiving a commitment Saturday from Toledo transfer and former Oregon State recruit Tyler Cochran.
Gophers men’s basketball fills final scholarship spot for next season with Toledo transfer Tyler Cochran
Tyler Cochran, a 6-2 guard, is a sixth-year senior who has played for Northern Illinois, Ball State and Toledo.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 30, 2024 at 3:08AM
Cochran, who averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season, gives coach Ben Johnson’s team nine newcomers for next season, including seven transfers. He visited the Gophers on Tuesday.
The 6-2, 225-pound Bolingbrook, Ill., native is a sixth-year senior after playing for Northern Illinois, Ball State and Toledo in his first five seasons. He has 111 games of experience, including 68 starts.
“It’s a dream come true,” Cochran told the Star Tribune on Saturday. “Especially to be a part of Coach Johnson’s team. There aren’t many opportunities a kid gets to play for somebody who they really wanted to play for.”
Cochran’s connection with Johnson goes back to Northern Illinois after Mark Montgomery was fired in 2021. Johnson, a Xavier assistant, interviewed for the Huskies head-coaching job before accepting the U position.
Last season, Cochran bounced back after missing most of the 2022-23 season because of a toe injury to earn All-Mid-American Conference second team and co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He shot 49.5% from the field, 36% from three-point range and led the league with 1.9 steals per game.
“That’s one of my greatest gifts is being able to defend most positions on the court,” Cochran said. “Hopefully that translates and gets me on the floor as much as possible.”
Johnson’s backcourt lost two starters with point guard Elijah Hawkins transferring to Texas Tech and freshman Cam Christie being drafted in the second round of Thursday’s NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
But the Gophers return senior Mike Mitchell Jr. and add Cochran to a senior-laden group of transfers, including Lu’Cye Patterson (Charlotte), Brennan Rigsby (Oregon), Caleb Williams (Macalester) and Femi Odukale (New Mexico State).
Summer practices started a few weeks ago for the Gophers, who welcomed back leading scorer Dawson Garcia from a 19-win NIT team last season.
Cochran, who got out of his letter of intent with Oregon State earlier this month to find a better fit, hopes to join the Gophers “within the next week.”
“This time around I want to put myself in position to play at the highest level possible in college,” Cochran said. “I wanted to give myself the best chance to play at the end of March.”
After three consecutive losses, No. 16 Minnesota benefited from Julia Hanson’s biggest output of her career.
