Tom Izzo has a tendency in postgame news conferences to toss bouquets to opponents his Michigan State team has just beat. The Spartans head coach did it again after dispatching Minnesota and head coach Ben Johnson in the Big Ten Tournament on March 14.
“They played well,” Izzo said after 77-67 win in Minneapolis. “Ben’s done an unbelievable job with the program. They could be the No. 1 team in the league next year. So hats off to them.”
Izzo, who recruited Johnson out of DeLaSalle High School and again when Johnson transfered from Northwestern to Minnesota, isn’t disingenuous in his praise. He’s not going to hand out a dozen red roses at every team in the Big Ten. He also says he is paying it forward.
“As far as Ben Johnson, everybody in the room knows that I’m close with Ben and should be close with Ben because there were people that took care of me when I came in,” Izzo said at Target Center. “You’re going to see one (March 15 in former Purdue coach) Gene Keady, and the Bobby Knights and the Clem Haskins, those guys. I try to do some of that with Ben because I believe in him, and I believe what he’s done.
“All he has to do is hold this team together,” Izzo continued on the Gophers. “And they’ll come in as, if not the favorite, one of the favorites. It’s a very, very good basketball team. I’ve been really impressed.”
Izzo’s praise comes with contingencies such as “if” and “could be” because of the high level of uncertainty that permeates every college basketball roster with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals available to entice players to enter the NCAA transfer portal. There’s also the option pursue a shot in the NBA draft.
Minnesota’s roster might be especially susceptible. The Gophers NIL fund via the Dinkytown Athletes collective has improved, but it’s not as deep pocketed as some competing programs.
The power of NIL to potentially sway players to leave will be determined in the upcoming weeks.
As the Gophers advanced in the National Invitational Tournament last week, Johnson admitted there was some “guessing” about what his roster will be next season. After the 76-64 loss to Indiana State on Sunday, Johnson said he would meet with players in end-of-season sit-downs.
“The biggest thing is getting back and meeting with the guys and starting with the development plan looks like,” Johnson said on the KFAN postgame show. “Hopefully we are able to retain and have a lot of the core group of guys back.”
The Gophers had eight players leave after Johnson’s first season in 2021-22, with the majority being graduations or eligibility running out.
The U had five players exit after Johnson’s second season a year ago, with the majority being transfers, including Jamison Battle, Talon Cooper and Jaden Henley.
How much turnover will the Gophers have this offseason?
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Most of the attention focuses on the U’s two best players, forward Dawson Garica and guard Cam Christie. Neither player has let on publicly what their plans might be — another college or an NBA leap. Garcia did say during the regular season that he planned to make a decision soon after the season ended.
There are a handful of noticable question marks on other players such as Josh Ola-Joseph who saw his starts and playing time fall off drastically when the season moved to February.
Parker Fox, a smart and spirited player off the bench, has a seventh season available for next year, but has appeared hesitant to reporters on using it or move onto the next phase of life. Playing another season after two serious knee injuries also will be a consideration.
Isaiah Ihnen battled through two season-ending injuries like Fox but didn’t play much this winter. Braeden Carrington was a key reserve to end the season, but took a midseason pause to address his mental health.
Elijah Hawkins, the starting point guard and one of the top assist men in the nation, told the Star Tribune he will return for next season. Pharrel Payne and Mike Mitchell Jr., might be safe bets to return for next fall.
The Gophers have two scholarships opening up (center Jack Wilson and forward Will Ramberg) and both are being filled by incoming freshman (guard Isaac Asuma and forward Grayson Grove).
Freshman Kadyn Betts and Kris Keinys rarely played in 2023-24. How they and the U view their development will go a long way toward them returning for next season.
Izzo isn’t alone in a sunny forecasts of what next year might become at Minnesota. Gophers AD Mark Coyle, who is not known for headline-indicting comments, said the U can be a preseason Top 25 team next fall.
The Gophers, who had a 11-win improvement over last season, have been active in reaching out to possible incoming transfers — a sign that there could be a fair amount of roster turnover this spring.
“Then it becomes what are we going to do this spring and summer to really take that next step individually and as a team,” Johnson said Sunday. “That is the fun part. That is the exciting part. I told them now you know the formula and you know what success looks and feels like when you’ve won and also when you’ve lost.
“Now we can use that to really transform our bodies, transform our games, transform our minds so that we are a much stronger group,” Johnson continued. “We’ve got that experience under our belt and now we can really attack the offseason with purpose because you understand it.”
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